Sacculiphora cultrata, Liu, 2021

Liu, Guangchun, 2021, A new genus of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae), with description of a new species from China, Zoological Systematics 46 (1), pp. 85-88 : 87-88

Sacculiphora cultrata sp. nov. ( Figs 1–13 )

Diagnosis. The species is characteristic by: fore femur dark with cystiform structure; wing vein Sc clearly reaching vein R 1; left epandrium with two distorted processes; right epandrium with a long inner-concave process.

Description. Male. Body ( Fig. 1 ) length 1.1–1.2 mm. Frons ( Fig. 2 ) yellowish brown, covered with 60–70 setae. All frontal setae relatively weak. Ventral interfrontal setae much further apart than dorsal interfrontal setae. Dorsal fronto-orbital seta closed to eye margin and lower than dorsal interfrontal setae on frons. Supra-anternal setae proclinate, lower pair slightly shorter than upper pair. Flagellomere 1 yellowish brown, oval, slightly pointed apically; arista subapical. Palpus whitish yellow, 4 times as long as width, flattened dorsoventrally, with five long setae along the outer surface of the apical half. Mouthparts whitish, with small labrum. Labella small and without teeth.

Thorax ( Fig. 3 ) generally brown, but darker on top. Notopleural cleft absent. Anepisternum divided, bare. Scutellum with short outer pair and long inner pair of setae.

Legs ( Figs 4–5 ) mostly pale brown, fore tibia and hind tibia darker. Fore femur expanded ventrally; inner surface concave, covered with tubercles; A round cystiform structure present in the middle part of the ventral margin, several setae protruding from the structure; a row of inward inclinate setae present along apical half of ventral edge. Foretarsomeres 1–5 with setal palisades. All tibiae without dorsal longitudinal setal palisades and isolated large setae.

Wing ( Fig. 6 ) length 1.10–1.11 mm. Mean costal index 0.53–0.54. Costal ratio 1:1.61. Costal cilia 0.021 –0.022 mm. Vein Sc reaching vein R1 .Vein R 2 +3 absent. Base of vein Rs without small setae. All thin vein clearly present. Axillary setae absent. Stem and knob of halter dark brown .

Abdomen ( Fig. 7 ) with brown tergites, the second being clearly longer than any of the rest. Abdominal tergites with short, sparse setae. Venter pale brown and bare.

Male terminalia ( Figs 8–13 ) brown and asymmetric. Epandrium dull, covered with short setae. Left side of epandrium with blunt posterovental corner, and with four long setae along ventral edge; posterodorsally divided into a long finger-like process and a downbent process. Right epandrium slender with a long downward process; the process with three long setae and forming a groove at inner surface. Hypandrium rotated in a counterclockweise and without basal small setae; left lobe of hypandium with a large leaf-like process; right lobe of hypandrium with a long knife-shaped process. Hypoproct and cerci pale yellow.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name refers to the long knife-shaped process on the left lobe of the hypandrium.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, China, Guangxi, Fangchenggang, Shangsi (21°53'24.92"N, 107°54'34.26"E; elev. 461 m); 6 August 2015, Chunfeng Li, Boling Gao. Paratypes. 1♂, same data as holotype; 7♂, China, Guangxi, Fangchenggang , Shangsi (21°52'50.39"N, 107°55'23.56"E; elev. 1261 m), 7 August 2015, Chunfeng Li, Boling Gao .

Remarks. The biology of the new species is unknown but may be associated with ants.

Funding The research was supported by the Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372245).

Figures

Figures 1–7. Sacculiphora cultrata sp. nov. 1. Body, right view; 2. Head; 3. Thorax, left view; 4. Fore leg; 5. Fore femur; 6. Wing; 7. Abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1=0.5mm; 2–7 =0.1mm.

Figures 8–13. Male terminalia of Sacculiphora cultrata sp. nov. 8–9. Left view; 10–11. Right view; 12–13. Ventral view. Scale bars =0.1mm.