Bernadottea, Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2018

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2018, A needle in a haystack: the new genus Bernadottea (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Winnertziinae) with four new species in the Old World, Zootaxa 4379 (4), pp. 529-538 : 530-532

Genus Bernadottea gen. n.

Type species, Bernadottea natalenSiS sp. nov., designated here.

Diagnosis. BernadOttea are known only from males, whose appearance is generally similar to Winnertzia ( Fig. 1 ). All BernadOttea and many Winnertzia have antennae with 10–11 flagellomeres and linear, thread-shaped, multiporous sensilla ( Fig. 2E , ↓1). The absence of vein M4 ( Figs 1 , 3G ) is a character that BernadOttea share only with Parwinnertzia Felt, 1920 , a questionably distinct genus as will be discussed below, and a very few species of both Winnertzia and KrOnOmyia Felt, 1911 . A peculiarity of BernadOttea is that the male genitalic structures are much more complex compared with other Winnertziini . This complexity is obvious in the gonostylus, which tends to be bilobed ( Fig. 2A ); the gonocoxites, which are equipped with various, sometimes conspicuously large processes ( Fig. 4C ); the tegmen, which is strongly sclerotized and provided with a whole range of different substructures ( Fig. 2D ); and the ejaculatory apodeme whose apex is closely tied to both the aedeagal bulge and the tegmen through connective links that are partly membranous, partly sclerotized. The great extent of diversity found in male genitalic structures provides the basis for the identification of BernadOttea species.

Other characters. Body size, including genitalia, 0.8–1.4 mm. Head. Occiput with large, randomly distributed setae. Eye bridge short, 2–5 ommatidia long laterally. Postfrons asetose. Scape slightly larger than pedicel, both with a few setae. Necks of flagellomeres shorter than nodes; nodes completely covered with microtrichia, 1 whorl or double whorl of setae basally, numerous sensory hairs with large, hooded alveoli cumulated ventrally; each flagellomere except terminal with 2 translucent, linear sensilla, one on either side ( Fig. 2E ). Apical flagellomere normal size or conspicuously long due to fusion of two bodies into a single entity. Palpus shorter than head height ( Fig. 1 ), 3-segmented, segments subcylindrical, with setae of various sizes, apical segment longest of all. Labellum small. Thorax. Pronotum setose. Scutal setae large, arranged in random bands laterally and dorsolaterally. Scutellum setose. Both anepisternum and anepimeron asetose. Wing ( Figs 1 , 3G ). Wing about as long as body. Venation typical of Winnertziini except for lack of M4. Membrane setose. Legs. All parts covered densely with setae of various sizes and narrow scales. Basitarsi without spines. Claws slightly bent, toothless. Empodia vestigial. Abdomen. First to sixth segments of normal size, seventh and eighth segments smaller ( Fig. 1 ), their tergites diminished to strongly sclerotized bars dorsally and small portions laterally. Tergal setae sparse or absent, sternal setae numerous, large. Pleural membrane setose or asetose, varying among species. Genitalia. Ninth tergite long, covering more than half of genitalia’s dorsal surface; posterior edge bilobed. Gonocoxites longer than wide; ventral emargination at least partly reinforced by sclerotization, either V- or U-shaped; parts of ventral surface usually darkly pigmented; dorsal apodemes thin, usually long. Gonostylus multiform, with 1 or 2 pectinate claws. Tegmen multiform, large, longer than wide. Ejaculatory apodeme nearly as long as gonocoxites, strong, typically with fine, pipette-like apex. Hypoproct and cerci typical for Winnertziini , both protruding beyond ninth tergite ( Fig. 2C ).

Etymology. In naming this new genus BernadOttea , we honor the Head of the Royal House of Bernadotte, His Majesty The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf for his commitment as the President of the Council of the World Wide Fund For Nature (VärldsnaturFOnden) Sweden.

Discussion. The genus BernadOttea is no doubt a monophyletic group. The included species share uniquely derived character states, such as the gonocoxites provided with multiple processes, and all of the tegmen, ejaculatory apodeme and aedeagal bulge closely interlinked to form complicated, strongly sclerotized structures. The only other winnertziine whose tegmen deviates from the simple, subtrapezoid to subtriangular outline typical of the tribe is EkmanOmyia svecica Jaschhof, 2013 , but its similarity with BernadOttea is merely superficial and not supported by conformity in other genitalic structures (cf. Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: fig. 28). BernadOttea is possibly the only monophyletic group of Winnertziini in which vein M4 is consistently lacking. The same character state was regarded as constitutive of the genus Parwinnertzia , which contains one species each in North America and Europe, but these two species are largely dissimilar in other respects and, more importantly, not fundamentally different from Winnertzia (cf. Mamaev & Zaitzev 1998). The genitalia of male Parwinnertzia italiana Mamaev & Zaitzev, 1998 correspond to the structure found typically in Winnertzia ( Mamaev & Zaitzev 1998: fig. 11). We assume that a taxonomic revision of Winnertziini , if done on a global scale, would result in subsuming Parwinnertzia under Winnertzia .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Male habitus of Bernadottea natalenSiS. Holotype mounted in Canada balsam, partly rearranged and completed, one set of bodyappendages and parts of vestiture omitted.Scale 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male morphology of Bernadottea natalenSiS (holotype). A: Gonostylus, dorsal. B: Ninth tergite, dorsal. C: Genitalia, ventral.D: Tegmen and ejaculatory apodeme, ventral.E: Fourth flagellomere, lateral.Scales 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 4. Male morphology of Bernadottea pahangenSiS (holotype). A: Gonostylus, dorsal. B: Ninth tergite, dorsal. C: Genitalia, ventral.D: Tegmen and ejaculatory apodeme, ventral.E: Fourth flagellomere, lateral.Scales 0.05 mm.

FIGURE3. Malemorphology ofBernadottea honShuenSiS (holotype).A:Gonostylus,ventral. B: Gonostylus,dorsal.C:Ninth tergite, dorsal. D: Genitalia, ventral. E: Tegmen and ejaculatory apodeme, ventral. F: Third flagellomere, ventrolateral. G: Wing, dorsal.Scales for A–F, 0.05 mm, for G, 0.50 mm.