Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925

Podeniene, Virginija, Podenas, Sigitas, Park, Sun-Jae, Kim, A-Young, Kim, Jung A & Gelhaus, Jon K., 2021, Review of East Palaearctic Elliptera (Diptera, Limoniidae) immatures with description of a new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 735, pp. 110-132 : 119-125

Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925

Figs 6–12

Diagnosis

Adult ( Fig. 6 ) Brown sparsely pruinose species with body 4.2–8.7 mm long, wing 8.8–16.1 mm long. Head black, antenna 16-segmented, 1.4–2.4 mm long, flagellomeres strongly dilated at about two thirds of length, with distinct apical pedicels, apical flagellomere longer than preceding segment. Verticils approximately as long as respective segments. Mesonotal prescutum brown without stripes. Pleuron brown, covered with gray pruinosity. Wing tinged with brown, stigma indistinct, cord surrounded by dark band. Male wing with widened distal part of cell sc, thus tip of wing is blunt and widely rounded, distal part of cell sc not widened in female. Cell r 3 distally strongly widened in both sexes. Discal cell missing, m-cu some distance before branching point of M. Haltere with dark brown knob and yellowish base of stem. Coxae yellow with testaceous bases. Legs generally brown with slightly darkened tips of femur, tibia and distal segments of tarsus. Abdomen brownish dorsally, light brown ventrally. Male genitalia rusty brown, ninth tergite with blunt lateral lobe, gonostyles long and narrow. Ovipositor with narrow cercus, distal part of which slightly raised.

Larva

Body length reaching up to 12.5 mm. Head capsule heavily sclerotized. Hypostoma with eleven anterior teeth. Abdominal segments II–VII with dorsal and ventral creeping welts. Spiracular disc surrounded by four lobes, with lateral pair of lobes almost entirely sclerotized.

Pupa Body length reaching up to 8 mm. Abdomen yellowish white, head, thorax, wings, legs and terminal

segment light brown. Pronotal horns large, flattened, ear shaped, anterior and posterior end widely curved inwards. Sheath of cerci long, sclerotized and directed upward, sheath of valvae reach only half length of sheath of cerci.

Material examined

SOUTH KOREA • 25 last instar larvae, 10 third instar larvae, 3 ♀♀ pupae, 14 ♀♀ pupae exuviae (in ethanol); Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Yangbuk-myeon, Janghang-ri ; 35°45.74′ N, 129°21.84′ E; 333 m a.s.l.; 28 May 2016 (1); Podeniene leg.; GenBank: MT233405 ; NIBR • 4 last instar larvae (in ethanol); Jeollabuk-do, Namwon-si, Sannae-myeon, Ipseok-ri ; 35°24.61′ N, 127°38.84′ E; 319 m a.s.l.; 11 May 2013; V. Podeniene leg.; NIBR • 1 ♂ (in ethanol); Gyeonggi-do, Yangju-si, Jangheung-myeon, Gyohyeon-ri , Doiryung Valley , Bukhansan National Park ; 37°41.42′ N, 126°59.38′ E; 242 m a.s.l.; 16 Oct. 2018 (2); H.–Y. Seo, S. Podenas leg.; S. Podenas det.; GenBank: MT233413 ; NIBR .

Description

Larva

MEASUREMENTS. Length 9.5–12.5 mm, width 1.6–1.7 mm. In general similar to that of E. mongolica Podeniene, Podenas & Gelhaus sp. nov.

BODY. Cylindrical, yellowish brown, hairs on dorsal and ventral sides darker than on lateral side. Abdominal segments II–VII divided into anterior and posterior parts, anterior part with dorsal and ventral creeping welts ( Fig. 7 A–C). Creeping welts with dark brown spines, arranged into transverse rows. All thoracic and abdominal segments I–II shorter than wider. Abdominal segments III–VIII approximately as long as wide. Pale circular area present on dorsum of all segments except the first thoracic segment ( Fig. 7B ).

HEAD. Length 1.00– 1.05 mm, width 0.90 mm. In general similar to that of E. mongolica Podeniene, Podenas & Gelhaus sp. nov. Differences were noticed in arrangement of sensory structures on labrum and frons, shape of mandible, number of teeth on hypostoma and prementum. Labrum bears two long setae and three sensory pegs on each side in the middle of anterior part ( Fig. 7D ). One long, three medium-long setae and sensory pit located on anterior margin of frons ( Fig. 7D ). Mandible conusshaped, with two large, blunt apical teeth, similar in shape and size ( Fig. 7E ), first ventral tooth is the largest, second ventral tooth blunt, basal teeth triangular. Dorsal tooth small and blunt. Prementum has four median large teeth with one smaller tooth on each side ( Fig. 7F ). Hypostoma bears 11 teeth, the middle tooth most prominent ( Fig. 7G ).

