Glabellula maroccana Evenhuis & Kettani, 2018

Evenhuis, Neal L. & Kettani, Kawtar, 2018, Genera of Mythicomyiidae (Insecta, Diptera) new to the fauna of Morocco, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 4429 (2), pp. 348-356 : 349-351

Glabellula maroccana Evenhuis & Kettani , n. sp.

( Figs. 1–3 )

Diagnosis. Among species in the Mediterranean with yellow and black coloration, it is similar in appearance to the Middle Eastern species Glabellula nobilis Kertész , but can be separated from it by the lack of grayish admedian mesonotal banding (present in G. nobilis ). It is also similar to G. sufflava François from Spain but can be separated from it by the lack of a large prealar white spot laterally (present in G. sufflava ), the black occiput (gray in G. sufflava ), and longer vein R4+5 (much shorter in G. sufflava ).

Description. Female. Length: 1.1–1.2 mm. Head. Black; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by 1.5 x distance between lateral ocelli; front depressed medially, white with small black dot below median ocellus; face brown, tip of oral margin paler brown; antennae brownish black; segment I minute; segment II cylindrical, slightly wider than long; segment III ( Fig. 2 ) ovoid-ellipsoid, length about 1.75 x greatest width; stylus about 1/4 length of segment III, with apical sensillum; mentum black; proboscis brown, thick, length slightly shorter than oralgenal cup; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length 1/4 oral margin; palpus not evident.

Thorax. Mesonotum dark brown to black, with scattered pale yellowish hairs and brownish yellow interhumeral marks; scutellum brown with yellow spot basolaterally; humeral callus, thin ridge along postalar callus, propleuron, and katepimeron yellow, otherwise pleura brown; halter stem brown, knob yellow with brown dorsally.

Legs. Coxae brown femora and tibiae brown with yellow tips; basitarsi and second tarsal segment yellow to white, remainder of tarsal segments brown.

Wing ( Fig. 2 ). Hyaline; veins brown; costa ends just after end of R4+5; vein Sc incomplete, ending at level about halfway between origin of Rs and end of vein R2+3; R4+5 straight to wing margin, not curved, subequal to length of M1; M1 slightly curved toward wing margin; M2 fairly straight to wing margin; CuA2 thick at base, thin on apical 2/ 3 to wing margin; A1 evanescent, straight to wing margin.

Abdomen. Brown, with scattered dark hairs; thin yellow laterally on posterior margin of tergites II–VII, venter paler brown than dorsum, with yellow on posterior portion of segments.

Genitalia ( Fig. 3 ). Furca V-shaped; spermathecae 3; spermathecal reservoir small, subellipsoid; apical spermathecal duct as long as sperm pump, undifferentiated; sperm pump inflated, lateral ones wider than medial one, without evident apical or basal valves; basal spermathecal duct with slight inflation apically at basal end of sperm pump, length of ducts slightly longer than pump, leading to short common duct.

Male. As in female except as follows: body generally darker brown to black overall; thin white notopleural line present from humeral callus to wing base; abdominal posterior fasciae slightly broader and more white in color. Genitalia not dissected.

Types. Holotype female and 1male, 2 paratype females from Morocco: Rif , Larache , Taghzout, Adrou, 35.377573°N, 5.541121°W, 556 m, 14 May 2013 – 15 Jul 2013, Malaise trap in cork oak forest of Quercus suber ( Fig. 11 ), K. Kettani . Holotype in MNHNR. Paratypes in BPBM and MNHNR.

Remarks. Glabellula is a worldwide genus and is found throughout Africa and the Mediterranean. Although this is the first record of the genus from Morocco, we believe more collecting will find many more species in this country and those adjacent.

Distribution. Known only from the Rif in Morocco.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Glabellula maroccana, female genitalia. Abbreviations: apd = apical duct; fur = furca; spp = sperm pump; spr = spermathecal reservoir.

FIGURE 11. Habitat photo of the Talassemtane area, type locality of Mythenteles signifera.

FIGURES 1–2. Glabellula maroccana habitus, lateral view. 1, female pinned, wing broken off and missing. 2, female in fluid.