Strongylophthalmyia sichuanica Evenhuis

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2016, World review of the genus Strongylophthalmyia Heller (Diptera: Strongylophthalmyiidae). Part I: Introduction, morphology, species groups, and review of the Strongylophthalmyia punctata subgroup, Zootaxa 4189 (2), pp. 201-243 : 236-237

Strongylophthalmyia sichuanica Evenhuis , n. sp. ( Figs. 99–101, 102–103 )

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to S. hauseri Evenhuis on the basis of the shared shape of the male palpus and the S-shaped dorsal antennal process, but can be distinguished from it by the non-bifid apex of the male palpus (bifid in S. hauseri ), the arista much longer than the dorsal antennal process (shorter than this process in S. hauseri ) and the minute black vestiture on the laterotergite (white in S. hauseri ).

Description. Lengths. Ƌ: body, 3.8–4.2 mm; wing, 3.5–4.0 mm. Male. Head: globular, shining black; face gray, yellow between antennal bases; gena dull dark grayish brown, row of short black hairs ventrally; clypeus small, subrectangular, black, yellowish brown medially; palpus ( Fig. 100 ) subtriangular, flared apically, with black hairs ventrally, yellow apically; proboscis black.

Antenna ( Fig. 99 ) scape and pedicel yellowish brown; flagellomere subrhomboid, rounded apically, longer than wide, predominantly dark brown laterally, predominantly yellowish mesally with dark brown margins, densely clothed with white hairs, with long, slender, S-shaped dorsal process 2 times length of flagellomere; arista slightly shorter than dorsal process, styliform, bare.

Thorax: shining black throughout, except propleuron yellow to yellowish brown, mesonotum and scutellum sparsely clothed with short white hair-like setulae; anepisternum with tuft of silvery white hairs medially, a few minute white hairs along prealar suture; katepisternum with long white hairs ventrally near mid coxa.

Wing. hyaline, tinge of brown at extreme apex; vein R2+3 nearly straight, ending in costa well beyond level of crossvein dm-cu; crossvein r-m before middle of cell dm; veins R4+5 and M1+2 parallel distally; crossvein dm-cu not perpendicular to CuA1; last section of CuA1 to wing margin one-half length of crossvein dm-cu; halter white.

WIP ( Fig. 103 ). Distally a mixture of green, golden, and magenta color; turquoise and magenta-colored in basal half of radial and medial portions; distal portion of medial field predominantly green; anal lobe predominantly magenta and indigo, with a streak of blue along vein CuA1; cell dm with a streak of blue-green along vein CuA1; medial-cubital field magenta.

Legs: for and hind coxae yellowish white; mid coxa black; fore femora and tibiae yellowish brown, tarsi yellow; fore coxa with 6 long black hairs; fore femur ( Fig. 102 ) dorsally with 5–6 short black thorn-like spicules in single row; mid femur yellow on basal three-fourth, black on apical one-fourth; hind femur yellow on basal half, black on apical half; mid tibia black on basal half, yellow on apical half (on lateral surface), all yellow (mesal surface); hind tibia black on basal three-fifths, yellow on apical one-fifth; all tarsi yellow.

Abdomen: tergites shining black, with short sparse black hairs, these hairs longest on tergites V–VI; sternites dark brown.

Male genitalia: not dissected; epandrium and surstylus shining black, with white hairs; cerci grayish brown, narrow basally, flared and rounded apically, with long white hairs dorsally, shorter black hairs apically and ventrally.

Female. Flagellomere ovoid, without long dorsal process; arista styliform and bare, 2.5 times length of flagellomere; clypeus large, bulbous, brownish medially, black laterally; anepimeron without lateral tuft of hairs; mid and hind femora black except yellow at extreme base; mid and hind tibiae black except at extreme apex; abdominal segments VI–X modified into a tubular ovipositor. Other characteristics same as those of male.

Variation. The male propleural color is yellow in two of the three males, but reduced to a small spot surrounding the anterior spiracle in the third. The mid femur in the males is normally darkened with black in the apical half, but is reduced to yellowish brown splotches in the same specimen with the reduced yellow propleural color.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ from CHINA (Sichuan): Emeishan County, Leshan , Mt. Emei , 660–950 m, 29°34'29.81"N, 103°23'46.80"E, 18–20 May 2016, O. Lonsdale, CNC 564606 . Paratypes: 2♂, 6♀, same data as holotype, CNC 564598 –564605. Holotype in CNC. Paratypes in BPBM and CNC.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Etymology. This species is named for the province of the type locality in China.

Figures

FIGURES 97 – 102. Strongylophthalmyia live habitus. 97. S. ustulata (Zetterstedt) male, Russia, showing coarse mesonotal vestiture; photo Dimitry Gavryushin, via Flickr; 98. S. sp., Philippines, female, ovipositing in fallen log; 99. S. angustipennis Melander, Canada, male (top) and female (bottom) in copula; 100. S. sp., Vietnam, female ovipositing in beetle bores; 101. S. angustipennis, male; 102. S. elegantissima, male, Vietnam. Figs. 98 – 102 courtesy Stephen A. Marshall.

FIGURES 103 – 106. Strongylophthalmyia habitats. 103. Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens, Chaing Mai, Thailand. Habitat for S. albisternum, n. sp., S. hauseri, n. sp., and S. thailandica. Photo: Martin Hauser. 104. Bamboo grove, Sabah, Malaysia (collector Steve Gaimari in foreground); habitat for S. borneensis, n. sp. Photo: Martin Hauser. 105. Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China. Habitat for S. sichuanica, n. sp. Photo: Owen Lonsdale; 106. Bamboo grove at Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China (collector Owen Lonsdale in foreground). Habitat for S. sichuanica, n. sp. Photo: Stephen A. Marshall.