Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, 1909

Kovac, Damir, Kameneva, Elena P., Korneyev, Severyn V., Araújo, Alexandre Santos, Savaris, Marcoandre, Smit, John T., Schneider, Alexander, Schreiber, Robert & Korneyev, Valery A., 2024, Revision of the Aspistomella group of genera (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Pterocallinae: Lipsanini), Zootaxa 5530 (1), pp. 1-117 : 47-52

Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, 1909

Figs 2 A–C , 5 E , 27–29

Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel 1909b: 264 , 1910: 47, 49; Steyskal 1968: 54.14.

Material examined. Type. Lectotype ♀: Bolivia: “ Bolivia-Mapiri / 17.I.03 / Chimate 650 m ”, “ Coll. W. Schnuse / 1911-03”, “ Aspistomella \ lobioptera H. / det. Hendel ” ( SMTD) [here designated]; Paralectotypes: 1♀: “ Bolivia Mapiri / 2.IV.03 / Sarampioni 700 m. ” [Schnuse leg.], “ Aspistomella \ lobioptera H. / det. Hendel ” [one wing missing; abdomen dissected and attached in microvial] ( SMTD) ; 1♀: Peru: “Peru-Ukayali-fl. / Unini 21.X.03” [Schnuse leg.] “ Aspistomella \ lobioptera H. / det. Hendel ”, “Type” [dark red paper], “coll. Hendel ” ( NHMW) .

Non-type: Bolivia: La Paz, near Mapiri Arroyo Tuhiri, 9–12.IV.2004, 15.2805ºS, 68.25ºW, 500 m Malaise trap, 1♀ (B. Brown) ( CSCA) ; Ecuador: Napo Province, Huahua Sumaco, km 45, on Hollin-Loreto rd Mal. [aise] trap, 20.12.1989, 1♀ [head detached and glued separately] (M. & J. Wasbauer, H. Real leg.) ( CSCA) . Peru: “ Meshagua, Urubambafl. ”, 3.10.1903, 1♀ [W. Schnuse leg.] (“ Aspistomella / lobioptera H. / det. Hendel); idem, 27.09.1903; “ Pachitea-Münd 150 m ”, 7.11.1903, 1♂ [abdomen dissected], 1♀; idem, 26.11.1903, 1♀ [O. Garlepp leg.] ( SMTD) ; Madre de Dios, Rio Tambopata Sachavacayoc centre, 162 m, Malaise trap, 12º50’59.6”S 69º22’07.7”W, 18.06.– 23.07.2009, 1♀ (J.T. Smit) ( CSCA) ; Madre de Dios, Rio Tambapata, Sachavacayoc Centre, New Chacra , 12º50’59.9”S 69º22’08.3”W, 182 m a.s.l., Malaise trap, 2– 10.06.2010, 1♀ (J.T. Smit);idem, Old Chacra , 12º51’15.5”S 69º21’56.6”W, 195 m a.s.l., 28.04.2010, 1♀ (dissected: Fig. 30 ), idem, 12º51’10.7”S 69º22’02.4”W, 195 m a.s.l., 28.04.2010, 1♀ (J.T. Smit) ( RMNH) .

Diagnosis. Aspistomella lobioptera resembles A. duo , A. enderleini , A. heteroptera , A. steyskali , and A. tres in that the costal vein is bent anteriorly before the apex of vein Sc, the costal cell is lobed, the costal vein is thickened before the apex of the subcostal vein, forming a conspicuous cleft, and the pterostigma is very short, shorter than the width of the costal cell ( Figs 5 B–F , 27 E , 28 D ), and differs from them in details of the wing pattern: The apical quarter of cell r 4+5 is crossed by a long crescent-shaped incision extending into cell r 1 (in A. duo and A. tres the apical quarter of cell r 4+5 completely dark; in A. heteroptera the triangular incision extends only into cell r 2+3). In addition, A. lobioptera is similar to A. enderleini , A. lunata and A. steyskali in having a wide oval wing shape (2.5–2.9× longer than wide) and in the similar pattern: apex with long crescent-shaped incision extending into cell r 1, differing from them by the cell dm apically of r-m entirely dark (in A. enderleini and A. steyskali , with hyaline spot connected to the hyaline area in cell m 4); furthermore, A. lobioptera is similar to A. enderleini and A. steyskali in having an epandrium with short nonprojecting cerci on both sides of the anus, differing in having moderately narrowed, simple surstyli with short but distinct antero-ventral and postero-ventral lobes and a row of 4–5 thin setulae on the mesal surface, the 2 ventralmost longer than dorsal (in A. enderleini , single ventral lobe blunt triangular, and in A. steyskali two very conspicuous lobes, and in addition, an inner surstylus with strongly sclerotised prensisetae).

