Preepiphallus, Papp, László, 2014

Papp, László, 2014, New genera of Afrotropical limosinine sphaerocerids (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Zootaxa 3764 (2), pp. 101-130 : 123

Preepiphallus gen. nov.

( Figs 88–106 )

Type species: Preepiphallus nitidifacies sp. nov., by present designation; additional species: P. endrodyi sp. nov.

Gender: masculine.

Etymology. The name of the new genus refers to the very characteristic preepiphallus in the male genitalia.

Diagnosis. The distinctive features of the new genus are in the male genitalia: its has a large preepiphalus, synsternite weak but right side sclerites large, surstylus compact, not divided, ventral (and also apical) parts with a structure composed of minute tubules, cerci do not meet sagittally, postgonite robust; in female both epiproct and hypoproct weakly sclerotised, spermathecae long cylindrical. Body length 1.5–2.2 mm. The new genus runs to couplet 78 in Papp’s (2008) key for the Old World limosinine genera. There it is obviously different from Paralimosina : frons without M-shaped mark, male sternite 5 without outgoing process but with some short setae only, hypandrium without ventral process, etc. In contrast to the other two genera running there, the species fits neither Trilobitella L. Papp nor Aptilotus Mik.

Description. Head without inner orbitals. 2 pairs of fronto-orbital setae. Facial plate normal, i.e. antennae not in deep hollow. Interfrontal setae moderately long. First flagellomere not conical. Eyes not reduced.

Thorax. Anepisternum without setae. 2 pairs of postsutural dorsocentrals. No setulae between apical scutellar setae, disc of scutellum bare.

Wing. Costal vein not produced beyond apex of R4+5. First costal section with comparatively short setulae and basally with 2 shorter paired setae. Vein R4+5 bent up to costa.

Legs. Mid tibia with neither ventral preapical seta nor with mid ventral seta, ventroapical seta distinct. All fore tarsi white. Mid basitarsus without long anteroventral seta.

Abdomen. Both male and female preabdomen (except for male sternite 5) without peculiarities. Abdominal tergites not reduced.

Male. Sternite 5 ( Figs 88 , 93 ) large and rather simple with setae mostly on caudal half. No peculiar structure medio-caudally but more setae there. Synsternite ( Fig. 94 ) with very short sternite 8 part; a large right side sclerite—though membranous—strongly fused to sternite 5 and connected also to sternite 6 part. Epandrium strongly convex and not short ( Fig. 95 ), epandrial complex broadly open ventrally, without any indication of cerci, or rather, cerci seem to be fused with epandrium forming its ventromedial corner. Hypandrium strongly fused to epandrium. Subepandrial sclerite ( Figs 97–98 ) large trapezoid, more structured than usual and clearly seen, since not covered by cercal part from outside. Surstylus ( Figs 89 , 96–97 ) not divided, apical and ventral parts composed of closely set minute tubules; caudal part may hold some setae. Basiphallus ( Figs 90, 92 , 101 ) with an extremely large pre-epiphallus, distiphallus with characteristic apical structures. Phallapodeme about as long as phallus. Postgonite ( Fig. 91 , 102 ) rather simple, broadened in its basal third, with a small anterior apex.

Female. Preabdomen: Sternite 1 not sclerotised. Sternite 2 only c. 1/5 of tergite 2 in width. Sternites 3 to 5 much broader than long but only 1/3 (S3) to 3/5 (S5) of the width of tergites. Neither tergites or sternites with long setae. Tergite 1+2 almost completely sclerotised, only mid part less strongly melanised and sclerotised. Postabdomen not telescopic as in Paralimosina spp. Sternite 6 not much narrower than sternite 5 but rather short: not much more than of length of sternite 5. Tergite 6 2/3 of tergite 5 both in width and length. Both tergite 7 and sternite 7 short, partly hidden under sclerites of segment 6. Tergite 8 ( Fig. 104 ) consists of 2 lateral sclerites, which are broadly disconnected (though a minute less sclerotised medial platelet is present) and bear a distinct almost robust, medially directed process. Sternite 8 intricately sclerotised with sclerotised particles between sternite 8 and epandrium ( Fig. 104 ). Epiproct ( Fig. 105 ) comparatively large pentagonal with a pair of minute setae, hypoproct small. Hypoproct is a broader plate with short thick discoloured setulae. Cercus bears 2 long and several shorter setae. Spermathecae ( Fig. 106 ) long cylindrical rather than pear-shaped (cf. those in Paralimosina spp.), surface transversely reticulate, basally (distally) with minute warts; sclerotised parts of ducts short.

Figures

FIGURES 88 – 92. Preepiphallus endrodyi sp. n., male genitalia. 88 = sternite 5, ventral view, 89 = surstylus, broadest (i. e. sublateral) view, 90 = distiphallus and phallapodeme with contours of basiphallus and postgonite, left lateral view, 91 = postgonite, broadest (sublateral) view, 92 = basiphallus of another specimen, lateral view. Scale bars: Fig. 88 = 0.2 mm, Figs 89 – 92 = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 93 – 99. Preepiphallus nitidifacies sp. n., male postabdomen and genitalia. 93 = sternite 5, ventral view, 94 = synsternite with right side sclerites, 95 = epandrium and hypandrium, right lateral view, 96 = epandrium and surstylus, left sublateral view, 97 = epandrium and surstylus with subepandrial sclerite, caudal view, 98 = subepandrial sclerite, inner (anterior) view, 99 = surstylus, broadest (i. e. sublateral) view. (rs: right side sclerites, sscl: subepandrial sclerite). Scale bars: Figs 93 – 97 = 0.2 mm, Figs 98 – 99 = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 100 – 106. Preepiphallus nitidifacies sp. n., male and female postabdomen and genitalia. 100 – 102 = male paratype: 100 = phallus and phallapodeme, left lateral view, 101 = apical half of distiphallus in higher magnification, 102 = postgonite, broadest (sublateral) view, 103 – 106 = female paratype: 103 = sternite 8, ventral view, 104 = female terminalia in caudal view (left half of tergite 8 omitted, cerci sketchy), 105 = female terminalia in dorsal view, 106 = spermathecae (unpaired one slightly broken sub-basally). (BPh: basiphallus, ep: epiproct, hy: hypoproct). Scale bars: Figs 100, 103 – 105 = 0.2 mm, Figs 101, 105 = 0.1 mm.