Didicrum colombensis Moya

Moya-Arévalo, Rosa Helena, Ibáñez-Bernal, Sergio & Suárez-Landa, María Teresa, 2012, First record of Didicrum Enderlein (Diptera: Psychodidae, Psychodinae) from the Northern Andes bioregion, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 3577, pp. 80-88 : 81-86

Didicrum colombensis Moya –Arévalo, Ibáñez–Bernal & Suárez– Landa sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–17 )

Description. Male ( Figs. 1–10 ). Head ( Fig. 1 ): about as long as broad (without considering mouthparts), pyriform in frontal view; supra–ocular frontal and vertex area 4.0 times as high as eye-bridge width, with evenly spaced alveoli in 1+1 patches separated at middle by a narrow bare band, and with 2–4 supra-ocular lateral-posterior large seta alveoli; intraocular suture inverted V-shaped; eye-bridge with 3 rows of facets separated by 3 facet diameters; front below eyes broad, with a broad seta alveoli patch emarginated below and without dorsal extension; anterior tentorial arms elbowed; clypeal region broad with oval patch of sparse alveoli; palpus very long, 0.66 the length of antenna; palpal segments proportion: 1.0: 1.4: 1.5: 2.0; sensory rods (Newstead scales) not seen, but basal segment with sensory clear pores in the apical half; mouthparts short, 0.3 times the head high ( Fig. 1 ); labella bulbous, with short spiniform pointed setae on inner margin and some long setiform setae on apical margin, with a strong sclerotized inverted-Y apodeme ( Fig. 2 ). Antenna short, 0.3 as long as wing ( Fig. 1 ); scape and pedicel more than 2.0 times the width of flagellomere 1; scape 2.1 times as long as wide, and slightly longer than globular pedicel ( Fig. 4 ); with 14 flagellomeres ( Fig. 1 ), flagellomeres 1–11 barrel-shaped but slightly flask-shaped, terminal 3 reduced ( Fig. 3 ); flagellomere 1 without ascoids, flagellomeres 2–6 each with one ascoid, flagellomeres 7–11 with two ascoids, and 12–14 without ascoids; ascoids small with two anterior branches (sometimes few ascoids could have 3 anterior branches); apical flagellomere with a capitate apiculus which is as long as node ( Fig. 3 ).

Thorax: Wing ( Fig.5 ) 2.4 times as long as broad, with infuscations in the apex of Sc, all longitudinal veins and near the base of R5 at level of rudimentary transversal veins; Sc ending at level of base of R5; radial and medial forks basad to level of apex of CuA2; radial fork basad to medial fork; R5 ending beyond wing apex.

Terminalia ( Figs. 6–10 ): Hypandrium ( Figs. 6 , 9 , hya) a band between bases of gonocoxites, with the anterior margin reinforced and with two apical short triangular projections at middle; gonocoxite ( Fig. 6 , gcx) shorter than gonostylus, with a basal internal slightly protruded dome-like area with strong setiform seta; posterior gonocoxal apodemes ( Figs. 6 , 9 , pap) quadrangular or oval and approximated above aedeagus, anterior gonocoxal apodemes ( Figs. 6 , 9 , aap) plate-like, somewhat triangular, and touching at middle; gonostylus ( Fig. 6 , gst) with a constriction after the basal globular portion near articulation, with some setae alveoli along the external margin and one preapical long seta; aedeagus strongly sclerotized and slightly asymmetrical ( Figs. 6 , 9 ); distiphallus ( Figs. 6 , 9 , dph) twice the length of gonocoxite; in dorso–ventral view nearly straight, covered with aedeagal sheath ( Figs. 6 , 9 , ash) that is narrowly open longitudinally in the basal 0.66, expands in the apical 0.33 and ends in a digitate point that could be over the distiphallus or laterally displaced according to the mount in the slide (cf. Fig. 6 vs. 9); in lateral view, the aedeagal sheath intimately surrounds the basal 0.33 of distiphallus, but in the middle expands nearly twice to form a bulge that ends in a blunt apex just before the distiphallus apex ( Fig. 10 ); two short parameres that seem as infolds at the base of distiphallus; basiphallus ( Figs. 6 , 9 , bph) as long as 0.5 the distiphallus, broad and with a circular foramen; epandrium ( Fig. 8 , epa) nude, with anterior margin reinforced, posterolateral angles rounded, posterior margin deeply low–cut at middle and continuously open with foramen near the anterior margin, leaving the rounded tergum 10 ( Fig. 8 , tgX), and the V-shaped subepandrial sclerites visible ( Fig. 8 , ses); sternum 10 tongue-shaped, longer than broad and nearly as long as epandrium, with rounded apex ( Fig. 8 , stX); surstylus ( Fig. 7, 8 , sur) long, similar in length than aedeagus, curved and tapered to the apex, with 3 perennial strong setae at base and setae alveoli over all its surface; with one apical clavate tenaculum.

