Helina karina, Pont, Adrian C., 2012

Pont, Adrian C., 2012, Distribution records of Helina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Muscidae) from the Caucasus Mountains, with the descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 3409, pp. 30-46 : 35-37

Helina karina sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 8–10 )

Holotype. Male, ARMENIA: Va y o ts D z o r: stream below Noravank church, N39o40.923' EO45o14.108 ', 1477 m, 7.vi. 2005 (A.C. Pont & D. Werner), in BMNH.

Paratypes 13 3Ƥ. Data as for holotype, 13 2Ƥ (13 1Ƥ BMNH, 1Ƥ OUMNH); stream below Noravank church, N39o40.942' EO45o14.132', 1464 m, 15.vi.2010 (A.C. Pont), 1Ƥ ( BMNH).

The 3 paratype was photographed ( Fig. 2 ) and also dissected ( Figs. 8–10 ).

Description. A medium-sized, yellowish-grey, yellow-legged species ( Fig. 2 ).

Male. Length of body, 6.0 mm (holotype) and 7.5 mm (paratype). Length of wing, 5.5 and 7.0 mm.

Head. Holoptic. Ground-colour black. Eye virtually bare, with a few tiny scattered hairs. Fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, face and gena silvery-white pruinose, occiput grey. Frons at narrowest point separated by a distance equal to width of postpedicel in frontal view, and fronto-orbital plates separated throughout by a frontal vitta which, at narrowest point of frons, is as wide as a fronto-orbital plate. Ocellar setae strong. 3–5 pairs of frontal setae with several fine interstitials, occupying lower half of frons. Antenna mostly black, pedicel partly and postpedicel at extreme base orange; postpedicel 3 times as long as broad. Arista very short-plumose, the longest combined plumosity 0.7 times as long as width of postpedicel, the ventral hairs tiny. Parafacial moderate, at level of aristal insertion slightly narrower than width of postpedicel. In lateral view, facial edge behind level of profrons. Gena broad, depth below lowest eye-margin equal to half length of postpedicel. Palpus orange, black at tip, slender. Mentum of proboscis dusted.

Thorax. Ground-colour black. Scutum densely grey dusted, tinged with yellow, with weak dark markings as follows: a pair of narrow paramedian vittae between the acrostichal and dorsocentral rows, running from neck to level of 3rd postsutural dorsocentral; a patch around presutural intra-alar and supra-alar; and postsuturally a vitta between dorsocentrals and intra-alars, these all very weakly indicated. Pleura grey dusted. Acrostichals 0+1, presutural setulae in 4–5 irregular rows, dorsocentrals 2+4, intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 1+2, the posterior one short; 2 postpronotals; prealar short, at most half as long as 2nd notopleural. Anterior spiracle yellowish-white, posterior spiracle yellow. Prosternum bare, notopleuron without setulae, proepisternal depression bare. Katepisternals 1+2, the lower one much closer to posterior upper than to anterior seta. Meron and katepimeron bare. Scutellum dusted as scutum, with 1 strong preapical, 1 strong lateral and 1 weak basal lateral; lateral margins and ventral surface bare.

Legs. Coxae mostly darkened, trochanters yellow; fore femur black except at tip and along apical third of anterior surface; mid and hind femora yellow but darkened at base; tibiae yellow; tarsi black. Fore femur with rows of posterodorsal and strong dense posteroventral setae. Fore tibia with 1 submedian posterior seta, with strong apical dorsal and posteroventral setae. Fore tarsomere 1 with several fine anteroventral and posteroventral setulae in apical half that are longer than tarsal depth, those on posteroventral surface longer and more extensive than those on anteroventral surface. Mid femur without anteroventral setae, with 4–5 strong posteroventral setae in basal half which continue as more erect posteroventral setulae in apical half; 1 anterior and 3 dorsal to posterior preapical setae. Mid tibia with 2 posterior setae (3 on one side in holotype), without anterodorsal. Hind femur with a complete anterodorsal row; posteroventral surface bare; 5 anteroventrals in apical half, several of which are longer than femoral depth. Hind tibia without posterodorsals; 2 anterodorsals, and 5–7 short strong anteroventrals; dorsal and anterodorsal preapicals strong; 1 anteroventral but no posteroventral apical seta.

Wing clear; with some weak infuscation around crossveins r-m and dm-cu. Basicosta and tegula orange. Vein M straight, diverging slightly from vein R4+5 towards wing-tip. Crossvein r-m slightly basad of the point where subcosta enters costa, and crossvein dm-cu oblique, rather sinuous. Costal spine short. Stem-vein and vein R4+5 bare. Calypters creamy, margins yellow. Knob of haltere yellow.

