Drosophila jambiya, Grimaldi & Jones, 2020

Grimaldi, David A. & Jones, Lance E., 2020, A Revision of the Drosophila spinipes Species Group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Zootaxa 4809 (1), pp. 1-28 : 14-16

Drosophila jambiya , new species

Figs. 5A , 7B

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC0D796A-C328-4C26-9C27-540BE3F4B923

Diagnosis: A very distinctive, small species with a unique oviscapt and protarsal spines: apical oviscapt pegs on two tubercles; protarsus with 9 spines, 5 on tarsomere 2, these 5 shorter, blade- (vs. fang-) shaped. Male unknown.

Description: Coloration typical of most species in the group. Body size small, thorax length 0.81 mm. Head: poorly preserved. Thorax: ADC/PDC 0.31; profemur particularly stout, F1/F2 0.80. Protarsus: Tarsomere 1 slightly smaller, shorter than tarsomere 2, with 4 spines alternating in size (spines 5, 7 small), spine 6 is largest one on protarsus, spine 8 slightly larger than spine 5, separated from spine 7 by a gap. Tarsomere 2 with series of 5 spines dif- fering only slightly in size, graded gradually from 1 (smallest) to 4 (largest); spine 3a appears to be supernumerary; tarsomere 2 spines apically curved on one side, like a blade. Oviscapt: pegs in dorsal triad on short tubercle, separated by ventral pair (also on tubercle) by very deep apical notch; 5 pegs in ventral series; all pegs approximately same size. Male unknown.

Holotype: Female, HS39, “Congo Belge [ Democratic Republic of the Congo]: P.N.G., Miss H. De Saeger, II/fd/17, 9-vi-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger, 1888”. Minuten double mounted, genitalia dissected by DG. In CNC.

Other Specimens: Known only from the holotype.

Etymology: Referring to the protarsomere 2 spines, which are shaped like the traditional Arabian dagger, the jambiya, treated here as a noun in apposition.

Comments: Normally we would not describe a species based only on the female, but the protarsal spines are so distinctive that there should be no confusion about identity even with species known only from males. The oviscapt will further distinguish this species among species for which females are known. Regarding label data, see above under hypandrilata . Head of the holotype specimen is very poorly preserved, having lost antennae and all setae, and is partially collapsed.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Protarsi of representative species in the Drosophila spinipes group, mesolateral view. Homologous spines are numbered (note spine 7 missing in D. malagasy specimen HS-20 [B], presence of supernumerary spine 3a in D. jambiya). A. D. jambiya n. sp. (HS-39). B. D. malagasy n. sp. (HS-20). C. D. malagasy n. sp. (HS-22). D. D. nigrospinipes n. sp. (HS-24). E. D. phalloserra n. sp. (HS-07). F. D. spinipes Lamb (NHMUK 014335956). G. sp. D (HS-03). All to the same scale.

FIGURE 7. Oviscapts, lateral view of right valves, with structures and peg groups used in the descriptions indicated in K. All to the same scale. A. D. cameroonensis n. sp. (HS-09). B. D. jambiya n. sp. (HS-39). C. D. malagasy n. sp. (HS-18). D. D. malagasy n. sp. (HS-28). E. D. phalloserra n. sp. (HS-11). F. D. phalloserra n. sp. (DMSA 140142). G. D. spinipes Lamb (NHMUK 014335956). H. D. suma Burla (HS-02). I. sp. A (HS-04). J. sp. B (HS-05). K. Species undetermined.