Measurements. Head high: 0.55, width: 0.55; mouthparts length (from clypeus inferior border to apex of labellum): 0.16; palpus length: 0.72; antenna length: 1.12; wing length: 3.5, width: 1.45; epandrium length: 0.37; surstylus length: 0.93; tenaculum length: 0.14; gonostylus length: 0.36; gonocoxite length: 0.36; aedeagus length: 0.90.

Female ( Figs. 11–17 ). Similar to male except for the following characteristics. Head: frontal seta alveoli patch with dorsal extension reaching the level of second row of facets ( Fig. 11 ); antenna with flagellomeres 2–11 with two bifid ascoids ( Figs. 14, 15 ); palpal segments proportion: 1.0: 1.3: 1.5: 2.0; palpal segment 2 with some sensorial rods (Newstead scales) over all the extension of the external surface ( Fig. 13 ). Labella ( Fig. 12 ) and wing ( Fig. 16 ) as figured. Postabdomen ( Fig. 17 ): subgenital plate (sgp) oval, anterior margin reinforced and with micropubescent and setose hypovalvae (hyv) which are as long as the basal portion; hypovalvae with the external margin nearly straight and divergent, apex rounded and internal margin also divergent, space between them triangular; chitinous arch (cha) coinciding with the limit of hypovalvae pubescence and ending in a pointed projection; a somewhat darker genital pouch (gpo) has two lines of sensory clear pores; longitudinal and lateral struts well developed; genital ducts with punctuations over lobes (gdl); with 1+1 capitate structures (cap) with striate tubular necks originated at level of posterior portion of longitudinal struts; cercus long and tapered.

Measurements. Head high: 0.59, width: 0.58; mouthparts length (from clypeus inferior border to apex of labellum): 0.10; palpus length: 0.77; antenna length: 1.16; wing length: 3.5, width: 1.40; subgenital plate length (from anterior margin to apex of hypovalvae): 0.29; cercus length: 0.51.

Material examined (as labeled). COLOMBIA: CUNDINAMARCA, PNN Chingaza, Bosque Palacio (4°31´N, 73°45´W, 2930 m asl), Malaise trap, 13–28.ix.2000, E. Raigoso, leg. M. 734, 1 3 (holotype), 1 Ƥ (paratype); 13–27.x.2000, E. Raigoso leg. M. 804, 1 Ƥ (paratype); 5–17.i.2001, L. Cifuentes, leg. M. 1222, 2 Ƥ (paratypes); 17.i–4.ii. 2001, L. Cifuentes leg. M. 1258, 2 3; 4–16.ii.2001, L. Cifuentes, leg. M. 1259, 1 3, 2Ƥ (paratype); BOYACÁ, S.N.F.F. Iguague, Arcabuco, Cabañas Mamarramos, 2820 m asl, 16.iii–2–iv–2000, Pedro Reina, col. 1 Ƥ (alotype), 1 Ƥ (paratype); 13.iii–1.iv.2000, 1 Ƥ (paratype).

Male holotype and three female paratypes to be deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia ( UNCB), one male and three female paratypes in the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County ( LACM), and two male and four female paratypes in the Entomological Collection of Instituto de Ecología, A.C. ( IEXA).

Etymology. Named colombensis as it is the first species of Didicrum described from Colombia.

