Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis, Ježek & Pont, 2016

Ježek, Jan & Pont, François Le, 2016, Psychodidae (Diptera) of New Caledonia: checklist and description of a new genus and species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 813-826 : 815-822

Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–21 )

Type locality. New Caledonia , Grande Terre , seashore of Touaourou village (eastern sea shore of New Caledonia). Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( MNHN, dissected, slide, red label), NEW CALEDONIA: Touaourou, 7.–14.iii.2015, light trap, LePont leg. PARATYPES: 27 JJ, from which 11 are of the same locality and data as holotype ; 2 paratypes, New Caledonia , Touaourou, 5.x.2015, light trap, LePont leg. ; 8 paratypes, New Caledonia , Provincial Parc of the Blue River , White River, vicinity of the station Locomobile, 20.ix.–4.x.2015, light trap, LePont leg. ; 1 paratype, same, in addition „ Filon de Chrome “ ; 5 paratypes, New Caledonia , Provincial Parc of the Blue River, White River, „foothills of Pouedihi Mts., Locomobile“, 20.ix.–4.x.2015, light trap, LePont leg. With the exception of one paratype from Touaorou collected in March and placed in IRD (dissected specimen, slide marked by red label), all remaining paratypes are deposited in NMPC (some specimens are dissected, all slides marked by yellow labels sensu TKOČ et al. 2014), Cat. No. 34660–34685, Inv. No. 21971–21996. The figures are primarily based on the holotype .

Description. Male. Head ( Fig. 1 ) almost circular in frontal view, flattened antero-posteriorly, vertex not elevated, without corniculi, insertions of supraocular bristles on dorsal margins of eyes enlarged. Scars on vertex clearly divided by a median, scar free band. Eyes separated, narrowest upper part of frontoclypeus approximately one half of facet diameter ( Fig. 2 ), eye bridge with 4 facet rows. The ratio of the distance between the eye apices (tangential points) to the minimum width of the frons is approximately 15.3: 1. The interocular frontal suture is well sclerotized ( Figs 1, 2 ), Y-shaped, doubled by a parallel ligament, slightly convex and barely transparent. The scar patch on frontoclypeus ( Fig. 1 ) broad, undivided and rounded anteriorly, with a shallow cleft, not covering tentorial pits, posteriorly with obtuse triangular protuberances on both sides and an acute prolongation extending back to middle level of eye bridges.

Antennae ( Figs 3 , 8 ) 16-partite and covered with microtrichiae, trichiae and scales. The scape is almost cylindrical, ratio of length to width 2: 1 (measured not in narrower basis). The pedicel is spherical, 1.4 times shorter than scape. Flagellomeres are amphora-shaped, slightly asymmetrical, necks are generally shorter than swollen basal parts except for two terminal antennomeres: 15th circular, 16th ovoid. The necks of 13th and 14th antennomeres are very reduced. The sensory filaments (ascoids) are generally two-branched ( Fig. 8 ), ad- ditionally with two minute triangular branches, or scarcely only one ( Fig. 3 ) in the case of basal flagellomeres.

Maxilla and palpus maxillaris ( Fig. 14 ): relative length ratios of palp segments 1.0: 2.3: 2.3: 2.5, the last segment is not annulated. Maxilla is 1.3 times as long as basal palp segment, the mouthparts extend beyond the both ends of basal segments of maxillary palps ( Fig. 1 ). For the terminal lobes of the labium, as shown in Fig. 15 , the lines of the spines between lobes are developed (in this slide only left aggregation is visible). Relative ratio of maximum length of cibarium to length of epipharynx approximately 1: 1 ( Figs 1 , 9 ).

Thorax: Thoracic spiracle circular, shape of thoracic sclerites as in Fig. 11 incl. insertions of macrosetae, pteropleurite trapezoidal. Two darkened (infuscated) patches on the thorax: adjacent to spiracle and conspicuously near the insertion of haltere. The length ratios of femora, tibiae and first tarsomeres P 1 2.1: 2.2: 1.0, P 2 2.3: 3.0:1.1, P 3 2.4: 3.2: 1.3, paired tarsal claws of P

1

are S-shaped, irregularly swollen, with prolonged and bent terminal part, pointed ( Fig. 4 ).

