Leptoconops (Holoconops) fortipalpus, Mazumdar, Abhijit, Saha, Narayan C. & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2010

Mazumdar, Abhijit, Saha, Narayan C. & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2010, Blood sucking midges of Leptoconops (Holoconops Kieffer) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from India, Zootaxa 2619, pp. 49-55 : 51-52

2. Leptoconops (Holoconops) fortipalpus sp. n.

( Figs. 2 a–g )

Type material. Holotype Ƥ, India, Jharkhand, Tilaiya Guest House Complex, N 24o26’, E 85o31’, 30 July 1989, Coll: N.C. Saha. Paratypes 1Ƥ, same data as holotype, 2 Ƥ, India: Burdwan, N 23o 25’, E 87o 85’, 23 July 1998, Coll: N.C. Saha.

Etymology. The name ” fortipalpus ” derives from the strongly swollen segment III of the maxillary palpus.

Diagnosis. The species is diagnosed by clypeus having 2 median and 2 lateral setae, palpomere III bladder like with prominent sensory pit, wing light brown with dark brown stigma and anterior veins, hind tibial comb with 4 unequal setae, elongated to oval spermathecae with short neck and each bearing two rows of 7 and 8 spots forming a cap.

Description. Adult Female. Brown. Head. Eyes bare, widely separated as wide as 10 facets. Clypeus ( Fig. 2a ) with 2 median and 2 lateral setae. Antenna ( Fig. 2b ) brown, flagellomeres I–X broad urn-like bearing median and lateral setae, flagellomere XI elongate bearing numerous setae and an apical seta. AR 1.07. Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 2c ) brown, palpomeres I and II somewhat fused; palpomere III dark brown, strongly swollen, bladder like, with prominent sensory pit at midlength, palpomere IV+V long, cylindrical, with 4 apical setae; PR 1.62. Mandible ( Fig. 2d ) with 12 closely set teeth.

Thorax. Dull brown. Scutum with anterolateral and caudolateral setae.

Wing ( Fig. 2e ). Length = 0.90; Breadth = 0.27; CR = 0.49. Light grayish brown, with dark brown stigma and anterior veins, microtrichia covering wing surface, radial cell ill developed.

Legs. Coxa brown, trochanter pale, femora grayish, hind tibia pale; fore tarsomeres I–III pale, IV–V brown with tarsal spur, tarsomeres I with 2 basal, 1 medial and 6 apical setae, II with 1 apical seta; mid tarsomere I with 2 basal and 2 apical setae, mid tarsomeres II with 1 apical seta; hind tarsomere I with 3 subapical and 1 apical setae, hind tarsomeres II with 2 apical setae. Hind tibial comb ( Fig. 2f ) with 4 long unequal setae. TR of hind leg 1.46. Claws small, equal.

Abdomen. Tergites brown. Spermathecae ( Fig. 2g ) oval 0.048 x 0.027 and 0.038 x 0.023 with small neck and each with two rows of 7 and 8 apical spots forming a cap.

Adult male. Unknown.

Discussion. The stigma of wing and the spermathecae are similar to those of L. (H.) asilomar Clastrier & Wirth and L. (H.) binisiculus Yu & Liu. The palp segment III is similar to that of L. (H.) tibetensis Lee and L. (H.) yunhsienensis Yu but differs from other species of the subgenus. The combination of the characters like, setae on clypeus, bladder like palp segment III with prominent sensory pit, light brown wing with dark brown stigma and anterior veins, hind tibial comb with 4 unequal setae, oval spermathecae, each with two rows of 7 and 8 apical spots forming cap justify its establishment as new member of the subgenus.

Figures

FIGURES 2 a – g. Leptoconops (Holoconops) fortipalpus sp. n. Female: a: clypeus, b: antenna, c: maxillary palpus, d: mandible, e: wing, f: hind tibial comb, g: spermatheca.