Mouffetina duopalpus, Sutou & Menzel, 2025

Sutou, Mitsuaki & Menzel, Frank, 2025, The genera Mouffetina Frey and Trichosia Winnertz (Diptera, Sciaridae) in Japan with a key for the Japanese species and an updated world checklist, Contributions to Entomology 75 (1), pp. 167-182 : 167-182

Mouffetina duopalpus sp. nov.

Fig. 1 A ‒ D

Type material.

Holotype. JAPAN • ♂; Honshu, Tochigi Pref., Nikko, near lake Yuno ; 36°48'N, 139°26'E; alt. 1500 m; 18 June 2000; K. Uesugi leg.; NSMT.

Description.

Male. Head: Eye bridge four facets wide. Prefrons with many setae and clypeus bare. Scape brown with 3 anterior setae, pedicel brown with many setae; flagellomeres brown; 4 th flagellomere 2.6 times as long as wide, neck portion about 1 / 8 of its whole length (Fig. 1 A ), hairs yellow and almost as long as its width. Palpus yellowish brown, 2 - segmented, 1 st segment with 4 setae on its outside and with distinct brownish sensory area bearing minute sensilla, 2 nd segment with 6 setae (Fig. 1 B ). Thorax: Color predominantly brown with dorsocentral and dorsolateral setae on mesonotum; scutellum with many setae; posterior pronotum with setae. Legs predominantly yellowish brown; fore tibial spur about 1.2 times as long as width of tibial apex. Wing membrane bare; distal 2 / 3 of R 5 with both dorsal and ventral macrotrichia, bM bare, r-m with several dorsal macrotrichia, M 1, M 2, and CuA 1 with dorsal macrotrichia, stem of M bare; length of R 1 = 1.3 R, c = 0.8w, r-m = 1.6 bM; stem of CuA very short, almost absent; R 1 ending at same level of branching point of M 1 and M 2; wing length 4.1 mm. Halter brown, knob and distal half of stalk with setae. Abdomen: Tergites and sternites brown with dark brownish setae. Gonocoxite slightly wider than long (Fig. 1 C ); gonostylus nearly semicircular in shape with 3 apical spines (Fig. 1 D ); tegmen trapezoidal with darkened border (Fig. 1 C ); aedeagus distinct (Fig. 1 C ). Body size: 3.4 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Remarks.

The name of the new species refers to its 2 - segmented palpus (Fig. 1 B ). This species is so far the only Japanese species placed in the genus Mouffetina . The new species resembles M. expolita (Coquillett) which is known from Norway, Far Eastern Russia, Canada, and USA (Alaska, Oregon) ( Mohrig et al. 2013). The new species is distinguished from M. expolita by having few apical spines and a more gently curved outline of the gonostylus (Fig. 1 D ).

Figures

Figure 1. Mouffetina duopalpus sp. nov., male holotype. A. 4 th flagellomere; B. Left palpus; C. Genitalia, ventral view; D. Right gonostylus, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.05 mm (A, B, D); 0.1 mm (C).