Minettia (Plesiominettia) surstylata, 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 : 233-236

Minettia (Plesiominettia) surstylata sp. nov.

( Figs. 110–119 )

Diagnosis. Frons brown except anterior margin yellow, with a pair of black longitudinal stripes along fronto-orbital rows, extending from ocellar triangle to occiput; acrostichal setulae in six irregular rows, without strong acrostichal setulae; surstylus with one forward spiny process near base.

Description. MALE. Body length 5.8–6.5 mm, wing length 6.3–7.0 mm. FEMALE. Body length 6.0– 6.4 mm, wing length 6.5–6.9 mm.

Head ( Fig. 110 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. Face and parafacial with dense grayish white pruinescence. Frons brown except anterior margin yellow (sometimes frons with one extremely narrow yellow longitudinal stripe extending to ocellar triangle), 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 yellow, the tip and dorsal margin of first flagellomere brown, 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. 113 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. 0+3 dorsocentral setae; acrostichal setulae in six irregular rows; a pair of strong prescutellar setae, longer than first post-sutural dorsocentral setae. One anepisternal seta, two katepisternal setae. Legs blackish brown, tibia brownish yellow at base, tarsi yellow. Fore femur with eight posterior dorsal setae, six 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. 111 ) hyaline and pale 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 7.7: 2.1: 1.5; r-m before middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M 1 in proportion of 5.1: 3.4; ultimate section of CuA 1 about 1/5 of penultimate. Haltere pale yellow, except knob blackish brown.

Abdomen ( Fig. 114 ) black, with grayish white pruinescence. Male genitalia ( Figs. 115–119 ): syntergosternite circular, with one membranous ventral process. Anterior margin of epandrium extended forward, beyond anterior margin of syntergosternite; surstylus separated from epandrium, scabbard-shaped, with one forward spiny process near base; hypandrium long and narrow. Postgonite degenerate. Phallapodeme almost as long as 1/2 length of phallus; phallus consisting of one ventral sclerite and one dorsal sclerite, with many small membranous spiny processes inside, and with a pair of strongly sclerotized long spiny processes extending to the base and a pair of weakly sclerotized long spiny processes, phallus without concavity apically.

Type material. Holotype ( CAUC): ♁, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Dashahe Qianfengcun, 2004. VIII. 19, Yajun Zhu . Paratypes ( CAUC): 3 ♀♀, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Dashahe Qianfengcun, 2004. VIII. 17, Yajun Zhu; 1 ♁, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Fanjingshan , 2001. VII. 29, Caixia Gao ; 2 ♁, CHINA, Sichuan Province: Emei Jiulaodong , 1961. VIII. 22, Chikun Yang .

Distribution. China (Yunnan)

Remarks. The new species is somewhat similar to Minettia (Plesiominettia) crassulata Shatalkin from Oriental region and Palearctic region, but it can be separated from the latter in the frons with a pair of black longitudinal stripes along fronto-orbital rows, extending from ocellar triangle to occiput; mesonotum without strong acrostichal setulae; surstylus with one forward spiny process near base. In Minettia (Plesiominettia) crassulata Shatalkin , frons without black longitudinal stripe; mesonotum with a pair of strong acrostichal setulae; surstylus without spiny process near base.

Etymology. Latin, surstylata , referring to surstylus with one forward spiny process near base.

Figures

FIGURES 110–114. Minettia (Plesiominettia) surstylata sp. nov. Male. 110. head, anterior view; 111. wing; 112. habitus, lateral view; 113. thorax, dorsal view; 114. abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 115–119. Minettia (Plesiominettia) surstylata sp. nov. Male. 115. syntergosternite and epandrium, lateral view; 116. epandrial complex, posterior view; 117. syntergosternite, anterior view; 118. phallic complex, ventral view; 119. phallic complex, lateral view. Scale 1 mm.