Wings ( Figs 10 , 21 ) broadly lancet-shaped (length 1.8 mm, paratypes 1.6–2.0 mm), with developed sensory pocket instead of the basal cell, expanding distally, bulging conspicuously on upper wing surface, concave on opposite side, anchored on R 5 in the ending of the first third of this radial vein, and opened to C, covered with numerous scales ; vein M 1 almost interrupted or weakened in the middle, hockey stick-shaped and strengthened in basal half of wing; medial wing fork not developed in contrast to radial one, basal part of M 2 reduced; veins R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , M 2 and CuA 1 with oval strengthened patches before the vein endings ; a longitudinal strengthened patch developed in CuA 2 in basal half. R 5 ends slightly beyond rounded wing apex. The three wing points: end of R 1 , radial fork and basis of neala (proximal foot) are in one line (180°). The bases of M 3, CuA 1 and CuA 2 are not connected. Haltere ( Fig. 16 ): knobs covered with minute, pedunculate and lanceolate scales ; ratio of maximium length of halteres to their maximum width 2.6: 1.0.

Male genitalia with ejaculatory apodeme stick-shaped in dorsal view ( Figs 5 , 18 ), annulated distally ( Figs 5 , 17, 18 ), blade-shaped in lateral view ( Figs 12 , 17 ). Aedeagal complex asymmetrical, with three digitiform projections of different lengths ( Figs 5 , 12 , 17, 18 ); parameres asymmetrical, forming a complex of dissimilar structures: left paramere ( Figs 5 , 18 ) consisting of a loosely attached rod-like sclerite ( Fig. 12 ); right paramere consisting of two components: spatula-shaped basally ( Figs 5 , 12 , 18 ) with a rugged blunt end distally ( Fig. 18 ), distal part of right paramere with a complex semicircular swinging part, with many irregular protuberances, loops and spines ( Figs 5, 6 , 12 , 18 ). Gonocoxites almost cylindrical ( Figs 5 , 19 ), gonostyli thin, slightly bent, gradually tapering to an acute apex ( Fig. 5 ), hook-like, with a conspicuous subapical bristle ( Fig. 19 ), 1.2 times as long as gonocoxites. Epandrium ( Figs 7 , 13 , 20 ) with scars separated by scar-free band in medial axis, epandrial notch deep. Central aperture not developed. Ventral epandrial plate ( Fig. 7 ) reduced to two boomerang-shaped protuberances proximally, medial block-shaped patch, conspicuously sclerotized, and two divergent immobile, spine-shaped projections with a globular basis, gradually tapering distally. Hypandrium stripe-shaped, with two triangular strengthenings ( Figs 5 , 12 , 17 ); hypoproct ( Fig. 13 , 20 ) almost square-shaped ( Fig. 7 ); epiproct fold-shaped, with a semicircular lobulus. Surstyli ( Figs 7 , 13 , 20 ) approximately 1.3 times as long as epandrium, C-shaped, subapically with one not frayed retinaculum, 2.6 times shorter than surstylus.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The new species name is the Latinized adjective caledoniensis (-is, -e) based on the country of origin.

Bionomics. Unknown.

Distribution. New Caledonia.

Figures

Figs 1–7. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen.& sp. nov., male:1 – head, frontal view (antennae and supraocular lateral bristles omitted, only setae alveoli marked); 2 – detail of facets, frontal view; 3 – scape, pedicel and flagellomeres 1 and 2; 4 – claw of P1; 5 – aedeagal complex and gonopods, dorsal view; 6 – detail of distal part of right paramere and lateral part of hypandrium, diagonal view; 7 – epandrium and surstyli, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1, 3, 5, 7 = 0.2 mm; 2, 6 = 0.1 mm; 4 = 0.03 mm.

Figs 8–13. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male: 8 – terminal antennomeres; 9 – cibarium, epipharynx and labrum, dorsal view; 10 – wing; 11 – thoracic sclerites, lateral view; 12 – aedeagal complex and part of hypandrium, lateral view; 13 – left part of epandrium and surstylus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 10 = 1 mm; 11 = 0.2 mm; 8, 9, 12, 13 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 14–20. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male: 14 – maxilla and palpus maxillaris; 15 – terminal lobes of labium, dissected; 16 – haltere, lateral view; 17 – aedeagal complex and hypandrium, latero-diagonal view; 18 – aedeagal complex and parameres, dorso-diagonal view; 19 – gonocoxite and gonostyle, lateral view; 20 – epandrium and surstyli, lateral view. Scale bars: 14, 16–18, 20 = 0.2 mm; 15, 19 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 21–25. 21 – Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male, part of wing in profile. Scale bar: 0.7 mm. 22 – New Caledonia, Touaourou, secondary forest, a giant banian tree (Ficus benghalensis L.) growing on an old coral seashore reef (Touaourou cave) – type locality of Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen.& sp. nov.23 – New Caledonia, Provincial Park of the Blue River, White River environment, the vicinity of the Station Locomobile and „Pont des Candélabres“, with fully developed trees and a dense population of saplings and understory vegetation.24–25 – CDC miniature light trap in different views, used in New Caledonia. Photo 21 by R.Gabriš, 22–25 provided by F. Le Pont.