Synapha Meigen, 1818

BLAGODEROV, VLADIMIR & GRIMALDI, DAVID, 2004, Fossil Sciaroidea (Diptera) in Cretaceous Ambers, Exclusive of Cecidomyiidae, Sciaridae, and Keroplatidae, American Museum Novitates 3433 (1), pp. 1-76 : 28

Synapha Meigen, 1818

Synapha Meigen, 1818: 227 .

Sinapha Rondani, 1856: 196 , misspelling. Empalia Winnertz, 1863: 762 .

DIAGNOSIS: As given by Freeman (1951): Setae on stems and forks of both M and Cu present, flagellomere lengths not more than width, Sc long, penultimate palpomere short­ er than apical and antepenultimate ones, laterotergites bare or setose, midtibial organ present.

TYPE SPECIES: S. fasciata Meigen, 1818 (by monotypy).

COMMENTS: About 25 extant species of Synapha are known from all biogeographic regions. Two fossil species of the genus were described from Eocene Baltic amber ( Meunier, 1904) and the Lower Cretaceous of Montsec, Spain (Blagoderov and Martínez­ Delclós, 2001). The related genus Austrosynapha Tonnoir, 1929 has 23 species from South America, which were cataloged by Papavero (1977b); 7 occur in New Zealand ( Tonnoir and Edwards, 1927) and one is from Australia ( Tonnoir, 1929).

Synapha longistyla , new species

Figures 33, 34 , Plate 3F

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from living and fossil members by the structure of genitalia, having gonostyli very long and with numerous inner spurs.

DESCRIPTION: Body length = 2.15 mm; wing length = 1.58 mm. Head round. Eyes large, rounded, with round facets. Flagellum 14­segmented, flagellomeres cylindrical, length of each about 1.5Χ its width. Two palpomeres seen. Penultimate 0.7Χ length of apical one, which is slender and flexible. Thorax: Scutum irregularly setose. Mediotergite and laterotergites bare. Wing: R 1 and R 5 almost straight, with setae, remaining veins bare, except apex of M, a few setae present on M 2 and CuA 1 dorsally. Length ratio of sections RS1, RS2, and RS3 is 1:1.4: 13. Crossvein r­m slightly sigmoid, its length 2Χ length of M3 section. Base of M 3+4 absent, the vein originates at level of M3 midpoint. CuA and M 3+4 gently curved caudally. Legs: Midtibial organ absent. Abdomen with 6 visible segments, 7th and 8th segments small and retractable. Gonocoxites fused. Gonostyli long, straight, with numerous stiff spines arranged in rows on inner surface and several dark, curved ones at base.

MATERIAL: Holotype MCZC 6944, male, Canada: Manitoba, Cedar Lake .

ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet refers to the long gonostyli of the species.

COMMENTS: This species lacks distinct synapomorphies of Synapha (i.e., midtibial sensory organ and short gonostyli) as well as strong setae on the medial and cubital forks. The fossil has moderately long flagellomeres and subequal palpomeres, considered to be synapomorphies of Austrosynapha (see table 2). Long, slender gonostyli, which are characteristic for Austrosynapha and many other Mesozoic fungus gnats, is considered to be plesiomorphic. Most likely, the new species together with the Lower Cretaceous S. rubiesensis Blagoderov and Martínez­Delclós, 2001 represent a Synapha­Austrosynapha stem group, although monophyly of the group and included genera is still to be established. Matile (1991) noted that Synapha was probably polyphyletic. The definition of both genera is vague, and often characters of different subgroups overlap. For example, species of A. ( Paraaustrosynapha ) Duret have short flagellomeres, while species of A. ( Neoaustrosynapha ) Duret retain some macrotrichia on the medial fork ( Duret, 1980).

Figures

Figs. 31–34. Apolephthisa and Synapha. 31. A. bulunensis, n.sp., holotype PIN 3963/4, reconstruction of wing venation. 32. Male genitalia. 33. S. longistyla, n.sp., holotype MCZC 6944, reconstruction of wing venation. 34. Male genitalia.