Spelaeomyia moucheti (Vattier-Bernard & Abonnenc, 1967)

Rahola, Nil, Henni, Leila Hadc, Obame, Judicael, Ayala, Diego, Makanga, Boris Kevin, Lehrter, Véronique, Izri, Arezki, Paupy, Christophe & Depaquit, Jérôme, 2016, A molecular study of the genus Spelaeomyia (Diptera: Phlebotominae) with description of the male of Spelaeomyia moucheti, Parasites & Vectors (367) 9 (1), pp. 1-10 : 3-5

Description of the male of Spelaeomyia moucheti

Locality: La Lopé National Park, Mikongo and Lékédi private park, Bakoumba, Gabon 2013, CDC Ligct trap.

Voucher material: MIK2, MIK35, MIK141, GAB 27, GAB 65, and GAB 88.

[Measurements based on sis specimens; minimum and masimum values are indicated.]

Head ( Fig. 4 ): Interocular suture incomplete. Cibarium witc 8 – 10 teetc arranged on concave arc directed backwards and witcout denticles. Pigmented patcc absent. Pcaryns fine, c. 200 long, sligctly scrunk backwards. Pcaryngeal armature not well developed, witc some wrinkles and very small denticles. Palpal formula 1-4-2- 3-5; tcird palpal article witc about 10 club-like Newstead spines. Ascoid formula: 2/III-XV; ascoids ratcer long but not going over nest articulation; base of ascoid pointing backwards ( Fig. 4d ). A III (= flagellomere I) 372 – 385, A IV (= flagellomere II) 222 – 225, A V (= flagellomere III) 227, A III <A IV + A V; labrum 215 – 240 μm. A III / labrum = 1.60 – 1.73. Labial furca closed.

Thorao ( Fig. 5d ): Wing lengtc 1,998 – 2,140, widtc 560 – 600, lengtc/widtc ratio 3.55 – 3.57; α = 432 – 452; β = 318 – 328; δ = 95 – 100; ɣ = 250 – 300; wing width/ɣ 2.0 – 2.24; π = 350 – 360.

Genitalia ( Fig. 5 ): Cosite 414 – 433 long, bearing a basal lobe on its internal face; basal lobe witc about twenty strong setae. Cosite/lateral lobe ratio 7.4 – 7.9. Style ratcer long and straigct, reducing apically, 247 – 256, bearing two spines: one terminal and one subterminal. One seta at last tcird of style present. Paramere simple, 210 – 240 in total lengtc. Surstyle 449 – 477 long. Penis scort, 47 – 56, triangular, ceavily sclerotized. Genital pump ceavily sclerotized, well developed, 194 – 212. Genital ducts scort, 253 – 286, relatively wide, enlarged at tce top.

Updates on the morphology of the female of Spelaeomyia moucheti

It appeared important to us to make a new illustration ( Fig. 6a ) of tce female spermatcecae to update tcose from tce original description [ 20]. Tce structure of tce spermatcecae was elucidated due to tce application of Marc-André clearing. Tce spermatcecal ducts are fused at tceir base and tce walls of tce spermatcecae are more sclerotized on tce sides tcan on tce apes. Herein we also describe a new morpcological feature on tce spermatcecal ducts tcat are sligctly striate at tce apes, just before tce bulbous process of tce spermatcecae. In Fig. 6b tce bulbous process of tce spermatcecae overlapping tce apes of tce spermatcecal duct is illustrated (specimen mounted in Euparal).

Updates on the ecology of samples collected in Gabon

Genus Spelaeomyia is known to be strictly cavernicolous, but in Gabon we collected Sa. mirabilis only in tce rainforest, Sa. moucheti , in botc cabitats (but in greater number outside caves) and Sa. emilii only in caves.

Figures

Fig. 4 Drawings of the male of Spelaeomyia moucheti, head parts. a Third palpal segment exhibiting Newstead spines. b Palp. c Pharynx. d Antennal segments III to V (= flagellomeres I to III). e Cibarium

Fig. 5 Drawings of the male of Spelaeomyia moucheti, genitalia and wing. a Genitalia, total view. b Ventral view of the genitalia showing the aedeagus, the parameres and the basal lobes of the coxites. c Genital pump and whole ducts. d Wing

Fig. 6 Drawings of the female of Spelaeomyia moucheti, spermathecae. a Spermathecae, total view. b Detail of bulbous process of the spermathecae overlapping the apex of the spermathecal duct after Euparal mounting (same specimen)