Asycampta mpofana Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2023

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2023, A review of Afrotropical Porricondylinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), with descriptions of five new species of Asynaptini from KwaZulu-Natal Province South Africa, Zootaxa 5244 (3), pp. 261-275 : 267-269

Asycampta mpofana Jaschhof & Jaschhof sp. nov.

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Figs 6–10

Differential diagnosis. Asynapta mpofana sp. nov. is distinguished by the following combination of male terminalia characters. The gonostylar apex bears a bundle of short, dense spines apically ( Fig. 6 , arrow 1); the posterior margin of the ninth tergite has a reinforced, rectangular notch medially ( Fig. 7 , arrow 2); and the tegmen is peculiar in having a dual-chamber structure ( Fig. 8 , arrow 3), the large, seemingly 2-pointed apex ( Fig. 8 , arrow 4) and a bilobed, roughly V-shaped outgrowth ventrally of the phallapodeme ( Fig. 8 , arrow 5). The basic shape of the tegmen of the Somalian species A. africana is similar, although there are obvious differences in the details ( Mamaev & Zaitzev 1997, fig. 3c).

Male description. Body length 1.9 mm. Head. Eye bridge 6 ommatidia long at vertex. Antenna as long as body, with 21 flagellomeres, all with circumfila; apical flagellomere simple. Neck and node of fourth flagellomere equally long ( Fig. 10 ). Labellum extremely small, glabrous. Palpus 1-segmented, with sparse setae. Thorax. Pronotum bare; 8 anepisternal setae; 6 anepimeral setae. Wing ( Fig. 9 ). Slightly longer than body, length/width ratio 2.9. Basal longitudinal vein markedly bent. Vein M 4 absent. Vein CuA fading before wing margin. Legs. Foreleg with femur and tibia of equal length, tibia 0.9 × as long as T 2. Claws moderately bent, 1 large basal tooth. Empodia vestigial. Terminalia. Ninth tergite subtrapezoid, evenly setose ( Fig. 7 ). Gonocoxal synsclerite strongly narrowed anteriorly, anterior edge narrowly rounded, weakly contoured; ventral emargination large, U-shaped, lateral margins moderately sclerotized, basal margin reinforced by sclerotization laterally, slightly convex, with indistinct, broad margin largely devoid of vestiture; dorsal apodemes long, their lengths equal to distance separating them ( Fig. 6 ). Gonostylus 2.5 × as long as high, slightly bent, moderately convex posteriorly, tapered towards apex; basolateral apophysis large; setae near apex clearly smaller than those elsewhere ( Fig. 6 ). Phallapodeme simply rod-shaped, clearly shorter than tegmen, well sclerotized, mouths of accessory gland ducts indistinct ( Fig. 8 ). Parameral apodemes normal size ( Fig. 8 ).

Female unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet mpofana , a noun in apposition, refers to Mpofana, one of the local municipalities in which Karkloof Nature Reserve is located and type locality of the species.

Type material examined. Holotype. Male, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Karkloof Nature Reserve (29°19.1′S: 30°15.5′E), 1325 m elevation, mistbelt forest, 28.ix.–24.xi.2005, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski (NMSADIP 212001).

Figures

FIGURES 6–10. Male morphology of Asycampta mpofana sp. nov., holotype. 6: Terminalia, ventral view. 7: Ninth tergite, dorsal view. 8: Tegmen and phallapodeme, ventral view. 9: Wing, dorsal view. 10: Fourth flagellomere, ventrolateral view. Scale bars: Figs 6‒8 and 10 = 0.05 mm; Fig. 9 = 0.5 mm. Arrows refer to characters described in the text.