Aspistomella obliqua Kameneva, V. Korneyev & Savaris, 2024

Kovac, Damir, Kameneva, Elena P., Korneyev, Severyn V., Araújo, Alexandre Santos, Savaris, Marcoandre, Smit, John T., Schneider, Alexander, Schreiber, Robert & Korneyev, Valery A., 2024, Revision of the Aspistomella group of genera (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Pterocallinae: Lipsanini), Zootaxa 5530 (1), pp. 1-117 : 54-58

Aspistomella obliqua Kameneva, V. Korneyev & Savaris , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F8A1EC81-94CD-4816-AE96-B8FE9984C8CD

Figs 6 H , 32–33

Material examined. Type. Holotype: ♂: Brazil: [Rio de Janeiro:] “ Therezopolis , Soberbo. 1000 metr. 22.1.1939. Trayassos & Oiticica”, “Otitoidea ( Ulidiidae )”, “ HOLOTYPE ♂ / Aspistomella obliqua Kameneva, V. Korneyev & Savaris ” [red label] ( MZUSP) . Paratypes: Brazil: Santa Catarina: 2♂, 1♀: “ Corupa ( Corupá ) / ( Hansa Humboldt ) / S. Cath. (Santa Catarina), Brazil / XII-1945 ”, “ A. Maller, coll. / Frank Johnson / Donor ”, idem, “ II 1945 ” and “ XII-1945 ”, respectively ( AMNH); 1♀ : Rio de Janeiro: “Itatiya / 20. Jan. 1927 / Zikán leg.”, “Lichtfang” ( ZFMK); 1♂: “Itatiaia, Est. do Rio, Brasil (Estr. Agulhas Negras, K. 6 - 2000 m) Tra. & Pearson 5/6 - 2 - [1] 951 ( MELQ ESALQENT001784 ); 1♀: “Itatiaia, Est. do Rio , Brasil (Macieira- 1830 m). 9/10 - 3 - [1] 951. D. Albuquerque col.” ( MZUSP); 1♂: “Therezopolis, Est. do Rio, XII - [19] 39 Freitas [col.]” ( MZUSP); 1♀: “ Est. do Rio, Itatiaia, Faz. Serra. 2 - [1] 945. Barretto col.” ( MELQ ESALQENT001785 ); 1♀: Itatiaia. 800 ms. 12 - [1] 933, S. Lopes ET R. Cunha [col.]” ( MZUSP); 1♀: “Angra-Jussaral. 2 - [1] 935, Trayassos & Oiticica F [col.]” ( MZUSP) .

Diagnosis. Aspistomella obliqua is the largest known species in this group of genera, with a wing length of almost 10 mm. It also differs from all other species of the group by the combination of the elongated pterostigma, vein R 1 dorso-apically setulose, crossvein r-m distally from R 1 apex, head with moderately wide frons, strongly developed epistome and outer vertical seta well expressed, 0.4–0.5× longer than inner vertical seta, prescutellar acrostichal seta present, wing narrow, more than 3× longer than wide; oblique hyaline interspace crossing whole wing from apex of R 1 to apex of CuA, dark subapical crossband uniformly narrow, cell m 1 with hyaline area in basal half; face below lunule with moderately small, rhomboid black microtrichose area not reaching bases of antennae, mid tibia ventroapically with 2 long spines and hypandrium with pregonites displaced postero-laterally from postgonites.

Description. Male. Head ( Figs 32 C, G, H ) ratio (length: height: width) = 1: 1.56: 1.8; frons, parafacial and gena reddish or yellowish brown, epistome medially and occiput mostly brown to black; face above transverse fold brown, white microtrichose, with black rhomboid or trapezoid spot at lunule not touching antennal sockets; epistome brown to brownish yellow laterally. Frons moderately wide, slightly narrowed posteriorly ( Fig. 32 G ), 0.9× as long (from lunule to anterior ocellus) or 1.46× (from lunule to inner vertical seta) as wide (at lunule), with brown or black, shining, sparsely silver microtrichose vertex; orbits, gena and occiput silver-white microtrichose; parafacial narrow, snow white microtrichose. Frontal plates with 8–9 short, fine parafrontal setulae and 4–7 frontal setae on each side; frontal vitta matt brown to yellowish brown, with 1–4 interfrontal setae. Eye 1.5× higher than long. Face densely white microtrichose (above epistome) except black spot at lunule black microtrichose; epistome sparsely white microtrichose, with steel or metallic cyan sheen. Clypeus brown to yellow, sparsely white microtrichose, subshining, 0.3× higher than epistome. Gena high, 0.34× higher than eye, brownish yellow, with moderately long genal seta and 4–5 additional long peristomal setae anterior of it, 0.5–0.7× longer than genal seta. Occiput with densely steel grey to white microtrichose.

Antenna yellowish to dark brown; scape and pedicel with numerous black setulae; postpedicel yellow, apico-dorsally dark brown or blackish, white microtrichose, 1.9–2× longer than wide, apically rounded; arista entirely black, 2-segmented, bare. Mouthparts black, prementum black, shining. Palp yellowish brown, widely crescent, apically rounded, with 18–25 strong black setulae, of them 3–4 subapical setulae 1.5–2× longer than other setulae.

