Dicranomyia (Melanolimonia) annae, Starý, Jaroslav, 2023

Starý, Jaroslav, 2023, Dicranomyia (Melanolimonia) annae sp. n., with a key to the European species of the subgenus (Diptera: Limoniidae), Zootaxa 5271 (1), pp. 185-187 : 185-186

Dicranomyia (Melanolimonia) annae sp. n.

( Figs 1, 2 )

Diagnosis. Large species within European Melanoliminia. Body colouration black throughout, thorax patterned with silvery pruinosity. Fingerlike lobes on tergite 9 about one third length of those of D. (M.) stylifera . Wing length 6.3 mm.

Material examined: Type specimen 1 ♁.

Holotype ♁ (SMOC): Italy : Calabria: labelled “ ITALY: Calabria 22.5.2018 / Serre Calabresi Mts, / Mongiana 2.8 km NNE, / brook, 38°32’14”N 16°19’57”E, / J. Starý leg. (1080 m)” [printed, white label], „Holotype / Dicranomyia (Melanolim.) annae sp. n. ♁ / J. Starý leg. 2022” [printed, red label]. The specimen is glued onto a triangular cardboard point, mid and hind left legs are attached, fore left leg is glued onto the point, apex of abdomen cut off, terminalia dissected and placed in a sealed plastic tube with glycerine, pinned with the specimen.

Description. Male.

Head. Black throughout. Antenna very dark brown, generally short, reaching to base of wing. Flagellomeres ovoid to long-ovoid, gradually narrowing distally, with verticils subequal in length to respective segments.

Thorax. Polished black throughout, patterned with silvery pruinosity between scutal lobes and on middle part of pleuron. Wing slightly tinged with greyish, without any pattern, except for faint, greyish stigma. Wing venation usual for subgenus. Legs with coxae shiny black, slightly yellowed distally and trochanters yellow; femora and tibiae slightly darkened distally; tarsi darkened throughout.

Abdomen. Uniformly black. Male terminalia ( Fig. 1 ) black. Posterior margin of tergite 9 with two, slender, fingerlike lobes, lobes subequal in length to distance between them at their tips. Gonocoxite with rather long, arched ventromesal lobe, gradually tapering to narrowly rounded tip. Dorsal gonostylus straighter and shorter than in D. (M.) stylifera . Ventral gonostylus with long, straight rostral prolongation lacking rostral spines. Aedeagus massive, largest by far within European Melanolimonia . Paramere dilated at tip in dorsal aspect.

Female unknown.

Discussion. The new species closely resembles D. (M.) stylifera . The two species, however, differ, more or less, in nearly every detail of the male terminalia, most conspicuously perhaps in the shape of the posterior margin of tergite 9. In the new species, the lobes are subequal in length to the distance between them ( Fig. 1 ), whereas, in D. (M.) stylifera , the lobes are much longer, about three times the distance between them ( Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. The new species is named after my wife Anna for her constant support of my work during almost 50 years of our married life. I feel much ashamed this occurred to me only now.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Male terminalia, general view, dorsal. 1. Dicranomyia (Melanolimonia) annae sp. n. (holotype); 2 D. (M.) stylifera Lackschewitz, 1928 (Slovakia, Tatranská Kotlina, Belá valley). Scale bars: 0.25 mm.