Alepia bifida, Tkoč & Ježek & Pont, 2017

Tkoč, Michal, Ježek, Jan & Pont, François Le, 2017, Alepia bifida, a new species of moth flies from Central America (Diptera: Psychodidae: Psychodinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 765-774 : 766-772

Alepia bifida sp. nov.

( Figs 1–27 )

Type locality. Nicaragua , Matagalpa Department, Río Blanco , Cerro Musún , 620 m a.s.l., 12°57′18″N, 85°13′48″W. Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, NICARAGUA: DEPARTAMENTO DE MATAGALPA: Río Blanco , Cerro Musún Natural Reserve, station Marena Lodge – Río Blanco road, 620 m a.s.l., 12°57′18″N, 85°13′48″W, v.–vi.2009, F. Le Pont leg. ( NMPC: slide Cat. No. 34702, Inv. No. 22614, dissected). ALLOTYPE: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC: slides Cat. No. 34706, Inv. No. 22618, dissected). PARATYPES: 4 ♂♂ 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( NMPC: slides Cat. No. 34703–34705, 34707, Inv. No. 22615–22617, 22619, mostly dissected; number 34705/22617 = slide with one shallow depression and two non-dissected specimens) .

Description. Male. Eyes separated ( Fig. 11 ), frontal suture largely U-shaped with central triangular ligament with concave sides. Eye bridge formed by three facet rows, the number of facets in the apices (not pointed as in female) is more reduced. Number of antennomeres 16.

Scape 2.4 times as long as pedicel, cylindrical, narrower basally, pedicel almost globular, pressed in longitudinal axis ( Fig. 12 ). Flagellomeres bowl shaped, apical ones missing. Length ratio of maxillary palpomeres 1.0: 1.9: 2.2: 2.2, palpomere 4 not annulate ( Fig. 15 ). Terminal lobes of labium, cibarium and epipharynx as in Figs 2 and 16 . Thoracic sclerites as in Fig. 19 . Wings sharply pointed, maculated, spots on veins as well as wing membrane very dark and conspicuous ( Fig. 3 ), 2.1–2.5 mm long in holotype and male paratypes. Completely strengthened veins: Sc, R 1, CuA 1, CuA 2 strenghtened basally. Radial, medial and cubital veins black spotted at the end, as well as radial and medial forks, basal cell and basis of M 3 and CuA 1. Basal costal nodes well visible, Sc uninterrupted, M 3, CuA 1 and CuA 2 not touching at basis of wing. R 5 extends in the apex of the wing. Radial and medial forks complete, cross veins missing. The wing margin reaching CuA 2 is a little distad of medial fork, medial fork conspicuously distad of radial fork. Medial wing angle 222° (BCD). Wing indices: AB: AC: AD = 3.7: 3.6: 4.5; BC: CD: BD = 1.0: 1.0: 1.9; maximum wing length equal to 2.7 times its maximum width. Halteres clubbed ( Fig. 20 ), with a maximum length equal hardly to 4.1 times its maximum width. Ratios of lengths of femora, tibiae and first tarsomeres: P 1 = 1.8: 1.7: 1.0; P 2 = 2.0: 2.4: 1.2; P 3 = 2.0: 2.7: 1.3; fore claws bent and pointed distad ( Fig. 21 ). Aedeagal complex as in Figs 17, 18 , 22 , basiphallus almost straight and narrow from lateral view, however, with a U-shaped loop proximally before apex ( Figs 18 , 22 ). Basiphallus very widened and pressed distally, S-shaped, with small blunt teeth, backward oriented. Distiphallus prolonged by bent bifid arm, spanner- or bottle-opener shaped ( Figs 18 , 22 ), from which one protuberance is blunt in contrast to very pointed hooked tip. Aedeagal complex overlaid basally by a large hyaline bell-shaped tunica (hypandrium), distinctly narrowed in the middle (lateral view), quite bare ( Figs 17, 18 , 22 ). Tunica is articulated proximally to basiphallus and protuberances of gonocoxites. Gonocoxites almost cylindrical, only slightly expanded medially, 1.3 times shorter than gonostyli ( Figs 17, 18 , 23 ), both parts with setae. Gonostyli hardly S-shaped in dorsal view, sticky, sickle-shaped from lateral view, subapically inconspicuously inflated and tapered to a narrow, blunt tip. Epandrium bare, with an inconspicuous operculum in dorsal view ( Fig. 24 ), well visible from lateral view ( Fig. 25 ). Ventral plate of epandrium reduced to only two sclerotized converging ribs jointed with surstyli ( Fig. 24 ). Hypandrium hyaline, lateral margin of 9th sternite grows together or connected with proximal border of epandrium and proximal protuberance of gonocoxite. Epiproct transversal as a fold, hardly visible, hypoproct shortly tongue-shaped, both parts with microsetae ( Fig. 24 ). Surstyli almost circular basally, gradually tapering caudally ( Figs 24, 25 ), with numerous accessory tenacula in a dark elliptical area near the base of surstyli ( Figs 24–27 ), subapically with one tenaculum ( Figs 24, 25 ).

