Paramosina hirsuta Marshall

Marshall, Stephen A. & Yau, Tiffany, 2014, Paramosina, a new genus of high Andean Limosininae (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Zootaxa 3872 (4), pp. 393-397 : 394-396

Paramosina hirsuta Marshall , new genus and new species

Type of genus Paramosina hirsuta Marshall , new species

Diagnosis. Heavily pruinose Limosininae with a broadly rounded lunule, 2 large interfrontal bristles and (usually) a small pair of anterior interfrontals, 2 dorsocentral bristles, and 2 large katepisternal bristles; intraalar bristle distinct, double the size of setulae preceeding it. Male mid tibia distally swollen, with ventroapical cluster of bristles; dorsal surface with paired (anterodorsal-posterodorsal) distal bristles but no other dorsal bristles ( Fig. 8 ). Female mid tibia with only an apical bristle on ventral surface but dorsal surface with well developed proximal and middle anterodorsal bristles as well as paired distal bristles ( Fig. 9 ).

Wing with R2+3 long, strongly curved up to costa at apex, third costal sector subequal to second; R4+5 ending near wing tip, costa extending distinctly beyond end of R4+5; discal cell with a strong longitudinal fold; M extending far beyond apex of cell bm+dm; alula very broad, rounded ( Fig. 10 ). Genitalia of male unique, strongly setose ventrally (see description, Figs. 1, 4 ); female with setose cercus separate from strongly sclerotized T10 ( Figs. 5, 6 ).

Description. Body length (front of head to abdominal tip) 1.9–2.1mm. Colour brown with heavy pruinosity, lower frons reddish and antennae reddish brown.

Head: Two strong lateroclinate orbital bristles; ocellar, inner vertical and outer vertical large and subequal; outer occipital small; paravertical bristles large and convergent; postocellar bristles indistinguishable from ocellar setulae. Interfrontal bristles in 3 pairs, middle pair slightly larger than upper pair and weakly cruciate, lower pair small (sometimes inconspicuous, rarely absent). Arista long pubescent ( Fig. 11 ), twice as long as head height. Lunule rounded, subequal in width to pedicel, face broad and slightly concave. Vibrissa strong, subtended by 2 small subvibrissa, cheek otherwise with only 1 or 2 setulae in addition to marginal bristles. Eye large, 5X genal height.

Thorax: Fore femur with 2–3 dorsal bristles basally. Mid tibia of male with a double row of 12 ventral bristles on distal half, enlarging towards apex of tibia; mid femur without corresponding ventral bristles. Dorsal surface of male mid tibia with only a strong pair of distal dorsal (anterodorsal and posterodorsal) bristles; female mid tibia with a similar distal dorsal bristle pair and also with a small anterodorsal bristle proximally and a large anterodorsal bristle at middle. Hind leg with first and second tarsomeres swollen, first tarsomere broader, half as long as second, densely golden setulose ventrally. Scutum pruinose, dorsocentral bristles in 2 pairs, anterior pair smaller and with 4–5 rows of acrostichal setulae between; prescutellar acrostichal setulae enlarged. Postpronotal lobe with a single large bristle; notopleural, supraalar and postalar bristles strong, intraalar slightly enlarged. Scutellum slightly wider than long, with 4 long marginal bristles. Propleuron with two strong setulae. Katepisternum with 2 (rarely 3) strong dorsal bristles, anterior one only slightly smaller than posterior. Wing with a large, broadly oval alula. Vein R2+3 abruptly curved up to costa at apex; R4+5 almost straight, apex distinctly bypassed by costa ( Fig. 10 ).

Male abdomen: Syntergite 1+2 with a narrow anteromedial V-shaped desclerotized area; T3 and T4 large and unmodified; T5 very short and with strong lateral bristles. Sternite 4 large and unmodified; S5 H-shaped with anterolateral arms bare apically and hidden by S4, posterolateral arms densely long-setose ( Fig. 4 ). Synsternite 6+7 with two large ventral lobes spanning entire anteroventral margin of genital pouch, posterior of the two lobes (lobe of sternite 7) unusually broad. Synsternite 6+7 fused with sternite 8 over right half. Ring sclerite simple, large. Epandrium very short dorsally, expanded ventrally and densely long-setose at posteroventral angle. Subanal plate narrowly complete dorsally, with a deep ventral cleft dividing the long, spatulate cerci ( Fig. 3 ). Subepandrial sclerite reduced to a simple band connecting posterior angles of surstyli and fused with surstyli. Surstylus with a broadly quadrate posteroventral lobe continuous with the subepandrial sclerite, and a broader rounded anterior lobe.

