Bradysia planistylata, Vilkamaa, Pekka, Hippa, Heikki & Mohrig, Werner, 2012

Vilkamaa, Pekka, Hippa, Heikki & Mohrig, Werner, 2012, The genus Bradysia Winnertz (Diptera, Sciaridae) in New Caledonia, with the description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3489, pp. 25-44 : 38

Bradysia planistylata sp. n.

Figs 10 A–D

Material studied. Holotype male. NEW CALEDONIA, Rivière Bleue N.P., (parc 6), rainforest, 20.i.1993, Bonnet de Larbogne, Chazeau & Guilbert (in MNHN). Paratypes. 3 males, same data as holotype but 16.vii.1992 (in MZH, PWMP and SMNH); 1 male, same data as previous but parc 6, 21.vii.1992 (in MNHN); 1 male, Mont Panié, 140 m, Malaise trap, 7–18.xii.1990, Baylac & Bourgoin (in MNHN).

Description. Male. Head. Brown, antenna unicolorous brown, maxillary palpus very pale brown. Eye bridge 2–3 facets wide. Face with 15–22 scattered longer and shorter setae. Clypeus with 1–2 setae. Maxillary palpus with 3 palpomeres; palpomere 1 longer than palpomere 3, palpomere 2 shortest; palpomere 1 with 3–7 setae, with a large dorsal patch of sensilla in a shallow depression; surface of antennal flagellomeres rough, body of flagellomere 4 ( Fig. 10 A) densely setose 1.75–2.25x as long as wide, the neck shorter than broad, the longest setae much shorter than the width of flagellomere. Thorax. Pale brown, setae dark. Anterior pronotum with 5–9 setae. Episternum 1 with 4–9 setae. Scutum with short dorsocentrals, with some short laterals, scutellum with 2 rather long and some short setae. Wing. Hyalinous. Length 2.5–3.0 mm. Width/length 0.35–0.40. Veins distinct. R1/R 0.60–0.70. c/ w 0.60 –0.75. r-m and than bM subequal in length or bM longer. M, CuA, r-m and bM non-setose. Legs. Yellow. Coxal setae dark. Apical part of front tibia ( Fig. 10 B): tibial organ with pale vestiture forming a rather long row, in some specimens in two parts. Front tibial spur slightly longer than the tibial width. Claws without teeth. Abdomen. Setae dark. Hypopygium ( Figs 10 C, D). Brown, concolorous with abdomen. Gonocoxa broad, longer than gonostylus, ventromesial margin distinct, with sparse setosity. Gonostylus narrow, subbasally angulate, rather straight at apical two-thirds, the apical half dorsoventrally attenuated, dorsomesially strongly hollowed; with dense apical vestiture of thickened spine-like setae, with some spine-like setae on the ventral side, without an apical tooth. Tegmen roundish, with sclerotized areas, with very long apodemes, with an area of numerous aedeagal teeth.

Discussion. Bradysia planistylata is unique among the New Caledonian species of Bradysia in the structure of its strongly modified gonostylus, with spinose apical and ventral setae, and in the form of its tegmen. In having spinose setae at the apex of its gonostylus, B. planistylata resembles the Palaearctic B. alutacea Mohrig & Dimitrova (Dimitrova & Mohrig 1993) , placed in the B. hilaris group, but differs in having the gonostylus dorsomesially hollowed and in the structure of antennal flagellomeres and the maxillary palpus. With B. planistylata highly similar undescribed species have been seen in the Oriental samples by the present authors, some with elongated setae on the apicolateral part of the gonostylus and the ventromesial part of the gonocoxa. In spite of the different form of the gonostylus, the structural type is reminiscent of the Holarctic Bradysia nervosa group, which also has spinose gonostylar megasetae, elongated setae on the ventromesial margin of the gonocoxa and a sharp demarcation between the sclerotized and membranous areas basoventrally on the hypopygium. We would provisionally place the species in the Bradysia nervosa group.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin word planistylata , having a flat stylus/gonostylus, referring to the flattened apical part of the gonostylus.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Bradysia planistylata sp. n. (holotype). A. Antennal flagellomere 4, lateral view. B. Apical part of front tibia, prolateral view. C. Part of hypopygium, ventral view. D. Gonostylus, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm.