Tomosvaryella acantha Motamedinia & Skevington

Motamedinia, Behnam, Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Kelso, Scott, 2021, Revision of Tomosvaryella Aczél (Diptera: Pipunculidae) in the Middle East, with description of 19 new species, Zootaxa 5002 (1), pp. 1-103 : 9-11

Tomosvaryella acantha Motamedinia & Skevington sp. nov.

Figs 1A–E , 46A , 49 , 65A–B

Diagnosis: This species can be recognized by the distinctive thorn-like projection on the hind trochanter ( Fig. 46A ); surstyli slender and curved towards each other in dorsal view ( Fig. 1A ), with a small projection at the base in lateral view ( Fig. 1D–E three small ejaculatory ducts, one with some teeth in basal half ( Fig. 1D–E ); phallic guide with a downward projection before apex in lateral view ( Fig. 1D–E ). Based on the shape of the surstyli and phallus, this species is related to T. sylvatica ( Meigen, 1824) ( Földvári & De Meyer 1999: fig. 3A–D), T. subsylvatica Kazerani, Khaghaninia & Kehlmaier, 2017 ( Kazerani et al. 2017: fig. 3A–D) and T. littoralis ( Becker, 1897) ( Földvári & De Meyer 1999: fig. 2A–D). It differs by the distinct thorn-like projection (not spines) of the hind trochanter ( Fig. 46A ). Tomosvaryella sylvatica , T. subsylvatica and T. littoralis ( Fig. 46B ) have several spines on the hind trochanters.

Description: MALE: Body length (excluding antennae): 2.85 mm. Head. Scape, pedicel dark. Flagellum brown. Eyes meeting for a distance of 6–7 facets. Frons silver-gray pollinose. Vertex black, lacking pollinosity. Occiput dark with scattered short black setae. Thorax. Postpronotal lobe light yellow, gray pollinose without setae along upper margin. Prescutum and scutum black, prescutum slightly shining, scutum with a row of long supra-alar setae (up to 0.11 mm) and uniseriate rows of long intra-alar setae (up to 0.09 mm). Scutellum black, light-brown pollinose, with up to 18 thin setae along posterior margin (up to 0.11 mm). Subscutellum and pleura dark brown, silver-gray pollinose. Wing. Length: 3.5 mm. LW: MWW = 3.5. Wing almost entirely covered with microtrichia. Cross-vein r-m reaching cell dm at the middle. M 1 moderately undulating in middle. Halter length: 0.37 mm. Whitish, dark at base. Legs. Dark but narrowly yellow at apex of femora and base of tibiae, gray pollinose. Mid coxa with 3–4 anterior setae. Hind trochanter with a distinct thorn-like projection (not spine) ( Fig. 46A ). Hind femur with two rows of long setae on anterior and two rows on posterior side. Hind femur with 1–2 wrinkled indentations in basal quarter. Tibiae with two rows of short setae on anterior and three rows on posterior side. Hind tibia with 1–2 wrinkled indentations in the middle. Tarsi light brown, gray pollinose. Claws white in basal half. Abdomen. Ground color dark brown. Tergite 1 entirely gray pollinose with 8–9 brown long lateral setae (up to 0.16 mm). Tergites 2–5 with scattered yellowish setae (up to 0.08 mm). Sternites light brown laterally and dark brown centrally, gray pollinose. Syntergosternite 8 with scattered long dark setae. Genitalia. Genital capsule in dorsal view: epandrium and surstyli brown, gray pollinose. Epandrium wider than long (MLE:MWE = 0.72). Surstyli rather symmetrical, elongated and slender, slightly curved to each other at apical third ( Fig. 1A ). Genital capsule in ventral view: gonopods small and wide, equal in height, hypandrium broad, subepandrial sclerite wide basically ( Fig. 1B ). Genital capsule in lateral view: both surstyli gently curved to sternite, with a small projection in basal towards hypandrium ( Figs 1D–E ). Phallic guide long, pointed apically with a small projection pointed towards hypandrium ( Fig. 1D–E ); phallus with three small ejaculatory ducts, one bearing some saw-like teeth in basal half ( Fig. 1D–E ). Ejaculatory apodeme tube-like, bent, with a bulb in its middle ( Fig. 1C ). FEMALE: unknown.

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin word ‘acantha’, meaning thorn, referring to thorn-like projection on its hind trochanter.

Specimen examined: HOLOTYPE: ISRAEL: Har Hermon , 33°18’N, 35°46’E, 1500–1600m a.s.l., 6.vi.2002, L. Friedman, JSS51689 (1♂, TAU).

Distribution: Israel ( Fig. 49 ).

Notes: Based on the DNA barcode, this species is genetically most similar to T. sylvatica (4.6% pairwise divergence) (Supplementary Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Male genitalia of Tomosvaryella acantha sp. nov., holotype (JSS51689, TAU) A) dorsal view, B) ventral view, C) ejaculatory apodeme, D, E) lateral view.

FIGURE 46. Hind leg of Tomosvaryella species in lateral view A) T. acantha sp. nov., holotype (JSS51689, TAU), B) T. littoralis (CNCD214212, CNC), C) T. saudiensis sp. nov., holotype (CNCD147709, CNC), D) T. subvirescens (JSS52318, CNC).

FIGURE 49. Distribution of Tomosvaryella acantha sp. nov., T. ampliasa sp. nov., T. anahitae sp. nov., T. cilifemorata, T. demeyeri, T. dentiterebra, T. immutata in the Middle East.

FIGURE 65. Male habitus of Tomosvaryella species A–B) T. acantha sp. nov., holotype (JSS51689, TAU) A) in dorsal view B) in lateral view, C–D) T. ampliasa sp. nov., holotype (JSS51800, TAU) C) in dorsal view D) in lateral view, E–F) T. anahitae sp. nov., holotype (JSS51946, CNC) E) in dorsal view F) in lateral view.