General comments. Didicrum includes 21 species. Eleven species are known from the Australasian region, nine from the southern cone of South America and the new species described here from the Northern Andes bioregion of South America. Duckhouse (1978) mentioned one additional undescribed species from the Peruvian Andes collected between 2400–3700 masl. Aside from the undescribed species from Peru and the one described here, species of Didicrum exhibit a clear Gondwanan distribution because it mainly includes species from Australasia and the southernmost portion of South America ( Duckhouse 1990). According to the panbiogeographic distribution patterns of Morrone (2001, 2004), the previously described species of Didicrum are distributed in the Austral kingdom, occupying four of the five regions in which it is divided: New-Guinean, Australian temperate, New–Zealandean and Andean. Didicrum colombensis sp. nov. occurs in an area of Colombia which is part of the South American Transition Zone that follows the Andean Mountain chain from northern Chile to western Venezuela, specifically belonging to the North Andean Drizzle Province. This is another example of the complex nature of the biota in this area, in which there is a mixture of species related with other biogeographic regions promoted by edge effect between them and ecological special conditions.

Didicrum colombensis is the only species of this genus described from South America with infuscated spots at the apices of longitudinal veins; this spotted pattern is similar to that described for Didicrum claviatum (Satchell) and Didicrum drepanatum (Satchell) from New Zealand, nevertheless, the stout end of aedeagal sheath slightly shorter than the distiphallus, the size of the aedeagus in the male, and the pair of capitate structures with striate tubular necks originated at level of posterior portion of longitudinal struts in the female of D. colombensis , easily distinguish the species. Didicrum colombensis share with D. remulum Quate & Brown from Argentina the Vshaped interocular suture, the eye-bridge with 3 facet rows, but differs because the Argentinian species has unidigitate ascoids, the vein R4 not attached to vein R2+3, the radial fork slightly basad of medial fork, and one paramere long and sinuous whereas the other is very short. The female of D. remulum has not been described yet. Ten species of Didicrum are known only by one of the sexes. Redescriptions of some species are needed because there is no specific mention of the number of basal flagellomeres on which ascoids are absent. In addition to other characteristics and details, the presence or absence of ascoids on some flagellomeres will probably be important for determining relationships among species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Didicrum colombensis sp. nov., male (holotype). 1. Head frontal view; 2. Labella; 3. Tip of antenna; 4. Antenna scape, pedicel and first two flagellomeres; 5. Wing; 6. Terminalia in part, showing hypandrium (hya), aedeagus composed by distiphallus (dfh), basiphallus (bph), Aedeagal sheath (ash), and gonopods, both gonocoxites (gcx), one gonostylus (gst); anterior gonocoxal apodemes (aap), posterior gonocoxal apodemes (pap), and hipoproct (hip); 7. Terminalia in part, showing a surstylus (sur) in lateral view; 8. Terminalia in part, showing the epandrium (epa), subepandrial sclerites (ses), tergum 10 (tgX) and sternum 10 (stX). Figs. 3 – 4 at the same scale, Figs. 6 – 8 at the same scale; scales in millimeters.

FIGURES 9 – 10. Didicrum colombensis sp. nov., male. Details of male terminalia (paratypes). 9. Dorso – ventral view of aedeagus, base of gonocoxites and hypandrium; 10. Lateral view of aedeagus. Scale in millimeters. Abreviatures: Anterior apodeme of gonocoxite (aap), aedeagal sheath (ash); basiphallus (bph), distiphallus (dph), gonocoxite (gcx); hypandrium (hya); posterior apodeme of gonocoxite (pap).

FIGURES 11 – 17. Didicrum colombensis sp. nov., female. 11. Head in frontal view; 12. Labella; 13. Right palpus; 14. Antenna scape, pedicel and first two flagellomeres; 15. Tip of antenna; 16. Wing; 17. Postabdomen. Figs. 14 – 15 at the same scale; scales in millimeters. Abbreviations: cap = capitate structure; cha = chitinous arch; gdl = genital duct lobes; gpo = genital pouch; hyv = hypovalva; sgp = subgenital plate.