Description. Male. Head ( Figs 27 B, C , 28 B, C ) ratio (length: height: width) = 1: 1.4: 1.9, frons, face above transverse fold, parafacial, and gena reddish or yellowish brown, face and occiput mostly black. Frons slightly narrowed posteriorly ( Figs 27 C , 28 B ), 1.25–1.5× longer than wide at lunule and 1.3–1.6× longer than wide at vertex, with subshiny, brown or black ocellar triangle and brown vertical plates; orbits, vertex, gena and occiput silver-white microtrichose; parafacial narrow, 0.2–0.3× broader than postpedicel, reddish-yellow, sparsely white microtrichose. Frontal plates with 5–7 parafrontal setulae and 2–5 frontal setae on each side as long as outer vertical seta, frontal vitta whitish microtrichose, with 2–5 shorter, proclinate or inclinate interfrontal setae ( Fig. 28 C ). Lunule very narrow, indistinct, orange. Eye 1.3–1.45× higher than long. Upper part of face yellow, white microtrichose (above epistome); epistome strongly produced anteriorly, reddish brown laterally and anteroventrally to black medially, sparsely white microtrichose, with metallic bluish sheen. Clypeus yellow to brown, sparsely white microtrichose, subshiny, 0.4–0.5× higher than epistome. Gena brownish yellow, with long genal seta and 3–5 long peristomal setae anterior of it, 0.4–0.8× longer than genal seta. Occiput black, except postgena partly brown, with metallic cyan sheen, greyish microtrichose.

Antenna brown to yellow; scape and pedicel with black setulae; postpedicel yellowish brown, blackish apico-dorsally, whitish microtrichose, twice as long as wide, apically rounded; arista black except yellow at base, almost bare. Mouthparts black, prementum black, shining. Palp yellow or yellowish brown, narrowly crescent-shaped, apically rounded, with 7–10 strong black setulae, of which 4–5 subapical setulae 1.5–2× longer than other setulae.

Thorax ( Fig. 27 C ) brown to black, with bluish sheen and sparse white and brown microtrichia not hiding underlying cuticle. Mesonotal scutum 1.3× longer than wide; black setulose, with 8–14 rows of setulae between rows of dorsocentral setulae; acrostichal prescutellar seta present; prescutellar area with 4 rows of setulae between posterior dorsocentral setae. Scutellum dorsally very slightly convex, brown to black, subshining, sparsely microtrichose, devoid of setulae, with golden, silver or bluish sheen. Subscutellum shining, dark brown to black. Mediotergite shining black, non-microtrichose medially. Other setae as described for the genus. All the setae and setulae black.

Wing ( Figs 5 E , 27 D, E , 28 A, D ) 2.9–3.4 mm (♀) long, 2.5–2.9× longer than wide; basicostal cell hyaline; costal cell lobate, 4× longer than wide, brown in basal and apical quarter of length, with costa conspicuously curved, posteriorly covered with longer setulae and forming conspicuous cleft before apex of vein Sc; pterostigma entirely brown, narrow triangular, 0.3–0.5× longer than wide and 0.3× longer than costal cell width, vein R 1 bare, ending far proximally of crossvein r-m level in both sexes; vein R 2+3 sinuate, at apex bent anteriorly to costa. Crossvein r-m distally of middle of cell dm. Cell r 4+5 6–7× longer than wide, apically narrowed. Cell m 1 subtriangular; ultimate section of M 1 2.5–2.6× longer than crossvein dm-m and 1.2× longer than penultimate section. Vein CuA Z-shaped, forming moderately short posteroapical lobe of cell cua along vein CuP, 1–1.2× longer than its anterior shoulder. Wing pattern with short subbasal crossband from humeral vein through cell cua into alula, and large dark brown mark from apical lobe of costal cell to wing apex, with 4 hyaline marks: incision from cell r 1 into cell r 2+3 basally of crossvein r-m, two oval spots in base of cell r 4+5 and in apex of cell m 4 and long and narrow crescent or arcuate incision from apex of cell m 1 into cell r 1 parallel to wing apex. Cell cup (anal cell sensu Kameneva & Korneyev 2010) and anal lobe as wide as cell cua. Alula 1.7–2× longer than wide, uniformly pale grey or darkened in apical half. Calypters white, with white ciliae. Halter yellow.

