Hoffeinsodes obtusa, Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017

Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017, Synopsis of extinct Bruchomyiinae (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Burmese, Baltic and Dominican amber, with descriptions of new genera and species, Zootaxa 4320 (1), pp. 100-120 : 102-103

Hoffeinsodes obtusa sp. nov.

(Figs. 1a–e)

Etymology. Obtusa (lat.) = blunt, for shape of posterolateral lobes.

Diagnosis. Hoffeinsodes species, midsection of cross sclerite with 2 posterolateral tips near midline, gonostyli bilobed, inner lobe more than 2 times lateral lobe; epandrium posterolateral lobes apically club shaped.

Material. Holotype male, no 1515- 3 in coll. Hoffeins.

Geological stratum. Baltic amber.

FIGURE 1. Hoffeinsodes obtusa sp. n. a. wing; b.antennal flagellomeres 4–6; c. palpus; d. genitalia right side view; e. genitalia left side view. Wing vein abbreviations: Sc—subcosta; R1-5—five radius veins; M 1-4—four media veins; CuA—anterior cubitus; CuP—posterior cubitus; r-m—radius-media crossvein; m-cu—media-cubitus crossvein. Abbreviations: ep—epandrium; fhgfused hypandrium and gonocoxites; gst—gonostylus; p+c—proctiger with cerci.

State of preservation. Specimen well preserved, head, thorax and abdomen in good order. Palpi and antennae complete; left side middle and hind legs connected to body, remains of other legs situated close to specimen.

Syninclusions. 1 arachnoid.

Description. Head with oval eyes, distance between eyes approximately 10 facet diameters. Antenna with scape, pedicel and 14 flagellomeres; relative length of scape, pedicel and flagellomeres: 13-14-40-40-32-27-29-29- 25-25-25-22-22-18-18-22; absolute measures: 0.08-0.08-0.24-0.24-0.19-0.16-0.17-0.17-0.15-0.15-0.15-0.13-0.13- 0.11- 0.11-0.13 mm. Palpus 4-segmented, relative length of palp segments: 17-22-36-56; absolute measures: 0.10- 0.13- 0.21-0.33 mm.

Head length 0.39 mm. Length of thorax, abdomen and genitalia 2.96 mm. Thorax without specific features. A pair of swellings above halters with basal rings of setae on surface.

Wing length 3.59 mm. Sc ends in R1, crossvein sc-c not discernable. First basal cell extends to middle of wing. R2+3 originates from about middle of basal cell, and is longer than R2. R4 originates at front edge, R5 at middle, M1 and M2 at hind edge of first basal cell, i.e. no M1+2 vein; M3 and M4 rise from middle of second basal cell, m-cu meets fork M3/M4; CuA and CuP run parallel, distally curved to hind wing margin.

Abdomen with 8 pregenital segments and inverted genitalia, inversion by segments 7 and 8. First and 6th segments narrower than segments 2 to 5. Genitalia with a large sub-rectangular cross sclerite with two club-shaped posterolateral prolongations near midline. Gonostylus separated in a short ventral, setose, rounded lobe, and an elongate dorsal lobe with smooth surface and thin tip; these sclerites surround the aedeagus (not discernable). Epandrium deep, cup-shaped with short apically rounded posterolateral lobes. Distal margin of epandrium deeply arched, medially with the slightly sclerotized, probably expandable proctiger; cerci small, oval, setose.

Further distal to the genitalia is a pair of ‘spherical structures’ – the aedeagal sheath; the surface appears slightly sclerotized, smooth; distal surface regularly folded; apically from the center of the folds another minute sphere.

Comments. This species is clearly distinguished from congeners by the shape of the cross sclerite with paired posterolateral tips near midline; gonostyli with the glabrous lobe about 3 times longer than the setose lobe, and posterolateral lobes of epandrium with blunt tip.

The apical, paired ‘spherical structures’ are part of the aedeagus (periaedeagal sheath), similar to the structures in comparable position in H. reducta sp. nov. (specimen 1379-3). A periaedeagal sheath is also apparent in both Boreofairchildia species (see below).