Suragina binominata

Suragina binominata (Bequaert, 1921) Figs 2, 14, 15, 41, 42, 57, 61, 78 Atherix longipes Loew, 1863: 12 (Junior homonym, preoccupied. by Ath. longipes Bellardi, 1861). Atrichops binominata Bequaert, 1921: 6 (replacement name for Ath. longipes Loew); Bezzi 1926: 310. Suragina binominata: Stuckenberg 1960: 285, fig. 87; Stuckenberg 1980: 312. Atrichops bivittata Bezzi, 1926: 308; syn. nov. Suragina bivittata: Stuckenberg 1960: 286, fig. 87; Stuckenberg 1980: 312. Synonymy of Suragina bivittata Bezzi. Suragina binominata is only known from the male holotype of Atherix longipes Loew, 1863. Stuckenberg (1960: 285) briefly discussed the possibility that S. bivittata is a junior synonym of S. binominata. He stated that out of a series of four females of S. bivittata which he had collected from near the Nhlavini River (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), one female matched the female description of S. binominata by Bezzi (1926: 310) perfectly, with the others being very similar as well, taking into account the known degrees of variation within the species. Stuckenberg compared these to the type female of S. bivittata and found no significant differences between the female specimens of the two species. Additionally, Bezzi’s descriptions of both the species’ female specimens are based on material collected at the same locality, only seven days apart, which, coupled with Bezzi never stating that he did examine the holotype of Ath. longipes, complicated matters. Stuckenberg further stated that S. bivittata could only be synonymised with S. binominata after future examination and comparison of the male holotype of Ath. longipes Loew, 1863 with his described males of S. bivittata. Here we compare the type male of Ath. longipes with that of the males of S. bivittata as described by Stuckenberg (1960). There are no significant differences between the males or females of the two species, apart from minor colour differences that fall within the known variation previously exhibited by S. bivittata. Thus, we designate S. bivittata as a junior synonym of S. binominata. Type material examined. [from digital photographs] Holotype: South Africa • 1 ♂; Free State; Bloemfontein; [29°07.00'S, 26°13.00'E]; Tollin leg.; (MLUH). Other type material examined. Atherix bivittata syn. nov. type: South Africa • 1 ♀; [KwaZulu-Natal], Bulwer, Greene; [29°47.85'S, 29°46.16'E]; Sep. 1916. Other material examined. Malawi • 1 ♀; [Southern Region]; Mulanje Mt. [Mulanje Massif] nr Likabula; [15°56.983'S, 35°35.617'E]; 26–28 Oct. 1983; A. Freidberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 194746) • 1 ♀; [Southern Region]; Mulanje District; Mulanje mnt. [Mulanje Massif], Likabula; 15°56.2667'S, 35°30.0667'E; 786 masl; 12–15 Nov. 2016; A. H. Kirk-Spriggs & B. S. Muller leg.; Malaise trap, stream, montane evergreen forest; (BMSA (D) 92592). South Africa • 1 ♀; Gauteng; Pretoria; [25°45.441'S, 28°12.618'E]; 4 Oct. 1910; Hardenberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028192) • 1 ♀; Eastern Cape; Hillside Farm, Pot River nr. Maclear; [31°19.933'S, 28°26.742'E]; 21 Jan. 1963; B. R. Stuckenberg & P. Stuckenberg leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028163) • 5 ♀; Western Cape; Littlestone Cottage, Robinson’s Pass, R 328; 33°57.756'S, 22°05.184'E; 99 masl; 7–8 Dec. 2022; B. S. Muller & M. J. J. Magoai leg.; on rock face over stream pool, hand collected; (BMSA (D) 119797, 124009, 124055, 124083, 124088) • 1 ♀; Western Cape; Knysna, Caplant; [33°56.879'S, 23°09.575'E]; Mar. 1913; Brauns leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028161) • 1 ♀; North West Province; Ottoshoop; [25°48.929'S, 26°46.154'E] Apr. 1916; H. G. Breyer leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028190) • 1 ♀; Mpumalanga; 20 km E Nelspruit, Noordkaap River; 2530 Db [25°36.579'S, 30°58.579'E]; 23 Sep. 1980; R. M. Miller leg.; NMSA - DIP 158408) • 2 ♀; Mpumalanga; Echo caves; [24°33.733'S, 30°36.208'E]; 6 Mar. 2000; M. Picker leg.; (NMSA - DIP 158446, 158447) • 9 ♀; Mpumalanga; K. N. P. [Kruger National park] Survey, Skukuza; [24°59.75'S, 31°35.52'E]; 21–24 Nov. 1972; J. van Reenen leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028164, 028167, 158434, 158435, 158436, 158437, 158438, 158439, 158440) • 1 ♀; North West Province; Rietspruit, Marico [Sehubyane stream]; [25°02.85'S, 26°23.90'E]; Jan. 1918; J. C. Faure leg.; (NMSA - DIP 028200) • 1 ♀; Mpumalanga; Mariepskop State Forest, Klaserie river at:; 24°35.5667'S, 30°56.1333'E; 736 masl; 24–26 Jan. 2017; B. S. Muller & A. H. Kirk-Spriggs leg.; Streambed & marginal vegetation, Legogote Sour Bushveld; Malaise trap; (BMSA (D) 125145) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 18 Dec. 1990; R. M. Miller leg.; at light; (NMSA - DIP 158441) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 15 Dec. 1991; R. M. Miller leg.; (NMSA - DIP 158410) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ashburton; [29°40.335'S, 30°27.119'E]; 17 Apr. 1992; R. M. Miller leg.; on window; (NMSA - DIP 158409) • 4 ♂ 4 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Nhlavini River, Ixopo