Laurenceomyia Wagner & Stuckenberg

Wagner, Rüdiger & Stuckenberg, Brian, 2016, Cladistic analysis of Subfamily Bruchomyiinae (Diptera: Psychodidae), Zootaxa 4092 (2), pp. 151-174 : 165

Genus Laurenceomyia Wagner & Stuckenberg gen. nov.

Type species: Nemopalpus dampfianus Alexander, 1940 , Rev. Ent. 11: 796-798, by present designation.

Etymology. dedicated to Laurence W. Quate—he authored many papers on Psychodidae including excellent summarizing contributions to Neotropical Bruchomyiinae . Gender is feminine.

Species included (all transferred from Nemopalpus ): L. dampfianus comb. nov. [ Mexico]; L. capixaba comb. nov. [ Brazil]; L. pilipes comb. nov. [ Argentina , Brazil, Paraguay]; L. pallipes comb. nov. [ Argentina ]; and L. similis comb. nov. [ Brazil].

Diagnosis. Males with paired vasa deferentia widening at base, aedeagus about as long as ejaculatory apodeme and gonocoxites, gonocoxites with mesal projection near apex; gonostyli elongate, straight along most of their length, subapically strongly bent with blunt apex; parameres flat, translucent. Female spermatheca pear-shaped, tenuous and internally setose. Wing with anal vein distally curved toward wing margin.

Comments. Species of this genus can further be characterized by flagellomeres with subdiscoidal ascoids (as far as is known), L. dampfianus , in addition, with many digitiform ascoids. Newstead scales on palp segment 3 are mentioned for L. capixaba and L. dampfianus . Ibáñez-Bernal (2001) counted only four palp segments in L. dampfianus and denoted scales on the 2nd segment (1st segment reduced); no scales were mentioned for L. pilipes and were not observable in the holotype. Wing venation with r-m distal to origin of M1+2 (missing in L. capixaba ), R2+3 much longer (approx. 3 times) than R2. Abdomen with lateral tufts of setae on segment 5 ( L. similis ), on every segment ( L. capixaba ) or without tufts ( L. dampfianus , L. pilipes ). Inversion of genitalia by segments 8 and 9 (not recognizable in L. pallipes ). Gonocoxites broadly fused, with setose projection on inner surface near apex. Gonostyli elongate, about as long as gonocoxites, with fringe of strong setae along the proximal inner margin, distally slightly increasing in width, and apically strongly bent inward with a short bi- or tripartite blunt end. Ejaculatory apodeme about as long as aedeagus, that is as long as the gonocoxite. Aedeagus a large, sometimes bent tube, bordered below by a setose plate; laterally to aedeagus are two foliaceous or blade-like structures (medial and lateral), outer seem to articulate at base of gonocoxite, medial appear attached to base of aedeagus, and maybe the parameres. Epandrium elongate. Vasa deferentia merged in length, internally not setose. Parameres lightly sclerotized, lying in a more horizonatal plane. Female spermatheca ( Fig. 6 c) pyriform, constricted, appearing setose internally.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Spermathecae. a— Nemopalpus orientalis Edwards; b— Nemopalpus flavus (Macquart); c— Laurenceomyia similis (Wagner & Stuckenberg); d— Boreofairchildia nearcticus (Young); e— Notofairchildia stuckenbergi (Wagner). Abbreviations: flc—flower-like membranous cavities; vsc—vaginal sclerite; sd—sperm duct; d—diverticulum.