Japanagromyza laureata, Lonsdale, Owen, 2013

Lonsdale, Owen, 2013, Japanagromyza Sasakawa (Diptera: Agromyzidae) of Africa, Zootaxa 3709 (5), pp. 445-460 : 452

Japanagromyza laureata sp. n.

Figs 15–21

Description. Wing length 2.5–2.9mm (♂). Female unknown. Length of ultimate section of vein CuA1 divided by penultimate section: 0.7–0.9. Vein r-m at or slightly past midpoint of cell dm. Eye height divided by gena height: 8.5–10.6. Lunule wider than high, pruinosity relatively dense and silvery. Congo male with slight facial carina. Clypeus glossy and with broad, relatively straight anteromedial margin.

Chaetotaxy: Prescutellar acrostichal seta approximately 3/5 length of posterior dorsocentral. Approximately 10 rows of acrostichal setulae; setulae present between anterior and posterior dorsocentrals (not bare). Intra post-alar setula-like. Katepisternum with two smaller additional setae. Fore tibia with 1 small medial seta. Mid femur with several short posterodistal setae.

Colouration: Setae black, setulae black with brown tint. Halter black with apical surface white, with boundary between two regions sharp, well-defined. Calypter fringe white, hairs light brown. Body dark brown.

Genitalia: Subepandrial sclerite broad, flat and bare with halves joined broadly medially. Surstylus small, lobate, completely fused to epandrium and curved inwards anteriorly; with several long marginal setae and numerous minute setae in a dense medial patch. Cercus strongly tapered on outer margin of distal 1/3; one pair of small sclerotized patches in perianal region. Hypandrium with short apodeme that is widest apically. Phallophorus short and asymmetrical, with right distal margin reduced to accommodate base of basiphallus, which extends from dorsal base onto left lateral surface; right side of basiphallus membranous with two small ill-defined plates. Hypophallus absent. Mesophallus small and bulb-like, narrowing to point of fusion with distiphallus. Distiphallus short with base sclerotized, extending into short lateral and dorsal plates; apically with one pair of internally spinulose bands that nearly meet to form a complete ring. Pileus ejaculatorius bowl-like, shallow and with rounded lateral extensions; ejaculatory apodeme with stem and basal process small but well developed; blade subovate, mostly clear and with dark medial rib; base of duct including separate sclerotized extensions of stem and pileus ejaculatorius.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. D.R. Congo, Uganda.

Etymology. The specific epithet is Latin for “adorned with laurel”, referring to the shape of the apical sclerites of the distiphallus, which surrounds the “head” of the phallus like a laurel wreath.

Holotype. UGANDA. Entebbe, 1.xii.1971, H. Falke, Mal. Tr. (1♂, CNC).

Paratype. D.R. CONGO. Oriental Prov.: Lieki Village area at: 00˚41.117’N, 24˚14.362’E, 25.v–4.vi.2010, A.H. Kirk-Spriggs, Boyekoll Ebale Congo Expedition 2010 (1♂, BMSA).

Comments. The male genitalia of Japanagromyza laureata reveal a particularly close relationship with J. nigrihalterata , which has a similar surstylus (particularly the unusual setation on the inner surface), an apically tapered cercus ( Fig. 15 ), one pair of floating sclerites in the perianal region, two floating plates on the right side of the basiphallus ( Figs 19, 20 ), a distiphallus with a short, internally spinulose and bilobed apex, a swollen mesophallus, and a similar ejaculatory apodeme and hypandrium. Both species are also highly similar externally and difficult to differentiate, and are best characterized by a black halter with the apical surface abruptly white.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 21. Japanagromyza laureata sp. n., male genitalia; 15: external genitalia, posterior; 16: external genitalia, anterior; 17: external genitalia, left lateral; 18: hypandrium, ventral; 19: internal genitalia excluding hypandrium, left lateral; 20: phallus, ventral; 21: ejaculatory apodeme.