Female. Eyes separated ( Fig. 1 ), frontal suture triangular, frons bare, frontoclypeus with insertions of setae arranged in two oval areas touched on the level of antennal bows and divergent near tentorial pits. The minimum distance between eyes corresponds approximately to the diameter of two facets. Eye bridge formed by three facet rows, the number of facets in the pointed apices being more reduced. Vertex rounded, occipital lobe small, with a shallow indentation apically and a sclerotized rim. Scape twice as long as pedicel, cylindrical, gradually narrower basally, pedicel globular ( Fig. 13 ). Flagellomeres spindle-shaped, narrow ( Figs 13, 14 ), apical ones missing. Ascoids simple, paired, needle-shaped ( Fig. 14 ). Terminal lobes of labium, cibarium and epipharynx as in Fig. 1 . Wing shape and maculation similar to male, length 2.4–2.5 mm (allotype and female paratype). Ratios of lengths of femora, tibiae and first tarsomeres: P 1 = 2.0: 1.8: 1.0; P 2 = 2.2: 2.6: 1.3; P 3 = 2.3: 3.1: 1.4. Genitalia as figured ( Figs 4, 5 , 7–10 ). Subgenital plate ( Figs 4 , 7–9 ) bilobed, with a shallow concavity caudally, with densely spaced microtrichia and sparsely covered by long setae. Genital chamber ( Figs 7–10 ) with simple structures, without net- or wart-like decoration. Cerci almost triangular and slightly bent, three times longer than its bases ( Figs 5 , 7, 8 ), rounded caudally, setose, connected by a wrinkled membrane ( Fig. 5 ).

Egg. Three times as long asmaximum width, with characteristic wrinkled structures ( Figs 6 , 7 ). Differential diagnosis. Alepia bifida sp. nov. is morphologically similar to A. recurva Bravo, Lago & Castro, 2004 from Brazil. However, wing characters, basiphallus, distiphallus and gonostyli show distinct differences (see the Table 1).

Etymology. Named after the shape of the bifurcated distiphallus (Lat. bifidus, -a, -um = bifid).

Biology. Unknown. Adults were collected by light trap in the forest on the slopes of Cerro Musún Mt.

Distribution. Currently recorded only from Nicaragua.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Alepia bifida sp. nov., male and female.1 – head, frontal view, female; 2 – cibarium, epipharynx and labial lobes, dorsolateral view, male; 3 – wing, male; 4 – subgenital plate, dorso-subventral view, female; 5 – cerci, dorsal view, female; 6 – egg, with detail of sculpture.

Figs 7–10. Alepia bifida sp. nov., female. 7–8 – last abdominal segments and genitalia (7 – dorsal view, 8 – lateral view); 9–10 – genital chamber and subgenital plate in detail (9 – lateral view, 10 – caudal view).

Figs 11–18. Alepia bifida sp. nov., male and female. 11 – detail of frons, male; 12–13 – basal antennomeres (12 – male, 13 – female); 14 – medial antennomeres, female; 15 – maxilla and palpus maxillaris, male; 16 – labium, labial lobes and epipharynx, dorsal view, male; 17–18 – aedeagal complex and gonopods, male (17 – dorsal view; 18 – lateral view).

Figs 19–27. Alepia bifida sp. nov., male. 19 – thoracic sclerites, lateral view; 20 – haltere, lateral view; 21 – tarsal claw of P1, lateral view; 22 – aedeagal complex, lateral view; 23 – gonopod, lateral view; 24–25 – epandrium and surstyli (24 – dorsal view, 25 – lateral view); 26–27 – hooded tip of accessory tenaculum in detail (26 – dorsal view, 27 – ventral view).