Hybos conicus Grootaert & Bartak, 2021

Kanavalova, Liliana, Grootaert, Patrick, Kubik, Stepan & Bartak, Miroslav, 2021, Four new West Palaearctic species and new distributional records of Hybotidae (Diptera), ZooKeys 1019, pp. 141-162 : 141

Hybos conicus Grootaert & Bartak sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2

Hybos culiciformis (Fabricius, 1775): partim in Shamshev et al. (2015: 455, figs 10, 15, 20).

Hybos sp. nr. culiciformis (Fabricius): Barták and Kubík (2018: 478).

Type material.

Holotype ♂, Turkey, Akyaka, forest, 30 m, 37°03'16"N, 28°19'35"E, Barták, Kubík, 30.iv.-9.v.2013 (CULSP). Paratypes: 3♂, same data as holotype; 1♂, 2♀, same locality, 40 m, SW, 37°03'19"N, 28°19'36"E, Barták, Kubík, 26.iv.2016; 1♂, Akyaka, pasture, 8 m, 37°03'11"N, 28°20'33"E, Barták, Kubík, 27.iv.2016; 5♂, 11 km E of Muğla, pine wood + meadow, 1310 m, 37°12'45"N, 28°27'42"E, Barták, Kubík, 1.v.2013; 1♂, 2♀, 13 km NE of Muğla, pasture/pine wood, 1200 m, 37°14'50"N, 28°30'E, Barták, Kubík, 23-27.vi.2015; 1♂, 1♀, same locality, 37°15'N, 28°30'E, 1100-1300 m, Barták, Kubík, 2-3.v.2016; 2♀, Muğla University campus, edge of pine wood + Quercus shrubs, 710 m, MT, 37°09'39"N, 28°22'20"E, Barták, Kubík, xi.2012-iii.2013; 1♂, same locality, 37°09'42"N, 28°22'13"E, H. Kavak, 26.v.-26.vi.2015; 4♂, 3♀, Gökçeova Gölü, lake shore, 1750 m, 37°03'42.52"N, 28°48'28.42"E, Barták, Kubík, 20.ix.2012; 1♂, 8 km S of Çine, river bank, 68 m, SW, 37°32'34"N, 28°03'46"E, Barták, Kubík, 29.iv.-1.v.2016; 5♂, 1♀, Greece: 7 km E of Mt. Olympus, wood, excrements, 1100 m, 40°6'13"N, 22°25'36"E, M. Barták, 23.v.2007 (all CULSP, except 1 ♂ RBINS).

Diagnosis.

A species of Hybos Meigen very similar to H. culiciformis , but with postpedicel longer than bare apical mechanoreceptor, dark scutellars, shorter ventral preapical seta on mid tibia, and lateral margins of tergites 3-5 almost entirely microtrichose. The most important difference is in the male terminalia: the right epandrial lamella extends posteriorly into a cone-shaped projection.

Etymology.

The species is named after the conical right epandrial lamella.

Description.

