Tenuia smirnovi Shatalkin, 1994

Yatoo, Suhaib Firdous, Maqbool, Amir & Wachkoo, Aijaz Ahmad, 2022, Pseudopomyzidae-A Family of Diptera new to the Indian Fauna, Zootaxa 5124 (1), pp. 95-100 : 96

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5124.1.8
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4884289B-3C60-48DF-BD54-A8C1ED4D7513
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6404840
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/BC35879B-E625-7D57-EEAE-D8C187B8FEDC
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Tenuia smirnovi Shatalkin, 1994
status

Treatment

Tenuia smirnovi Shatalkin, 1994 View in CoL

( Figures 1–4 View FIGURE1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 )

Tenuia smirnovi Shatalkin, 1994: 143 View in CoL . Holotype ♂, Primorsky Krai, Khasan area, “Kedrovaya Pad” Reserve, Russia [ZMMU]. Diagnosis. Small-sized flies; body-length 3.6–4.3 mm; wing-length 3.7–4.1 mm; colour black, with yellow regions on head ( Fig. 1 A–C View FIGURE1 ); paravertical setae present ( Fig. 2B–C View FIGURE 2 ); 5 (rarely 6) dorsocentrals ( Fig. 2D–E View FIGURE 2 ); acrostichals biserial, prescutellar acrostichal setae enlarged ( Fig. 2D–E View FIGURE 2 ); costa with well-developed spinules ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ); anterior coxa entirely black; 6 th sternite pentagonal cowl, crowned with two-horned massive prominence ( Fig. 3A–C View FIGURE 3 ); syntergosternite 7+8 mostly bare of setae except towards posterior margin ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ), but without an outstanding pair of setae, equal to length of 5 th –6 th tergites taken together; epandrium also without an outstanding pair of setae, equal to length of 4 th –6 th tergites taken together ( Fig. 3D–F View FIGURE 3 ); epandrium with a pair of lobes on its posteroventral angles ( Fig. 3F View FIGURE 3 ); surstyli displaced dorsally, slightly spoon-shaped with some setae on upper cuspidated margins ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ); lamellar lobe present, with setae on tip and connected with base of surstylus; cerci fused, forming a structure in the shape of two-topped tent distally, and with a pair of lateral lamellar appendages directed ventrally ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ); hypandrium divided ventrally with tusk-like anterior lobes ( Fig. 3G–H View FIGURE 3 ); hypandrial apodeme bilobed and short ( Shatalkin 1994).

Material examined. India: Jammu and Kashmir, Sopore , 34º05′30″ N, 74°33′3″ E, 1,639 m a.s.l., 10.viii.2020, S.F. Yatoo leg. (4 ♂, 10 ♀, KUIC0015 View Materials – KUIC0028 View Materials ) GoogleMaps .

Geographical distribution. Russia and India (first records presented here).

Ecology & behaviour. Adults were mostly observed in localities with willow, feeding on the willow sap whereas few were found feeding on rotten fig fruit ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ) in conformity with the earlier studies ( McAlpine & Shatalkin 1998). The flies demonstrated strong territoriality and chased away other insects trying to feed on the sap by raising both wings e.g., drosophilid flies, lauxaniid flies, muscid flies, and ants ( Fig. 4B–C View FIGURE 4 ). During courtship two males, in almost all the observed cases, followed the female ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ) and only one of them mated successfully ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ). Male opponents approaching the female exhibited aggression by raising both wings, and expressed offensive actions such as tapping, lunging, and head-butting.