Poecilosomella nigra, Papp, 2002

Papp, L., 2002, Eighteen New Oriental Species Of Poecilosomella Duda (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (2), pp. 107-156 : 129-131

Poecilosomella nigra sp. n.

( Figs 31–34 )

Holotype male ( HNHM, abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial): TAIWAN: Pingtung Hsien, Kenting , Heng-Chun Trop. Botanical Garden – light traps, Oct 4–6, 2000, L. Peregovits & L. PAPP, No. 15.

Paratype female ( HNHM): same as for holotype; paratype male ( NMNH, abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial): Sri Lanka: Kan. Dist. , Udwattakele Sanct., Kandy, 600 meters, 12–14-X–1980 – collected in Malaise trap – K. V. Krombein, P. B. Karunaratne, T. Wijesinhe, L. Jayawickrema, V. Gunawardane .

Measurements in mm: body length 2.50 (holotype), 2.55 (paratype male), 2.72 (paratype female), wing length 2.25 (holotype), 2.34, 2.30 (paratypes), wing width 0.98 (holotype), 0.98, 0.96 (paratypes).

Body black, including frons and antennae. Mesonotum with the usual silvery Poecilosomella pattern, incl. 3 rather large spot sagittally, in addition to a triangular prescutellar spot.

Facial plate brown, frons with silvery spots around setal bases. Arista medium long, aristal cilia short, at most 0.03 mm, cilia on flagellomere even shorter. Cephalic setae somewhat shorter than usual but thick, incl. 2 pairs of fronto-orbitals, their distance 0.055mm. Three pairs of short ifr.

Anterior dorsocental pair rather long, 0.225 mm on holotype. Two pairs of almost equally long katepisternals. Scutellum 0.41 mm long, 0.54mm broad, apical scutellars very thick, 0.56 mm.

Wings clear, light yellowish grey, veins yellow but dark on the area of dark spots, dark brown spots around tips of R 1 , R 2 +3 and R 4 +5 (a small spot around R 2–5 fork continuously over R 1 ); also veins in basal part of wing dark brown. No vein appendage on R 2 +3. Second costal section 0.585 mm, third section 0.56 mm, ratio 1.045. Intercrossvein section of M/dMCu 0.18/ 0.155 mm (paratype male) .

Legs black with dirty yellow rings medially and apically. Fore and hind femora thickened, fore tibia also thicker than usual. Male fore tibia as well as fore tarsomeres 1–3 ventrally and posteriorly with long dense hairs. Armature of male mid tibia (holotype): a short anterodorsal each at 18/60 and 37/60, a very long and thick anterodorsal at 42/60; a very long and thick dorsal setae at 49/60; medium long posterodorsals at 23, 28, 38/60, a longer one at 48/60. Mid tibia ventrally without a medial seta but with a distinct ventroapical. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal hair-like setae longer than usual.

Abdominal tergite 2 less melanized and probably less sclerotized on its medial third. Epandrium with the usual setae dorsally and caudally but there are numerous thick setae on ventral part. Cerci rather weakly sclerotized, without setae. Male subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 32 ) with a pair of acutely pointed straight processes, which bear 2 long seta. Postgonite ( Fig. 31 ) bisinuate with broader, though partly membraneous, apical part. Male surstylus ( Figs 33–34 ) trilobed, similar to that of P. varians , posterior lobe with at least 7 thick black thorns, medial lobe with 2 thick thorn-like setae, anterior lobe with numerous long hairs but also with some straight short setae ( Fig. 33 ). Both medial part of hypandrium and phallapodeme comparatively long ( Fig. 31 ). Distiphallus rather compact, apical threadlike process ( Fig. 31 ) at least three times longer than distiphallus.

Female terminalia not studied. Paratype female assigned on the basis of association with holotype male.

view, 34 = surstylus, inner (medial) view. Scale: 0.2 mm for all

Distribution: Taiwan, Sri Lanka. It must be rather widespread but species in this species group are to be identified based on the characters of the male genitalia only.

P. nigra sp. n. is a member of the P. varians species group, so the true characteristics for its reliable identification are in the male genitalia (see Figs 31–34 and key below).

Figures

Figs 31–34. Poecilosomella nigra sp.n., paratype male.31 = genital complex with postgonite, lateral view, 32 = right half of subepandrial sclerite with apex of epandrium, 33 = surstylus, outer lateral