New data on the genus Manota Williston (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from Africa, with an updated key to the species

Abstract

A total of 346 male specimens of Manota collected from 13 countries in Africa are studied. They belong to 40 different species including 12 new to science. The new species are: M. burundiensis (Burundi), M. cornuta (Ghana), M. fuscinula (Ghana), M. geniculata (Gabon), M. kirkspriggsi (Madagascar), M. kjaerandseni (Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire), M. leptochaeta (Madagascar), M. limai (São Tomé and Principe), M. oronnai (Nigeria), M. platychaeta (Madagascar), M. polylobata (Nigeria) and M. triseta (Ghana, Guinea). New records of the following 28 species are presented: M. aculifera Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana), M. afra Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo), M. clinochaeta Hippa, 2008 (Madagascar), M. clurina Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Côte d'Ivoire), M. comata Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda), M. cultigera Hippa, 2008 (Madagascar), M. dissidens Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire), M. foliolata Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Cameroon), M. ghanaensis Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana), M. grootaerti Kurina Hippa, 2014 (Democratic Republic of Congo), M. katusabei Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Guinea, Uganda), M. lachaisei Matile, 1972 (Democratic Republic of Congo), M. mabokeensis Matile, 1972 (Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda), M. macrodon Hippa, 2008 (Madagascar), M. mazumbaiensis Søli, 1993 (Ghana, Guinea, Uganda), M. natalensis Jaschhof Mostovski, 2006 (Republic of South Africa), M. peltata Kurina Hippa, 2014 (Ghana), M. peltigera Kurina Hippa, 2014 (Ghana, Uganda), M. petiolata Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana), M. phyllochaeta Hippa, 2008 (Madagascar), M. pilosa Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria), M. pinnata Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Democratic Republic of Congo), M. pinnulata Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana), M. reclinata Kurina Hippa, 2014 (Ghana, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire), M. relicina Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Uganda), M. senticosa Hippa Kurina, 2012 (Ghana, Gabon, Guinea, Central African Republic), M. uncinata Hippa, 2008 (Madagascar) and M. whiteleyi Jaschhof Mostovski, 2006 (Ghana, Cameroon). An updated key to the Afrotropical Manota species is provided and their distribution briefly discussed. Altogether 68 species of Manota are now known from the Afrotropical region, while the genus holds 314 described species worldwide.

Keywords: Diptera, Africa, Manota, new species, Sciaroidea, taxonomy.