Asycampta umngeni Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2023

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2023, A review of Afrotropical Porricondylinae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), with descriptions of five new species of Asynaptini from KwaZulu-Natal Province South Africa, Zootaxa 5244 (3), pp. 261-275 : 269-270

Asycampta umngeni Jaschhof & Jaschhof , sp. nov.

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Figs 11–15

Differential diagnosis. The male of this small species is characterized by the following terminalia structures. The gonostylus is unmodified apically ( Fig. 11 , arrow 1); the posterior margin of the ninth tergite has a deep, V-shaped notch medially ( Fig. 12 , arrow 2); the gonocoxal ventral emargination is shallow, with broad, largely glabrous margin basally ( Fig. 11 , arrow 3); and the small tegmen has 2 pairs of processes, of which the ventral are T-shaped ( Fig. 13 , arrow 4) and the lateroposterior are thick and comma-shaped ( Fig. 13 , arrow 5). This is the only Asycampta for which the venation includes a posterior fork formed by veins M 4 and CuA ( Fig. 14 ).

Male description. Body length 1.2 mm. Head. Eye bridge 4 ommatidia long at vertex.Antenna as long as body, with 15 flagellomeres, all with circumfila; apical flagellomere subdivided. Neck of fourth flagellomere 1.25 × as long as node ( Fig. 15 ). Labellum with several stiff setae apically. Palpus with 4 setae-bearing segments. Thorax. Pronotum glabrous; 3 anepisternal setae; 2 anepimeral setae. Wing ( Fig. 14 ). Slightly longer than body, length/ width ratio 2.8. Basal longitudinal vein nearly straight. Both veins M 4 and CuA weak, extending to wing margin.

Legs. Foreleg with femur and tibia of equal length, tibia 1.1 × as long as T 2. Claws moderately bent, 1 large, pale basal tooth. Empodia vestigial. Terminalia. Ninth tergite with unusual, characteristic outline, setae arranged in 2 lateral clusters ( Fig. 12 ). Gonocoxal synsclerite strongly narrowed anteriorly; anterior margin broadly rounded, weakly contoured; posterior portions of dorsal apodemes characteristically angled; anterior portions long, their lengths equal to distance separating them ( Fig. 11 ). Gonostylus 2 × as long as high, straight, slightly flattened, moderately convex posteriorly, slightly tapered towards apex; basolateral apophysis normally sized; setae near apex conspicuously small ( Fig. 11 ). Phallapodeme simply rod-shaped, as long as tegmen, well sclerotized, mouths of accessory gland ducts indistinct ( Fig. 13 ). Seemingly 2-pointed apex of tegmen small; parameral apodemes normal size ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet umngeni is a noun in apposition and refers to uMngeni, a local municipality in which the Karkloof Nature Reserve is located and type locality of the species.

Type material examined. Holotype. Male, South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Karkloof Nature Reserve (29°19.1′S: 30°15.5′E), 1325 m elevation, mistbelt forest, 28.ix.–24.xi.2005, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski (NMSADIP 212002).

Figures

FIGURES 11–15. Male morphology of Asycampta umngeni sp. nov., holotype. 11: Terminalia, ventral view. 12: Ninth tergite, dorsal view. 13: Tegmen and phallapodeme, ventral view. 14: Wing, dorsal view. 15: Fourth flagellomere, lateral view. Scale bars: Figs 11 and 15 = 0.05 mm; Figs 12‒13 = 0.025 mm; Fig. 14 = 0.5 mm. Arrows refer to characters described in the text.