Iteaphila falcata Sinclair, 2012

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Shamshev, Igor V., 2012, 3561, Zootaxa 3561, pp. 1-61 : 14-15

Iteaphila falcata Sinclair sp. nov.

( Figs. 5A, 6A, B, C)

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ♂ labelled: “BC [British Columbia, Canada], Cathedral Prov. / Park, Quiniscoe L./ 7.vii.1986 / S.G. Cannings ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Iteaphila / falcata/ Sinclair [red label]” ( UBCZ).

Recognition. This species is distinguished by its long proboscis (longer than head height), biserial acrostichal setae, apex of phallus very slender and sickle-shaped and the very long, slender hypoproct process.

Description. Wing length 3.4 mm. Male. Head subcircular, black, with black setation; occiput brownish pollinose. Holoptic, with upper ommatidia enlarged. Frons represented by small triangular space just above antennae, bare, brownish grey pollinose. Ocellar triangle very prominent, with several pairs of long, thin, proclinate ocellar setae. Postvertical and postocular setae long, thin, hair-like; occiput covered with numerous similar setae longer on lower part. Antenna brown; scape short, subequal to globular pedicel, both with short setae; postpedicel nearly 2.5 times longer than basal width, smoothly tapered; stylus very short, one-third basal width of postpedicel, bristle-tipped, length of segment 9 shorter than width, apical bristle shorter than segment 9. Proboscis long, subequal to head height, projected obliquely; labium slightly shorter than head height; palpus projected parallel to labrum, two-thirds length of labrum.

Thorax dark brown, with black setation; smoothly arched, prescutellar depression very slightly prominent; scutum viewed dorsally largely velvety brown, somewhat shiny, lacking vittae. Proepisternum with several brown setae in lower and in upper part. Postpronotal lobe with several fine setae and 1 prominent seta. Mesonotal setae mostly prominent, 4 npl and several finer setae, 2–3 prescutellar dc, 1 pal and sctl somewhat stronger; acr biserial, long, separated by half length of setula ending at prescutellar depression; dc long, subequal to acr, uniserial; 7 pairs of sctl in single row.

Legs brown. Coxae and trochanters with several short, fine setae. Fore and mid femora with row of long posteroventral setae. Hind femur with row of long anteroventral and dorsal and short posteroventral hair-like setae. Tibiae lacking prominent setae. Tarsomere 5 on all legs slightly flattened; pulvilli broad, shorter than tarsal claw.

Wing infuscate, with brown veins; no bristle at wing base; stigma distinct brownish, elliptical, overlapping apex of vein R 1; anal lobe very prominent, acute. R 2+3 slightly arched beneath stigma; radial fork with base well proximal to apex of R 2+3; R 5 and M 1 slightly divergent before wing-apex; cell d broad, longer than basal cells, truncate apically; mm crossvein long, M branches widely separated; dm-cu crossvein slightly curved; M 4 longer than dm-cu crossvein. Apex of cell cua slightly rounded, CuP+CuA long, ending short of wing margin. Halter dark brown.

Abdomen narrowed proximad, covered with numerous, dark, long hair-like setae, posteromarginal setae not prominent; tergites viewed dorsally subshiny, finely pollinose, viewed posteriorly brownish pollinose; sternites finely pollinose. Terminalia concolorous with abdomen, small. Hypandrium gently rounded, upcurved apically with pointed apex; with pair of very long setae, closely approximated; gonocoxal apodeme long and broad ( Fig. 6A). Postgonite posterior to phallus, extended posteriorly slightly beyond epandrium, parallel with phallus and strongly curved subapically; curved apical section membranous, expanded with roughened apical margin, lacking distinct microtrichia ( Fig. 6B). Epandrium not greatly inflated laterally; dorsal bridge narrow; anterior portion subquadrate and very broad, posterior third slightly narrowed; inner face of apex of surstylus produced as short hook-like process. Phallus short and robust, possibly asymmetrical, arched slightly beyond epandrium posteriorly, strongly sickle-shaped subapically; apical section very slender and recurved, right hand side with slender dorsal process ( Fig. 6C); ejaculatory apodeme plate-like, rounded, shorter than gonocoxal apodeme. Base of phallus produced posteriorly into trifid lobe; lateral pair sickle-shaped, slender; median lobe triangular, with broad base. Cercus tapered, long, more than one-half length of epandrium; finger-like with apex tapered and rounded; hypoproct produced into pair of long, narrow lobes.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin falcatus, meaning sickle-shaped in reference to the strongly curved and slender apex of the phallus.

Distribution. This species is recorded from a single locality in southern British Columbia ( Canada) ( Fig. 5A).

Remarks. The apparent asymmetry of the phallus is possibly due to distortion during clearing of the terminalia. Additional specimens are required to verify the true condition of this structure.