Thaumastoptera (Thaumastoptera) insignis Lackschewitz, 1940

Starý, Jaroslav & Oboňa, Jozef, 2018, Palaearctic species of Thaumastoptera (s. str.) Mik (Diptera: Limoniidae), Zootaxa 4394 (2), pp. 227-234 : 231-232

Thaumastoptera (Thaumastoptera) insignis Lackschewitz, 1940

(Figs. 3, 9, 10)

Thaumastoptera insignis Lackschewitz 1940: 9 (description), Taf. I, Figs. 5a–c (male terminalia, wing).

Diagnosis. Small species, smallest of all treated here. Body colouration in general pale yellow, with only scutellum almost black. Wing pattern distinct, almost black, forming spots and seams on all (sub)vertical vein elements and all tips of longitudinal veins except Sc1. Venation with upper branch of medial fork only slightly longer than its petiole. Femora and tibiae with dark apical rings. Male terminalia with aedeagus about two thirds length of gonocoxite, tapered into subacute tip ( Figs. 9, 10 ). Wing length 4.3–4.8 mm.

Material examined: 7 males, 5 females.

Portugal: Algarve : Caldas de Monchique, spring (230 m) (37°17'N 8°33'W), 28.iv.2010, 5 males, 4 females; Esgravatadouro env., nr. Caldas de Monchique (290 m) (37°18'N 8°31'W), 2.v.2010, 2 males, female [listed by Starý (2014)] (all J. Starý leg., all JSO) .

Redescription. Male: Head. Suffused with greyish brown pruinosity on frons, somewhat yellowed on vertex. Rostrum yellowish brown, palpus brown. Antenna 16-segmented, moderately long, reaching to about base of wing, with yellowish brown scape and brown pedicel. Flagellomeres 1 and 2 brown, other passing from yellowish brown to yellow distally, short-ovoid, gradually narrowed and more elongate, with verticils moderately dense, longest ones about twice as long as their respective flagellomeres.

Thorax. Generally yellow. Pronotum yellow. Prescutum suffused with sparse pale greyish pruinosity. Scutellum almost black. Mediotergite yellow, with median dark stripe. Pleuron generally shiny yellow, pale yellow along paratergite. Wing membrane tinged yellowish. Veins mostly yellow, tinged with dark, almost black, on all (sub)vertical vein elements (as in T. (T.) calceata ) and, in addition, on all tips of longitudinal veins except Sc1. This pattern diffused from veins onto adjacent wing membrane, thus forming spots and seams. Distinct spot near wing base at basal deflection of M and arculus; humeral cross-vein and a-a pale. Venation generally usual for Thaumastoptera s. str. Sc1 ending about opposite one third length of Rs; upper branch of medial fork (M1+2) only slightly longer than its petiole (M1+2+3) (Fig. 3). Halter yellow, knob weakly infuscated. Legs pale yellow, femora with moderately long, black, apical rings, tibiae with distinct both basal and apical rings.

Abdomen. Yellow. Male terminalia ( Figs. 9, 10 ) yellow. Segment 9 (basal ring) simple, more or less straight at dorsal posterior margin. Proctiger generally semioval, in part covered with spinulae, with shallow, U-shaped, median emargination. Gonocoxite rather long, slightly arched. Gonostylus as flattened, broad blade, with short subacute spine at apex and a few setae at inner margin. Setose appendage arising from dorsal face of gonostylus and another one, without setae, from outer margin at base. Aedeagus about two thirds length of gonocoxite, tapered into subacute tip at apex. Paramere short, straight, reaching to about half-length of aedeagus.

Female. Resembling male in general appearance.

Distribution. Portugal, Spain.

Discussion. In general appearance, this species differs from the two foregoing species in having distinct and comparatively numerous marks on the wings, resembling thus the following T. (T.) spathifera sp. n. External differences as compared to the latter species are specified under that species. The male terminalia, highly speciesspecific, are shown in Figs. 9, 10 .

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Male terminalia.5–6: T.(T.) calceata (Czech Republic:Moravia), general view (5) and aedeagal complex (6), dorsal; 7–8: T. (T.) intermixta (Georgia: Adjara), general view (7) and aedeagal complex (8), dorsal. Scale bars 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: gc, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; ptg, proctiger; s9, segment 9.

FIGURES 9–12. Male terminalia. 9–10: T. (T.) insignis (Portugal: Algarve), general view (9) and aedeagal complex (10), dorsal; 11–12:T.(T.) spathifera sp. n. (Italy:Sicily), general view (11) and aedeagal complex (12), dorsal.Scale bars 0.25 mm.