Male head black, holoptic. Eyes contiguous over long distance leaving only very small triangle above antennal base, upper ommatidia much larger than lower. Prominent and microtrichose ocellar triangle with pair of black setae (about 0.18 mm long) and additional pair of much smaller setae posteriorly. Occiput microtrichose, with black setae on dorsal third subequal to length of ocellars, arranged almost in single row (with only several setae posteriorly), which moves away from eye margin towards middle of occiput, being ventrally replaced by another postocular row of setae starting at about middle of eye hind margin. Face microtrichose, rather narrow (0.07 mm at middle, narrowing ventrally), clypeus lustrous, gena invisible. Palpus brown, narrow basally, slightly broadened apically, reaching tip of proboscis, with several short black setae. Proboscis brownish-black, shiny, directed slightly obliquely anteriorly, about 0.60 mm long (subequal to head length), ventrally with several very short spines. Antenna black, scape (0.04-0.05 mm long) without setae, pedicel (0.05-0.07 mm) with circlet of short setae. Postpedicel elongate ovate (0.17-0.21 mm long and 0.08-0.09 mm wide), stylus whitish (darker basally), more than twice longer than postpedicel (0.38-0.45 mm long), with rather long, bare apical mechanoreceptor (0.10-0.15 mm long). Thorax moderately arched, black, entirely microtrichose (microtrichia rather long), except small lustrous spots on sides of antepronotum behind setae and shiny apex of postpronotum. Scutum (especially central part) with distinct brownish tomentum, posthumeral area with “vortex” of microtrichia giving impression of dark spot from anterodorsal view. Chaetotaxy: prosternum (isolated sclerite) without setae, antepronotum with collar of short black setae, postpronotal seta small, presutural intra- and supra-alar not differentiated from setulae, acrostichals irregularly 6-serial, short (about 0.10 mm), only narrowly separated from dorsocentrals (rarely acrostichals almost 4-serial, sometimes with several setae inserted in interspace between outer acrostichal row and dorsocentrals). Dorsocentrals irregularly uniserial, subequally long as acrostichals or slightly longer, ending in one strong black seta inserted a long distance from scutellum. Single long black to pale proepisternal seta, usually 2 long, strong black notopleurals (lower one half as long as upper one), 1 postalar, scutellum with pair of usually black (rarely pale), long strong setae and additional much smaller pale setae (usually 4 pairs). Legs: coxae black, microtrichose (except shiny spot anteriorly on hind coxa) and pale setose. Femora black, fore and hind tibiae often lighter (reddish-brown), mid tibia yellow to reddish-yellow (colour of tibiae rather variable), tarsi usually brown, knees of all legs yellowish. Coxae mostly pale setose, legs with both pale and black setae. Fore femur and tibia slightly broader than mid femur and tibia. Fore femur with sparse setae ventrally, shorter than femur depth. Fore tibia with one strong, submedian anterodorsal seta and a similarly long, preapical anterior seta, other setae short, posterior and posteroventral setulae scarcely longer than tibia depth; similar setae on very narrow and long fore tarsus. Mid femur with row of several anterodorsal black setae shorter than femur depth, ventral setosity similar to fore femur. Mid tibia with 2-3 anterodorsals and 1-3 anteroventrals, preapical anteroventral (or ventral) seta about 0.20-0.30 mm long; mid tarsus similar to fore tarsus, basitarsus only slightly shorter. Hind femur swollen, ventral spines in proximal third of femur arranged in 2-3 irregular rows, in more distal part anteroventral row consists of 4-6 longer spines (about 0.15 mm long) and posteroventral row of much shorter and more densely arranged spines, area posteriorly of posteroventral spines with rather long, mostly pale posteroventrals slightly longer than femur depth in apical third, with several spine-like anterodorsals slightly longer than femur depth. Hind tibia slender, with thin setulae at most slightly longer than tibia depth; tarsus slightly shorter than fore tarsus, basitarsus ventrally with very short spines. Wing darkened to various extent, some specimens (immature?) with almost hyaline wings, but others with wing distinctly darkened, darker in area proximal of basal crossveins and anteriorly (in radial cells). Pterostigma almost hyaline in light winged specimens but dark brown in specimens with darkened wing, elongate-ovate, symmetrically around tip of vein R1. Wing entirely microtrichose; basal costal seta absent; Sc incomplete, apically closely approaching R1. Costa ends at tip of M vein, anal vein complete and depigmented. Halter pale yellow, calypter whitish-yellow with white margin and yellow fringes. Abdomen nearly entirely microtrichose, tergites with only narrow hind margin lustrous (shiny margin occupies less than one-third of length of tergites), whole abdomen pale (yellow to white) setose. Dorsum of tergites with very short setulae, lateral parts with setae subequally as long as their segments (longest on segments 2-3, up to 0.35 mm long). Sternites 1-2(3) shiny, remaining sternites microtrichose with shiny posterior part, sparsely setose with rather long pale setae, sternite 1 bare. Male terminalia as in Figure 2 . Right epandrial lamella with conical tip (Fig. 2A, C , arrow), bearing rather short setae. Right surstylus saddle-shaped with truncate tip. Left surstylus as in Fig. 2B . Apex of hypandrium truncate with short finger-like projection towards left side (Fig. 2C ). Length: body 3.1-4.4 mm, wing 3.1-4.1 mm.

