Limonia opacipennis, Starý, 2017

Starý, Jaroslav, 2017, Four new species of Limonia from the Mediterranean (Diptera: Limoniidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57 (2), pp. 713-721 : 716-717

Limonia opacipennis sp. nov.

( Figs 3–4 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂ ( RMNH), ALGERIA: Petite Kabylie Mts, 32 km S El Aouana, 1300 m, 25.v.1986 (P. Oosterbroek leg.), labelled ‘ALGÉRIE / PETITE KABYLIE / P.Oosterbroek’ // ‘ 32 km S EL AOUANA / 1300 m / 25.V.1986 ’ [both printed, white labels] // ‘HOLOTYPE / Limonia / opacipennis sp. n. ♂/ J. Starý 2017’ [printed, red label]. The specimen is pinned, with left fore leg missing; apex of abdomen cut off, terminalia dissected and placed in a sealed plastic tube with glycerine, pinned with the specimen.

PARATYPES: 2 ♂♂ 2 ♀♀, same data as for holotype ( RMNH, JSOC). TUNISIA: Oued ed Demene, 7 km S of Aïn Draham, 600 m, along brook, 24.iv.1980, 1 ♀ (E. v.Nieukerken, G. Bryan & P. Oosterbroek leg.) ; Hotel les Chenes , 5 km S of Aïn Draham, 750 m, at light, Quercus faginea & suber veg., 23.-25.iv.1980, 1 ♀ (collector(s) not given, but most probably the same as for the preceding specimen) ( RMNH). All specimens pinned or micro-pinned on a stage of polyporus; terminalia, if dissected, placed as for holotype.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized species. Body colouration in general brown, restrictedly dark brown on dorsum of thorax and obscure yellow on pleuron. Wing membrane tinged brownish. Wing pattern diffuse, indistinct. Male terminalia with aedeagus of moderate length and breadth and paramere narrowly emarginated at posterior margin, with its inner process short, slender, rounded at tip. Body length 8.3–9.8 mm, wing length 8.2–10.6 mm.

Description. Male. Head dark brown to almost black, suffused with grey pruinosity on frons and vertex, somewhat shiny on rostrum. Palpus black. Antenna 14-segmented, short, not reaching to base of wing. Scape black, pedicel and flagellomeres paler, brown to yellowish brown. Flagellomeres elongate, subcylindrical. Longest verticils very long, about five times as long as their respective flagellomeres.

Thorax generally obscure yellow to yellowish brown. Pronotum brown dorsally, yellowed laterally. Prescutum and scutum with broad, dark brown, median area demarcated with prescutal setae, darker anteriorly, slightly paler posteriorly, sides of prescutum yellowish brown. Scutal lobes similarly dark as median prescutal area, obscure yellow in between. Scutellum pale yellow anteriorly, darker posteriorly. Mediotergite generally yellowish brown, paler anterolaterally. Pleuron essentially obscure yellow, darker on katepisternum. Wing moderately broad, with width-length ratio about 1: 3.5. Wing membrane conspicuously tinged brownish. Wing pattern consisting of three darker spots at anterior margin, diffuse and little-distinct, at origin of Rs, at tip of Sc 1, and over R 2, added with slightly indicated, diffuse, darker seams especially along Cu and so-called outer cord. Venation usual for Limonia , with discal cell moderately long; M 3+4 and M 4 subequal in length. Halter with pale stem and darker knob. Legs generally yellow, including coxae and trochanters, tips of femora slightly darkened, distal tarsomeres dark brown; tarsomeres 1 slightly longer than rest of tarsi.

Abdomen brown dorsally, paler ventrally. Male terminalia ( Figs 3–4 ) yellowish brown. Tergite 9 essentially semicircular in outline. Its posterior margin broadly rounded, formed by chitinized bar, with distinct U-shaped median notch. Gonocoxite usual in length and breadth. Gonostylus darkened distally, conical, moderate in length, evenly moderately arched and tapered to narrowly rounded tip, only slightly swollen in proximal half. Aedeagus of moderate length and breadth, considerably broad in proximal half, with another, narrower enlargement before apex. Paramere narrowly emarginated at posterior margin, with its inner process short, generally slender, rounded at tip.

Female resembling male in general appearance. Female terminalia with cercus slightly upturned, subacute at tip, subequal in length to tergite 10. Hypogynial valve straight, reaching beyond middle of cercus.

Differential diagnosis. This new species, probably a member of the L. phragmitidis (= L. tripunctata ) species group (cf. SAVCHENKO 1985), is distinctive by having its wing membrane conspicuously tinged brownish. A significant feature of the male terminalia is the shape of the paramere which is narrowly emarginated at its posterior margin, with its inner process slender, and rounded at the tip. A similar condition, with other features quite different, is known in L. sylvicola and L. eos Starý & Savchenko, 1976 .

Etymology. The name of this new species, opacipennis , a combination of opacus (= dark) and penna (= wing), refers to its brownish wing membrane. An adjective in nominative singular.

Figures

Figs 1–4. 1–2 – Limonia hartveldae sp. nov., male terminalia (holotype): 1 – general view, dorsally; 2 – aedeagal complex, dorsal view. 3–4 – Limonia opacipennis sp. nov., male terminalia (holotype): 3 – general view, dorsally; 4 – aedeagal complex, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.