Pseudolycoriella puhihi, Köhler, 2019

Köhler, Arne, 2019, The genus Pseudolycoriella Menzel & Mohrig, 1998 (Diptera, Sciaridae) in New Zealand, Zootaxa 4707 (1), pp. 1-69 : 23-24

Pseudolycoriella puhihi sp. n.

( Figs 5 & 16 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:NomenclaturalActs/ 0C3972BD-BD5F-4A83-A049-03D6FC42CCB7

Material studied. Holotype male. New Zealand: North Island, Taupo , Tongariro NP, Mangawhero River Valley 3 km NE Ohakune , 690 m, mixed podocarp/broadleaf forest, by sweep net, 03– 04.02.2002, leg. M. Jaschhof ( NZAC, SDEI-Dipt-0001523) . Paratypes. 2♂♂ North Island , Bay of Plenty , Katikati , 140 Wharawhara Road , bush area, pit- fall traps, 14.02– 05.03.2015, leg. P.A. Maddison ( NZAC; SDEI, SDEI-Dipt-0001420) ; 2♂♂ North Island , Bay of Plenty , Katikati , 140 Wharawhara Road , bush area, Malaise trap, 14.02– 05.03.2015, leg. P.A. Maddison ( NZAC, SDEI-Dipt-0001005 [without hypopygium]; SDEI, SDEI-Dipt-0001422) . 1♂ North Island , Taupo , Hauhungaroa Range , 5 km southwest of Tihoi , Podocarpus wood with ground ferns, sweep net, 21.12.1992, leg. M. Jaschhof ( PWMP [previously misidentified, published as Psl. bispina in Mohrig & Jaschhof (1999); incorrect collection locality published in Mohrig & Jaschhof (1999), slide with the printed label: “ Neuseeland, Nordinsel / Hauhungaroa Range , / Tihoi / Podocarpus-Wald / 21.12.1992 Käscher / leg. Jaschhof / coll. Mohrig ”])

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Description. Male. Head. Head capsule brown. Eye bridge three facets wide, two facets at margin. Scape and pedicel usually concolourous with flagellomeres, rarely with a slightly paler pedicel; fourth flagellomere 2.3–2.5 times longer than wide ( Fig. 5 ); necks of flagellomeres well differentiated; surface of flagellomeres rough with deep pits, densely scattered with long setae, which are as long as flagellomere width; small sensilla and longer, curved sensilla present. Maxillary palp three-segmented, first palpomere mostly as long as third, second one shortest, first palpomere with three to five bristles, one of these bristles longer and more robust. Prefrons and clypeus slightly bulging. Thorax brown, paler than head, central parts brighter. Posterior pronotum bare. Anterior pronotum with three to seven setae. Episternum 1 with five to seven setae. Mesonotum with four to five robust lateral bristles; row of dorsocentral bristles present. Scutellum with four robust bristles and several minor setae. Katepisternum slightly longer than high. Wing. Length 1.5–1.8 mm; width/length ratio 0.36–0.39. Membrane transparent and without macrotrichia, anal area well developed; all posterior veins distinct, stem of M weakest, apex of R 5 with up to five additional setae on the ventral side; bM and r-m bare; R 1 0.6–0.7 times as long as R; c/w ratio 0.65–0.71; r-m 0.9–1.2 as long as bM. Haltere short; knob as long as shaft. Legs pale. Tibial organ surrounded by a circular border and as long as half width of tibial apex; tibial organ consists of an irregular transverse row of bristles. Fore tibia without robust bristles among vestiture. Mid tibia with one to two bristles among vestiture. Hind tibia with eight to ten robust bristles organised in a longitudinal, posteriodorsal row; on posterior side of hind tibia one to four robust bristles among vestiture. All tibial spurs equal in length. Claws strongly toothed. Abdomen concolourous with thorax. Hypopygium ( Fig. 16 ). Gonocoxites wider than long, inner side of gonocoxites not fused basally. Gonostylus short, bean-shaped, and slightly curved, 1.9–2.2 times longer than wide, inner median edge strongly concave, apex blunt and with an inner cavity; two robust spines present, not inserted on basal lobes; one whip-lash hair present on the ventral apex of the gonostylus; on inner median site with conspicuous tendon insertion (ti in Fig. 16 ). Tegmen broader than long, apicolaterally with two not very broad, strongly sclerotized lobes, apex with a membranous edge; parameral apodeme short and robust. Area of teeth consists of approximately 15 small teeth. Ejaculatory apodeme brown, of medium length and narrow; base of ejaculatory apodeme delicate with thin branches. Posterior portion of gonocoxal apodeme of medium size and brown. Anterior portion of gonocoxal apodeme long and narrow.

Body size: 1.8–2.2 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Genetic distances. The maximum p-distance between all four available COI sequences is 4.44%. The nearest neighbour is Psl. orite , diverging by a minimum of 7.54%. Both available 28S sequences are identical and show no differences to a sequence of Psl. orite .

Etymology. Pūhihi is the Māori word for antenna. The epithet refers to the distinctive flagellomeres compared to the other species closely related to Psl. bispina .

Distribution. New Zealand.

Discussion. Among the species of the Psl. bispina complex, Psl. puhihi is the only one where the length to width ratio of the fourth flagellomere is less than three. This ratio results from the greater width of the flagellomeres ( Fig. 5 ). In addition, the flagellomeres are much more densely setose than in the other five species of this species complex. Furthermore, the length of the wing is shorter than in most other species around Psl. bispina (≤ 1.8 mm). The only exception that was examined is one specimen of Psl. bispina (SDEI-Dipt-0001418), which also had a short wing length (<1.8 mm).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Various body parts of Pseudolycoriella spp., in lateral view. 1. Pseudolycoriella dagae sp. n., fourth flagellomere. 2. Pseudolycoriella jejunella sp. n., fourth flagellomere. 3. Pseudolycoriella aotearoa sp. n., fourth flagellomere. 4. Pseudolycoriella bispina Mohrig, fourth flagellomere. 5. Pseudolycoriella puhihi sp. n., fourth flagellomere. 6. Pseudolycoriella jejunella sp. n., palp. 7. Pseudolycoriella robustotegmenta sp. n., head. 8. Pseudolycoriella jejunella sp. n., tibial organ. 9. Pseudolycoriella hauta sp. n., wing. Abbreviations: aa = anal area; bM = base of the medial vein; c = distance between intersection of vein R5 and radial vein and the end of costal vein; CuA1/CuA2 = first and second branch of the anterior branch of the cubital vein; M1/M2 = first and second branch of the medial vein (“M-fork”); R = radial vein; R1/R5 = first and fifth branch of the radial vein; r-m = crossvein between radial and median veins; w = distance between intersection of vein R5 and radial vein and intersection of vein M1 and wing margin.

FIGURES 14–19. Pseudolycoriella bispina complex, hypopygia. 14. Pseudolycoriella bispina Mohrig. 15. Pseudolycoriella teo sp. n. 16. Pseudolycoriella puhihi sp. n. 17. Pseudolycoriella orite sp. n. 18. Pseudolycoriella mahanga sp. n. 19. Pseudolycoriella porehu sp. n. Abbreviation: ti = insertion of the tendon of the gonostylus adductor.