Limonia albiterminalis Lü, Ren & Zhang, 2023

Lü, Hanhuiying, Chen, Yaru, Ren, Jinlong, Wang, Ning, Yang, Ding & Zhang, Xiao, 2023, DNA barcoding for the identification of Limonia crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from China, including a new species and a newly recorded species, Zoological Systematics 48 (3), pp. 236-248 : 236-248

Limonia albiterminalis Lü, Ren & Zhang , sp. nov. ( Figs 3–4 )

Diagnosis. Prescutum and presutural scutum brownish yellow with a brown middle stripe. All cells of wing with mostly combined brown spots; Sc ending opposite nearly half of Rs, m-cu shortly before fork of M. Gonostylus brownish black with distal 1/3 light yellow. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite. Distal part of paramere rod-like with tip blunt.

Description. Male. Body length 7.0 mm, wing length 7.5 mm.

Head ( Fig. 3B ) brownish black with brown hairs. Antenna with scape brownish black, pedicel dark brown, flagellomeres dark brown with base of first flagellomere light. Scape cylindrical; pedicel oval; flagellomeres cylindrical, apically tapering. Hairs on antenna brownish black. Rostrum dark brown. Palpus brownish black. Hairs on rostrum and palpus brown.

Thorax ( Fig. 3C ). Pronotum brownish yellow with middle area dark brown. Prescutum and presutural scutum brownish yellow with side edges brown; middle with a brown stripe, its caudal 1/3 wide. Postsutural scutum dark brown, middle area dark yellow, each lobe with a yellow spot. Scutellum dark brown with a dark yellow median stripe. Mediotergite dark brown with caudal half brownish black, bases of both sides light yellow, middle area with a light stripe. Pleuron ( Fig. 3A ) heterogeneous dark brown. Hairs on thorax dark brown. Fore coxa dark brown, remaining coxae brownish yellow; trochanters yellow; femora brownish yellow and gradually darken, each with a yellow ring at sub-tip; tibiae dark brown; tarsi dark brown with terminal segments darker. Hairs on legs brown. Wing ( Fig. 3D ) grayish white; all cells with mostly combined brown spots, combined spots very extensive and almost obliterating light areas except both sides of sc-r, sub-bases of Rs and R 2+3+4, middle of R 4, sub-bases and sub-tips of cells br and r 5, middle areas of cells bm, dm, m 3, m 4 and cua, tip of anal lobe. Vein brown. Venation: Sc ending a greater distance beyond fork of R, opposite nearly half of Rs, sc-r about four times as long as distal section of Sc; R 2 indistinct, distal section of R 1 about three times as long as R 2; m-cu shortly before fork of M, distance approximately 1/8–1/6 its own length; basal section of M 3 curved, about twice as long as m-m. Halter brownish yellow with tip 1/3 of stem dark brown.

Abdomen ( Fig. 3A ). Tergites brown. Sternites brown with caudal 1/2 light yellow.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 4 ). Tergite 9 transverse and fusiform, middle of posterior margin emarginate. Gonocoxite brownish black, nearly cylindrical. Gonostylus brownish black with distal 1/3 light yellow; base wide and apically tapering, tip acute. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite. Paramere wide at base, distal part rod-like with tip blunt. Aedeagus bifid at apex.

Female. Body length 7.8–8.0 mm, wing length 8.2–8.5 mm. Similar to male. Ovipositor ( Fig. 3E ) with tergite 10 dark brown. Cercus brown with base brownish black, slightly curved. Hypogynial valve brown, base with a brownish black spot.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ ( TYPE002 A01), China, Gansu, Diebu, Niao Horse Farm (2639m), 2016.VII.16, Liang Wang. Paratypes. 1♀ ( TYPE002 A02), same data as holotype. 1♀ ( TYPE002 A03), China, Gansu, Diebu , Duoer Forest Farm (2733 m), 2016.VIII.18, Liang Wang .

Distribution. China (Gansu).

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin albiterminalis (adjective, feminine, meaning white terminal), referring to the terminal of the gonostylus being white.

Remarks. The species is somewhat similar to L. bidens Savchenko, 1979 from Russia, Mongolia and North Korea by having similar wing pattern, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the prescutum and presutural scutum of the thorax with a brown middle stripe ( Fig. 3C ) and the tip of the gonostylus of hypopygium being light yellow without teeth ( Fig. 4 ). In L. bidens , the prescutum and presutural scutum have three wide brown stripes, and the tip of the gonostylus is brown with two teeth ( Savchenko, 1979; Podenas & Podeniene, 2017). The species is also somewhat similar to L. sylvicola widely distributed in the Palaearctic Region by having similar wing venation, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the femora of the legs being gradually darken with yellow rings at sub-tips ( Fig. 3A ), the wing with widespread spots ( Fig. 3D ) and the distal part of paramere being rodlike with blunt tip ( Fig. 4 ). In L. sylvicola , the femora are yellow with brownish black rings at tips, the wing only has brown spots at the origin of Rs, the fork of Sc and R 2, and the distal part of paramere is triangular with sharp tip ( Schummel, 1829; Ren & Yang, 2020).

Figures

Figure 3. Limonia albiterminalis Lü, Ren & Zhang, sp. nov. A. Habitus of male, lateral view; B. Head, lateral view; C. Thorax, dorsal view; D. Wing; E. Female ovipositor, lateral view. Scale bars: A=2.0mm; B, E=0.3mm; C=0.5mm; D=1.0mm.

Figure 4. Limonia albiterminalis Lü, Ren & Zhang, sp. nov. A. Male hypopygium, dorsal view; B. Male hypopygium, ventral view. Scale bars=0.2mm.