Thorax ( Figs 32 A–C, F ) brown to black, with silvery, golden or purple sheen and sparse white and brown (posterior of transverse suture and in supraalar area) microtrichia not hiding underlying cuticle. Mesonotal scutum 1.3× longer than wide; black setulose, with 14–18 rows of setulae between rows of dorsocentral setulae; acrostichal prescutellar seta strong; prescutellar area with 8 rows of setulae between posterior dorsocentral setae. Scutellum dorsally very slightly convex, brown to black, with strong silver or golden sheen, sparsely microtrichose, devoid of setulae. Subscutellum and mediotergite black, silver microtrichose. All the setae and setulae black.

Wing ( Fig. 6 H ) 9.2–10.2 mm long, 3.1–3.3× longer than wide; basicostal cell hyaline; costal cell straight, 8–10× longer than wide, brown in basal and apical quarters of length, with costa slightly thickened and covered with longer setulae before apex of vein Sc; pterostigma entirely brown, triangular, 2.0–2.5× longer than wide, vein R 1 with 10–12 setulae dorsally ( Fig. 32 I ), ending proximal to crossvein r-m level in both sexes; vein R 2+3 arcuate, at apex bent anteriorly to costa. Crossvein r-m in distal third of cell dm or slightly proximally. Cell r 4+5 5.4–5.5× longer than wide, apically narrowed. Cell m 1 narrow triangular; ultimate section of M 1 2.9–3× longer than crossvein dm-m and 1.4–1.5× longer than penultimate section. Vein CuA Z-shaped, forming long posteroapical lobe of cell cua along vein CuP, 3× longer than its anterior shoulder ( Fig. 32 I ). Wing pattern with short but rather wide subbasal crossband from humeral vein through cell cua into alula, and large dark brown mark from apical quarter of costal cell and pterostigma into cell cua 1, with narrow and oblique hyaline crossband from apex of vein R 1 through base of cell r 4+5 and apex of cell dm into apex of cell cua 1; middle of cell r 4+5 above dm-m and middle of cell m 1 with oblique hyaline incision ( Figs 6 H , 32 A, B, E, F ). Cell cup and anal lobe as wide as cell cua ( Fig. 32 I ). Alula 3× longer than wide, grey, darkened in apical half. Calypters white, with very long white cilia, some almost as long as calypters. Halter yellow.

Legs mostly black, except coxae, trochanters and bases of femora brownish yellow; tibiae brown to black, fore and mid tarsus brown, hind tarsus brownish yellow; femora with metallic sheen, silvery microtrichose. Fore femur with 2 rows of posterodorsal and posterior setae half as long as femur width, and 6–8 moderately strong posteroventral setulae in apical half ( Fig. 32 J ). Mid femur anteriorly with short suberect setulae; mid tibia ventrally with two subequal spur-like setae 1–1.3× longer than tibia width.

Abdomen black, with tergites 5–6 brown to black, black setose and setulose, with faint golden, steel or greenish metallic sheen.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 33 ) with moderately large, subovoid, mostly separated cerci ( Figs 33 A, B, D ); epandrium densely setulose, wide ovoid, with narrow, mesally directed surstyli having no lobes, and bearing only a few setulae on medial surface, and also one thicker pimple-like apical process ( Fig. 33 D ). Phallus rather short, bare, 1.5–2 times as long as epandrium high ( Fig. 33 B ). Hypandrium with very wide phallic guide forming long laterally directed lobes connected with pair of long, posteriorly projected pregonites posterior of basiphallus ring; pair of suboval postgonites laterally of basiphallus, both with groups of 5–7 trichoid sensilla, on pregonites almost twice longer than on postgonites ( Figs 33 E–G ).

Female terminalia: aculeus with ovoid, long-setulose cercal unit; 2 globose spermathecae.

Etymology. The species name is the Latin adjective, reflecting the presence of an oblique medial hyaline crossband, which is an essential character of this species.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Aspistomella, wing. A, A. sachavaca sp. nov.; B, A. schnusei sp. nov.; C, A. angustifrons (Hendel); D, A. garleppi sp. nov.; E, A. crucifera (Hendel); F, A. quinquincisa sp. nov.; G, A. teresensis sp. nov.; H, A. obliqua sp. nov. Abbreviations: C—costal vein; c—costal cell; M1—first branch of media; m1—first medial cell; ptstg—pterostigma; r1—first radial cell; rm—radial-medial crossvein. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 32. Aspistomella obliqua sp. nov., holotype ♂ (A–D) (MZUSP) and paratype ♂ (E–G) (AMNH). A, E, habitus, left; B, F, same, dorsal; C, head and thorax, left; D, labels; G, head, anterior; H, head, left; I, wing, anterobasal part; J, fore femur. (A–D by Alexandre Araújo and Marcoandre Savaris.) Abbreviations: C—costal vein; c—costal cell; cua—anterior cubital cell; ptstg—pterostigma; R1—anterior branch of radius.

FIGURE 33. Aspistomella obliqua sp. nov., paratype ♂ genitalia (AMNH). A, postabdomen, posterior; B, same, lateral; C, same, anterior; D, same, ventral; E, hypandrium, anterodorsal; F, same, posteroventral; G, same, dorsal. Abbreviations: bph—basiphallus; cerc—cerci; ph g—phallic guide; ph—phallus; phapod—phallapodeme; pgt—postgonite; pregt—pregonite; sur —surstylus.