Stupkaiella capricornuata Curler

Curler, Gregory R. & Moulton, John K., 2010, Contributions to Nearctic Stupkaiella Vaillant (Diptera: Psychodidae), Zootaxa 2397, pp. 48-60 : 50-51

Stupkaiella capricornuata Curler sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Diagnosis. Adult: Male eye bridge with 4 facet rows, divided by width of 3 facet diameters. Interocular suture inverted Y-shaped. Scape two times longer than wide; flagellomere I with 3 spines. Male terminalia: gonostyli with rami of unequal length, dorsal ramus approximately 2/3 the length of ventral ramus; paramere divided into dorsal and ventral sections, dorsal section with arcuate, acuminate lateral processes. Female terminalia: hypovalvae triangular.

Description. Adult Male ( Figs. 1–3, 5 ): Measurements, (N = 5) head width 0.41 mm (0.41–0.42), head length 0.38 mm (0.38–0.39), wing length 2.52 mm (2.34–2.67), wing width 1.03 mm (1.03–1.07), palpomere proportion: 1–1.6–1.8–2.5. Eye bridge with 4 facet rows, divided by width of 3 facet diameters. Frontal scar patch as wide as frons anteriorly, constricted posteriorly, extending between eyes, interrupted by interocular suture. Interocular suture inverted Y-shaped. Antennae: scape two times longer than wide; flagellomere I with 3 spines inserted dorsally; ascoids present on flagellomeres III–XI; flagellomere XIV with node globular, apical process approximately as long as node. Mouthparts extending slightly beyond basal palpomere, labellum about as wide as clypeus. Wing: radial and medial forks at same level, arising basal to apex of CuA2. Terminalia: hypandrium narrow, transverse band, straight, not arched, not extended posteriorly; epandrium rectangular, about 1/2 as long as wide gonocoxites rotundate laterally, with dorsomedial margins nearly membranous, bearing numerous setiform sensilla; gonostyles with rami of unequal length, dorsal ramus approximately 2/3 the length of ventral ramus; aedeagus with basiphallus laterally compressed basally, bifurcate apically, distiphallus composed of paired, acuminate sclerites articulated with basiphallus; paramere divided into dorsal and ventral sections, dorsal section lightly sclerotized, with arcuate, acuminate lateral processes, ventral section membranous, with arcuate, digitiform lobes laterally, bilobed extension posteriorly; cercopods gradually tapered from base to apex, with 18 retinacula inserted dorsoapically; retinacula with apices pectinate. Tergite X triangular, about ½ as long as cercopod

Adult Female ( Fig. 4 ): Eyebridge with 3 facet rows, divided by 4 facet diameters. Frontal scar patch as in male. Interocular suture inverted V-shaped. Antenna nearly identical to male, except without spines on flagellomere I. Mouthparts and palpi as in male. Wing venation as in male. Terminalia: Subgenital plate with hypovalvae constricted basally, expanded distally, triangular in outline; genital duct as figured, wider than base of hypovalvae.

Type material. Holotype [adult male]: U.S.A. NORTH CAROLINA : Macon Co: Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, upper Reynolds Branch, 35°02’N 83°27’W, 5–11.iv.2008, coll. G.W. Courtney, Malaise trap; deposited LACM. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Allotype [adult female]: same data as holotype; deposited LACM. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Paratypes: NORTH CAROLINA : same data as holotype [10 adult male, 10 adult female (slides)]; Haywood Co: GSMNP, Purchase Knob, 35°35’N 83°04’W, 22.iv–10.v.2008, [4 adult male, 4 adult female (slides)] coll. G.R. Curler, Malaise trap. Paratypes deposited in LACM, USNM, GSMNP and UTK.

Other material examined. U.S.A. NORTH CAROLINA : same data as holotype, [134 adult male, 29 adult female]; Macon Co: Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Grady Branch (WS 18), 35°03’N 83°26’W, 31.iii– 5.iv.2008, [2 adult male, 2 adult female], coll. G.W. Courtney, Malaise trap; Swain Co: GSMNP, trib of Noland Creek at campsite 62, 35°31’N 83°28’W, 2.v.08, [5 adult male], coll. G.R. Curler, aspirator; Haywood Co: GSMNP, Purchase Knob, 35°35’N 83°04’W, 1–22.iv.2008, [3 adult female]; 22.iv–10.v.2008, [2 adult male, 4 adult female]; 22.iv–7.v.2009, [3 adult male], coll. G.R. Curler, Malaise trap.

Etymology. From the Latin capri meaning “goat”, and cornuata, meaning “curved in the shape of a horn”, in reference to the shape of the dorsal paramere which resembles a goat’s head.

Bionomics. Adults of S. capricornuata emerge from early April to mid May. The latter half of its emergence period overlaps with the beginning of the emergence period for S. furcata and S. recurrens —two species with which S. capricornuata is sympatric. S. capricornuata can be locally abundant, as evidenced by the sample from which the type series was selected. All locations where S. capricornuata were collected are alongside 1st or 2nd order streams.

Distribution. Collected from two locations at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory and two locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, all in western North Carolina .

Remarks. Adults of S. capricornuata are easily distinguished from other Stupkaiella by the shape of the genitalia, particularly the aedeagus and dorsal paramere division in the male, and the shape of the hypovalvae and genital duct in the female.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Stupkaiella capricornuata Curler sp. nov. 1. Male head, frontal view. 2. Wing. 3. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 4. Female terminalia, internal structure, ventral view. 5. Right gonopod, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm (4), 0.25 mm (1, 3), 0.5 mm (2), 0.125 mm (5). (abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; cpod = cercopod; dpd = dorsal paramere division; gcx = gonocoxite; gdct = genital duct; gst = gonostylus; hpv = hypovalvae; pm = paramere; ret = retinacula; sgp = subgenital plate; tgX = tergite; vpd = ventral paramere division).