Aphaniosoma denticulosum, Ebejer, 2023

Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 872, pp. 1-161 : 54-57

Aphaniosoma denticulosum sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D795AC1F-1487-41A3-8C01-8194514D4A1B

Figs 25–26

Diagnosis

A yellow species with well-develped scutal setae ( Fig. 25A ). Scutum, anteriorly with confluent pale brownish yellow vittae, and abdomen with transverse brown bands on basal tergites; a pair of long frontal setulae in front of ocellar triangle; male tergite 5 strongly enlarged, appearing inflated and with distinct black spinules along ventral margins ( Fig. 25B–C ). There is an undescribed species from the western Mediterranean known to the author that has similar modifications to tergite 5, but it differs in other details of the hypopygium.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the row of minute tubercles bearing spinules along the inferior margin of the sixth tergite of the male.

Material examined

Holotype

EGYPT • ♂; Kafr Elsheikh; 30.48° N, 31.14° E; 28 Mar. 1996; M. Barták leg.; garden vegetation; CULSP.

Paratype

EGYPT • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; CULSP.

ISRAEL • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 12 Apr. 1999; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis ; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂, one with Stigmatomyces ; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 3 Mar. 1998; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Nahal Zin; 6 Apr. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 19 Mar. 1995; A. Friedberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♀; ‘ En Zin; 12 Apr. 1999; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Western Negev, Nahal Lavan ; 30°58ʹ N, 34°24ʹ E; 24 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; shrubs on sand; MJE.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: male 1.5 mm, female 1.6 mm. Wing length: male 1.6 mm, female 1.7 mm.

Male (holotype)

HEAD. Yellow except for black-ringed ocelli; almost twice as broad as long; frons strongly narrowed anteriorly: at level of antennae 0.5 × as wide as at level of anterior ocellus; gena narrow in front, deeper behind, about equal to height of eye below middle of eye, with numerous yellow setulae; occiput in profile barely visible behind eye, with postocular setulae in one irregular row; 2 vibrissal setulae moderately developed, with longest about equal to fronto-orbital seta; face short, poorly sclerotized and depressed; median carina not developed; antenna yellow, pedicel paler than basal flagellomere and with distinct short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with fine but distinct pubescence along anterior margin, longer than diameter of basal segment of arista; basal segment of arista yellow, the rest brown, with fine pubescence; chaetotaxy: 2 strong fronto-orbitals, with 3 short setulae in front; paraverticals short and crossed; 1 inner and 1 outer vertical, both strong; ocellars long; about 12 short setulae across middle of frons with another pair much longer than these situated in front of ocellar triangle.

THORAX. Yellow; scutum with indistinct pale brownish yellow vittae that are confluent anteriorly, only separating well behind transverse suture; vitta along intra-alar line more distinct, darker brown and almost joining lateral dark brown spot on margin of scutellum; mediotergite dark brown; pleura yellow, darker yellow on middle of most pleural sclerites; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal, 1 incurved intra-postpronotal, 1 very long presutural, 2 notopleurals, 1+3 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 1+3 dorsocentrals, presutural longer than first postsutural, 5 acrostichals including prescutellars, 4 scutellars, 1 anepisternal with 2 setulae below it, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner with 4 setulae vertically down middle of sclerite.

WING. Veins all pale yellow; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.5 × that between R 4+5 and M 1; distance between crossveins about 1.2 × as long as posterior crossvein, which lies oblique and is about 0.4 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere pale yellow.

LEGS. Not modified except for slightly thicker femora; numerous pale setulae scattered on all legs, with longer setulae on fore femur; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black in apical half and pulvilli normal; tarsomere 5 of all legs pale brown; hind trochanter not modified.

ABDOMEN. Tergites yellow with pale brown transverse bands dorsally; tergite 5 strongly enlarged laterally, appearing inflated and bearing a row of black spinules on minute tubercles along the irregular ventral margins ( Figs 25B–C , 26B ); tergites with relatively few fine pale setulae, especially along posterior margins; sternite 6 divided into two sclerites each with a long, posteroventrally curved, narrow process and with a ventro-medial lobe anteriorly having a few short spinose setae ( Fig. 26 ).

HYPOPYGIUM. ( Figs 25B–C , 26A ). Epandrium small and pale, bearing large surstylus; cercus small and pale; hypandrium bearing a setulose pregonite posteriorly; phallapodeme triangular; postgonites short and brown; distiphallus pale, mostly membranous.

Female

Similar to male except for secondary sexual characters.

Variation

The scutal vittae vary from pale brown to yellow, almost concolourous with the the rest of the scutum. The prescutellar acrostichal setae are sometimes absent (three male paratypes) or placed slightly anterior to the level of the hindmost dorsocentral seta.

Distribution

Egypt, Israel.

Figures

Fig. 25. Aphaniosoma denticulosum sp. nov., ♂, holotype (CUSLP). A. Habitus, lateral view. B–C. Hypopygium in situ. B. Posterior view. C. Ventro-lateral view.

Fig. 26. Aphaniosoma denticulosum sp. nov, ♂, paratype (CUSLP). A. Hypopygium, lateral view. B. Tergites 5 and 6, lateral view. C. Sternite 6, ventral view. Abberviations: See Material and methods.