Legs ( Figs 27 A , 28 A, E ): coxae and trochanters, apices of femora and tibiae yellow, fore femur brownish-yellow, otherwise black; tibiae mostly black; tarsi yellowish brown; black setose and setulose. Fore femur with row of 6–7 posterodorsal and 4–5 posteroventral setae. Mid femur anteriorly with short suberect setulae; mid tibia ventrally with single spur-like seta 1.6–1.8× longer than tibia width.

Abdomen brown to black, sparsely black setulose, sometimes with faint purplish or greenish metallic sheen.

Male genitalia ( Figs 29 A–G ) with short cerci, moderately narrowed, simple surstyli having short antero-ventral and postero-ventral lobes and one row of 4–5 thin setulae on mesal surface, with 2 ventralmost longer than dorsal ( Figs 29 D, E, G ). Phallus extremely large, thickened, 8–9 times as long as epandrium high, densely trichose ( Fig. 29 C ). Hypandrium: phallic guide with suboval lobes forming conspicuous posterior projections, bearing pair of oval postgonites just anterior of basiphallus ring, and symmetrical pregonites anterolateral of them ( Fig. 29 F ).

Female terminalia ( Figs 30 A, B, D, E ): oviscape 1.5–1.7× longer than tergite 5; aculeus with ovoid, long-setulose cercal unit; ventral receptacle simple, finger-like, apically enlarged; 2 subglobose, slightly elongated spermathecae.

Preimaginal stages unknown except for egg as on the Fig. 30 C .

Remarks. Originally, Hendel (1909b) mentioned 3 syntypes, 2 of them in SMTD (one of which is here designated as lectotype for the stability) and one in NHMW. The other specimens in SMTD were not mentioned in the type series.

Figures

FIGURE 2.Adults of bamboo-inhabiting Ulidiidae from Peru.A–C, Aspistomella lobioptera on a bamboo culm; D, Aspistomella sachavaca sp. nov.; E–F, Ulivellia laetitiae sp. nov. on a bamboo culm showing wings during courtship or territorial behaviour. (All photographs by John T. Smit.)

FIGURE 5. Aspistomella, wing. A, A. pachitea sp. nov.; B, A. heteroptera Hendel; C, A. duo sp. nov.; D, A. tres sp. nov.; E, A. lobioptera Hendel; F, A. steyskali sp. nov.; G, A. lunata (Hendel); H, A. enderleini sp. nov. Abbreviations: C—costal vein; c—costal cell; dm—discal medial cell; h—humeral crossvein; M1—first branch of media; M4—fourth branch of media; m1— first medial cell; m4—fourth medial cell; ptstg—pterostigma; R1—anterior branch of radius; r1—first radial cell; R2+3—second branch of radius; R 4+5 —third branch of radius; r 4+5 —fourth + fifth radial cell. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 27. Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, paralectotype ♀ (NHMW). A, habitus, left; B, head, anterior; C, head and thorax, left; D, wing; E, wing, anterobasal part; F, labels. Abbreviations: ptstg—pterostigma; m1—first medial cell; m4—fourth + fifth medial cell. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 28. Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, non-type specimens ♂ (A, B, E, F) and ♀ (C, D, G) (SMTD). A, habitus, left; B, head and thorax, left; C, head, anterior; D, wing, anterobasal part; E, abdomen, left; F, G, labels.

FIGURE 29. Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, ♂ genitalia (SMTD). A, epandrium; B, ejaculatory apodeme; C, phallus; D, postabdomen, posteriorly; E, same, lateral; F, same, ventral; G, same, lateroventral. Abbreviations: bph—basiphallus; cerc— cerci; ph g—phallic guide; ph—phallus; phapod—phallapodeme; pregt—pregonite; p l sur—posterior lobe of surstylus; s— seta; v l sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.

FIGURE 30. Aspistomella lobioptera Hendel, ♀ abdomen and genitalia (RMNH). A, abdomen, ventral; B, spermathecae; C, egg; D, vagina and ventral receptacle; E, cercal unit of the aculeus, enlarged. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.