On Aethiopomyia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) with the revision of the type specimens deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (Germany) with a key to species.

Abstract Aethiopomyia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) is a small genus with occurrence restricted to the Afrotropical region. Only five species are currently known in this genus: A. patersoni Zumpt, 1969, A. williamsi Snyder, 1951, A. arguta (Karsch, 1879), A. steini Curran, 1935, and A. gigas (Stein, 1906). All Aethiopomyia species are large, reaching up to 15 mm, as in A. patersoni and the most visible differences among them are based in the color pattern of the body. The species are mostly yellow, with a broad scutum and abdomen, males and females are dichoptic, the anepimeron is haired and they have stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi. Phylogenetically, Aethiopomyia, together with two other genera restricted to the Afrotropical region, Alluaudinella Giglio-Tos and Ochromusca Malloch, appear to form a monophyletic group, defined by the presence of the remarkably short stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi. Four species deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (Germany) were analyzed; three of them are types. Diagnosis for all species, colored illustrations, male dissections and illustrations and a key to separate them are presented herein.


Introduction
Aethiopomyia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) is a small genus restricted to the Afrotropical region. It was proposed by Malloch (1921) with a differentiated diagnosis from the allied genus Alluaudinella Giglio-Tos. Both genera have a mostly yellow and broad scutum and abdomen, dichoptic males, anepimeron haired, and the presence of stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi which, according to Malloch (1921), readily separates the two genera from their nearest allies. In the differentiated diagnoses from Alluaudinella, Malloch (1921) mentioned the following characters of Aethiopomyia: propleuron hairy in center; proepisternum bare, prosternum hairy, metanotum with fine hairs on lateral elevation, vein R 4+5 setulose at base below and above. Spilogaster gigas Stein was originally designated as the type-species.
In the phylogenetic analysis made by Couri and Carvalho (2003), these two genera, together with Ochromusca Malloch appear to form a monophyletic group, defined by the presence of remarkably short stubby spines on the upper side of the palpi. The larva of Ochromusca and Alluaudinella feed on dead snails, while the larval habits of Aethiopomyia are not known. According to Skidmore (1985) the final larval instar of Aethiopomyia closely resembles those of Ochromusca, Alluaudinella, Synthesiomyia Brauer & Bergenstamm, and Muscina Robineau-Desvoidy.
Five species are currently known in the genus. Aethiopomyia patersoni Zumpt, 1969 is restricted to Tanzania and Aethiopomyia williamsi Snyder, 1951 is recorded from Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania. Aethiopomyia arguta (Karsch, 1879), Aethiopomyia steini Curran, 1935 andAethiopomyia gigas (Stein, 1906) are more widespread in the Afrotropical region (Pont 1980). Zumpt (1969) published a key for the identification of the five species, mostly based on the color pattern of scutum and abdomen, together with taxonomic notes.
Diagnosis for all species, colored photographs, male dissections, illustrations, and a key to separate them are presented herein.

Materials and methods
All examined material belongs to the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin (Germany) and were examined during a scientific visit of MSC during the years 2018-2019. Four of the five species were analyzed, A. williamsi and types of A. arguta, A. gigas, and A. patersoni. For A. steini we used the characters in the original description.
Color photos were made using Auto-Montage. Complementary line drawings to the ones presented by Zumpt (1969) of the male terminalia of A. arguta were made, and male and female terminalia of A. gigas were dissected and illustrated.
The terminology follows that of Cumming and Wood (2017).
tergite IV brown laterally and tergite V broadly brown. Rows of strong setae on margins of tergites IV and V and on disc of tergite V. Abdominal sternites with thin setae. Sternite 6 asymmetrical. Terminalia. Aedeagus as in Fig. 20.

Aethiopomyia gigas (Stein, 1906)
Note. The species was keyed by Zumpt (1969). One ♂ and one ♀ (not types) from Spanish Guinea were dissected and illustrated.  A. arguta. Abdomen. Tergites I-III almost reddish brown; tergites IV and V almost all black. Abdominal sternites with strong setae.
Aethiopomyia steini (Curran, 1935) (not seen) Diagnosis (characters from Curran (1935) original description). Length of body. 9.5-11.5 mm. Head. black, face and lower third of frons reddish with silver-white pruinescence. Frontal vittae brownish; palpus reddish brown; antenna yellow and arista mostly brown. Thorax. scutum reddish, darker above, with an incomplete median vitta and the lateral margins whitish pruinose, posteriorly with reddish brown pruinescence, the two broad, shiny, ferruginous vittae more or less divided by a thin yellowish pruinose line in front of the suture. Haltere reddish yellow. Legs. Reddish, posterior, and middle tibiae more or less brown and tarsi black. Mid tibia with four or five posterior setae. Abdomen. basal two abdominal segments rusty reddish, the third and fourth black.
Female. Differs in frontal vitta reddish brown above; no orbitals; scutum with very poorly defined dark vittae, almost unicolorous.
Note. The species was keyed Zumpt (1969). According to Curran (1935) A. steini is very similar to A. gigas, differing by having the median vittae reddish and much finer setae on the sternite. Also differs from A. arguta by having the third and fourth abdominal segment wholly black.
Note. The species was keyed by Zumpt (1969). Zumpt (1969: 166) doubted if this species is specifically different from A. arguta, as, according to him, they differ only by the thicker setae on abdominal sternites in A. williamsi. More specimens must be examined to elucidate the specific status of the species.