Minettia (Plesiominettia) ludingensis, 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 : 218

Minettia (Plesiominettia) ludingensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 51–60 )

Diagnosis. Frons brownish yellow except anterior margin yellow; acrostichal setulae in six irregular rows; surstylus bifurcated at base in lateral view, anterior process slender and posterior process small; phallus with many membranous spiny processes on apical 1/3 and one short claviform sclerotized structure.

Description. MALE. Body length 4.0– 4.5 mm, wing length 5.5–5.7 mm. FEMALE. Body length 4.5–5.8 mm, wing length 5.8–6.5 mm.

Head ( Fig. 51 ) brownish yellow, with grayish white pruinescence. Face and parafacial with dense grayish white pruinescence, face brown except ventral margin blackish brown. Frons brownish yellow except anterior margin yellow (sometimes frons with one extremely narrow yellow longitudinal stripe extending to ocellar triangle), as long as wide and parallel-sided; ocellar triangle blackish brown, ocellar setae developed, longer than posterior frontoorbital setae, anterior fronto-orbital setae reclinate, slightly shorter than posterior fronto-orbital setae. Gena about 1/6 height of eye. Antenna brownish yellow, first flagellomere 1.6 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. 54 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. 0+3 dorsocentral setae; acrostichal setulae in six 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, tarsi 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. 52 ) hyaline and yellow at base; 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 6.7: 1.9: 1.4; r-m on middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M 1 in proportion of 5.1: 2.6; ultimate section of CuA 1 about 1/5 of penultimate. Haltere pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 54 ) black, with grayish white pruinescence. Male genitalia ( Figs. 56–60 ): syntergosternite with a pair of small ventral processes and circular. Epandrium nearly rectangle; surstylus separated from epandrium, bifurcated at base in lateral view, anterior process slender and posterior process small; hypandrium long and without inner process. Postgonite degenerate. Phallapodeme as long as 1/3-1/2 length of phallus; phallus with small apical concavity, with many membranous spiny processes on apical 1/3 and one short claviform sclerotized structure.

Type material. Holotype ( CAUC): ♁, CHINA, Sichuan Province: Luding Hailuogou, 2006. VII. 26, Xingyue Liu . Paratypes ( CAUC): 1 ♁, 1 ♀, data same as holotype ; 2 ♀♀, Sichuan Province: Luding Hailuogou , 2006. VII. 26, Xiaoshuan Bai .

Distribution. China (Sichuan)

Remarks. The new species is somewhat similar to Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii sp. nov. (see remarks under Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii sp. nov.) from Guizhou.

Etymology. The specific epithet is named for holotype locality in Sichuan, Luding.

Figures

FIGURES 51–55. Minettia (Plesiominettia) ludingensis sp. nov. Male. 1. head, anterior view; 2. wing; 3. habitus, lateral view; 4. thorax, dorsal view; 5. abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 56–60. Minettia (Plesiominettia) ludingensis sp. nov. Male. 6. syntergosternite and epandrium, lateral view; 7. epandrial complex, posterior view; 8. syntergosternite, anterior view; 9. phallic complex, ventral view; 10. phallic complex, lateral view. Scale 1 mm.