ANAL DIVISION. Spiracular field surrounded by four lobes, ventral and lateral lobes similar in length ( Fig. 8B, D ). Lateral lobe as long as wide, almost completely sclerotized, except small area in middle. Four medium-length setae located along the outer margin of lobe. Ventral lobe twice as long as width at base with dark U-shaped sclerite, ventral branches fused medially to form a complete line. Two long setae and three medium-length setae located at the apex. Paired medium-length setae and sensory pits located on dorsal margin of spiracular field. Spiracular field fringed with long firm setae, longest around apical margins of lobes. Each spiracle large, oblong, placed obliquely and inclined dorsally ( Fig. 8 A–B, D). Anal field consists of two pairs of conical, white, fleshy anal papillae ( Fig. 8C ).

Pupa

MEASUREMENTS. Female pupa 6.1–8.0 mm long, 1.4–1.5 mm wide.Abdomen yellowish white ( Figs 9 A–C). Head, thorax, wings, legs and terminal segment light brown, darker than abdomen. Male pupa unknown.

HEAD. Cephalic crest absent, surface smooth ( Fig. 9D ). Antennal sheath short, only slightly extending beyond wing base ( Fig. 9D ). Labrum rectangular with bluntly rounded apex ( Fig. 9B ), labial lobe triangular. Maxillary palp broad, transversal.

THORAX. Pronotal horn large, flattened, ear shaped, anterior and posterior ends widely curved inwards ( Fig. 9C ). Outer margin of horn entirely covered with numerous tubercles ( Fig. 9D ). Dorsum of thorax smooth. Apex of wing reaches ¼ of third abdominal segment ( Fig. 9 A–B). Legs reach anterior third of sixth abdominal segment. The innermost pair of legs shortest, the outermost pair longest ( Fig. 9B ).

ABDOMEN. Abdominal segments III–VI divided into anterior and posterior parts ( Fig. 9 A–C). Anterior part of dorsum of segments IV–VI with two transversal rows of spines ( Fig. 9A ) with segments III and VII with a single row of spines. Posterior part of segments III–VII with row of setae (five clusters composed of two setae each) ( Fig. 9C ), segments laterally with four to five long setae ( Fig. 9A ). Venter of abdominal segments VI–VII with two transversal rows of spines ( Fig. 9B ). Surface of abdominal segments smooth. Spiracles absent. Terminal segment slightly elongate ( Fig. 9E ). Sheath of cerci long, sclerotized and directed upward. Sheath of valvae reach only half length of sheath of cerci, not sclerotized. Mediodorsal spine well developed, triangular with rounded apex. A few long setae located on apex of both mediodorsal and anterodorsal spines.

Habitat

Larvae develop on vertical cliff surfaces kept wet by a film of water supporting algal growth (fauna hygropetrica) ( Fig. 10 ). Larvae usually make cases from silt ( Fig. 11 ). Pupae can make cases from mosses and algae ( Fig. 12 ).

Distribution

Recorded from China, North and South Koreas, West Siberia and the Far East of Russia.

Figures

Fig. 6. Female of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925 (NIBR).

Fig. 7. Larva of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925 (NIBR). A–C. General view. A. Lateral aspect. B. Dorsal aspect. C. Ventral aspect. D. Labrum, clypeus and antennae. E. Right mandible, dorsal view. F. Hypopharynx and prementum. G. Hypostoma.

Fig. 8. Larva ofElliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925 (NIBR).A. Terminal segment, dorsal view.B. Spiracular field. C. Terminal segment, ventral view. D. Spiracular field. Abbreviations: ap = anal papilla.

Fig. 9. Female pupa of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925 (NIBR). A–C. General view. A. Lateral aspect. B. Ventral aspect. C. Dorsal aspect. D. Head and thorax, lateral view. E. Terminal segment, lateral view. Abbreviations: as = anterodorsal spine; la = labrum; ms = mediodorsal spine; mxp = maxilar palp; ph = pronotal horn; sc = sheath of cerci; sv = sheath of valva; th = thorax; ts = terminal segment; I–VII = abdominal segments.

Fig. 10. Habitat of larvae and pupae of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925.

Fig. 11. Cases of larvae of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925.

Fig. 12. Pupal exuviae of Elliptera jacoti Alexander, 1925 in case (NIBR).