Tipula ( Vestiplex ) aestiva Savchenko, 1960

Starkevich, Pavel, Men, Qiu-Lei, Saldaitis, Aidas & Valavičiūtė-Pocienė, Kristina, 2025, New crane fly species of the subgenus Tipula (Vestiplex) Bezzi (Diptera, Tipulidae) from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, ZooKeys 1264, pp. 183-206 : 183-206

Tipula ( Vestiplex) aestiva Savchenko

Figs 19 , 20 , 21

Tipula ( Vestiplex) aestiva Savchenko, 1960: 191; 1964: 215; Gao et al. 2023.

Material examined.

China • Holotype ♂; Qinghai, south shore of Kuku-nor Lake ; August 1901; Kozlov leg.; ZIN • Paratype ♀; same data as for preceding; ZIN ; • Paratype ♂; Qinghai, Sogon-Gomba, I-chu River, up to Yangtze River ; July 1900; Kozlov leg.; ZIN ; • Paratype ♂; Qinghai; shore of Orin-nor Lake , Huang-he Basin; May – June 1901; Kozlov leg.; ZIN .

Additional material examined.

China • ♂ (in alcohol); Gansu, near Xiche (Labrang) ; 35°11.968'N, 102°33.545'E; alt. 2900 m; 23 May 2017; A. Saldaitis leg.; NRC; Specimen number NRCE 000090 ; genitalia dissected .

Diagnosis.

Tipula ( V.) aestiva can be recognized by brownish-yellow body and elongated antenna reaching beyond base of abdomen.

Hypopygium (Figs 19 – 21 ). Tergite 9 forming a concave saucer-shaped plate (Figs 19 , 20 A ). The main body of tergal plate yellow, posterior margin emarginated with median U-shaped notch; lateral angles of plate rounded and blackened; anterior portion of tergal plate raised into narrow sclerotised border. Gonocoxite separated from sternite 9 by suture, in the shape of a large, nearly rectangular plate (Figs 19 ; 20 B, C ). Apex of gonocoxite terminating in dorsal and ventral blackened teeth. Outer gonostylus nearly leaf-shaped, narrow at base, rest of body flattened (Fig. 20 D ). Inner gonostylus in the shape of slightly curved plate (Fig. 20 E – G ), beak broadly blackened with tip rounded, lower beak absent; dorsal margin apically with short extension. Genital bridge with sclerite sp 2 small (Fig. 20 C ), sclerites sp 1 fused at base forming V-shaped structure (Fig. 20 K ). Adminiculum triangular in distal half with short wrinkled gonapophysies (Fig. 20 H, I ). Apex ventrally produced into short denticle. Proctiger pale with small, uniform anal plates (Fig. 20 J ). Sperm pump with central vesicle flattened (Fig. 21 A ). Compressor apodeme with rounded median incision (Fig. 21 B ). Posterior immovable apodeme extended, slightly flattened with additional short median lobes on inner side (Fig. 21 C ). Anterior immovable apodeme nearly triangle. Aedeagus about 4.8 × as long as sperm pump, blackish brown except yellow apex. Apex with sagittal and frontal incisions, trident in shape (Fig. 21 A, D ).

Remarks.

The identification of the specimen collected in Gansu Province is based on comparative analysis with type specimens and morphology of dissected genitalia. The male genital structures of the male from Gansu are identical to that of the dissected paratype ( Starkevich 2012, fig. 40; illustrations are also available in Oosterbroek 2024), including details of sperm pump having a specific median lobe on the inner side of the posterior immovable apodeme.

Figures

Figure 19. Male terminalia of Tipula (Vestiplex) aestiva (specimen number NRCE 000090) A hypopygium, dorsal view B hypopygium, lateral view. Abbreviations: dt, dorsal tooth; gcx, gonocoxite; ig, inner gonostylus; og, outer gonostylus; t 9, tergite 9; vt, ventral tooth. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 20. Male terminalia of Tipula (Vestiplex) aestiva (specimen number NRCE 000090) A tergite 9, dorsal view B left gonocoxite, lateral view C left gonocoxite and sp 2 of genital bridge, caudal view D left outer gonostylus E left inner gonostylus, outer lateral view F left inner gonostylus, outer dorsal view G left inner gonostylus, mesal view H adminiculum, lateral view I adminiculum, dorsal view J proctiger, dorsal view K genital bridge, sclerites sp 1, dorsal view. Abbreviations: ap, anal plate; gph, gonapophysis; sp 2, sclerite sp 2 of genital bridge. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

Figure 21. Male terminalia of Tipula (Vestiplex) aestiva (specimen number NRCE 000090) A sperm pump and aedeagus, lateral view B sperm pump, caudal view C sperm pump, dorsal view D apical part of aedeagus. Abbreviations: aia, anterior immovable apodeme; ca, compressor apodeme; ml, median lobe; pia, posterior immovable apodeme. Scale bars: 0.5 mm a (A – C); 0.25 mm b (D).