Pseudolycoriella porotaka, Köhler, 2019

Köhler, Arne, 2019, The genus Pseudolycoriella Menzel & Mohrig, 1998 (Diptera, Sciaridae) in New Zealand, Zootaxa 4707 (1), pp. 1-69 : 45-47

Pseudolycoriella porotaka sp. n.

( Fig. 39 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:NomenclaturalActs/ EC 053068 -0F35-494E-9F41-4A28247CA143

Material studied. Holotype male. New Zealand: North Island , Bay of Plenty , Katikati, Te Mania catchment, Malaise trap, 19.09– 27.10.2016, leg. P.A. Maddison ( NZAC, SDEI-Dipt-0001225) . Paratype. 1♂ North Island , Bay of Plen- ty, Katikati, 449 Lund Road, Malaise trap, 25.07– 08.08.2016, leg. P.A. Maddison ( SDEI, SDEI-Dipt-0001250) .

Description. Male. Head. Head capsule brown. Eye bridge three facets wide. Scape and pedicel much paler than the brown flagellomeres; fourth flagellomere 2.3–2.4 times longer than wide; necks of flagellomeres well differentiated, paler than body of flagellomeres; surface of flagellomeres rough with deep pits, sensilla of two different lengths, small ones and longer, curved sensilla; densely arranged setae on the flagellomere shorter than flagellomere width, slightly curved, arising from small elevations. Maxillary palp very long and three-segmented, first palpomere longest, second one shortest; first palpomere with an inconspicuous patch of sensilla and four long bristles, one of which is longer and more robust, located on the outer side of the first palpomere. Prefrons and clypeus bulging. Thorax brown, laterally brighter. Posterior pronotum bare. Anterior pronotum with three to five setae. Episternum 1 with seven to nine setae. Mesonotum with five robust lateral bristles. Scutellum with four robust bristles and several minor setae. Katepisternum slightly longer than high. Wing. Length 2.7–2.8 mm; width/length ratio 0.36–0.37. Membrane transparent and without macrotrichia, anal area present; all posterior veins distinct, except faint stem of M, apical half to three-fifths of R 5 with macrotrichia on both ventral and dorsal sides; bM and r-m bare; R 1 0.8–0.9 times as long as R; c/w ratio 0.77–0.78; r-m as long as bM. Haltere brownish; head of haltere slightly longer than shaft. Legs yellowish pale brown, paler than thorax; coxae pale brown. Tibial organ surrounded by a circular border and as wide as half of the width of the tibial apex; tibial organ consists of an irregular row of bristles. Front tibia without robust bristles among the vestiture. Mid tibia without (holotype) or with two (paratype) robust bristles among the vestiture. Posteriodorsal row of bristles inconspicuous, extending along two-thirds of tibia apex. All tibial spurs equal in length. Claws with robust teeth. Abdomen concolourous with long, dark setae. Hypopygium ( Fig. 39 ). Gonocoxites wider than long, inner side of gonocoxites with small setae, outer side with long setae; ventral, inner side of gonocoxites not fused basally. Gonostylus elongate, slightly tumid in the middle, with a dorsal edge, 2.7–2.9 times longer than wide; apex moderately separated, slightly bent, apical end broad, blunt, on ventral side with a apical cavity without microtrichia, one spine and one whip-lash hair present. Tegmen of the typical ground plan of the Psl. jejuna complex, of very rounded shape; dorsal folds present; parameral apodemes basally strongly sclerotized, medially fused, distal branches very parallel and close. Area of teeth absent. Ejaculatory apodeme pale brown, slen- der, and long; base very delicate, long, and u-shaped. Posterior portion of gonocoxal apodeme medium sized and brown, joined medially. Anterior portion of gonocoxal apodeme short and dark brown.

Body size: 2.9–3.1 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Genetic distances. Both available COI sequences show a p-distance of 1.16%. The nearest neighbour is Psl. whena , diverging by a minimum of 9.30%. Both available 28S sequences are identical and do not show differences to the sequences of Psl. sudhausi and Psl. whena .

Etymology. Porotaka is a Māori word which means round or circular. The epithet refers to the roundish shape of the tegmen.

Distribution. New Zealand.

Discussion. Pseudolycoriella porotaka can be distinguished from all other species of the Psl. jejuna complex by the combination of a very rounded tegmen and a low width/length ratio of the fourth flagellomere. In addition, this species has flagellomeres with shorter and denser setae compared to the other species. Like Psl. nahenahe, Psl. sudhausi , and Psl. whena, Psl. porotaka has a narrow ejaculatory apodeme.

Figures

FIGURES 37–42. Pseudolycoriella jejuna complex, hypopygia. 37. Pseudolycoriella sudhausi sp. n. 38. Pseudolycoriella whena sp. n. 39. Pseudolycoriella porotaka sp. n. 40. Pseudolycoriella nahenahe sp. n. 41. Pseudolycoriella raki sp. n. 42. Pseudolycoriella dagae sp. n. Abbreviation: ba = basal angle.