Asiokeroplatus tiger, Ševčík & Mantič & Blagoderov, 2015

Ševčík, Jan, Mantič, Michal & Blagoderov, Vladimir, 2015, Two new genera of Keroplatidae (Diptera), with an updated key to the World genera of Keroplatini, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (1), pp. 387-399 : 392-395

Asiokeroplatus tiger sp. nov.

( Figs 6–8 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, THAILAND: CHIANG MAI: Doi Inthanon NP, checkpoint 2, 18°31.559′N 98°29.941′E, 1700 m, Malaise trap, 9.–16.viii.2006, Y. Areeluck leg., T180 ( QSBG, in alcohol) . PARATYPE: J, THAILAND: PHETCHABUN: Thung Salaeng Luang NP, pine forest ; Gang Wang Nam Yen, 16°35.805′N 100°52.286′E, 726 m, Malaise trap, 6.–13.vii.2007, Pongpitak & Sathit leg., T2070 ( NMPC, in a pinned microvial with glycerol, right fore leg, both mid legs and left hind leg missing) .

Other material examined (not included in the type series). NEPAL: Kakani, 2070 m, secondary pine/oak forest, 9.–23.viii.1983, Malaise trap, H. G. Allen leg. ( BMNH, in ethanol, all legs and terminalia missing).

Description. Male. Body length: holotype 4.6 mm, paratype 3.5 mm. Wing length: holotype 3.7 mm, paratype 2.6 mm. Length of terminalia: holotype 0.65 mm, paratype 0.45 mm. Length of gonocoxite: holotype 0.25 mm, paratype 0.20 mm.

Head. Dark brown. Three ocelli in a triangular position. The distance between lateral ocelli slightly less than their diameter. Lateral ocellus separated from the eye margin for a distance of about its diameter. Median ocellus distinctly smaller (less than half of the diameter of lateral ocellus), rudimentary, situated at anterior end of a sagittal furrow between lateral ocelli. Compound eyes relatively narrow, 1.8 times as high as broad in lateral view, shortly pubescent. Antennae about 3 times as long as the width of head. Scape slightly shorter than wide. Pedicel about as long as wide, rounded. Flagellum dark brown (apical half paler), with 14 cylindrical, only slightly laterally compressed flagellomeres. Flagellomere 1 elongate, about twice as long as wide, flagellomeres 2 to 6 about as long as wide, flagellomeres 7–13 shorter than in the previous species (0.7x as long as wide), the last flagellomere slightly longer than previous and roundly pointed apically. Mouthparts strongly reduced. Palpus with two short palpomeres.

Thorax. Mostly dark brown. Scutum with two rows of dorsocentral setae, one row of acrostichals and laterally with numerous prealar and postalar setae. Scutellum dark brown, with a row of fine subapical setae and several short laterodorsal setae, without long apical bristles. Mediotergite bare, slightly protruding, brown, paler along margins. Laterotergite bare, dark brown with the upper third paler. Antepronotum and proepisternum setose, dark brown. Anterior spiracle and membranous area around it yellowish, without setae.Anepisternum all brown, bare. Preepisternum 2 bare, dark brown with its upper half pale. Anepimeron yellowish, reaching between preepisternum 2 and laterotergite. Haltere dark brown, slightly longer than the first abdominal tergite.

Wing ( Fig. 6 ). Hyaline, uniformly brownish (but slightly darker along the anterior margin), without markings, its membrane covered with microtrichia, without macrotrichia. Costa produced beyond R 5 to 3/5 of the distance between the tips of R 5 and M 1. Costa, R 1 and R 5 covered with macrotrichia, the other veins bare. Sc ending in C before R-M fusion. Radio- -median fusion distinct, three times shorter than the relatively long stem of M-fork. Vein tb faint. Basal portion of media not developed. R 4 absent. Cu 1 strong, distinctly curved towards the tip. Cu 2 rather long, apically faint, not reaching wing margin. Vein A 1 slightly shorter than Cu

2

and less distinct. Alula absent.

Legs. Mostly yellowish brown, covered with dark trichia. Coxae brownish yellow, mid and hind coxa darkened in distal halves. C1 covered with setae on all anterolateral (dorsal) side, C2 with several setae at apical third, C3 only with several posterolateral setae in distal half. Femora all yellowish brown, clothed with fine trichia, not longer than maximum width of femur. All tibiae with numerous trichia about as long as tibial diameter, not forming distinct rows. The apex of fore tibia only slightly widened, without distinct tibial organ. Fore tibia with one apical spur, as long as maximum tibial diameter. Two spurs present on both mid and hind tibia, slightly longer than tibial diameter in T2 and almost twice as long as maximum tibial diameter in T3. Relative lengths of coxa, femur and tibia for particular legs – 1: 1.1: 1.2; 1: 1.4: 1.8; 1: 1.6: 2.1. Tarsal claws simple, almost straight. Pulvilli absent. Empodium small, filiform.

Abdomen. All dark brown, posterior third distinctly bent ventrally ( Fig. 6 ).

Terminalia. Dark brown. Tergite 9 relatively short, transverse, 2.5 times as broad as long ( Fig. 7 ). Cercus about as long as tergite 9. Gonocoxites basally fused by a membranous connection, forming a deep posteroventral excavation ( Fig. 8 ), and posterolaterally with a long, laterally flattened projections. Gonostylus relatively short (not reaching the lateral projections of the gonocoxite), narrow, bent inwards ( Fig. 8 ). Aedeagal complex large and distinct, with long associated apodemes laterally. Its proximal, laterally compressed, plate extending into segment VII ( Fig. 9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Both the type specimens differ significantly in body size (see above). The specimen from Nepal is not included in the type series pending further studies based on more specimens from the region. It differs in the slightly longer flagellomeres (flagellomeres 7–13 about as long as wide, the apical flagellomere 1.2 times as long as wide) but missing terminalia do not allow its proper identification.

Etymology. The species name is the acronym of the Thailand Inventory Group for Entomological Research; noun in apposition.

Biology. Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 6. Asiokeroplatus tiger gen. & sp. nov., holotype, male habitus (scale bar 1 mm).

Figs 7–9.Asiokeroplatus tiger gen.& sp. nov., holotype.7 – male terminalia, dorsal view; 8 – terminalia, ventral view; 9 – termina- lia and abdominal segments VII and VIII, ventral view.