Platypalpus bolikoi, Grootaert & Shamshev, 2014

Grootaert, Patrick & Shamshev, Igor, 2014, New species of Platypalpus (Diptera: Hybotidae) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Journal of Taxonomy 103, pp. 1-20 : 3-5

Platypalpus bolikoi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1FB7470-9502-4B74-B175-4C76BC47E5F4

Figs 1–5

Diagnosis

Small black species of the pallidiventris-cursitans group. One pair of verticals. Postpedicel short, 1.5 times as long as wide. Thorax faintly tomentose on scutum. Legs including all coxae yellow, but mid femur brownish dorsally and hind femur dark brown on apical 2/3, apical half of tarsomere 5 of all legs brownish; large pointed apical spur on mid tibia.

Etymology

The species is dedicated to Mr. Lola Boliko, who guided the first author in the forest during the expedition in 2013.

Type material

Holotype ♂, DR Congo, Yangambi , 7 Jun. 2013, young forest JEU2 (0°47’41.77” N 24°29’30.91” E; reg. 33053; leg. P. Grootaert; Plat 4); mid leg in tray Entomo 004 in position A2 with barcode AB42406107

was extracted for DNA and the COI barcode can be accessed in GenBank with the accession number: KJ768325 .

Description

Male

LENGTH. Body 2.0 mm; wing 1.8 mm.

HEAD. Entirely black. Occiput densely greyish pollinose; with 1 pair of long yellow verticals. Ocellar tubercle greyish pollinose, with subequally very short anterior and posterior setae. Frons broad, somewhat broadened toward ocellar tubercle, subshining. Face narrow, greyish pollinose, clypeus subshining. Antenna with scape and pedicel brown, postpedicel and stylus yellowish brown; postpedicel small, ovoid, 1.5 times as long as wide; stylus 1.8 times as long as postpedicel. Proboscis pale yellowish brown, shorter than head is high. Palpus pale yellow, large, elongate ovate, with scattered pale setulae.

THORAX. Black to brown; faintly tomentose, katepisternum (= sternopleuron) shining; bristles yellowish to yellowish brown. Postpronotal lobe large, with 1 long and several minute setae. Mesonotum with 2 notopleurals (anterior seta very short, posterior seta long), 1 moderately long postalar and 4 scutellars (apical pair long, lateral pair short); additionally, notopleuron with several setulae; acrostichals short, sparse, arranged in 2 broad irregular rows; dorsocentrals arranged in 1-2 rows, nearly as long as acrostichals, 1 prescutellar long.

LEGS. Largely reddish yellow, but mid femur brownish dorsally, hind femur dark brown on about apical 2/3, tarsomere 5 of all legs yellowish brown apically. Coxae and trochanters with ordinary yellowish to brownish yellow setae of different lengths. Fore femur thickened; with rows of short anteroventral and posteroventral setae. Fore tibia rather slender, clothed with ordinary setulae. Mid femur very thickened; with double row of black ventral spinules and row of long, yellow posteroventral setae. Mid tibia bearing a row of black ventral spinules; with long pointed largely black apical spur. Hind femur slender, with short anteroventral setae. Hind tibia slender, clothed with ordinary setulae. Tarsi of all legs unmodified.

WING. Hyaline, with brownish veins. One moderately long black costal seta. Veins R 4+5 and M 1+2 somewhat convergent just before meeting wing margin. Crossveins m-cu and r-m separated; cell bm longer and somewhat broader than cell br; Vein CuA 2 straight. Anal vein evanescent in apical part and lacking in basal part. Calypter brown, with brown setae. Halter brownish.

ABDOMEN. With tergites brownish, subshining, covered with faint very short setae; sternites brownish, with similar setae; segment 8 with several moderately long yellowish brown posteromarginal setae. Terminalia rather small, brown ( Figs 3–5 ). Both cerci digitiform, equally long, shorter than right epandrial lamella. Right and left epandrial lamella equally long, set with unmodified setae. Only short setae of left border of left epandrial lamella.

Female

Unknown.

Comparison

In the key of Smith (1969) the new species runs to P. vicina Smith, 1969 that was described from South Africa. In the latter species the fore femur is darkened above while in P. bolikoi sp. nov. the fore femur is entirely yellow. In P. vicina the mid and hind coxae are darkened. Here they are yellow. Platypalpus soror Smith, 1969 has a black proboscis and yellow halteres. In the new species the proboscis is pale and halteres are brown.

Distribution

DR Congo.

Figures

Figs 1–2. Platypalpus bolikoi sp. nov., holotype ♂. 1. Wing, abdomen and hind femur. 2. Mid femur, posterior view.

Figs 3–5. Platypalpus bolikoi sp. nov., holotype ♂. 3. Right epandrial lamella. 4. Epandrium with cerci, dorsal view. 5. Left epandrial lamella. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.