Leehelea fuscilateralis, Nandi, Mou, Mazumdar, Abhijit & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2012

Nandi, Mou, Mazumdar, Abhijit & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2012, Biting midges of the genus Leehelea Debenham (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in India, Zootaxa 3399, pp. 53-60 : 55-56

Leehelea fuscilateralis sp.n.

(Fig. 2A–I)

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, India, West Bengal, Habra, 22°84ʹN, 88°62ʹE, 11 August, 1980, Coll. P.K. Chaudhuri. Paratypes: 2Ƥ, data same as holotype; 2Ƥ, India, West Bengal, Bolpur, 23°67ʹN, 87°72ʹE, 23 July, 2004, Coll. R. Basu.

Etymology. The name of this species comes from the Latin words fusc, meaning dusky or brown and later, meaning side, and refers to the dark lateral margin of the abdominal tergites.

Diagnosis. The species is identified by uniformly brown, proximal flagellomeres and pale brown bases with dark brown apices of distal flagellomeres, 9 capitate sensilla of palp segment III, outer margin of mandible with 7 denticules, relatively longer fore tibiae, 13, 11 and 8 batonnets on fore, mid and hind tarsomeres respectively, dark brown veins r-m and M, 1st radial cell 0.31 length of 2nd and well-sclerotized, large, oval spermathecae.

Description. Female.

Head. Dark brown. Eyes bare. Antenna. (Figs. 2A–A1) brown with dark brown apices, flagellomeres 1–8 (Fig. 2A) slender, sub cylindrical, distal flagellomeres 9–13 (Fig. 2A1) dark brown with pale base, length 2.062–2.067, AR 1.88–1.93. Maxillary palp. (Fig. 2B) dark brown, segment III long with a preapical sensory pit bearing 9 capitate sensilla, V with 4 apical setae, length 0.252–0.257, PR 2.24–2.26. Mandible. (Fig. 2C) with 6 distinct large teeth, first three from apex smaller, outer margin with 7 denticules.

Thorax. Scutum brown, with dark brown caudal and lateral areas; scutellum dark brown with large number of bristles; postscutellum brown. Legs. (Figs. 2D–F) Coxae dark brown; trochanter pale; fore femur with dark brown broad median and a small apical band, with 12 ventro-median erect setae, tibiae longer, brown with dark brown bases, tarsomere IV infuscated at tip, tarsomere V (Fig. 2G) with 13 batonnets, length ratio of fore leg 34.5: 35: 14: 8: 4: 3: 6; mid femur brown with narrow, dark brown subapical band and dark brown apex, tibiae also brown with dark brown bases and with 13 stout ventral setae, mid tarsomere I with 2–3 median and 2 apical setae, tarsomere IV short and infuscated at the base, tarsomere V with 11 batonnets, length ratio of mid leg 36: 26: 11: 5: 3: 2: 5; hind femur with a broad, dark brown, subapical band and with 13 stout setae, tibiae with dark brown bases and brown, broad middle band, apex dark brown, hind tarsomere IV infuscated at tip, tarsomere V with 8 batonnets, length ratio of hind leg 40: 31: 18: 7: 3: 2: 5, hind tibial comb (Fig. 2G) with 11 setae; TR of hind leg 2.55–2.59. Claws of all legs similar, equal, long, simple, almost as long as tarsomere V. Wing. (Fig. 2H). Length 3.35–3.42 (n=5), breadth 1–1.05 (n=5). Pale with fine microtrichiae, veins r–m and M dark brown; costal length 3.2–3.27, 1st radial cell 0.31 (0.29–031) length of 2nd, R2+3 distinct, CR 0.96–0.97 (n=2). Halter pale yellow.

FIGURES. 2A–I. Leehelea fuscilateralis sp.n.: Female: A–A1: antenna: A. proximal flagellomeres with pedicel, A1. distal flagellomeres, B: maxillary palp, C: mandible, D–F: fore, mid and hind femur with tibiae, G: hind tibial comb, H: wing, I: spermathecae.

Abdomen. Tergites brown with dark lateral margin with long, dark brown setae, setae arranged in two medial rows, segment VIII with a tuft of 4 dorsal caudo-lateral setae, cerci brown. Spermathecae. (Fig. 2I) well sclerotized, large, oval, rudimentary third present.

Male. Unknown.

Discussion. This new species shows close similarities with L. magnidentata sp.n. in dark bands in legs but differs in number of batonnets, number of spines in hind tibial comb and number of capitate sensilla on palp segment III. It shows closeness with L. parvicapsula sp.n. but differs in number of batonnets and number of spines on hind tibial comb. The present species exhibits similarities with L. hispida Debenham (1974) and L. leucophaeta Debenham (1974) in structure and color of flagellomeres, bases of femur and tibia. In color band of hind femur, the species looks like that of L. punctipes Macfie (1934) . Wing membrane with fine indistinct microtrichiae and pale veins of L. wasseli Debenham (1974) appear nearer to the new species. But the following differential characters: distinct number of capitate sensilla on palp segment III, 7 denticules of mandible, scutum with dark brown caudal and lateral areas, dark brown scutellum, color pattern of femur and tibia, relatively longer fore tibiae, number of batonnets, dark brown lateral margin of abdominal tergites and cerci and highly sclerotized oval spermathecae do favor to designate it to be a new species of Leehelea .