Leptomorphus carnevalei Matile

Borkent, Christopher J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2012, Systematics and Phylogeny of Leptomorphus Curtis (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) 3549, Zootaxa 3549, pp. 1-117 : 21-23

6. Leptomorphus carnevalei Matile

( Figures 8, 47, 96, 135, 150, 153)

Leptomorphus (Gymnoscutum) carnevalei Matile, 1977: 150 .

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

DIAGNOSIS: The only extant species of Leptomorphus with the following combination of characters: laterotergite, anepisternum and anepimeron yellow; scutellum yellow; abdominal tergite 6 brown, tergite 7 yellow ( Fig. 8); male tergite 9 with basal 2/3 of lateral margins bulbous, tapering posteriorly, ventrally directed process at base of tergal evagination a single point, concavity of posterior margin of tergite 9 smaller in diameter than width of sternite 9, tergal evagination tapering first to create a lateral corner and then tapering to a point on medial margin ( Fig. 96).

This species can most easily be confused with other Afrotropical species with a completely brown tergite 6 ( L. aliciae , L. couturieri , Figs 1, 8, 9). It can be distinguished from these species based solely on the male genitalia ( Fig. 96) which has the apex of the posterior lobes with a strong step like constriction and then tapering to a point, rather than gradually tapering to a point ( Fig. 97) or having a bulbous apex ( Fig. 91).

DESCRIPTION: Male. ( Fig. 8) 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 with tapered base dark brown remainder dark brown; flagellomere 6 1.4X as long as broad. Clypeus yellow, dorsoventrally elongate oval; bristles on clypeus yellow, 6 strong bristles on ventral margin directed ventrally, remaining setae directed medioventrally, clypeus 2X as long as face. Face yellow; shape a subequal 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 in a straight line, space between ocelli less than diameter of laterals, lateral ocelli 2X their own diameter from eye margin, ocellar triangle dark brown/black with electric blue green specks. Thorax: Length 1.48 mm (n = 1). Dark brown dorsally, yellow laterally. Scutum dark brown/black with blue-green specks, yellow anteromedial triangular spot pointing posteriorly and circle 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 6 large bristles and many small bristles. Prescutum yellow. Mediotergite yellow with anterior brown with 6 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 yellow trichia. Metepisternum yellow. Anapleural suture with anterior portion slightly curved dorsally. Halter stem yellow, knob light brown. Legs: principally yellow; 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 2.5X apical thickness of foretibia, midtibia with strong, dorsal, bare patch of even thickness for 2/3 of its length, placed centrally, shortest midtibial spur 0.87X length of longest, longest midtibial spur 5X apical thickness of midtibia, shortest hind tibial spur subequal to length of longest, longest hind tibial spur 4X apical thickness of hind tibia. Foreleg first tarsomere 1.7X length of foretibia. Wing ( Fig. 47): Length 6.15 mm (n = 1). Hyaline; apical macula absent or, if present, very light, restricted to apical 1/4 of cell r 1; 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 1–2X 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 thinning before wing margin. M 4 -CuA fork arising apically of origin of r-m. A 2 faintly present as crease. Abdomen: Tergites 1, 2 and 7 yellow, T3–5 yellow with posterodorsal triangular brown spot, T6 dark brown/black. Tergite 8 smaller than all other abdominal sclerites, with 8–10 bristles on each apicolateral corner. Genitalia ( Fig. 96): yellow. Sternite 9 sclerotized oval, 1/2 the width of genitalia at widest point, overlapping medial margin of gonoxite. Tergite 9 longer than wide, rounded margins tapering to apex first creating a lateral corner subapically and then continuing to taper to a point apically with medial U-shaped indentation, a ventrally extending thin point at base of posterior lobe. 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, ventral lobe ~4X as long as dorsal but tapering to point, gonocoxite III fused to dorsolateral margin. Aedeagus 4/5 length of gonocoxite, tapering towards apex (slight central swelling), apodemes 1/3 total length. Parameres a simple taper, apodemes ~3/4 length of parameres.

Female. As for male, except as follows. Thorax: Length 1.8 mm. Wing: Length 7.87 mm. Abdomen: Cercus dark yellow.

Immatures. Unknown.

BIOLOGY: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo ( Fig. 135), 315–475 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

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype: adult male, pinned on double mount minuten, two legs glued to card on pin below specimen, genitalia in glass vial on pin, labelled “[ Republic of the] Congo, Brazzaville / Meya ( Camp ORSTROM)/1.IV,1970/ P. Carnevale rec. [label handwritten]; [Light blue label] MUSEUM PARIS; [Red label] HOLOTYPE; Leptomorphus / ( Gymnoscutum )/ carnivalei n. sp./ ♂ ht/ L. Matile det. 1974” [ MNHN].

Paratypes: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, Luebo, II.[19]59, F.J. François. (1 ♀, labelled as ALLOTYPE, IRSN) .