Stenomicra tokotaai, Grimaldi, 2009

Grimaldi, David A., 2009, The Asteioinea of Fiji (Insecta: Diptera: Periscelididae, Asteiidae, Xenasteiidae), American Museum Novitates 3671, pp. 1-60 : 6-17

Stenomicra tokotaai , new species

Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 10

DIAGNOSIS: Scutum and scutellum light brown, with light bluish pruinescence; pleura mostly light yellow with light brown stripe on dorsal margin of anepisternum and anatergite; wing completely hyaline, long, slender, with cross veins very close together; most abdominal tergites light brown, tV–VI in females and tV–VIII in males light yellow. Surstylus (male) simple, slender (length 6X greatest width), slightly curved, tip acute.

DESCRIPTION: ThL 5 0.60 mm. Body coloration: Frons entirely dull, whitish beige, small area between ocelli dark brown; face and facial protuberance light brown; oral margin, cheek, postgena, proboscis, antennal pedicel and basal flagellomere light yellow. Eyes light red to pink. Mesoscutum and scutellum with ground color a very light brown, having light bluish pruinescence; lateral (notopleural) edges diffuse, tip of scutellum light. Most of pleuron light yellow, but with thin, light brown stripe on dorsal margin of anepisternum and anatergite. Legs entirely light yellow; wing entirely hyaline (no areas of infuscation or white); haltere entirely white. Abdominal tergites V–VI in females and tVI–VIII in males light yellow; all others light brown; all sternites light brown. Setae on head and thorax dark copper; leg setae light.

Head: Slightly flattened, greatest length oblique in profile. Ocellar setae lost; inner vertical setae present, proclinate; outer vertical setae reclinate. Two pairs fronto-orbital (FO) setae present, both pairs significantly anterior to level of ocellar triangle; anterior FO proclinate fine, minute, ca. 0.3X (male) to 0.4X (females) length of posterior FO; posterior FO reclinate. Eyes emarginate on face around antennae and on postgenal margin; with dense, short interfacetal setulae (slightly longer dorsally); no differentiation of facets; distance between eye margins on face slightly greater than distance between pseudovibrissae. Antenna: Scape with fine dorsal seta pointed dorsolaterad. Pedicel with dorsal seam, mesal surface much longer than lateral surface; pedicel with 2–3 setae, thick dorsal and frontal ones, finer seta on lateral surface. Basal flagellomere with fringe of fine, long, whitish setae on frontal edge. Arista with four dorsal and two ventral branches. Face slightly concave between antennae and protuberant lower portion; ptilinal sutures extend ventrally to just lateral of pseudovibrissae. Pair of short, stout pseudovibrissae on facial protuberance; these setae projecting forward; bases separated by distance approximately 3X diameter of basal sockets. Oral margin ventral to pseudovibrissa with row of six setae, projecting laterad and slightly downward. Clypeus and very narrow U-shaped sclerite; labellum large, occupying most of oral cavity; palpi extremely reduced, papilliform.

Thorax: Scutum with single, incomplete row of 6–7 long, fine acrostichals; three pairs larger dorsocentral setae (finer setulae anterior to these), anteriormost pair smallest, posterior pair longest. Scutellum with pair of apical setae only, no preapical setae. Postpronotal lobe, anepisternum, katepisternum devoid of setae; notopleuron with two setae. Ventral surfaces of coxae, katepisternum, mesosternum with fine, sparse, yellowish setulae. Ventrolateral surface of fore femur with row of 3–5 long, fine, stiff setae; midtibia with long apical spur, length of spur ca. 2.5X apical width of tibia; hind basitarsomere with seam of fine, transverse combs of setulae. Wing: hyaline, slender and long (W/L 5 0.35), no break at cross vein h, weakness in C near tip of Sc (but not a break); vein C ends at tip of M 1+2; R 2+3 long; R 4+5 ends at tip of wing, tip of wing slightly and bluntly pointed; small basal veins (bm-cu, CuA 2) lost; cross veins very close together (L r-m / distance between r-m and m-cu 5 0.43); alula, anal lobe, vein A 1 +CuA 1 absent.

Abdomen: Slender, tergites fully formed, tVI in male very short, ca. 0.5X length of tV (tVI longer in female). Male genitalia with simple, crescent-shaped surstylus (no lobes or teeth), apex acute, subapically with 5 fine setae; aedeagus membranous, fusiform in overal shape, with fine, curved tip, distal half covered with dense microtrichia.