Abdomen. Ovate-cylindrical. Ground-colour black. Tergites densely grey dusted, tinged with yellow, with black markings as follows: syntergite 1+2 with a pair of weak oval spots; tergites 3 and 4 each with a pair of subtriangular to subquadrate spots, those on tergite 3 occupying almost the tergal length, those on tergite 4 about half of tergal length. Sternites 2–5 grey dusted. Tergite 3 with some lateral marginals; tergites 4 and 5 each with complete rows of discal and marginal setae. Sternite 1 bare. Sternite 5 as in Fig. 8 .

Terminalia as in Figs. 9–10 .

Female. Length of body, 6.5–7.0 mm. Length of wing 6.0– 6.5 mm. Differs from the male as follows.

Head. Dichoptic. Frons at middle 0.43 of head-width at this point. Pruinosity on head more greyish-white than silvery-white. At middle of frons, a parafrontal plate 0.33 of width of frontal vitta, which at this point is 0.6 of frontal width. Frontal triangle hardly visible, dull grey, not quite reaching lunule. 3–4 pairs of strong inclinate frontal setae, with few interstitials, and 2 pairs of strong reclinate orbital setae; fronto-orbital plate with a few short setulae outside the frontal setae. Pedicel orange; postpedicel 2.5 times as long as wide. Longest aristal hairs 0.6 times as long as width of postpedicel. Parafacial slightly broader; with a conspicuous matt patch opposite base of postpedicel.

Thorax. Scutum with the pair of paramedian vittae less distinct.

Legs. Coxae mostly yellow; fore femur yellow, partly darkened along posterior surface; mid and hind femora wholly yellow. Fore femur with the posteroventral setae less dense and in a well-spaced row. Fore tibia also with a posterodorsal and posterior apical seta. Fore tarsomere 1 with the posteroventral setulae present but shorter. Mid femur with 2–3 posteroventral setae, slightly shorter than femoral depth. Mid tibia with 2–3 posterior setae. Hind femur with 3–4 anteroventral setae. Hind tibia with 2–3 anteroventrals.

Wing. Margins of calypters also creamy.

Abdomen. Unmarked and without dark spots. Setae more sparse. Tergite 5 without marginals

Note. The holotype is not fully hardened, and so the frons has slightly contracted. The description and proportions of the frons are therefore taken from the paratype.

Distribution. Known only from Armenia, from around the River Amaghu below Noravank church.

Etymology. Named for the co-organiser of my 2010 and 2011 field trips in Armenia, Karina Harutyunova. The species-epithet is a noun in apposition.

Relationships. The new species appears to be most similar to Helina interfusa (Pandellé, 1899) . The male runs to couplet 127 and the female to couplet 50 in Hennig’s (1957) key to Palaearctic species, and H. karina sp. nov. can be incorporated as follows:

Males

127 (130) Arista short-plumose.

128 (129) Hind femur yellow only in apical third.......................................... H. parcepilosa (Stein, 1907)

129 (128) Hind femur wholly yellow.

129a (129b) Katepisternals 2+2. Arista long-plumose, the longest combined plumosity equal to 1.5 times width of postpedicel......................................................................... H. pandellei (Villeneuve, 1922)

129b (129a) Katepisternals 1+2. Arista short-plumose, the longest combined plumosity equal to 0.7 times width of postpedicel.................................................................................... H. karina sp. nov.

Females

50 (53) Palpus mainly or wholly yellow.

50a (50b) Presutural acrostichal setae present. Palpus wholly yellow. Scutellum yellow at tip........ H. impuncta (Fallén, 1824) 50b (50a) Presutural acrostichal setae absent. Palpus yellow with a brown tip. Scutellum wholly black in ground-colour. 51 (52) Prealar almost as long as 2nd notopleural. Abdominal tergites 3 and 4 with weak dark spots. Fore femur wholly yellow.

.......................................................................... H. interfusa (Pandellé, 1899) 52 (51) Prealar less than half as long as 2nd notopleural. Abdominal tergites 3 and 4 without spots, completely unmarked. Fore femur darkened along most of posterior surface............................................ H. karina sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 2. Male habitus of: Helina karina sp. nov. (paratype).

FIGURES 8 – 10. Male terminalia of Helina karina sp. nov. (3 paratype from Armenia, stream below Noravank church). 8. Sternite 5. 9. Hypopygium, lateral view. 10. Cercal plate, posterior view. Scale-lines: 0.25 mm.