Phthitia (Kimosina) vulgaris, Papp, László, 2017

Papp, László, 2017, Twenty New Species Of Fifteen Genera Of The Afrotropical Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 63 (4), pp. 377-427 : 413-416

Phthitia (Kimosina) vulgaris sp. n.

(Figs 134–143)

Holotype ( HNHM): male, RSA: EasternCapeProv., Hogsback , 39 StepsWaterfall, Jan 7–8, 2007 – GPS06, S32° 35’ 22.8’’ E26° 55’ 57.5’’, 1233 m, L. Papp & M. Földvári.

Paratypes: 3 females ( HNHM): samedataasholotype ; 1 male ( HNHM): ibid., ina park, No. 8 – Jan 8–9, GPS05, S32° 35’ 18.0’’ E26° 56’ 56.0’’, 1,298 m ; 1 male ( HNHM, gen. prep.): KwaZuluNatal, NDrakensberg, RainbowGorge , Jan 26–28, 2007, No. 39 – GPS29, S28° 57’ 36.7’’ E29° 13’ 33.6’’, 1,529 m, L. Papp & M. Földvári ; 1 male ( HNHM): ibid., Rainbow Gorge , Jan 26–28, 2007, No. 39 – GPS29, S28° 57’ 36.7’’ E29° 13’ 33.6’’, 1,529 m, L. Papp & M. Földvári ; 1 male ( HNHM): ibid., over along Mpofane River , Jan 29, No. 42 – GPS32, S29° 03’ 12.7’’ E29° 23’ 06.2’’, 1,531 m . 4 males ( BMSA): Malaise trap (2), straddling MahaiRiver – RSA: KZN, RoyalNatalPark, MahaiRiverat: 28° 41.364’S 28° 56.335’E, 17–18.ii.2010, 1449m, A.H. Kirk- Spriggs – [blue] Entomology Dept. ... – BMSA (D) 19944, 19945, 19947, 19948; 1 male 2 females ( BMSA): Malaisetrap , Leucosedeadominatedscrub – [as above], Thendele, 1,600 m, 28° 42.378’S 28° 56.083’E, 15–17.ii.2010 – [blue] Entomol- ogy Dept. ... – BMSA (D) 21554, 20817, 20772; 1 female ( BMSA): RSA: KZN, Ndumo Game R ., main camp at: 26° 54.652’S 32° 19.719’E, 27–30.xi.2009 – [blue] Entomology Dept. ... – BMSA (D) 14915.

Size (inmm): bodylength 1.88 (holotype), 1.85–1.94 (paratypes); winglength 1.95 (holotype), 1.84–1.96 (paratypes); wingwidth 0.87 (holotype), 0.78–0.88 (paratypes).

Description. Male. Head. Fourpairsofinterfrontals (anteriorpairshort). Postocellar setadistinct, inclinate, notcrossing. Twolargelatero-clinatefronto-orbitalpairs, plussev- eralshortfronto-orbitalsetulaeonlowerhalfoforbits. Ocellar, outer, andinnerverticals, outerandinnerocellarpairsstrong. Parafacialiawiththin, 0.03–0.04 mmlongsetulae. First flagellomererounded. Arista 0.68 mm, ciliamax. 0.02 mm. Gena 0.15–0.16 mm, broadbeloweye. Vibrissamedium-long, 0.22–0.23 mm, firstperistomal 0.08–0.10 mm. Genalseta, 0.15–0.17 mmlong. Thorax. (1) 2–3 pairsofdorsocentrals, stronglyweakeninganteriorad. Prescutellarsetaverylong. Acrostichalsetaein 10 rowsanteriorly. Asinglestronglateral plusamedio-clinate ppnt present. Twonotoplauralpairs (posteriorpaironaconicalprotuberance), 1 truelongsupra- alar, apresutural pa andaposterior pa. Anteriorkatepisternal setashort (0.07 mm), posteriorpair 0.20 mm. Apicalscutellarsetaverylong (0.58–0.62 mm). Forelegnormal. Malemidtibiadistinctlycurved, ventro-apicalsetathick, 0.07 mmlong. Mid femur with an antero-ventral row of short thick setae on basal ¼, a sub-basal patch of dense, shortthicksetaeventrally; midfemurwitharowofanteriorsetae, subapicalone particularlythickandlong. Malemidtibiawitharowofthickblacksetae, ca. 0.03 mm. Mid tibialarmature: anterodorsalsat 16/43 (strong), 28/43 (short), 31/43 (strong), posterodorsals at 16/43,30/43 (strong). Sub-anteriorsetaeat 28/43 (weak) and 32/43 (strong). Alongpos- teriorapicalsetapresent. Femalemidtibiawithlongerventro-apicalseta (0.11–0.14 mm), withadistinctmidventralseta. Nodorsalpreapicalonhindtibia. Twocostagialsetaeof 0.175–0.19 mm, 2 perpendicularsetaebasaltoHu, andthreesetaeHu, longsetaeonCs1. SectionsCs2 andCs3, respectively 0.675 mmand 0.65 mm, costalratio 1.04. Crunstoapex of R 4+5. RM-MM section 0.27 mm, M-M cross- vein 0.12 mm. R 4+5 upcurving along entire length. Mslightlysigmoid, reachingwingmargin. Discalcelledged, Mextensionona

