Platypalpus sanrossorensis, Barták & Grootaert, 2024

Barták, Miroslav & Grootaert, Patrick, 2024, Description of twelve new species of Platypalpus Macquart from Europe and the Middle East (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae), Zootaxa 5443 (2), pp. 161-185 : 177-179

Platypalpus sanrossorensis sp. nov.

( Figs 14 , 15 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: ITALY, San Rossore NP, Pisa prov., forest, 43.725N, 10.313E, MT, A. Belcari, 7.–17.v.2021 ( CULSP) . PARATYPES: ITALY, same data as holotype (2 ♂, 4 ♀) ; same locality but, 27.iv.– 7.v.2021 (1 ♂, 5 ♀) ; same locality but 6–16.iv.2021 (1 ♂, 2 ♀) , same locality but 17–27.v.2021 (1 ♀) ; San Rossore NP, Pisa prov., Pinus grove, 43.695N, 10.341E, MT, A. Belcari, 17–27.v.2021 (2 ♂) , same locality but 27.iv.–7.v. (1 ♀) , same locality but 7–17.v.2021 (2 ♀) —( CULSP).

Diagnosis. Large black species of the P. pallidiventris —cursitans group. Two pairs of verticals, black antennae with long and narrow postpedicel, absence of anterior notopleural seta, yellow legs with black coxae, tarsi not annulated, strongly dilated mid femur with pale posteroventrals, and mid tibia with long, sharply pointed spur. Abdomen with nearly complete microtrichose stripes anteriorly on each tergite.

Description. Male ( Fig. 14 ). Head black, light grey microtrichose including face, clypeus lustrous, with only small microtrichose triangle anteriorly. Gena narrow and lustrous. Frons ≈ 0.7 mm above antennae (slightly narrower than pedicel), slightly widening dorsally (≈ 0.12 mm at level of anterior ocellus). Face ≈ 0.06 mm wide at middle. Antenna black, postpedicel 3.7–4.0× longer than broad, stylus about as long as postpedicel (1.0–1.1×). Palpus blackish brown, medium large, oval, with several long black setae. Ocellar setae black, ≈ 0.19 mm long, ocellar triangle with two posterior pairs of short setae. Two pairs of diverging vertical setae, inner pair slightly longer and thicker than ocellars (inserted 0.16 mm apart), outer pair shorter. Occiput with black setae dorsally and paler, longer setae ventrally. Proboscis brownish black, lustrous, slightly more than half as long as head height. Thorax black, light grey microtrichose, mesoscutum rather thinly brownish grey microtrichose; katepisternum with broad lustrous spot, leaving narrow posterior margin microtrichose. All setae black except on proepisternum. Chaetotaxy: one relatively short postpronotal seta; proepisternum with several pale setae; acrostichals narrowly biserial, short (≈ 0.08 mm, slightly shorter than pedicel, 10–12 setae in one row); dorsocentrals uniserial, as long as acrostichals, ending in 2 larger pairs; notopleuron with 2 setae, sometimes with additional 1–2 smaller setae; 1 postalar and 1 pair scutellar setae (with 2 smaller setae). Wing membrane clear or slightly brownish, veins brownish to yellowish brown. M 1 straight, R 4+5 slightly bowed (ratio of distance between most distant parts of these veins and distance at tip = 1.8). Crossveins separated. CuA almost straight, CuA+CuP distinct even on basal part. Costal seta and remaining costal ciliation black. Squama yellow with yellow fringes. Halter pale yellow. Legs dark yellow, coxae and trochanters black and lustrous, mid and hind knees black, mid femur with black ventral stripe broader proximally and narrower distally, fore tarsi dark yellow, mid and hind tarsi darkened to various extent but not annulated; coxae with rather coarse black setae, remaining parts of legs with both pale and dark setae. Fore femur thickened, with yellow antero- and posteroventral setae more than half as long as femur depth; apical circlet of black setae, some dark setae also dorsally. Fore tibia strongly thickened, with black setae dorsally, ventrally on apical half with long pale setae (up to 0.20 mm long) proceeding posteroventrally on fore basitarsus. Mid femur very strongly swollen (even more than fore femur), with two rows of ventral spines and black anterior seta on apical part; anteroventral setae about as long as femur depth and posteroventrals half as long as femur depth. Mid tibia with usual row of black ventral spines; apical spur nearly twice longer than tibia depth, sharp and black apically. Hind femur narrow, short setose. Hind tibia narrow, short setose, dorsally with dark setae. Abdomen black, tergites 2–6 with microtrichose stripes along all length of tergites covering front half of tergites; tergite 1 microtrichose on sides and tergite 7 almost entirely lustrous; sternites lustrous; abdomen with tergites relatively long and densely pale setose; sternites short setose. Terminalia ( Fig. 15 ): cerci rather short and concealed within epandrial lamellae ( Fig. 15B ). Right cercus much longer than left cercus, with rounded club-shaped tip. Apex of left cercus pointed. Tip of right epandrial lamella bifurcate with surstylus apparently fused to right epandrial lamella (see detail Fig. 15B ). Apical 2/3 of right border of right epandrial lamella set with minute setulae; basal third densely set with much longer setae in multiple rows ( Fig. 15A ). Left epandrial lamella broadly rectangular in lateral view ( Fig. 15C ). Apex truncated with left border projecting. Left border set with minute setulae on apical 2/3; basal third densely set with not very long setae in multiple rows. Female. Similar to male except as follows: fore and mid coxae more microtrichose, covered with pale setae, fore tibia and tarsus short setose ventrally; microtrichose areas on abdominal tergites triangle shaped and not forming stripe as in male, last tergite and last two sternites microtrichose. Length. Both sexes: body 3.4–4.3 mm, wing 3.2–4.3 mm.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the name of the Italian Natural Park San Rossore near Pisa, where this species was collected.

Distribution. Italy.

Remarks. Platypalpus sanrossorensis sp. nov. shows some peculiarities that are not found together in any other European species and all are sexually dimorphic: long ventral setae on apical half of fore tibia including fore basitarsus (short in female), coxae black and lustrous with coarse black setae in male (female with coxae more microtrichose, with pale setae), and microtrichose pattern of abdomen (as described above). In the many important characters (black species with two pairs of verticals, black antennae with long, narrow postpedicel, absence of anterior notopleural seta, yellow legs with black mid and hind coxae, non-annulated tarsi, strongly dilated mid femur with pale posteroventrals, large, sharply pointed spur on mid tibia) P. sanrossorensis sp. nov. is similar to P. morgei Chvála , however, the latter species is smaller, with non-dilated fore tibiae, lustrous abdomen and different genitalia. Another somewhat similar species is P. monegrensis Grootaert however, it has a broader postpedicel, much shorter spur on mid tibia and black femora.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Platypalpus sanrossorensis sp. nov., paratype male (photo Isabella Van de Velde).

FIGURE 15. Platypalpus sanrossorensis sp. nov., paratype male, terminalia. A. Right epandrial lamella; B. Epandrium with cerci, dorsal view, with detail apex right epandrial lamella; C. Left epandrial lamella, lateral. Scale 0.1mm (image Patrick Grootaert).