Mallota stipulata Meyer, Goergen, Midgley & Jordaens, 2024, sp. nov.

Mallota stipulata sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6524C068-F37E-4665-AD6B-233047FE00CF Figs 10, 20, 34, 46, 56 Differential diagnosis This species belongs to a group of three which are characterized by the combination of the following character states: eyes short pilose, holoptic eyes in the male, the metafemur only moderately thickened and ventral pile of metatibia longer (at least half as long as width). It can be differentiated from Mallota extrema and M. wyatti sp. nov. by the face much receded compared to frons and very weak facial tubercle (more pronounced in the other two species). In both sexes the ocellar pile is distinctly shorter than in the other two species. The same applies to the frontal pile in the female especially in the upper half of the frons. Etymology After the Latin ‘ stipula ’ for ‘stalk’ or ‘stubble’ and it refers to the shorter pilosity on the head compared to the other species. The specific epithet should be treated as an adjective (nominative singular feminine). Type material Holotype SOUTH AFRICA • ♂; KwaZulu-Natal, iSimangaliso wetland park; 20 Jan. 2022; Midgley and Bellingan leg.; NMSA, NMSA DIP 208439. Paratypes MOZAMBIQUE • 1 ♀; Manica-Sofala, Villa Paiva d’Andrada; Sep. 1957; Stuckenberg leg.; NMSA, NMSA DIP 54236 (ID label as Mallota extrema by v. Doesburg). SOUTH AFRICA – KwaZulu-Natal • 2 ♀♀; iSimangaliso wetland park; 9 Oct. 2021; Bellingan, Jordaens and Midgley leg.; NMSA, NMSA DIP 211775, NMSA DIP 211776 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; RMCA, NMSA DIP 211777 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 20 Jan. 2022; Midgley and Bellingan leg.; NMSA, NMSA DIP 208356 • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding; 20 Jan. 2022; Midgley and Bellingan leg.; rothole at iGwalagwala trail; RMCA, NMSA DIP 208457. TOGO • 1 ♀; Kloto; Feb. 2022; G. Goergen leg.; RMCA, RMCA AB72094770. ZIMBABWE • 1 ♀; Hillside; 8 Feb. 1923; Swinburne and Stevenson leg.; NMSA, NMSA DIP 45152. Description Body length: 13.5–17.0 mm. Wing length: 9.5–11.0 mm. Male HEAD (Fig. 20). Eye with short silvery pile; holoptic, eye contiguity for distance at least equal to length of ocellar triangle, ommatidia equal in size. Frons protruding, ground colour black, dorsal of antennae shining, otherwise light dark brown pollinosity, along eye margins more densely greyish; with medium long intermixed black and whitish pile, along lateral margins more pale coloured. Ocellar triangle black; short black pilose. Face distinctly receding below frontal protuberance; ground colour black; with grey pollinosity, weakly so along medial line, more densely towards eye margins; with dispersed medium long whitish pile along dorsolateral margins, otherwise bare; facial tubercle hardly present. Antennal segments dark brown, postpedicel black; arista bare, black-brown; postpedicel longer than wide. THORAX (Fig. 10). Scutum subshining black; with grey to brown pollinosity, with long pale brown pile; medially fascia with darker brown pile. Scutellum yellow-brown, paler than scutum; with long pale yellow pile. Pleura ground colour black; posterior anepisternum, katepisternum and anterior anepimeron with long pale brown pile, otherwise bare. LEGS. Femora mainly brown to black, pro- and mesofemur anterior third to fourth distinctly orange, tibiae at base pale orange, mesotibia pale area extending beyond middle of tibia. Pro- and midleg with predominantly short pale yellow pile, femur posteriorly long dense pale yellow pile, few black hairs posteroventrally in distal part. Metaleg (Fig. 34), femur moderately thickened, with long pale yellow pile, except ventrally where mixed with shorter black pile; tibia with short pale yellow and black pile, ventrally with conspicuous dense longer black pile. WING (Fig. 46). Largely hyaline; largely devoid of microtrichosity. Distal end of vein Sc and middle of vein R 1 without distinct stigmal cross-vein but with darker brown macula between the veins. Vein R 4+5 sinuate, without appendix or with a very short one. ABDOMEN (Fig. 56). Mainly shining black; tergum 1 yellow-orange, and white pollinose; with long white pile. Tergum 2 with yellow-orange fascia, broadened along lateral margins; predominantly short whitish pile except along posterior fourth where black; along posterior margin with weak grey pollinosity, extended shortly anteriorly along medial line; terga 3 and 4 distinctly grey pollinose along anterior margin, continued posteriorly along medial line, posterior margin weaker pollinosity; with short whitish pile except in posterior fourth where black, pile longer along lateral margin; tergum 4 predominantly black pile. Sterna black to yellow-orange; sterna 1–3 with very long, dispersed whitish pile intermixed with few shorter and black pile; sterna 4–5 with dispersed black pile. Female As male except eyes dichoptic, frons weakly subshining black dorsally of antennae, distinct grey pollinose except in dorsal fourth to fifth and narrowly along eye-margins where brown to black; pilosity medium long whitish in lower part, short whitish in upper part except anterior of ocellar triangle where black. Distribution Mozambique, South Africa, Togo and Zimbabwe. Comments Apart from the morphological differences, DNA barcodes also show a substantial differentiation from M. extrema (mean interspecific p-distance = 3.9%; range interspecific p-distances: 3.6–4.1%) and M. wyatti sp. nov. (mean interspecific p-distance = 4.9%; range interspecific p-distances: 4.8–5.3%) (Fig. 57; Table 2). The range of intraspecific p-distances in both species is much narrower (0–0.5%).