Leptomorphus aliciae Matile

Borkent, Christopher J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2012, Systematics and Phylogeny of Leptomorphus Curtis (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) 3549, Zootaxa 3549, pp. 1-117 : 13-15

1. Leptomorphus aliciae Matile

( Figures 1, 42, 91, 135, 150, 153)

Leptomorphus (Gymnoscutum) aliciae Matile, 1977: 148 .

References: Crosskey 1980: 1221 (catalogue appendix); Matile 1997: 145, 146, 149, 150 (figures, new records, morphological variation, key).

DIAGNOSIS: The only extant species of Leptomorphus with following combination of characters: mostly yellow abdomen though tergite 6 brown; male tergite 9 with basal 2/3 of lateral margins parallel, ventrally directed process at base of posterior lobe of tergite 9 forked into two points at apex, apex of posterior tergal evaginations blunt and slightly bulbous ( Fig. 91).

This species can most easily be confused with other Afrotropical species with a completely brown tergite 6 ( L. carnevalei , L. couturieri , Figs 1, 8, 9). It can be distinguished from these species based solely on the male genitalia ( Fig. 91) which has the basal 2/3 with margins parallel and the apex of the posterior lobes bulbous rather than pointed ( Figs 96, 97).

DESCRIPTION: Male. ( Fig. 1) Head: yellow, circular in anterior view. Antenna brown; scape yellow, with brown setae in single apical row extending from dorsum laterally into thick patch covering apicoventral process, basal third and entire medial surface bare, anterobasal patch of setulae present; pedicel yellow, with 2 large bristles, several setae on apicodorsal margin, a number of fine setae on apicoventral margin; flagellomere 1 brown; flagellomere 6 1.5X as long as broad. Clypeus yellow, dorsoventrally elongate oval; bristles on clypeus yellow, 4–6 strong bristles on ventral margin directed ventrally, a number of bristles on remainder, ventral 3/4 directed medioventrally, remainder directed laterally, clypeus 2X as long as face. Face yellow; shape a just longer than wide triangle, with few bristles ventrolaterally. Frons yellow; with few bristles medioventrally, frontal furrow running 1/ 4 distance from dorsal margin towards ventral margin, frontal cleft just anterior of median ocellus. Palpus with segments 1–2 yellow, 3–5 light brown; segment 1 hidden behind eye, segments increasing in length, segment 5 2X length of segment 4 with central half thinner than base and apex, segment 3 with apicolateral patch of fine yellow setae encircled by strong dark setae. Labellum yellow. Eye with very few, short inter-ommatidial setulae scattered on surface. Occiput yellow with appressed, anteriorly directed setae. Ocelli with median slightly in front of laterals, space between ocelli less than diameter of laterals, lateral ocelli 2.5X their own diameter from eye margin, ocellar triangle dark brown/black with electric blue-green specks. Thorax: Length 1.18 ± 0.15 mm (1.07–1.31 mm, n = 9). Dark brown dorsally, yellow laterally. Scutum dark brown/black with blue-green specks, yellow spot anteromedially and on each posterolateral corner; surface of scutum bare; acrostichal setae absent; dorsocentral setae present as fine setae for most of length; multiple rows of lateral setae present; patch of setae on scutum at wing base present. Scutellum yellow; with 4–8 large bristles and many small bristles. Prescutum yellow. Mediotergite light brown to dark brown, darker anteriorly with 6–12 bristles on posterolateral corners, anteromedial patch of small bristles. Laterotergite yellow; anterior margin of laterotergite not reaching katepisternum. Anepimeron yellow. Anepisternum yellow. Katepisternum yellow. Antepronotum and proepisternum yellow. Margin of anterior and posterior spiracles yellow with light brown and yellow trichia respectively. Metepisternum yellow. Anapleural suture with anterior portion slightly curved dorsally. Halter stem yellow, knob light brown. Legs: principally yellow; hind femur light brown at very apex; extreme anteroapical corner dark brown on all femora; tarsi brown. Midfemur without apical spine-like process. Tibia with covering of brown macrotrichia, foretibia without comb of short setae along length of anteroventral surface, tibial spurs brown, foretibial spur length 2X apical thickness of foretibia, midtibia with faint, dorsal, bare patch of even thickness for 2/3 of its length, placed basally, shortest midtibial spur subequal to length of longest, longest midtibial spur 5X apical thickness of midtibia, shortest hind tibial spur subequal to length of longest, longest hind tibial spur 5X apical thickness of hind tibia. Foreleg first tarsomere 1.6X length of foretibia. Wing ( Fig. 42): Length 5.2 ± 0.6 mm (4.8–5.7 mm, n = 8). Hyaline; apical macula absent or, if present, very light, restricted to apical 1/4 of cell r; medial macula absent. Macrotrichia in all cells, though absent from posterobasal margin of cell a. Setae on basal posterior margin of wing (along base of cell a) alternating long, short. Calypter with group of macrotrichia. Vein sc-r present, apical end joining R at 2X its own length prior to origin of Rs. R 4 absent. R 5 straight, slight posterior turn near tip. M 1 reaching apex before R 5, apices of M veins fading before wing margin. M 4 -CuA fork arising just apical of origin of r-m. A 2 faintly present as crease. Abdomen: Tergites 1 and 7 yellow, T2 yellow with posterodorsal triangular brown spot, T3–5 anterior yellow, posterior brown, T6 brown. Tergite 8 smaller than all other abdominal sclerites, with ~15 bristles on each apicolateral corner. Genitalia ( Fig. 91): yellow. Sternite 9 sclerotized, rounded triangle, 1/3 the width of the genitalia at widest point, overlapping medial margin of gonocoxite. Tergite 9 longer than wide, with basal 2/3 of lateral margins parallel then tapering into two lobes with medial U-shaped indentation, apex of posterior lobes blunt and slightly bulbous, a ventrally extending thin process at base of posterior lobe forked into two points at apex. Gonocoxite placed basally on T9, medial margin reaching medial line, bearing gonostylus on apical 1/3. Gonostylus with two lobes, dorsal lobe shortest and broad, partially hidden behind ventral lobe in ventral view (as in figure), ventral lobe 4X length, but half the width, of dorsal, gonocoxite III fused to dorsolateral margin. Aedeagus 2/3 length of gonocoxite, tapering towards apex, apodemes 1/4 total length. Parameres a simple taper, apodemes ~2X length of parameres.

