Platypalpus turgidoides, Barták & Grootaert, 2024

Barták, Miroslav & Grootaert, Patrick, 2024, Description of twelve new species of Platypalpus Macquart from Europe and the Middle East (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae), Zootaxa 5443 (2), pp. 161-185 : 182-184

Platypalpus turgidoides sp. nov.

( Figs 20 , 21 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: SPAIN, Embalse de Barbate , sw [= sweeping vegetation], pasture nr. river, 36.4311 N, - 5.7439 W, 37 m, 6.–8.v.2017, M. Barták & Š. Kubík ( CULSP) . PARATYPES: SPAIN, same data as holotype (14 ♂, 3 ♀) ; Embalse de Barbate , pt [= water pan traps], meadow + cork oak, 36.403 N, - 5.738 W, 55 m, 5–9.v.2017, M. Barták, Š. Kubík (16 ♂, 4 ♀) ; same data but sweeping vegetation (6 ♂) ; 5 km E of Tordesillas , flowers in pine wood, 686 m, 41°31′02″N, 4°56′25″W, M. Barták, 22.v.2008 (1 ♂)—( CULSP) .

Diagnosis. Small, black species of the P. pallidiventris —cursitans group with a single pair of vertical setae. Antennae black, postpedicel 2.7–3.0× longer than broad, stylus subequally long. Mesoscutum thinly microtrichose, katepisternum with large lustrous patch, anepisternum with narrow lustrous stripe dorsally. Setae mostly pale yellow, long setae on head somewhat darkened (brownish yellow to brown), several dorsocentrals very long, almost as long as postpedicel. Legs yellow, rarely with tip of femora darkened to various extent, tarsi brown annulated, spur on mid tibia, long, sharply pointed.

Description. Male ( Fig. 20 ). Head black, light grey microtrichose, face including clypeus almost silvery microtrichose. Frons narrow, ≈ 0.05 mm broad at ventral part (only slightly broader than front ocellus) and 0.07 mm broad at level of anterior ocellus. Face ≈ 0.04 mm broad at middle. Gena lustrous, narrow. Antenna black; postpedicel 2.7–3.0× longer than broad, stylus 1.6–1.7× longer than postpedicel. Clypeus microtrichose. Palpus broadly oval, yellowish brown, with 1–2 long pale subterminal seta(e). Ocellar setae yellowish brown to brown, ≈ 0.15 mm long (ocellar triangle with 2 pairs of additional shorter setae behind anterior pair of ocellars). Single pair of yellow to brown vertical setae ≈ 0.15 mm long, rather widely separated (≈ 0.17 mm apart). Occiput with dark, short setae dorsally and longer whitish yellow setae ventrally. Proboscis half as long as head height, brownish-black. Thorax black, mesoscutum thinly microtrichose; pleura more densely microtrichose leaving large lustrous patch on katepisternum (only hind margin microtrichose), anepisternum dorsally with narrow lustrous stripe, posterior part of postpronotum usually lustrous. Small setae pale yellow, large setae darkened to various extent (mostly yellow to brownish yellow). Chaetotaxy: postpronotal seta moderately long and strong; acrostichals narrowly biserial and slightly divergent, rather long (≈ 0.08 mm), only 4–6 setae in one row; dorsocentrals uniserial, with 4–5 unusually long (presutural up to 0.12 mm), last 1–2 pairs longer; notopleuron with 2 long setae on posterior part and several short hairs; 1 postalar and 1 pair of scutellar setae (with 2 small hairs). Wing clear, veins yellow to brownish yellow. R 4+5 and M 1 distinctly bowed and convergent apically. Crossveins broadly separated. CuA recurrent and slightly Sshaped. Costal seta yellow, moderately long. Squama yellow with yellow fringes. Halter pale yellow. Legs yellow including all coxae (except usual dark spot on all trochanters), rarely mid and hind femora slightly darkened near tip, tarsi not much sharply annulated, last segment almost entirely brown, mid and hind knees brownish. Setae pale (except ventral spines on mid femur and tibia), fore tibia with several dark setae dorsally. Fore femur slightly thickened on basal third, with antero- and posteroventral rows of setae half as long as femur depth. Fore tibia slightly thickened, dorsally with dark setae. Mid femur deeper than fore femur, with long pale posteroventral setae;, row of short anteroventrals and one anterior seta on distal third. Mid tibia with long, sharply pointed apical spur. Hind femur and tibia narrow (femur slightly broader than tibia), short setose. Abdomen blackish-brown, lustrous, only lateral parts of tergite 1 and narrow base of tergite 2 microtrichose; sparsely covered with short pale setae, somewhat longer setae on segment 8. Terminalia ( Fig. 21 ): cerci short, right cercus broadened apically, left cercus narrowed apically. Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 21A ) with left margin set with moderately long setae. Right surstylus with about four long broadened subapical setae ( Fig. 21B ). Left epandrial lamella narrowed apically ( Fig. 21C ), ventral margin smoothly S-shaped, with several not very long (about 0.10 mm) setae. Female. Similar to male except as follows: abdomen with segments 1–5 lustrous as in male, tergites 6–7 broadly membranous, lustrous on sides, tergite 8 medially divided by membrane, lateral parts lustrous, sternites 6–7 narrow and lustrous, sternite 8 lustrous on sides. Length. Both sexes: body 1.9–2.7 mm, wing 1.9–2.4 mm.

Etymology. The specific name alludes to the similarity with P. turgidus .

Distribution. Spain.

Remarks. The species described above is similar to P. turgidus (Becker) in fundamental characters (one pair of vertical setae, black antennae, microtrichose clypeus, general form of genitalia). The new species has narrower fore legs, unusually long dorsocentrals alternating with short ones, lustrous stripe dorsally on anepisternum and smaller genitalia. Structure of the female postabdomen is also characteristic and different from similar species.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Platypalpus turgidoides sp. nov., paratype male (photo Isabella Van de Velde).

FIGURE 21. Platypalpus turgidoides sp. nov., paratype male, terminalia. A. Right epandrial lamella; B. Epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; C. Left epandrial lamella, lateral. Scale 0.1mm (image Patrick Grootaert).