Hoffeinsodes cubicula, Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017

Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017, Synopsis of extinct Bruchomyiinae (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Burmese, Baltic and Dominican amber, with descriptions of new genera and species, Zootaxa 4320 (1), pp. 100-120 : 105

Hoffeinsodes cubicula sp. nov.

( Figs. 2c–d )

Etymology. Cubiculus, diminutive of cubus (lat.) for cubical shape of basal epandrium.

Diagnosis. Hoffeinsodes species, cross sclerite with single central tip, gonostyli rectangular, rear edge unevenly serrate, basal part of epandrium cubic, distal lobes short and strong, tip bent upward, smooth. Material. Holotype male, no 1515- 2 in coll. Hoffeins.

Geological stratum: Baltic amber.

State of preservation. Specimen well conserved, head, thorax and abdomen recognizable. Particularly head covered with milky coating, debris and air bubbles. Antennae curled and positioned in different optical layers, thus exact measures of flagellomeres and palp segments are impossible. Most legs broken, all femura and left hind tibia maintained; left wing complete, basal 2/3 of right wing conserved.

Syninclusions. None.

Description. Head with oval eyes, distance between eyes approximately 6–8 facet diameters. Antenna 16 segmented, shape of segments as in other species; scape 1.5x the length of spherical pedicel, 1 st flagellomere longer than flagellomeres 2+3, terminal flagellomere with distal narrow part about 1/3 of basal part. Palpus 4-segmented, blackish, basal segment not discernable, probably short; terminal palp segment as long as segments 2+3.

Head length: 0.5 mm. Body length: 3.5 mm. Thorax length: 1 mm. Length of abdomen with genitalia 2.0 mm. Swellings above halters with basal rings of setae.

Wing approximately 2.5x longer than wide, length 3.5 mm. Sc terminates in the middle between C and R1 with sc-c and sc-r crossveins. Radial fork in distal third of wing; crossvein r-m angled towards wing base, a second crossvein nearby angled in opposite direction, both form a small pentagonal cell (probable abnormality). M1 and M2 arise at hind edge of first basal cell, i.e. no M1+2. Second basal cell short, M3 and M4 originate at close quarters at middle of second basal cell; CuA and CuP parallel, strongly curved towards hind wing margin.

Abdomen with 8 segments and inverted genitalia, inversion by segments 7 and 8. Cross sclerite with a single median setose tip; gonostyli paddle shaped, linked laterally to it, distal margin with 2 small and 1 strong tips. In dorsal view the sclerite is about 2 times longer than wide, waisted, tip setose; in lateral view basally broad, distally tapered, bent. Parameres with sharp tip, clearly projecting beyond tips of the gonostyli. Aedeagus not discernable, epandrium basally cube shaped with short and firm lateral lobes approximately as long as basal part, bent dorsal, tip smooth black. Proctiger slightly sclerotized, inconspicuous, extends to cube shaped part of epandrium; cerci oval, setose, just visible in lateral view.

Comments. A Hoffeinsodes species distinguished from its congeners by the shape of the cross sclerite with a single median tip, gonostyli about rectangular; posterolateral epandrium lobes bent strongly upwards with smooth tip.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Hoffeinsodes bifida sp. n. a. wing; b. genitalia left lateral view; Hoffeinsodes cubicula sp. n.: c. genitalia right lateral view; d. dorsal view with cross sclerite, gonostyli and parameres. Abbreviations: c—cercus; ep—epandrium; fhg—fused hypandrium and gonocoxites; gst—gonostylus; pm—paramere; p + c—proctiger with cerci.