Mohelia matilei, Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira, 2015

Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira, 2015, On Afrotropical Mohelia Matile (Diptera, Mycetophilidae): new species and phylogenetic comments, Zootaxa 3947 (2), pp. 251-263 : 252-256

Mohelia matilei sp.n.

( Figures 2 , 5–8 , 11 , 14 , 16 )

Differential diagnosis. Body brown with yellow legs. Dorsal projection of gonostylus rounded, with long seta directed medially; ventral projection elongated, thin, with a line of setae. The brown body and yellow legs differentiate this species from the other Mohelia species. However, the general morphology of the male terminalia resembles both M. nigricauda (see Matile’s illustrations, 1979: 271, Figs 35–36), especially in the weakly sclerotized gonostylus, with some sparse setae, and M. amorimi sp.n. because of the long and well sclerotized bristles on the margins of tergite 9.

Material examined. Holotype, adult male. SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu Natal, Louwsburg, Sanyati Farm, 27°34’S 31°17,9’E, 1090 m, 1–24.iii.2006, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski coll. NMSA-DIP 57724 (in alcohol, NMSA). Paratypes: same data as holotype (2♂ one on slide, other in alcohol, MZUSP; 6♂, 1♀ in alcohol, NMSA); same data as holotype except NMSA-DIP 57723 (2♂ in alcohol, MZUSP; 5♂ in alcohol, NMSA); same data as holotype except NMSA-DIP 57725 (7♂ 2♀ in alcohol, NMSA). Northern Cape, Avontuur Farm, 16 Km NW Nieuwoudtville, 764 m, 31º16.249’S 19º02.900’E, 15.vii–27.viii.2009, Malaise trap, Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos, S. van Noort leg., GL07-FYN1-M126 (2♂ in alcohol, MZUSP; 2♂, 1♀ in alcohol, SAMC). Western Cape, Fynbos Estate Dragonridge, 33º34.092’S 18º47.680’E, 635 m, 30.vii–28.ix.2010, Malaise trap, Boland Granite Fynbos, Simon van Noort leg., DRA09-FYN1-M04 (1♂ 2♀ on slides, MZUSP; 1♂, 3♀ in alcohol, SAMC).

Additional material examined (not included in paratypes due to poor quality of material). SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu Natal, Louwsburg, Sanyati Farm, 27°34’S 31°17,9’E, 1090 m, 1–24.iii.2006, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski coll. NMSA-DIP 57724 (1♀ in alcohol, NMSA); same data except NMSA-DIP 57723 (3♂ in alcohol, NMSA). Northern Cape, Avontuur Farm, 16 Km NW Nieuwoudtville, 764 m, 31º16.249’S 19º02.900’E, 15.vii– 27.viii.2009, Malaise trap, Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos, S. van Noort leg., GL07-FYN1-M126 (3♂, 1♀ in alcohol, SAMC). Western Cape, Fynbos Estate Dragonridge, 33º34.092’S 18º47.680’E, 635 m, 30.vii–28.ix.2010, Malaise trap, Boland Granite Fynbos, Simon van Noort leg., DRA09-FYN1-M04 (6♀ in alcohol, SAMC).

Description. Male ( Fig. 2 ). Total length 3.8 mm (n=6).

