Alluaudomyia flavinotum Wu & Li, 2022

Wu, Xiaoxiang, He, Zehua, Lin, Xiaodan, Deng, Bin, Zhai, Qi & Li, Jiahui, 2022, Three new species of the genus Alluaudomyia Kieffer, 1913 (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, China, ZooKeys 1112, pp. 199-218 : 199

Alluaudomyia flavinotum Wu & Li sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type materials.

Holotype. China • Hainan Island: ♀, Qiongzhong County, Limushan Town, Limushan National Forest Park: nearby stream, 186 m southeast Leige homestay, alt. 647 m, 19°10.50'N, 109°44.57'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1055.

Paratypes (2♀). China • Hainan Island: 1♀, same data as holotype; cer1055-1 • 1♀, Limushan National Forest Park: nearby small hydropower station on Limuling Mountain, alt. 666 m, 19°10.46'N, 109°44.58'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1056.

Diagnosis.

This species belongs to the Alluaudomyia maculipennis group based on the wing with dark spots proximad of r-m crossvein and at the apex of vein R3, with dark streaks at the distal portion of longitudinal veins instead of spots, and a single spermatheca without diverticulum. This species can easily be distinguished from all other Alluaudomyia species by the coloration of the scutum, which is yellow and yellowish, without dark pigmentation, except for a dark longitudinal stripe at the base. In addition, its wing’s color pattern, with dark streaks on the distal portion of longitudinal veins and with five dark spots all covering the veins but no spots in cells, is also very diagnostic.

Description.

Female. Habitus (Fig. 1A ) 1.28-1.42 mm (1.38, n = 3) in length.

Head brown, except for the vertex yellowish-white, P/H 0.55-0.65 (0.61, n = 3). Eyes contiguous, bare. Antenna (Fig. 1C ) brown with pedicel darker, flagellomeres 1-8 vasiform, pale at the base, distal 5 flagellomeres not considerably longer than basal flagellomeres, flagellum length 0.58-0.62 mm (0.60, n = 3), AR 0.74-0.81 (0.78, n = 3). Clypeus (Fig. 1D ) brown with 3 pairs of setae. Palpus (Fig. 1D ) brown with segments 1 and 2 slightly paler; third segment with a small, round, subapical pit, lengths 23-29 μm (26, n = 3), PRIII 1.61-1.85 (1.70, n = 3). Mandible with 13-15 teeth.

Thorax generally yellow with dorsum lighter yellow, dark brown ventrally. Scutum (Fig. 1B ) yellow except for anterolateral and central area light yellow, suture dark in basal half. Scutellum yellowish with dark medial marking, with 2 large setae. Postscutellum dark brown with anterolateral area yellowish.

Wings (Fig. 2D ) pale with indistinct veins; five distinct dark spots cover the apex of cell r2, r-m crossvein, the midpoint of vein R3 and M2, and apical vein A; short dark streak covers veins M1, M2, CuA, and M4 subapically and base of vein M4; macrotrichia present along the radial vein, margin and apical 1/3 of the wing membrane; wing length 1.09-1.20 mm (1.13, n = 3), width 0.48-0.52 mm (0.49, n = 3), CR 0.64-0.66 (0.65, n = 3). Halter pale.

Legs (Fig. 2A ) bicolorous. Coxae and trochanters all brown; forefemur brown with a broad subapical pale ring, mid- and hind femur pale each with a dark apical ring; fore- and midtibiae dark brown at both ends, and broadly brown at middle in foretibia; hind tibia dark brown at distal end, and brown at middle; some specimens with an enlarged dark area at base of midfemur (Fig. 2C ) and central area of hind femur and tibia (Fig. 2B ); tarsi pale except for hind tarsomere 1 brown, fore- and midtarsomere 1 narrowly brown at the basal end. Hind tibial comb with 6-8 spines. Claws unequal for all legs, fore- and midclaws more slender. Tarsal ratio of foreleg TRI 2.17-2.30 (2.23, n = 3), of midleg TRII 2.97-3.13 (3.06, n = 3), of hind leg TRIII 2.96-3.16 (3.00, n = 3).

Abdomen pale yellow. Sternite 8 (Fig. 2E ) as long as broad, lateral margin strongly sclerotized, posterior margin separated medially forming two acute angles, with spike-like process at middle. Sternite 9 dark laterally. Single spermatheca (Fig. 2F ) dark brown, round, measuring 67-76 μm (72, n = 3) by 66-75 μm (72, n = 3), neck absent.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The name flavinotum refers to the yellow-colored scutum and scutellum.

Distribution.

China: Hainan Island: Qiongzhong County (Fig. 9 ).

Remarks.

The Alluaudomyia maculipennis group of China has been well studied, with 16 described species, and treated in the monographic work of Yu et al. (2005). Three new species were reported from China since that publication, including A. haiyingi Liu, Liu & Yu, 2011, A. duchangensis Liu & Yu, 2021, and A. ruijinensis Liu, Liu & Chen, 2021 ( Liu et al. 2011, 2021a, 2021b). This new species runs to couplet 3 in the key to the Alluaudomyia maculipennis group by Yu et al. (2005). The new species resembles A. lucania Lee & Yu, 1997 in that couplet, differing in wing coloration pattern, which in A. lucania lacks a dark spot on the midpoint of R3, and with dark spots covering the longitudinal veins, with dark streaks in A. flavinotum . Additionally, the spermatheca of A. lucania has an obvious neck and the scutum is dark brown. The wing color pattern of A. flavinotum also looks similar to A. typica Chaudhuri, Das Gupta & Chaudhuri, 1972 from India, and A. quinquepunctata Tokunaga, 1940 from Japan. The new species can be distinguished with A. typica by the presence of a spot on the midpoint of vein R3 but with no dark spot in wing cell r3, and by the coloration of the scutum. It can be distinguished with A. quinquepunctata by the presence dark streaks covering on the distal portion of longitudinal veins.

Figures

Figure 1. Alluaudomyia flavinotum Wu & Li, sp. nov. A female, habitus in lateral view B thorax, dorsal view C head, dorsal view D maxillary palpi. Scale bars: 200 μm (A, B); 50 μm (C, D).

Figure 2. Alluaudomyia flavinotum Wu & Li, sp. nov. A thorax, lateral view B hind legs C midfemora D wing E sternite 8 F spermatheca. Scale bars: 500 μm (A); 200 μm (B-D); 50 μm (E, F).

Figure 9. Geographical distribution of the three new species on Hainan Island. Hainan Island is also shown in the inset in the context of southern China.