Plecia hypogaea ( Heyden & Heyden, 1865 )

Skartveit, John & Wedmann, Sonja, 2021, A Revision of fossil Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) from the Oligocene of Germany, Zootaxa 4909 (1), pp. 1-77 : 27-29

Plecia hypogaea ( Heyden & Heyden, 1865) (figs. 33–39, 122–129)

Protomyia hypogaea Heyden & Heyden 1865: 23 .

Protomyia expositia Heyden & Heyden, 1865: 24 . Syn.n.

Protomyia grandaeva Heyden & Heyden, 1865: 25–26 . Syn.n.

Protomyia antenata Heyden & Heyden, 1865: 26 . Syn.n.

Protomyia elongata Heyden & Heyden, 1865: 27–28 . Syn.n.

Plecia pulchella Meunier, 1915: 216 . Syn.n.

Plecia ♂ Nr. 7 Statz, 1943: 32–33.

Plecia ♂ Nr. 12 Statz, 1943: 34–35.

Localities: Rott.

Material examined: Syntypes (females) of Protomyia hypogaea NMHUK In 58803 (fig. 33), 58804. Holotype (female) of Protomyia antenata NMHUK In 58795 (fig. 36). Syntypes (females) of Protomyia expositia NMHUK In 58806 (fig. 34), 58807. Syntypes (females) of Protomyia grandaeva NHMUK In 58800 (fig. 35), 58801, NMS 1893.114 .38, 1893.114.37. Holotype (male) of Plecia elongata NMHUK In 58829 (fig. 37). Syntype (male) of Plecia pulchella Siegburg Rott -18 (fig. 39, this syntype examined was illustrated by Meunier (1915, Plate XXV, Fig. 1). A second specimen illustrated by Meunier (Plate XXIV, Fig. 3) was not found).

Additional material: LACMIP 2533.274 (fig. 38, illustrated specimen), LACMIP 2533.263 (part and counterpart, illustrated specimen of Plecia ♂ Nr. 7).

Additional specimens, males: LACMIP 2533.265, 2533.1089, 2533.1210ab, 2533.1227ab, 2533.1235ab, 2533.1250, 2533.1260ab, 2533.1266ab, 2533.1267ab. STIPB: 3 males without catalog numbers (one with part and counterpart). Siegburg Rott-144. Females: LACMIP 2533.271/LACMIP Type 3403 (figured specimen), 2533.273/3405 (figured specimen), 2533.1082, 2533.1083ab, 2533.1086, 2533.1154, 2533.1183, 2533.1212, 2533.1213ab, 2533.1217ab, 2533.1218ab, 2533.1230ab, 2533.1231ab, 2533.1233, 2533.1249, 2533.1252ab, 2533.1253, 2533.1257ab, 2533.1259, 2533.1261, 2533.1270, 2533.1273, 2533.1275, 2533.1287, 2533.1289, 2533.1294, 2533.1304ab, 2533.1319, 2533.1328, 41997.105ab. An additional 33 female specimens from LACMIP had not been assigned catalogue numbers when they were examined. Isolated wings: LACMIP 2533.1201, 2533.1221, 2533.1288, 2533.1291, 2533.1292ab, 2533.1297, 2533.1320

Description:

Female (N= 70, figs. 33–36, 122–125):

Total length 5.5–8.7 mm (N=53)

Head (fig. 125): Length 0.58–1.03 mm (N=31, width 0.64–1.00 mm (N=39). Black, rather short and broad. Rostrum extends a little beyond antennal base. Complex eye medium-sized. Antennal flagellum 0.41–0.64 mm long (N=27), 0.09–0.13 mm wide (N=22), robust, conical, 8- or 9-segmented. Palpus brown, slender, not very long, terminal segment conical.

Thorax (fig. 125): Length 1.5–2.7 mm (N=57), width 1.3–2.2 mm (N=32). Reddish brown, haltere light brown.

Legs: Femora brownish-yellow with brown tips. Brown, slender. Hind tibial spores fine, a little curved. Hind tarsus dark.

Wing (figs. 123–124): Light brownish to brown fumose, costal cell somewhat darkened, veins light brown to dark brown. Humeral vein present. Costa reaches far beyond apex of R 4+5, usually to nearly half-way between apices of R 4+5 and M 1. Subcosta fine, straight, running well clear of R. Pterostigma brown, inconspicuous. R 2+3 medium- length, oblique, gently and evenly curved. R 4+5 apically almost straight. R-M vertical. M-veins apically straight, fork of M relatively narrow, asymmetrical: M 1 rather strongly curved, M 2 almost straight. CuA-veins apically straight. CuP fine, straight, far removed from CuA 2 reaching wing margin. A 1 visible on wing stem only. Vein measurements are given in Table 4.

Abdomen: Robust, brown, a little spindle-shaped. Last tergite with deep, V-shaped mesal cleft. Three spermathecae visible. Cerci small and rounded.

Male (N=17, figs. 37–39, 126–129): The holotype specimen of Plecia elongata has been broken in several pieces, partly glued together. Only the apical part of wing and abdomen are available for study. The description of non-terminalia parts based on additional specimens.

Total length 5.0–9.0 mm

Head: Brownish-black, oval. Ocellar tubercle rather large and tall. Antenna slender, flagellum conical, 8–9- segmented. Rostrum not prominent.

Thorax: dark brown. Notaulices deep and distinctive. Haltere light brown.

Legs: slender. Femora pale yellowish-brown with dark brown tips. Fore and mid tibiae and tarsi dark brown, slender. Hind tibia yellowish-brown, gradually darker towards tip, spur fine and sharp, length approximately oneeight of first tarsomere.

Wing (fig. 127): Light brownish fumose, veins light brownish, costal cell not darkened. Pterostigma broadly oval, brown, not very distinctive. Humeral vein present, oblique. Subcosta straight, running well clear of R, fine. Costa extends to about one-third between apices of R 4+5 and M 1. R 2+3 medium-length, oblique, evenly curved. R 4+5 apically strongly curved. R-M vertical to slightly oblique. M-veins apically gently curved, fork rounded. CuA-veins apically straight, CuP straight, fine, reaches wing margin. Vein measurements are given in Table 4.

Abdomen: blackish-brown, cylindrical, slender.

Terminalia (figs. 128–129): Hypopygium rectangular in outline. Gonostylus attached laterally, rather loing and slender, digitiform. Gonocoxosternite apically gently concave.

According to Statz, his Plecia sp. Nr. 7 = Plecia elongata Heyden sensu Meunier and also in the original sense.