Female. Very similar to male except usual sexual differences. Abdomen similarly coloured and setose as in male; tergites with narrower hind lustrous margin (occupying about 1/4 of tergite length), tergite 7 encircling almost entire abdomen, similarly setose as preceding one, sternite 7 widened, broader than long; tergite 8 dorso-apically depigmented, laterally with long darkened setae overreaching abdomen (longest about 0.30 mm long), sternite 8 heart-like, widened, posteromedially with U-shaped cavity bearing 2 long, close-set spine-like setae directed dorsally. Length: body 3.4-4.4 mm, wing 3.4-4.4 mm.

Remarks.

The Palaearctic species of Hybos were recently treated by Shamshev et al. (2015). In that paper it was shown that one of the most common European species, Hybos culiciformis (Fabricius, 1775), consisted of a complex of populations with a gradient of differences in the male terminalia and the colour of setae. The male terminalia of the Mediterranean species probably form a geographic gradient and since the differences were not supported by COI barcoding ( Shamshev et al. 2015), these different “populations” were not split up into species. However, we now consider one species as distinctly different (differences outlined below) and we treat it as a separate species described here as new ( Hybos conicus sp. nov., HCO). HCO is very similar to H. culiciformis (HCU), however, HCO has a larger postpedicel (longer than bare apical mechanoreceptor, shorter in HCU), dark scutellars (mostly yellow in HCU), shorter ventral preapical seta on mid tibia (usually shorter than 0.35 mm in HCO but longer than 0.40 mm in HCU) and larger microtrichose areas of the abdomen (lateral margins of tergites 3-5 almost entirely microtrichose in HCO, but almost entirely lustrous in HCU). The most important difference is in the male terminalia: the right epandrial lamella extends posteriorly into a cone-shaped projection in HCO, and is easily visible without dissection.

The new species was previously illustrated in Shamshev et al. (2015) on the basis of a male from Greece. The cone-shaped right epandrial lamella is similar to Shamshev et al. (2015, fig. 10) versus Fig. 2A as well as the shape and bristling of the left epandrial lamella in Shamshev et al. (2015, fig. 15) versus Fig. 2B and the hypandrium in Shamshev et al. (2015, fig. 20) versus Fig. 2 C . The side of the phallus does not bear spinules like in specimens of true H. culiciformis ( Shamshev et al. 2015, figs 5, 6 versus Fig. 2D of H. conicus sp. nov.).

Raffone (2011) described H. fulvitarsatus Raffone and the differences from H. culiciformis stated in that paper are all highly variable; moreover, illustrations of the terminalia clearly correspond the H. culiciformis . H. fulvitarsatus is apparently different from the above-described species and it is probably identical to the H. culiciformis , but a formal synonymy will be possible only after the examination of type specimens.

Distribution.

Turkey, Greece.

Figures

Figure 1. Hybos conicus sp. nov., male habitus, paratype.

Figure 2. Hybos conicus sp. nov. Male terminalia A epandrium, dorsal view B left epandrial lamella C hypandrium D phallus, lateral view E phallus tip, lateral view F phallus, ventral view G phallus, detail of tip, ventral view. Abbr. hyp: hypandrium; lel: left epandrial lamella; ls: left surstylus; rel: right epandrial lamella; rs: right surstylus. Arrow indicates conical apex of right epandrial lamella. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.