Manota avita, Hippa, Heikki, 2009

Hippa, Heikki, 2009, New species and new records of Manota Williston (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 2017, pp. 1-33 : 3-4

Manota avita sp. n.

Figs 1 A, C, D, F, 2 A–D

Male. Colour. Head brown, face and clypeus paler brown or yellowish-brown. Antenna brown, scapus, pedicellus and first one or two flagellomeres paler brown. Mouthparts pale yellowish. Thorax brown, prothorax and ventral part of mesothorax more or less distinctly paler brown. Legs pale yellowish, coxae 2 and 3 infuscated at apex, the latter more or less distinctly also on a lateral patch at base, trochanters 2 and 3 infuscated, femora 2 and 3 infuscated on basal fifth especially on dorsal and ventral sides. Wing greyishbrown, slightly darker at anterior margin ( Fig. 1 D); haltere yellowish-brown with dark brown knob. Abdomen brown, the sternites 1-4 paler. All the setosity pale, yellowish or brownish, the thicker setae seeming darker than the finer setae and trichia. Head. Antennal flagellomere 4, Fig. 2 A. Maxillary palpus, Fig. 1 C: palpomere 3 with the apicomesial extension almost absent, without curved sensilla; palpomere 4 with parasegment. Number of strong postocular setae 12–13. Thorax. Anepisternum non-setose, anterior basalare non-setose, preepisternum 2 non-setose, laterotergite setose, with 16–46 setae, episternum 3 nonsetose or setose with 1–2 setae. Wing, Fig. 1 D: R1 meets C near the middle length of wing. Length 2.0– 2.5 mm. Hypopygium, Figs 2 B–D: Sternite 9 long, extending almost to the level of base of gonostylus, lateral margin sharply delimited, the sides convergent, posterior margin transverse, anterior margin very deeply incised, the setae similar to the ventral setae of gonocoxa. Ventral mesial margin of gonocoxa sinuous, short. Three lobes observable ventro-mesially on the gonocoxa: of these two are conical and have apical setae, the third has a flat spiralled apical part and a cylindrical basal part. All of these may be parts of a complex parastylar lobe. Paraapodemal lobe not identified. Tergite 9 developed and sclerotized, with 4–11 setae. Dorsal mesial margin of gonocoxa simple, posteriorly roundly curved laterad to form the simple posterior margin. At the dorsal mesial margin of gonocoxa, beyond the middle, with a finger-like lobe bearing 5 apical megasetae. Two juxtagonostylar setae present: each of these a strongly modified megaseta, one arrowheadshaped, the other flattened and winding, both setae arising from a common basal body which is longer than the megasetae. Gonostylus bilobed with a broad ventral lobe and a narrow dorsal lobe originating laterally from the former and curving mesad, the ventral side of the ventral lobe evenly rather short setose, on the dorsal side with a mesial short-setose ridge and an apicolateral short-setose area, the dorsal lobe non-setose.

Aedeagus subtriangular, without lateral shoulders, the apical part straight, not curved ventrad. Hypoproct posteriorly small but extending nearly to the middle of gonostylus, with ca. 10 setae on each half. Cerci mesially separate, unusually shaped, curved.

Female. Similar to male. Antennal flagellomere 4, Fig. 1 A. The number of large postocular setae 13–16. Laterotergite with 30–39 setae. Episternum 3 with 2–4 setae. Wing length 2.3–2.6 mm. Apical part of abdomen, Fig. 1 F: tergite 9 on each side with 4 long setae arising from large basal bodies.

Discussion. M. avita differs from all other described Manota by having tergite 9 sclerotized in the male. In all other known species, this is membraneous except for the anterior margin which may be more or less strongly sclerotized. The female differs from the other described Manota females by having four long setae, arising from large basal bodies on each half of tergite 9, instead of only two. M. avita is the second known Manota which lacks a well-developed apicomesial thumb-like apophysis or lobe on palpomere 3 as well as the curved sensilla associated with it. Only the South African M. natalensis Jaschhof and Mostovski is similar in this respect ( Jaschhof and Mostovski 2006). There may be other similar Afrotropical species ( Hippa 2008b). M. avita belongs to those few Manota which have a non-setose anepisternum. The other similar species are M. ctenophora Matile ( New Caledonia), M. forceps Hippa and Papp ( Thailand) , M. maorica Edwards ( New Zealand), M. serawei Hippa (New Guinea), M. taedia Matile ( New Caledonia) and M. unifurcata Lundström (Europe) , but there are a few Afrotropical and Neotropical species for which this character is not known. For practical identification purposes, the male of M. avita is easy to distinguish by its unique gonostylus with a broad ventral and narrow dorsal lobe, the latter beginning from the basolateral margin of the former and curving over it.

Etymology. The name is from Latin, avita , meaning ancestral, and refers to the primitive impression given by the fly with its well-developed tergite 9.

Types. Holotype. Male, THAILAND, Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon NP, Kew Maepan Trail, 18o33.162’N 98o28.81’E, 2200 m, Malaise trap 3–61. iii.2007, Y. Areeluck leg., T1807 (in QSBG).

Paratypes. 2 males with same data as holotype (in QSBG and SMNH); 2 males with same data except 22–29.iv., T1847 (in QSBG).

Other material studied. 1 female with same data as holotype except 15–22.iv., T1841 (in QSBG); 1 female with same data except 22–29.iv., T1847 (in QSBG); 1 female, Doi Inthanon NP, checkpoint 2, 18o31.559’N 98o29.941’E, 1700 m, Malaise trap 22.vii.–2.viii.2006, Y. Areeluck leg., T121 (in SMNH); 1 female, Doi Inthanon NP, campground pond, 18 o32.657’N 98 o31.482’E, 1200 m, Malaise trap 27.ix.–5.x.2006, Y. Areeluck leg., T348 (in QSBG).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Female antennal flagellomere 4, lateral view (A, B), male maxillary palp, dorsal view (C), male (D) and female (E) wing, dorsal view, and apical part of female abdomen, lateral view (G, F). A, C, D, F: Manota avita sp. n. (from Doi Inthanon NP, D and C paratypes). B, E, G: M. collina Hippa (from Doi Inthanon NP). Scale for A and B 0.05 mm, for C, F and G 0.1 mm and for D and E 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Manota avita sp. n. (holotype): A. Antennal flagellomere 4, lateral view. B. Hypopygium, dorsal view. C. Mesial structures of gonocoxa, ventral view. D. Hypopygium, ventral view. Scale 0.10 mm.