Head ( Figs. 2 , 5–6 ). Head brown, triangular. Vertex with scattered setae. Three ocelli forming a straight line, median ocellus smaller, lateral ocelli more than twice their diameter from the eye margin. Frons covered with setulae. Face bare, narrowly rectangular, larger than clypeus; clypeus bare, almost triangular, not protruding below the ventral margin of the head; labrum triangular, elongated, almost twice length of clypeus. Labellum yellowish, elongate, almost the same as head height. Maxillary palp with four segments, fourth segment yellowish, almost twice the length of third, first and second segments shorter and rounded, strongly fused. Scape shorter than pedicel, rounded; scape and pedicel with dense setae on their apicodorsal margin; antennal flagellomeres petiolate, longer than broad, covered with setulae. Thorax ( Fig. 5 ). Thorax brown, legs yellow. Pronotum light-brown, two strong setae dorsally. Scutum covered with short scattered setae and bearing supra-alar bristles. Scutellum with four bristles. Proepisternum light brown, setose at margins; proepimeron light brown, bare. Propleuron yellowish, meso- and metapleuron brown, entirely bare, except laterotergite bearing some setae on its posterior half. Haltere whitish, setose. Foreleg smaller than mid- and hind legs. Tibia notably enlarged at apex. Tibial setae arranged in regular longitudinal rows on mid- and hind tibia, hind tibia with a posterior line of spines ( Fig. 7 ), spurs 1:2:2, almost twice length of tibial diameter at apex. Hind tibia apex bearing many regularly arranged setae. Wing ( Fig. 8 ). Length: 2.2 mm, width: 1 mm. Membrane without macrotrichia, hyaline; sc-r absent; C extending well beyond apex of R5, almost reaching wing tip; Sc short, free, inclined toward R. R1 as long as r-m, reaching C at medial third of wing; Rs perpendicular to R5; R5 reaching C well before wing tip, almost straight; r-m transverse, about five times length of base of Rs. M1+2 almost three times longer than r-m, as long as the medial fork; M1 and M2 parallel; cubital fork as long as basal segment of CuA; A1 inconspicuous. M1, M2, M4, and apical third of second sector of CuA with macrotrichia apically, on both side of the wing. Abdomen ( Fig. 2 ). Abdomen brown. Terminalia ( Fig. 11 ). Terminalia brown. Tergite 9 broader than long, setose, with long and well sclerotized bristles at its lateral margins, connected laterally with the gonocoxite by a lateral projection, bare; gonocoxite with extensions posterodorsal to the base of the gonostylus, rounded distally, setose; gonostylus with two main projections, dorsal projection rounded, with long seta in median region, ventral projection elongated, thin, with a line of setae; ejaculatory apodeme rounded at apex and bifid at base; parameres well developed, enclosing the aedeagus; cercus rounded, covered with setulae.

Female. As males, except as follows. Head. Antennal flagellomeres smaller, shorter than the males. Wing. Length: 2.6 mm, width: 1 mm. Abdomen. Tergite and sternite 7 yellowish. Terminalia ( Fig. 14 ). Terminalia yellowish, covered with scattered setae. Posterior margin of sternite 8 rounded, with three apical bristles, anterior margin depressed; S8 almost as long as the cercus; first cercus elongated, longer than the oval second cercus.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 16 ). South Africa (KwaZulu Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape).

Etymology. The species name is a masculine genitive, named in honour of Loïc Matile (1938-2000, MNHN) to mark his marvellous work with Mycetophiliformia, including the description of Mohelia .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Mohelia matilei sp. n., ♂ paratype, terminalia. A. Tergite 9 and cerci, dorsal view. B. Dorsal view, T 9 and cerci removed. C. Gonostylus, dorsal view. D. Lateral view. Abbreviations: ce, cercus; ej ap, ejaculatory apodeme; gc ap, gonocoxal apodeme; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostyle; par, parameres; T, tergite; T 9 proj, T 9 projection.

FIGURE 16. Distributional map of Mohelia in Afrotropical region.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Mohelia habitus, lateral view. 1. M. nigricauda, ♂ holotype. 2. M. matilei sp. n., ♂ paratype. 3. M. amorimi sp. n., ♂ paratype. 4. M. chandleri sp. n., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 5 – 8. Mohelia matilei sp. n., paratypes. 3. ♀ thorax, lateral view. 4. ♂ head, frontal view. 5. ♂ tibia III. 6. ♂ wing. Abbreviations: anp, anepisternum; clyp, clypeus; cxI, fore coxa; cxII, mid coxa; cxIII, hind coxa; ktp, katepisternum; lbr, labrum; ltg; laterotergite; mes, metepisternum; mep, mesepimeron; mpt, mesopleurotrochantin; mtg, mediotergite; pem, proepimeron; pes, proepisternum; pnt, antepronotum; sc, scutum; sctl, scutellum.

FIGURES 14 – 15. Mohelia paratypes, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. 14. Mohelia matilei sp. n. 15. Mohelia amorimi sp. n. Abbreviations: ce 1, first cercus of female terminalia; ce 2, second cercus of female terminalia; S, sternite; T, tergite.