Winnertzia padicola Spungis

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2020, Reevaluation of species richness in Winnertzia (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae), with descriptions of 37 new species from Sweden, Peru and Australia, Zootaxa 4829 (1), pp. 1-72 : 39-40

Winnertzia padicola Spungis

Diagnosis. A brown, medium-sized to large Winnertzia , distinguished by male genitalic characters, as follows ( Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: 41 A). The apex of the aedeagal apodeme, which is both sclerotized and pointed, resembles the tip of a pipette. Of the gonocoxal synsclerite, the ventral emargination is U-shaped, with a fairly small membranous area basally, and the dorsal apodemes are very long and thin. Of the tegmen, the apex is broadly rounded to truncated, the flaps are distinct, and the parameral apodemes, whose orientation is ventrolaterad, are longer than in many other Winnertzia . The massive gonostylus appears to be either parallel-sided or slightly broadened apically, depending on the visual angle; the pectinate claw is narrow and small in relation to the gonostylar body. The posterior edge of the ninth tergite is broad and shallowly indented medially.

Discussion. Although the pipette-shaped aedeagal apodeme may be regarded as typical of W. padicola , there are other species in which the apodeme is markedly narrowed apically. Two of these we described earlier as species B and C ( Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: figs 43B–C and fig. 44A, respectively), with the latter referred to in the present paper as “ longiptera C”. Both species are fairly common and widespread in Sweden, making it likely that they have been named in the past by other authors, although we are unable to recognize them in the descriptive literature. Apart from B and C, we know of another three species in Sweden with apically constricted apodemes; all are uncommon (represented in our material by two, five and six, respectively, specimens) and inconspicuous in terms of other morphological characters. These species, which need further study, are merely mentioned here to raise awareness of their existence. Two other Winnertzia with a similar kind of aedeagal apodeme are described below: W. fraxinophila , a species apparently closely related to W. solidaginis , and W. sundini , a species distinguished from all the others discussed here by its partly regressive male morphology. We doubt that the apical constriction of the aedeagal apodeme, which is a simple modification, should be rated as an indicator of relatedness.

Distribution in Sweden. Winnertzia nigripennis is known from 20 males, collected in six different provinces of Sweden, from Skåne in the south to Lule Lappmark in the north.

Material studied. Specimens listed by Jaschhof & Jaschhof (2013) and as follows. Sweden: 1 male, Öland, Borgholm, Norra Bäck, herb-rich backyard, 1 June–4 August 2018, MT, MCJ (spn CEC 2881 in SDEI) ; 1 male, Öland , Mörbylånga, Skogsby lund NR, mixed broadleaf forest, 10 June–14 July 2015, MT, MCJ (spn CEC 2882 in SDEI) ; 1 male, Mörbylånga , Gamla Skogsby (Kalkstad), scrubby meadow at forest edge, 20 May–28 June 2006, MT, SMTP (trap 22, collection event 1725) (spn CEC 2952 in NHRS) ; 1 male, Mörbylånga , Stora Dalby lund NR, mixed broadleaf forest, 9 July–8 August 2015, MT, MCJ (spn CEC 2880 in SDEI) ; 2 males, Södermanland, Tyresö , Åva, Spirudden, coastal oak forest, 6–21 July 2005, MT, SMTP (trap 1, collection event 1571) (spns CEC2884 – CEC 2885 in NHRS) ; 1 male, Södermanland, Huddinge , Sofielund Recycling Center, pine forest near garbage dump, 10–16 August 2004, MT, SMTP (trap 5, collection event 767) (spn CEC 2886 in NHRS) ; 1 male, Östergötland, Ödeshög , Omberg, Beechforest NR, beech forest, 5–19 July 2005, MT, SMTP (trap 16, collection event 1667) (spn CEC 2887 in NHRS) ; 1 male, Uppland , Uppsala, Ekdalen NR, sparse oak forest, 13–27 June 2005, MT, SMTP (trap 27, collection event 1702) ; 1 male, Uppland , Håbo, Biskops-Arnö, elm grove, 15–28 June 2004, MT, SMTP (trap 8, collection event 1557) (spn CEC 2889 in NHRS) ; 1 male, Lule Lappmark, Jokkmokk, Kaltisbäcken NR, old-growth mixed boreal forest, 4–30 July 2016, MT, MCJ (spn CEC 2883 in SDEI) .