1+2 3+4

sectionlongerthanM-M. Alulaseparatedfromtherestofwingbyadeepincision, alulaca. 0.05 mm broad, with long medial cilia. Halter dark brown. Abdomen. Sternite 5 (Fig. 134) large, aratherlargecaudal, lesssclerotisedarea; sternite 5 withnumerouscaudalandsubcaudalsetae. Synsternitewithastructuredventralpartofsternite 6 portion (Figs 135–136): threelayersofstructuresmedially; abluntbifidscleritelessventrally, asmall, shortbut broadlamellamoreventrally, aforkedlamellawithshortbutbroadbasemostventrally. Epandriumopenventrally (Fig. 137), cercusconnectedtoepandriumbyanarrowneck. Subepandrial sclerite (Fig. 140) consisting of a long narrow sagittal part and a pair of lat- eralarmswithsimilarshape. Hypandrium (Fig. 138) stronglyfusedtoepandrium, medial apodeme (“rod”) asymmetrical, shortandbroad. Surstylus (Fig. 141) rathersmall, divide into three ventrally, caudal lobe with a narrow, digitiform process, two thick black thornlets. Basiphallus (Fig. 142) connectedtophallapodemebypostgonite; basiphallusrather small, broadeneddistallyintoasmallepiphallus. Distiphallus (Fig. 142) notlarge, numer- ousshortandmedium-longhairs, apicalpartnarrowedanddowncurved. Phallapodeme notbroadened. Postgonite (Fig. 139) largelyJ-shaped, withshortbutbroadbase, apical 3/5 anteriorlycurved, apexnarrowbutnotsharp.

Female. Spermathecae (Fig. 143) globular, pairedspermathecaewithashortspecific sclerotisedduct, commonductalsoshort, withadistalbulb; sclerotisedductofthesingle spermathecasomewhatlonger. Nodiscerniblestructuresfoundonsurfaceofspermathecae.

Etymology. Thespecificepithetofthenewspecies (Latin‘vulgaris’ = common) refers toitsabundance.

Comments. Inordertorecognizedescribedspeciesthatcouldberelated to Phthitia vulgaris sp. n., we used MArShALL and Smith’ s (1992) key for the NewWorld, AtlanticandPacific Phthitia . Wereachcouplet 13 with Ph. v ulgar-

Figs 134–143. Phthitia (Kimosina) vulgaris sp. n., malepostabdomenandgenitalia, andfemale spermathecae. 134 = male sternite 5, ventral view, 135 = ventral part of sternite 6 portion of the synsternite, ventral view, 136 = same, caudal view, 137 = ventral part of epandrium with cerci, caudal view, 138 = hypandrium, ventral view, 139 = postgonite, broadest (sublateral) view, 140 = subepandrialsclerite, anteriorview, 141 = surstylus, broadest (sublateral) view, 142 = phallusandphallapodemewithbaseofpostgonite, 143 = spermathecae.

Scale bar: 0.2 mm for Figs 134–143

is, but it then does not fit any of the alternatives. After couplet 18 (which seems to be the better choice), through couplets 19, 20, 21, and 22, we can reach two Nearcticspeciesthatdifferconsiderablyintheirmalegenitalstructurefrom Phthitia vulgaris sp. n. Features of some Phthitia species in that excellent paper fit this new species: e.g., the cercus of Ph. digistylus Marshall (fig. 63), or the subepandrialscleriteof Ph. nigrifacies Marshall (fig. 130). Indeed, noveryclose relativeseemstobepresentamongthespeciesinMArShALLandSmith (1992).