Female. As for male, except as follows. Thorax: Length 1.46mm (max: 1.72mm, min: 1.23mm, n = 4). Wing: Length 6.4mm (max: 7.5mm, min: 5.3mm, n = 4). Abdomen: Cercus yellow.

Immatures. Unknown.

BIOLOGY: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Uganda ( Fig. 135), 45–725 masl.

DISCUSSION: As discussed below in the phylogeny section, the placement of Leptomorphus species in subgenera ( Matile 1977) is not supported by our phylogenetic results. This species is therefore removed from the subgenus Gymnoscutum and placed solely in Leptomorphus . The holotype for this specimen was incorrectly labelled (see below) with an unrecognized subgenus and different species name. We assume that this label represents Matile’s (1977) original thoughts on names for the subgenus and this species (the species was named after Alice Bruneau de Miré) and that he neglected to remove/change the label after finalizing the names.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype: adult male, pinned on double mount minuten, genitalia in glass vial on pin, labelled “[ Blue paper label] CAMEROUN / Yaoundé-N’Kolbisson/ p. lum. x. XII.1966 / -------. [‘ L. Matile rec.’ crossed out]/ Ph. Bruneau de Miré ; [Red label] HOLOTYPE; Leptomorphus / (Paraleptomorphus)/ mirei n. sp. ♂ ht/ L. Matile det. 1974; HOLOTYPE ♂ / Leptomorphus aliciae / Matile/ Det. C.J. Borkent, 2012” [ MNHN].

Paratypes: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, Lobaye, M’bale gallery forest, 15.ix.1970, L. Matile (1♀, MNHN) ; UGANDA, Bwamba , viii.1948, Medical Dept Kenya [coll.], (1♀, BMNH) .

Other material: GHANA, Western Region , Ankasa game prod. Reserve, 6–12.xii.1993, J. Kjaerendsen, T. Andersen. (1♂, ZMUN) ; Boti Falls , 28.x–4.xi.1994. (2♂, ZMUN) ; Kakum N.P., 31.x–8.xi.1994. (3♂, ZMUN) ; IVORY COAST, Taї , 9.v.1980, G. Couturier. (1♂, MNHN) ; NIGERIA, Ibadan , 25.viii.1962, D.C. Eidt. (1♀, CNC) ; Illaro Forest , 3.iii.1974, M.A. Cornes. (1♀, MNHN) ; Sapoba , 11.ix.1962, D.C. Eidt. (1♂, CNC) .