Hypandrium narrowly Y-shaped, arms of Y extending to distiphallus base and widely separated from epandrium; a small sclerite midway between the hypandrial "Y" and the posteroventral angle of the epandrium is probably homologous with the hypandrial arms of other sphaerocerids. Distiphallus broad and flat, distally greatly expanded, basally with two pairs of large sclerites, distally with central section membranous and spinulose. Basiphallus short and ring-shaped. Postgonite short, tapered, with a row of short anteroventral setae distally.

Female with T8 desclerotized dorsally, divided into 2 lateral sclerites. Tergite 10 (epiproct) well developed, separate from cercus; cercus long and long-setose. Sternite 7 large, tapered to a prominent posteromedial lobe with 2 enlarged bristles; S8 absent or entirely desclerotized. Spermathecae (2+1) small, almost spherical, surface indistinctly striate, sclerotized parts of ducts short.

Type material. Holotype (♂, QCAZ) ECUADOR. Pichincha: Cotopaxi Natl. Pk., Quebrada Mishahuaicu, 0°38'31.0"S 78°29'57.0"W, nr. stream, 3600m, pan traps, 25 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall, debu00112634.

Paratypes ( DEBU, QCAZ, CNCI, USNM): Pichincha: Same as holotype, nr. stream, pan traps, 25 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall, (50 ♂, 67 ♀): Same as holotype, under streamside vegetation, 25 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall (6 ♂ 33♀); Same as holotype, along stream, pan traps, 25 Oct –8 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall (44♂)

Other material examined: ECUADOR: Carchi: Guandera For. Res., 15 km E San Gabriel, 0°36'00.0"N 77°41'35.0"W, 3400m, 1 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall (3♂, 4♀, DEBU). Napo: near Lago Papallacta, 0°20'29.0"S 78°10'23.0"W, 3400m, under tree branches (brown leaves), 6 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall (9♀, DEBU). Quito, Baeza pass, 1 km E, 0°20'12.0"S 78°10'53.0"W, elfin forest, 3950m, dung traps, 4–9 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall (3♀, DEBU). Quito-Baeza Rd., 10 Feb 1983, Sharkey & Masner, (1♀, DEBU). Quito-Baeza Rd., 4000m, pan traps, 10–18 Feb 1983, L. Masner, (1♂ 1♀, DEBU). Napo/Pichincha: Baeza pass, 0°18'36.0"S 78°11'53.0"W, roadside ditch, 4000m, green leaves of Polylepis branches touching ground, 6 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall, (15♂, 10♀, DEBU). Pichincha: Campamento Pichan nr. Nono, 0°07'31.0"S 78°33'55.7"W, 3200m, dung, green leaf litter, 24 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall (10♂ 1♀, DEBU). Cotopaxi Natl. Pk., Lago Limpiopungo, 0°36'10.0"S 78°28'35.0"W, edge of lakeshore in paramo, 3800m, pan trap nr. cow dung, shrub litter, 25 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall, R. Anderson (9♂ 8♀, DEBU). Same as holotype, nr. stream, under streamside vegetation, along stream, pan traps, 25 Oct – 8 Nov 1999, S.A. Marshall (several hundred specimens both mounted and in alcohol, DEBU). Quito, 10 km NW, Valley nr. Hostería San Jorge, 0°07'28.0"S 78°31'31.0"W, 3000m, pans in grasspile, 23 Oct 1999, S.A. Marshall, (1♂, DEBU).

Etymology. The generic name Paramosina refers to the high altitude habitat, and the species name hirsuta refers to the strikingly hirsute sternite 5.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 11. Paramosina hirsuta sp. n., habitus. 8, male lateral; 9, female lateral; 10, male dorsal; 11, male head and thorax.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Paramosina hirsuta sp. n. abdominal structures. 1, male terminalia left lateral (S 4 – 5 twisted slightly lateroventrally); 2, phallus and associated structures left lateral; 3, epandrium and surstyli posterior; 4, male segments 4 – 8 ventral; 5, female terminalia, dorsal; 6, female terminalia, lateral; 7, spermathecae. Abbreviations: S 4 – 8, sternites 4 – 8; T 7 – 8, tergites 7 – 8.