Lonchaea cryptica MacGowan et Ruchin, 2022

MacGowan, I. & Ruchin, A. B., 2022, Two new species of Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, Russian Entomological Journal 31 (1), pp. 83-86 : 84-86

Lonchaea cryptica MacGowan et Ruchin , sp.n.

Figs 5–9 .

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype ♂. RUSSIA: Mordovia, Zubova Polyana District , 3 km W of Marlyay, beer trap. 53.8287N 42.8365E, 15–28. V.2020, leg A. Ruchin. Specimen number NMS –10005537. Paratypes: Mordovia, Mordovia State Nature Reserve , quarter 172, on pine, 54.847N 43.205E, 20. VI –4.VII.2020, 1♂, NMS-10005551. quarter 287, beer trap, 54.801N 43.364E, 16. V – 1. VI.2020, 1♂, NMS-10005552. quarter 342, beer trap, 54.776N 43.385E, 25. V –6. VI.2020, 2♂, NMS-10005554 &10005555.quarter 362, beer trap, 54.770N 43.252E, 25. V –5. VI.2020, 1♂, NMS-10005556. quarter 375, beer trap, 54.785N 43.466E, 14–27. V.2020, 1♂, NMS-10005557. quarter 398, beer trap, 54.776N 43.442E, 27. V –6. VI.2020, 1♂, NMS-10005558. All leg. A. Ruchin.

DESCRIPTION. Holotype, ♂. Head: Eyes bare. Frons at narrowest point above lunule approximately 0.6x width of an eye, matt black, frontal and interfrontal setulae long, 0.6x length of orbital seta. Orbital plate black, dulled by microsculpture, bare apart from the orbital seta. Lunule ground colour black; face sub-shining black, parafacials slightly grey dusted. Anterior genal setulae forming a single regularly spaced row of 5–6 along mouth edge, these slightly stronger than other setulae on the genae. Palpi black, with numerous setae. Antennae entirely black, antennal postpedicel long, reaching mouth margin, length to depth ratio 3.0: 1. Arista entirely black.

Abdomen: 1 st sternite without setulae. Male terminalia: ( Figs 5–9 ): In lateral view epandrium slightly wider than high, with several strong setae on posterior and ventral margins. Cerci large and apically rounded, more than half height of epandrium; bearing numerous strong setae apically. Surstylus extending ventrally beyond shell of epandrium for all its length culminating in a large, rounded, slightly hooked, posterior process. Inner surface of surstylus with numerous strong black setae on ventral half, posterior process bare apart from a few setulae. Phallus un-segmented, a simple-J shape, base and stem darkened with sclerotization, apically divided into two equal processes, these lying at an angle to the main stem and serrated along their outer margins.

Female: Associated females are similar to the males apart from a wider frons and generally shorter pilosity. However, at present they are not distinguishable from females of L. affinis .

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet refers to the fact that this species has until now remained undetected within series of the very similar Lonchaea affinis .

REMARKS. With bare eyes, anterior genal setae in a single row, tarsomeres partly pale, calypteres dark fringed, scutellar disc bare and proepimeron, in most cases with more than one seta, this species belongs to the L. affinis Malloch, 1920 species-group within the Palearctic Lonchaea . This is a small group consisting of the widespread Holarctic L. affinis and the little-known L. sorocula Hackman, 1956 . Two of the paratypes also have two setae on the proepisternum, the number of setulae on the proepimeron varies between one and four.

In external characters L. cryptica sp.n. is very similar to L. affinis , the general shape and structures of the male terminalia are similar apart from the phallus which is clearly distinct. In terms of chaetotaxy L. cryptica sp.n. tends to have fewer setae on the proepimeron with numbers in the paratypes ranging from one to four whereas in L. affinis there is a tendency for there to be a greater number.

In the past there was confusion between L. affinis and L. laxa Collin, 1953 . The type series of L. laxa consists of two male and seven female syntypes [ Pont, 1995], all except one male were from the Scottish Highlands. Examination of the male from Scotland confirmed that it was in fact a specimen of L. affinis and it was considered most likely that the associated females were also of this species. As a result, L. laxa was proposed as a junior synonym of L. affinis [MacGow- an, 2020]. However, at the time of publication of the Lonchaeidae volume of the “ Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects ” L. laxa was still considered a separate species, and the figure of the male terminalia was based on the second syntype male which was captured in southern England [ MacGowan, Rotheray, 2008: Fig. 242 on p.63]. That figure shows that the specimen was in fact a male of L. cryptica sp.n., unfortunately the specimen has now been lost and at present it is not possible to confirm the presence of L. cryptica sp.n. in the British Isles.

Acknowledgements. The authors express their gratitude to M. Esin (Mordovia State Nature Reserve) for his help in processing samples.

Competing interests. The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figs 5–9. Lonchaea cryptica sp.n.: 5 — epandrium and associated structures; 6 — inner surface of the surstylus; 7 — phallus; 8–9 — detail of apex of phallus; 5, 7–8 — lateral view; 9 — ventral view. Рис. 5–9. Lonchaea cryptica sp.n.: 5 — Эпандрий и прилежаЩие структуры; 6 — внутреннЯЯ поверхность сурстилей; 7 — фаллус; 8–9 — детали строениЯ верШины фаллуса; 5, 7–8 — сбоку; 9 — сниЗу.