Dist.; [30°07.783'S, 30°12.614'E]; 17 Mar. 1957; B. R. Stuckenberg leg.; (♂: NMSA - DIP 028165, 158427, 158428, 158430; ♀: NMSA - DIP 158429, 158431, 158432, 158433) • 1 ♀; KwaZulu-Natal; Ukulinga Research Farm, 10 km SE Pietermaritzburg; [29°37.76'S, 30°24.29'E]; 20–26 Nov. 1985; R. M. Miller leg.; grassland impoundment, Malaise trap; (NMSA - DIP 194744). Comment. Holotype ♂: middle left leg missing, left wing missing, left fore tibia and tarsi missing, right fore apical tarsus missing. Diagnosis. A variably coloured species with the scutum ranging from orange-yellow to brown ground colour with darker pleura and heavily patterned tergites. Suragina binominata males are most similar to the holotype male of Suragina nigromaculata (Brunetti, 1929) in general appearance, but differ from it in having the lateral margins of all abdominal tergites dark brown compared to S. nigromaculata that has darkened lateral margins only on tergites 1 and 2. Additionally, males of S. binominata have the scutellum bicoloured, being orange-yellow apically and dark brown on basal half. Conversely, the holotype male of S. nigromaculata has the scutellum almost entirely orange-yellow except for the basal margin, being somewhat darker in appearance. The females of S. binominata have the scutellum similar to that of the holotype male of S. nigromaculata, but its scutum has a much more prominent central black vitta (Fig. 2) and similar abdominal markings to that of the S. binominata male. Redescription. Measurements (♂ n = 1, ♀ n = 5): Wing span: ♂ 5.7 mm; ♀ 5.8–6.9 mm (avg. 6.6 mm); body length: ♂ 7.5 mm; ♀ 6.7–7.7 mm (avg. 7.3 mm); wing span to body length ratio (avg.): ♂ 0.76; ♀ 0.91. Male (Fig. 14). Head: Brown colour, with silver-grey pruinosity on majority of head; eye bare; holoptic; ommatidia of similar size; lateral edge of eye with slight indentation; ocellar tubercle slightly more elevated than frons, with some dark setulae and surface colour dark brown with slight pruinescence; vertex silver-grey pruinose with long pale setulae; ocellar tubercle in front of dorsal margin of eye (♀ unknown); dorsal inner edge of eye without discernible paired dark markings; occiput with same silver-grey pruinosity as rest of head, except for paired subrectangular dark brown, almost black markings with pale setulae on upper occiput, abutting posterior margin of eyes, flanking vertex and running down to occipital foramen; upper occiput with short pale setulae, lower occiput with long pale setulae, these continue ventrally on head to mouthparts that have dark ventral setulae; frons silver-white running up to narrow area before eyes converge when viewed dorsally, at which point frons is velvety-black in appearance; lower part of frons dark brown when viewed anteriorly; frons at narrowest ca 0.5 × width of anterior ocellus, widening towards antennal bases; frons bare; face and gena silver-grey with pale setulae, clypeus dark brown with silver-grey pruinosity, bare; face separated from clypeus by a prominent, deep suture on anterior and lateral edges; face not appearing to bulge laterally when viewed in profile; clypeus visible in profile, face not; antennal bases separated ca 0.5 × width of scape, with slight longitudinal groove; scape, pedicel brown, appearing darker in dorsal view; 1 st flagellomere orange-yellow, 2 nd flagellomere brownish; 1 st flagellomere reniform, only slightly larger than pedicel and scape; 2 nd flagellomere arista-like; scape and pedicel with dark setulae; scape with only dorsal setulae, pedicel with dorsal and ventral setulae, setulae of similar size; palpus orange-yellow, but darker orange-brown on apical half, well-developed, ca 0.5 × length of proboscis; proboscis orange-yellow at base but orange-brown on majority of surface with long dark setulae, some scattered small dark setulae on proboscis and palpus. Thorax: Dark brown ground colour; median dorsal surface of scutum and scutellum with short pale setulae, remainder of thorax with longer pale setulae, especially on pleura and lateral surface of scutellum; postsutural setulae similar to presutural setulae, except for longer prescutellar setulae; postpronotal lobe dark brown on majority of surface except for yellow-brown anterolateral surface; with long pale setulae. Scutum mostly dark brown with slight median greyish pruinosity; postalar wall and callus appearing orange-yellow; scutellum bicoloured, with apical half being orange-yellow and basal half dark brown, scutellar setulae long and pale; all pleura dark brown in colour with greyish pruinosity, except for anepimeron that is yellowish-brown dorsomedially; notopleuron dark brown with long pale setulae; area surrounding posterior spiracle brown, postspiracular scale brown, lighter than colour of pleura; proepisternum, pronotum dark brown; anterior spiracle and surrounds yellow, bare; proepimeron, proepisternum with pale setulae, anepisternum with pale setulae; katatergite with pale setulae; rest of pleura bare. Legs: Fore coxa orange-yellow; mid coxa more brownish-yellow with orange-yellow lower anterior surface; hind coxa orange-yellow with brownish markings