Minettia (Plesiominettia) cuiae, Li & Bai & Yang, 2023

Li, Wenliang, Bai, Yingming & Yang, Ding, 2023, The genus Minettia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Lauxaniidae: Lauxaniinae) from the Oriental Region with descriptions of seventeen new species, Zootaxa 5256 (3), pp. 201-249 : 210

Minettia (Plesiominettia) cuiae sp. nov.

( Figs. 21–30 )

Diagnosis. Frons brown except anterior margin dark brown, as long as wide and parallel-sided; first flagellomere yellow at base, tip and dorsal margin of first flagellomere blackish brown; acrostichal setulae in four rows; apex of phallus with many small spiny processes inside in ventral view.

Description. MALE. Body length 4.3 mm, wing length 5.2 mm. FEMALE. Body length 3.9–4.2 mm, wing length 4.9–5.1mm.

Head ( Fig. 21 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. Face and parafacial with dense grayish white pruinescence. Frons brown except anterior margin dark brown, as long as wide and parallel-sided, with a pair of black longitudinal stripes along fronto-orbital rows, extending from ocellar triangle to occiput; ocellar triangle blackish brown, ocellar setae developed, almost as long as posterior fronto-orbital setae, anterior fronto-orbital setae reclinate, shorter than posterior fronto-orbital setae. Gena about 1/7 height of eye. Antenna brownish yellow, first flagellomere yellow at base, tip and dorsal margin of first flagellomere blackish brown, 1.7 times longer than high; arista blackish brown except paler basally, pubescent with longest setulae almost as long as 1/4 height of first flagellomere. Proboscis blackish brown, with white and black setulae; palpus black with black setulae.

Thorax ( Fig. 24 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. 0+3 dorsocentral setae; acrostichal setulae in four irregular rows, with a pair of strong acrostichal setulae, longer than first post-sutural dorsocentral setae; a pair of strong prescutellar setae, longer than first post-sutural dorsocentral setae and strong acrostichal setulae. One anepisternal seta, two katepisternal setae. Legs blackish brown, tibia yellow or brownish yellow at base and brown at tip, fore tarsi brownish yellow, mid and hind tarsomeres yellow. Fore femur with seven posterior dorsal setae, five posterior setae and five posterior ventral setae; fore tibia with one dorsal preapical seta and one strong apical ventral seta. Mid femur with five anterior setae; mid tibia with one strong dorsal preapical seta and one strong apical ventral seta. Hind femur with one preapical anterior dorsal seta; hind tibia with one dorsal preapical seta. Wing ( Fig. 22 ) hyaline and yellow at base, part of wing veins brown; costa with 2nd (between R 1 and R 2+3), 3rd (between R 2+3 and R 4+5), and 4th (between R 4+5 and M 1) sections in proportion of 9.0: 2.1: 1.7; r-m on middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M 1 in proportion of 7.0: 3.4; ultimate section of CuA 1 about 1/4 of penultimate. Haltere pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 25 ) black, with grayish white pruinescence. Male genitalia ( Figs. 26–30 ): syntergosternite with a pair of small ventral processes and circular. Epandrium nearly rectangle, surstylus separated from epandrium, extended from ventral apical angle of epandrium in lateral view, long clavate and haired, connected by one claviform sclerite behind cercus; hypandrium with a pair of small inner processes, narrow in the middle and wide on both sides. Postgonite cylindrical and shorter than phallus, with setae apically. Phallapodeme thick, almost as long as phallus; phallus consisting of one ventral sclerite and one dorsal sclerite, ventral sclerite V-shaped; apex of phallus with many small spiny processes inside in ventral view, anterior margin rough in lateral view, phallus with a shallow apical concavity and arcuated.

Type material. Holotype ( CAUC): ♁, CHINA, Yunnan Province: Zhaotong Xiaocaoba, 2009. IX. 15, Weina Cui . Paratypes ( CAUC): 1♀, data same as holotype ; 1♀, CHINA, Yunnan Province: Zhaotong Xiaocaoba , 2009. IX. 13, Weina Cui .

Distribution. China (Yunnan)

Etymology. Latin, cuiae , named after Weina Cui, the collector of the holotype.

Figures

FIGURES 21–25. Minettia (Plesiominettia) cuiae sp. nov. Male. 21. head, anterior view; 22. wing; 23. habitus, lateral view; 24. thorax, dorsal view; 25. abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 26–30. Minettia (Plesiominettia) cuiae sp. nov. Male. 26. syntergosternite and epandrium, lateral view; 27. epandrial complex, posterior view; 28. syntergosternite, anterior view; 29. phallic complex, ventral view; 30. phallic complex, lateral view. Scale 0.5 mm.