Palpomyia freidbergi Alwin-Kownacka & Szadziewski, 2017

Alwin-Kownacka, Alicja, Szadziewski, Ryszard & Szwedo, Jacek, 2017, Predatory midges of the tribes Palpomyiini and Sphaeromiini (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Middle East, with keys and descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 318, pp. 1-30 : 18-20

Palpomyia freidbergi Alwin-Kownacka & Szadziewski sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:740DBF40-E804-477B-A437-E73110DF1287

Fig. 4

Diagnosis

This new species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: males with 4–5 fore femoral ventral spines; very short sternite IX; parameres fused, curved ventrally, apex pointed; and aedeagus with very high basal arch and plate-like apex. Females with 6–9 fore femoral spines; claws without basal inner teeth; and 2 large seminal capsules.

Etymology

The species is named for Amnon Freidberg, Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Israel, who kindly sent us biting midges from Israel.

Material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL: ♂, Enot Zukim, 11 Oct. 1994, A. Freidberg and F. Kaplan leg. ( TAU).

Paratypes

ISRAEL: 4 ♀♀, same collection data as holotype except 22 Apr. 1998, A. Freidberg leg. ( TAU); 1 ♀, En Feshkha, 11 Aug. 1986, A. Freidberg leg. ( TAU); 9 ♀♀, Roch Zukim, 10 Apr. 1994, A. Freidberg and F. Kaplan leg. ( TAU).

Description

Male

HEAD. Uniformly brown. Antenna pale brown, with sparse plume; flagellomeres 9–13 slightly darker than 1–8; flagellomeres 10–13 elongate; total flagellum length of 1.00 mm; antennal ratio 1.40. Palpus ( Fig. 4C ) yellowish, slender; third segment cylindrical, with several distinct capitate sensilla; palpal ratio 3.00.

THORAX ( Fig. 4B ). Brown with scutum, scutellum, katepisternum and mediotergite slightly darker; scutum, scutellum, anteroanepisternum with fine setae, katepisternum and mediotergite bare; 1 row of 3 bristles posterior to sutura transveralis; 1 bristle on scutum just anterior of scutellum; scutellum with 4 marginal bristles. Wing ( Fig. 4A ) with distinct veins; first radial cell about 2 × shorter than second; wing length 1.34 mm; costal ratio 0.70. Legs ( Fig. 4B ) slender; fore coxa yellow, mid and hind coxae brownish; fore and mid femora yellow, hind femur yellow with dark brown apex; fore femur with 4–5 stout, black ventral spines; fore and mid tibiae yellow, slightly smoky on proximal portions; hind tibia uniformly dark brown; tarsi yellow, tarsomeres 4–5 slightly darker than 1–3; tarsal ratio of fore leg 1.90, of mid leg 3.30, of hind leg 2.40.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 4B ). Pale brown.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 4 E–G). Sternite IX ( Fig. 4G ) narrow. Gonocoxite slender, elongate; gonostylus swollen on basal portion, distal half slender, greatly curved, with blunt apex. Parameres ( Fig. 4F ) fused, base W-shaped, expanded on mid portion, apex pointed, bent ventrally. Aedeagus ( Fig. 4G ) triangular; basal arch very high; membrane with numerous fine microtrichia; apex plate-like.

Female

Similar to male with the usual sexual differences. Antenna uniformly pale brown; total flagellum length of 1.40–1.60 mm; antennal ratio 1.40–1.60. Palpal ratio 4.50. Mandible with 6–7 large teeth.

THORAX. Coloration and arrangement of bristles as in male. Wing as in male but larger with longer costa ( Fig. 4A ); wing length 2.10–2.20 mm; costal ratio 0.80. Coloration of legs as in male; fore femur armed with 6–9 stout, black ventral spines ( Fig. 4D ); tarsal ratio of fore leg 2.10–2.40, of mid leg 3.80–4.50, of hind leg 2.30–2.50.

ABDOMEN. Pale brown, with 2 pairs of internal tergal apodemes. Two large, subequal, ovoid seminal capsules ( Fig. 4H ) with short necks, measuring 0.08–0.10 × 0.12–0.14 mm and 0.06–0.08 × 0.10–0.12 mm.

Distribution

Israel; known only from the type locality.

Remarks

Males of this new species have an aedeagus with an unusual plate-like apex that is similar to that of males of P. mahyoubi from Yemen. This newly described species differs mostly in having pale legs with a dark brown hind tibia, only the fore femur armed with ventral spines and a distinctly curved gonostylus. Males of P. mahyoubi have a nearly straight gonostylus, dark brown legs, and all femora have ventral spines.

Figures

Fig. 4. Palpomyia freidbergi Szadziewski & Alwin sp. nov. A. Wing, ♀. B. Thorax, ♂. C. Palpus, ♀. D. Fore femur, ♀. E. Genitalia, ♂. F. Parameres. G. Aedeagus and sternite IX. H. Seminal capsules.