Parameristomerinx copelandi, Woodley, Norman E., 2010

Woodley, Norman E., 2010, Parameristomerinx copelandi — a new genus and species of Afrotropical Pachygastrinae and a new generic synonym of Dolichodema Kertész (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), Zootaxa 2397, pp. 41-47 : 43-46

Parameristomerinx copelandi sp. n.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Diagnosis. Parameristomerinx copelandi is the only known species in the genus. It may be separated from other Afrotropical Pachygastrinae by the characters noted in the generic diagnosis.

Description. Male. Head brownish black to black, lower frons more yellowish-brown medially and face dark brownish sublaterally; narrow band along posterior eye margin yellowish white. Head without tomentum except for narrow region at lower eye margin that has silvery gray tomentum. Lower frons bare, face evenly pilose with silvery hair-like setae that gradually become longer toward oral margin where they are about as long as scape; gena and postgena similarly pilose, occiput with short, inconspicuous pilosity, a little longer and more visible just posterior to ocellar tubercle. Antenna with scape, pedicel, and first six flagellomeres dull yellow, seventh and eighth flagellomeres brownish black; scape and pedicel with black, erect hair-like setae, seventh flagellomere with a few such setae near apex, eighth with single apical seta. Palpus with first segment pale, second segment black with velvety vestiture and a few longer hairs at apex.

Thorax black, postalar callus indistinctly paler, scutellum with posteromedial margin brownish, parts of pleura brownish, upper margin of anepisternum with dull cream band that gradually narrows from anterior spiracle to wing base. Scutum evenly set with dense, semi-appressed hair-like setae that are mostly silvery gold, but setae dark and less conspicuous along longitudinal median band and small irregular areas sublaterally; setae on pleural areas slightly more erect and entirely pale. Foreleg with coxa brownish; femur light brown, gradually becoming yellowish at either end; tibia yellowish on basal third, beyond which is a narrow, slightly irregular brownish black band, followed by slightly wider yellowish band, and finally apical third of tibia is brownish black; tarsus with basal two-thirds of first tarsomere pale yellowish, remainder of tarsus brownish black. Midleg with coxa yellow; femur and tibia similar to those of foreleg; tarsus with first two tarsomeres yellowish, apical three brownish black. Hindleg with coxa brownish, femur with basal twothirds yellowish, apical third more distinctly darkened than on anterior legs; tibia with basal three-fifths pale yellowish with narrow dark medial ring in this section, apical two-fifths brownish black; tarsus with coloration similar to that of midleg. Wing pale brownish gray, slightly darkened in cells r2+3, r4 and anterior portion of r5. Halter with stem and base of knob pale yellowish, remainder of knob brownish black.

Abdomen with tergites dark brownish, sternites paler brown. Tergites with short black semi-appressed hair-like setae medially, lateral areas with longer, more erect setae mostly pale with a few darker setae intermixed; sternites with short, pale, mostly appressed hair-like setae.

Male terminalia with gonocoxites ( Fig. 9 ) evenly rounded laterally, posterior margin of genital capsule very shallowly triangularly produced, medial portion convex ventrally; gonostylus simple, evenly shallowly arcuate, medial face slightly concave on apical two-thirds; phallic complex trifid ( Fig. 7 ), the lobes evidently mostly fused except apically, median lobe slightly longer than lateral lobes, attachment structure with a pair of sharp, elongate processes directed posteriorly; epandrium ( Fig. 8 ) subquadrate, slightly tapered posteriorly, posterior margin rounded.

Length, 4.9 mm.

Female. Differs from male as follows: Head with wider frons as noted in generic description, frons 0.36 width of head; upper frons and vertex black, occiput brownish black becoming paler ventrally; lower frons whitish yellow with irregular blackish band extending nearly eye to eye just above antennae; face yellowish but lateral areas slightly more whitish and shiny, small medial area with blackish triangular spot widening from just below antennae to oral margin. Gena and postgena irregularly brownish with a more distinct darker brown spot below eye; post ocular orbit from lower eye margin up to vertex dull cream-colored. Frons and face with short, semi-appressed hair-like setae more or less uniformly covering surface, mostly pale silvery, with a few dark hairs laterally on upper frons.

Thorax with scutellum with posterior margin cream-colored ( Fig. 2 ). Creamy-colored band on upper margin of anepisternum wider ( Fig. 4 ) and posterior margin of anepisternum and upper posterodorsal corner of katepisternum yellowish. Foreleg with coxa yellow, femur mostly dark yellow with vague darkening medially. Midleg with femur yellow with darkened area just beyond middle that is most visible posteriorly. Hindleg with femur similar to that of midleg, except dark marking is about 4/5 from base. Halter entirely pale yellowish.

Abdomen with tergites brownish, narrow lateral margins of tergites 1–5 yellowish white. Cercus twosegmented, brownish black, segments subequal in length, second segment ovoid.

Length 5.5 mm.

Specimens examined. Holotype 3, KENYA: Coast Province, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, 3°25.21'S, 39°53.81'E, 12–19 May 2000, R. Copeland, Malaise trap (National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi). Allotype Ƥ, same data as holotype (USNM).

Etymology. It is my pleasure to dedicate this species to Bob Copeland, who has collected many interesting Diptera and other insects in East Africa.

Remarks. The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is the largest and most intact piece of coastal forest in East Africa and is known to harbor a number of endemic species of birds and mammals. It is a popular birdwatching site known for its diversity. It is not surprising that interesting and probable endemic species of insects occur there as well.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Habitus images of Parameristomerinx copelandi gen. n., sp. n. 1, holotype male, dorsal view. 2, allotype female, dorsal view. 3, holotype male, left lateral view. 4, allotype female, left lateral view.

FIGURES 5 – 9. Antennae and male terminalia of Parameristomerinx copelandi. 5, male antenna, lateral view. 6, female antenna, lateral view. 7, male phallic complex, dorsal view. 8, male epandrium and postgenital segments, dorsal view. 9, genital capsule, dorsal view.