TYPES: Holotype, male (no. 30, dissected), FIJI: Taveuni Island, Cakadrove Prov. , Devo Peak Radio Tower, Malaise in rain forest, 13.XII–20.XII.02, FJ-8, M. Irwin, E. Schlinger, M. Tokota’a, 179 ° 589E, 16 ° 519S, 1200 m . Paratypes: 1 male, 5.6 km SE Tavuki Village, Devo Peak , 1187 m, 30.VI–14.VIII.2004, Malaise 1, Schlinger, M. Tokota’a, 16.843 ° S, 179.966 ° W, FBA150901, dissected (no. 58); 1 male, Tavuki Village , Mt. Devo , 592 m, 4– 31.VII. 2004, Malaise 4, E.I. Schlinger, M. Tokota’a, 16.837 ° S, 179.973 ° W, FBA151944, dissected (no. 67); 2 females, same data as holotype (no. 35); another female: Vanua Levu , Bua Prov. , Batiqera Range , 8 km NW Kilaka Village, 146 m. 28.VI–21.VII.2004, Malaise 1, Schlinger, Tokota’a, 16.815S, 178.986E, FBA 104918 . Holotype and some paratypes in BPBM; some paratypes in AMNH .

ETYMOLOGY: Patronym in honor of Mr. Moala Tokota’a, Fiji outrigger athlete and an instrumental person in the efforts to survey the biodiversity of his country.

COMMENTS: Stenomicra tokotaai grossly resembles the original description of S. australis Malloch (type locality: Innisfail, Queensland) in body coloration and frontal setation; unfortunately, the holotype of S. australis in the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, has been almost entirely destroyed, and only a wing remains on the original point. Both species apparently have two pairs of reclinates situated far anteriad, with the anterior pair being very small. However, there are significant differences: The wing of S. tokotaai is nearly fusiform in shape, with a blunt point at the apex, without an anal lobe or anal vein, and the cross veins are situated far more basally and closer together than is figured in Malloch (1927) for S. australis . Also, the coloration of the terminal tergites of the female abdomen differs considerably. Lastly, the male genitalia of tokotaai have the surstyli much more curved and less sclerotized, and the aedeagus is fusiform in shape (not cylindrical).

Figures

Fig. 1. Heads of select Fiji Periscelididae, oblique frontal views (not to same scale). A. Stenomicra tokotaai, n. sp. B. Stenomicra distinctipennis Collin. C. Cyamops fiji Baptista and Mathis.

Fig. 2. Thoraces of select Fiji Periscelididae showing coloration, left lateral views (to same scale). A. Stenomicra tokotaai, n. sp. B. Stenomicra distincta, n. sp. C. Stenocyamops robustus, n. sp. D. Cyamops fiji Baptista and Mathis.

Fig. 3. Abdominal coloration of select Fiji Periscelididae, dorsal views (to same scale). A. Stenocyamops vittatus, n. sp. B. Stenocyamops robustus. C. Stenocyamops luteus, n. sp. D, E: Stenomicra tokotaii, male (D) and apex of female abdomen (E). F, G: Stenomicra distincta, male (F) and apex of female abdomen (G).

Fig. 5. Wings and details thereof of Fiji Stenomicra. A. S. ariela. B, C. S. distincta. D. S. tokotaai. E, F. S. distinctipennis.

Fig. 6. Male terminalia of Stenomicra ariela (not to same scale) A. Epandrial complex, posterior view. B. Hypandrium, aedeagus, and aedeagal sclerite.

Fig. 7. Male terminalia of Stenomicra brunnea (all to the same scale). A. Left surstylus, lateral view. B. Aedeagus, lateral view. C. Hypandrium, aedeagus, and associated sclerites.

Fig. 8. Male terminalia of Stenomicra castanea. A. Epandrium with surstyli, posterior view. B. Aedeagus, lateral view. C. Hypandrium, aedeagus, and associated sclerites.

Fig. 9. Male terminalia of Stenomicra pallida. A. Epandrium and surstyli, posterior view. B. Left surstylus, lateral view. C. Hypandrium, aedeagus, aedeagal apodeme, and associated sclerites.

Fig. 10. Male terminalia of Stenomicra sylpha (A, B) and S. tokotaai (C, D). A. Epandrium and surstyli, posterior view. B. Hypandrium, aedeagus, and associated structures. C. Aedeagus, lateral view. D. Left surstylus, lateral view.