Pedicia (Amalopis) fusca, Ujvárosi, Lujza & Bálint, Miklós, 2012

Ujvárosi, Lujza & Bálint, Miklós, 2012, Discovery of the second European Amalopis species: an integrative survey of the widespread Pedicia (Amalopis) occulta (Meigen, 1830) (Insecta, Diptera, Pediciidae), Zootaxa 3189, pp. 1-28 : 5-6

Pedicia (Amalopis) fusca n. sp.

Type material. Holotype: 1 ♂, Romania, Southern Carpathians, Bucegi Mts, Obârşia Ialomiţei, 1694 m, 06.IV.2007, leg. M. Bálint ( HMNH). The specimen was dried of ethanol and glued onto a triangular cardboard; the apex of the abdomen was cut off. Terminalia was dissected and placed in glycerol in a microtube, pinned next to the specimen. Two ♂♂ paratypes are deposited as dry pinned specimens in HMNH. The rest of the specimens can be found in LUC.

Description. Body length 12 mm (♂); wing length 13.8 mm (♂); antenna length 4 mm. The general appearance of the species resembles that of P. occulta , but with a colour from brownish to black ( Fig. 2 A). The head is greyish brown, with dark brown frons ( Fig. 3 A). Maxillary palpus is brown, with a yellowish terminal segment. Stipes have a different shape compared with P. o c c u l t a ( Fig. 3 A). Antennae with scapus are brown-greyish, the rest of the segments are brown ( Fig. 4 A). The thorax is dark brown ( Fig. 5 A). The praescutum is heavily dusted with grey, without shining praescutal stripes, as can be observed in P. occulta . Wings are broader compared to P. occulta ( Fig. 6 A), with brown veins, and the membrane is light yellow to transparent, with brown spots at the base of Rs, tip of R1, R2 and R3 and on the crossvein sc-r. The dark seam over the cord of the wing is wider and shorter than in P. occulta , ending at the proximal end of R5 and widening towards the subcosta and costa. The halters are light brown, knob yellow-greyish ( Fig. 5 A). Coxa are brown at the base and yellowish-brown toward the tip, and trochanteres are yellowish brown ( Fig. 5 A). Femora are light brown in the middle, darkening towards the proximal and distal end. The rest of the leg is dark brown to black. The abdomen is uniformly dark brown, dusted with grey. The terminalia is dark brown, but sometimes slightly lighter ( Fig. 7 A).

Male terminalia ( Fig. 7 A): tergite 9 is similar to that of P. o c c u l t a, but with a wider and much more sclerotized proctiger. Important differences can be found in the shape of the gonocoxite and interbase. The gonocoxite’s apical lobe is longer and narrower in lateral view, with a conspicuous convexity on its ventral side ( Fig. 8 A). This is significantly different from the much broader and shorter lobe in P. occulta ( Fig. 8 D). The size of the saddle-like gonostylus tends to decrease at its distal part and it is widened at its proximal end ( Fig. 8 B). This stands in contrast with a usually uniformly broad gonostylus in P. occulta ( Fig. 8 E). The apical thorn of the interbase is strongly developed and very long. It is pointing caudad in lateral view (compared to P. o c c u l t a, where it is pointing somewhat laterad ( Fig. 8 C, F). The collar around the interbase thorn is oblique in comparison with the straight collar of P. occulta .

There is certain variability in the shape of the characters described above, but the individuals can be well assigned.

It is much more difficult to separate the females of P. f u s c a from those of P. occulta . We found no conspicuous differences in the female genital structures. Female individuals of P. f u s c a are generally darker in comparison with P. occulta , with dark brown 8–10 tergites. Discrete differences in the shape of the cercus, infraanal plate and hypogynal valvae can also be observed ( Fig. 9 A). The infraanal plate bears more than 5–6 bristles in its subapical end ( Fig. 9 C).

Diagnosis. P. f us c a is a dark brown-blackish species ( Fig. 2 A). The ventral side of the head capsule is uniformly dark brown with a well developed stipes ( Fig. 3 A). The broader wing has a transparent membrane with brown veins and spots around Rs, the tip of R1, R2 and R3 and on the crossvein sc-r, and a well developed but shorter and wider brown seam over the cord ( Fig. 6 A). Males have a sclerotized proctiger with two brown stripes ( Fig. 7 A). The gonocoxite has an apical lobe that is long and narrow, but convex on its ventral side ( Fig. 8 A). The gonostylus is wider in its proximal part. The distal part of the gonostylus tends to be more reduced, lacking a chitinous thorn, which is frequently present in P. occulta ( Fig. 8 B). The well developed apical thorn of the interbasis is a long and straight chitinous process having an oblique collar around its base ( Fig. 8 C). The females bear more than 5–6 bristles in the subapical end of the infraanal plate ( Fig. 9 C).

Etymology. The name of the species was prompted by its generally dark appearance; brown to dark brown compared to the sister species, P. occulta . The noun is genitive singular.

Distribution confirmed by the material examined. Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Known collection sites of P. f u s c a n. sp. and P. occulta. Shaded area—mountainous regions of Europe, black dots — collection sites for P. f u sc a n. sp., white dots—collection sites for P. occulta.

FIGURE 2. Habitus of the adult male of P. f u s c a (A) and P. occulta (B), lateral view.

FIGURE 3. Head of P. f u s c a, dorsal (A) and ventral view (B) and P. occulta, dorsal (C) and ventral view (D).

FIGURE 5. Lateral view of thorax of P. f u s c a (A) and P. occulta (B).

FIGURE 6. Right wing of P. f u s c a (A) and P. occulta (B).

FIGURE 7. Male terminalia of P. f u s c a (A) and P. occulta (B) from dorsal view.

FIGURE 8. Gonopodium of P. f u s c a, lateral (A), dorsal (B) and interior (C) view, P. occulta from lateral (D), dorsal (E) and interior (F) view. S cale bar represents 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Female terminalia of P. f us c a (A) and P. oculta, lateral view (B) and cerci with infra-anal plate of P. f u s c a (C) and P. oculta (D) in ventral view.