Otites friedmani Morgulis

Morgulis, Elizabeth, 2015, Two peculiar new species of Otites Latreille 1804 (Diptera: Ulidiidae) with reduced phallus, Zootaxa 3949 (4), pp. 567-574 : 570-574

Otites friedmani Morgulis , n. sp.

(Figs. 2, 6–7, 10)

Material examined. Holotype ♂: CYPRUS: Nata, 12 km E Pafos, 34°47.1’N 32°32.7’E, 300m, 8–10.iv.2008, A. Freidberg ( TAUI); Paratypes: Same data as holotype (10♂, 9♀), L. Friedman (2♂, 2♀)(all in TAUI); Skoulli, 6 km S Polis, Rt. B7, 34°57.7’N 32°27.3’E, 140m, 10.iv.2008, L. Friedman (1♀)( TAUI); 2 km N Pegia, Rt. E709, 34°53.9’N 32°22.3’E, 380m, 9.iv.2008, A. Freidberg (1♀)( TAUI); Pentalia, 21 km NE Pafos, 34°50.9’N 32°36.7’E, 650m, 8.iv.2008, A. Freidberg (5♂, 6♀), L. Friedman (7♂, 3♀), 9.iv.2008, A. Freidberg (8♂, 11♀), L. Friedman (8♂, 8♀)(all in TAUI); Axylou, 14km E Pafos, 34°47.6’ N 32°32.8’ E, 9.iv.2008, A. Freidberg (2♀)( TAUI); Pera Pedi, 2200 ft., 4.iv.19 [52], G. A. Mavromoustakis (2♀), 24.iv.1953 (1♀)(all in IRSN); Yermasoya river, 6.iii.1952, G. A. Mavromoustakis (2♀), 23.iii. 19 [52] (1♀), 25.iii.19 [52] (3♂, 5♀), 3.iv.19 [54] (1♀), 28.iii.19 [57] (1♀), 3.iv.19 [57] (2♀), 10.iv.19 [57], (1♂)(all in IRSN); Polemidia hills, 3.iv.1950, G. A. Mavromoustakis (1♂)( IRSN); Limassol, 14.iv.1950, G. A. Mavromoustakis (1♂), 7.iii.1951 (1♂), 29.iv.1951 (1♂), 12.iii.1954 (1♂), 9.iii.19 [56] (1♀)(all in IRSN); Cherkes, 19.iii.1950, G. A. Mavromoustakis (1♀), 30.iii.1950 (1♂), 11.v.1957 (1♂)(all in IRSN); Lefkara, Rt. E105, 34°51.6’N 33°18.6’E, 600m, 7.iv.2008, A. Freidberg (3♀, 1♂), L. Friedman (1♀)(all in TAUI).

The holotype is pinned directly and deposited in TAUI.

Diagnosis. This species resembles O. freidbergi n. sp., differing from it in the next combination of characters: gena black, entirely microtrichose (yellowish and posteriorly microtrichose in O. freidbergi n. sp.); legs mostly black (mostly yellow in O. freidbergi n. sp.); prensisetae on medial surstylus extend medially along entire height (along ventral 0.75 in O. freidbergi n. sp.).

Description (Only characters which differ in O. friedmani n. sp. from O. freidbergi n. sp. are mentioned): Head (as in Fig. 3 ). Face straight to slightly convex. Carina in anterior view rounded, sometimes slightly wrinkled ventrally. Color and vestiture: Ocellar triangle, vertex and occiput black, silvery microtrichose. Frons dark brown, often infuscate anteriorly, sparsely silvery microtrichose at dorsal 0.5. Orbit silvery-white microtrichose. Face mostly brown, except antennal groove black; face silvery-white microtrichose. Gena black, entirely densely white microtrichose. Postgena black, densely white microtrichose. Antenna mostly orange-brown, except 1st flagellomere infuscate dorsally, 1st flagellomere rarely entirely infuscate. Clypeus brown to black, slightly silvery microtrichose. Palpus brown. Chaetotaxy: Ocellar and postocellar seta each 0.5–0.9 times as long as medial vertical seta.

Thorax: Color and vestiture: Black, silvery-gray microtrichose. Scutum with 1 medial and 1 lateral darker longitudinal stripes with sparser microtrichia. Medial stripe extending from anterior scutum margin to level of posterior notopleural seta, lateral stripe extending from transverse suture to level of intra-alar seta. Chaetotaxy: 1–2 supra-alar, 1–2 postalar, and 1–3 dorsocentral setae present. Scutellum usually with 1 basal and 1 apical seta, sometimes with additional medial seta (often on 1 side only).

Legs: Coxae mostly black, except posteriorly brown. Trochanters brown-yellow. Femora mostly black, except apical 0.1 brown-yellow. Tibiae mostly brown-yellow, except dorsally black. Legs densely gray microtrichose.

Wing (as in Fig. 4): Veins brown.

Abdomen: Female tergites 1–5 with dense gray microtrichia medially and at basal 0.75, apical 0.25 sparsely microtrichose or non-microtrichose. Male syntergite 1+2 gray microtrichose; tergites 3–5 gray microtrichose medially and at apical 0.05. Male terminalia: Epandrium ( Fig. 6) medial surstylus about as long as lateral surstylus in posterior view; prensisetae on medial surstylus extend medially along entire height. Female terminalia: 3 elongate, coiled spermathecae (Fig. 10) present, about 15 times as long as wide.

Measurements (mm). Body length 4.5–8.5, wing length 4.5–7.9.

Type locality. Nata, 12 km E Pafos, Cyprus.

Distribution. Cyprus.

Etymology. This species is named after the coleopterist and author’s colleague, Mr. Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman.

The two new species are most probably sister-taxa, considering their overall resemblance, and may represent a monophyletic group within Otites , since the short and bare phallus is probably an apomorphic condition for this species-group.

Observations on mating behavior of O. freidbergi were carried out, revealing yet another unusual characteristic for an Otitini species. All Otitini species examined by me to date (n=6, Morgulis 2012) exhibited a relatively short copulation (5–30 minutes, n=26), whereas O. freidbergi copulated for 240–300 minutes (n=4). This unusually prolonged copulation duration might be linked to the morphology of the male phallus in this species, though the nature of this connection is beyond the scope of the present work. Females of O. freidbergi readily oviposited in small crevices (e.g. cracks in branches, mesh covering cage ventilation openings), which is consistent with observations on other Otites species ( Morgulis 2012, 2013). Rearing attempts of the larvae were unsuccessful.

Though collecting excursions were carried out constantly to different parts of Israel, O. freidbergi n. sp. was collected only at a single locality: the peak (1100–1200 m asl) area of Mount Meron. This is an example of a species with a highly restricted distribution (few ha), which meets the IUCN (2001) criteria for critically endangered species.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Otites freidbergi n. sp. head, lateral view.