Manota pacifica Edwards, 1928

Kurina, Olavi & Hippa, Heikki, 2015, A review of the South Pacific Manota Williston (Diptera, Mycetophilidae), with the description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 4020 (2), pp. 257-288 : 285

Redescription of Manota pacifica Edwards, 1928

Figs 15 A–E

Male. Colour. Head brown. Antenna light brown, darker than legs. Clypeus and mouthparts pale brownish. Thorax brown. Legs unicolorous pale brown. Wing hyaline; haltere yellow with brownish knob. Abdomen brown, sternites somewhat paler. All setosity pale, yellowish or brownish, the thicker setae seeming darker than the finer ones. Head. Antennal flagellomere 4 Fig. 15 A. Palpal segment 3 of maxillary palpus with apicomedial thumb-like extension, with 5–6 apically flattened and curved sensilla; palpal segment 4 with parasegment; palpal segment 5 ~1.6 times longer than palpal segment 4. 11–12 strong postocular setae. Thorax. Anepisternum with 50–54 setae; anterior basalare non-setose; preepisternum 2 with 16–17 setae; laterotergite with 24–32 setae; metepisternum with 5 setae. Legs. Mid- and hind tibial organs absent. Wing. R1 meeting C within the basal half of the costal margin; the sclerotized part of M2 proximally not extending to the level of the tip of R1; wing length 1.7 mm. Hypopygium, Figs 15 B–E. Sternite 9 elongate subquadrangular, about three fourths of the ventral length of gonocoxa, lateral margin separated from gonocoxa, anterior margin deeply incised, posterior margin convex, the setae similar to the ventral setae of gonocoxa, the posteriormost setae stronger than the others. Ventromedial margin of gonocoxa simple, concave. The ventral setae of gonocoxa normal, unmodified, the setae at the ventromedial margin stronger than the others. Parastylar lobe oblique, expanding from base towards the medial end, with a crest-like sub-lobe posteriorly or posterodorsally, with 8 setae in a curved row ventrally, the sub-lobe with ~5 fine setae. Paraapodemal lobe distinct, well visible in ventral view. Dorsomedial margin of gonocoxa concave or slightly sigmoid, with short setae on a ridge-like lobe near the middle. The apicomedial angle of gonocoxa with a small double-lobe, one dorsal, the other ventral, both with several marginal setae. The dorsal setosity of gonocoxa normal, similar to the ventral one, with a couple of stronger setae posteriorly. Gonostylus about half of the ventral length of gonocoxa, with convex lateral and concave medial surface, apically with a long megaseta, the setosity generally unmodified, confined on lateral/ventral parts, a group of short setae on the dorsal side, the apicomedial margin with 3 claw-like setae deviating from the other setosity; the microtrichia on the medial surface conspicuous, but not being numerous or very long. Two juxtagonostylar setae present, as an unmodified seta and a curved megaseta, both arising from a common basal body that is longer than the megaseta. Aedeagus elongate subtriangular, without distinct lateral shoulders, the apex curved ventrad. Hypoproct extending posteriorly to the base of gonostylus, the ventral part (sternite 10) with ~25 scattered setae. Cerci short, medially fused with a U-shaped apical notch and with apical setae only.

Discussion. Only the type material from Savaii, Samoa was previously known ( Edwards 1928). We have not studied it, but the original description does not leave any doubt about the identity of our present material from Samoa. Manota pacifica belongs to a large group of species as defined under M. acris . However, M. pacifica is not especially similar to any of the species in this group. It is distinguished by 1) a parastylar lobe which is long, transversely oblique, widening towards the medial end and bearing posteriorly, or posterodorsally, a crest like sublobe, the former part with a ventral curved row of strong setae, the latter part with a row of fine setae, 2) the question mark-shaped juxtagonostylar megaseta, and 3) the detailed characters of the short, bipartite, lobe apicomedially on the dorsal side of the gonocoxa.

Material: 1 male, SAMOA: Savaii, Asau 0–300m, ix.1969, leg. N.L.H. Krauss ( BPBM); 2 males, SAMOA: Savaii, Asau 400m, iii.1977, leg. N.L.H. Krauss (1 in IZBE, 1 in BPBM); 2 males, SAMOA: Upolu, Mt. Vaea, 183–427m, ix.1969, leg. N.L.H. Krauss (1 in IZBE, 1 in BPBM).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Manota pacifica Edwards (Samoa). A. Antennal flagellomere 4, lateral view. B. Hypopygium, dorsal view. C. Hypopygium, ventral view. D. Cerci and apex of aedeagus, dorsal view. E. Hypopygium and aedeagus, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm.