Phytoliriomyza cometiformis Kato, 2022

Kato, Makoto, Yamamori, Luna & Imada, Yume, 2022, Diversity underfoot of agromyzids (Agromyzidae, Diptera) mining thalli of liverworts and hornworts, ZooKeys 1133, pp. 1-164 : 1

12. Phytoliriomyza cometiformis Kato sp. nov.

Figs 22 , 23

Material examined.

Holotype: Japan: 1♂ (MK-AG-789), Ashizuri-misaki, Tosashimizu, Kochi Pref. (32.7298°N, 132.9971°E, 75 m asl), 26-II-2011 (as larva), emerged on 1-IV-2011 NSMT-I-Dip 31954. Paratypes: Japan: 1♂1♀ (MK-AG-a427, a428), same data as holotype, emerged on 30-III-2011, NSMT-I-Dip 31955, 31955; 1♀ (MK-AG-a461), Hachijo Is., Tokyo Pref., 24-IV-2001 (as larva), emerged on 3-V-2001, NSMT-I-Dip 31957; 1♂ (MK-AG-411), Sagiura, Taisha, Izumo, Shimane Pref., 31-III-2015 (as larva), emerged on 30-IV-2015, NSMT-I-Dip 31958.

Other material.

Japan: 6♂7♀, Izu-oshima Is. Tokyo Pref., 22-III-2009 (as larva), emerged on 15-20-IV-2009; 2♀, Yugashima, Izu, Shizuoka Pref., 7-III-2012 (as larva), emerged on 12-14-IV-2012; 4♂8♀, Sinjo, Mihama, Mikata, Fukui Pref., 11-III-2012 (as larva), emerged on 18-23-IV-2012; 3♂2♀, Shimaji-gawa, Ujitachi, Ise, Mie Pref., 3-IV-2010 (as larva), emerged on 22-IV-2-V-2010; 2♂1♀, Urashima-jinja, Honjo-hama, Ine, Kyoto Pref., 31-VII-2011 (as larva), emerged on 22-III-2011; 2♂5♀, Ukawa, Tango, Kyotango, Kyoto Pref., 5-III-2021 (as larva), emerged on 2-8-IV-2021; 1♀, Sannoko, Kawakami, Higashi-yoshino, Nara Pref., 26-II-2016 (as larva), emerged on 11-IV-2016; 1♀, Tazukawa-keikoku, Katsuura, Tokushima Pref., 11-X-2016 (as larva), emerged on 19-IV-2011.

Diagnosis.

A large yellow species (wing length 2.0-2.2 mm) having a pruinose dark gray scutum with an oval yellow pattern extending from the mid-posterior margin to the scutellum, a black 1st flagellomere, yellow maxillary palpus, yellow halteres, and yellow legs. Male epandrium inner-laterally with a hand-like comb comprising

Four or five basally fused, long, tubercle-like setae. Larva mines the thallus of Reboulia hemisphaerica orientalis .

Description.

Adult male (Fig. 22A-D ).

Head: Head entirely yellow, with ocellar tubercle brown, and back of head dark brown (Fig. 22C ). Antenna porrect; first flagellomere black, pedicel yellow and scape light yellow. Arista subbasal, brown, pubescent. Face, gena, parafacial and postgena yellow. Proboscis normal, yellow; palpus yellow, cylindrical (Fig. 22C ). Chaetotaxy: Front orbitals three pairs; one ori directed inward; two ors directed upward (Fig. 22B ). Orbital setulae minute and erect, in a single row.

Thorax: Thorax subshiny. Scutum yellow with a black medial stripe on anterior 2/3, one pair of black suborbicular presutural patches confluent with the medial stripe, and a pair of wide black bands on anterior 7/8, which is confluent with the presutural patches. Scutellum yellow with lateral margins brown (Fig. 22D ). Subscutellum yellow. Mediotergite brown, anatergite yellow, katatergite brown (Fig. 22B ). Pleuron largely yellow; propleuron with small brown patch on anterior-dorsal corner; anepisternum with a small spot on dorsal corner and a large brown patch near ventral margin; anepimeron with a narrow brown patch on anterior corner; katepisternum and meron with brown patches on venter (Fig. 22B ). Haltere yellow. Calypter margin and hairs gray. Leg segments yellow; tibia and tarsus darker. Chaetotaxy: Scutum with 1+3 dorsocentrals, shortened anteriorly (Fig. 22D ). Acrostichal setulae eight or nine pairs in two rows. Wing: Wing length 2.0-2.2 mm, costa reaching M1 (Fig. 22A ). Length of ultimate section of vein M4 divided by penultimate section 1.8-1.9.

Abdomen: Abdomen dorsally subshiny yellow (Fig. 22A ). Genitalia: (Fig. 22F-J ) Epandrium dark brown, rounded apically; inner-lateral margin with a row of 5-7 short tubercle-like setae; inner-anterior surface with a comb comprising three or four fused long tubercle-like setae; inner-lateral surface with an enlarged protrusion bearing a strong tubercle-like seta (Fig. 22H, J ). Surstylus rounded and bilobed; anterior lobe sparsely setose apically; posterior lobe with one stout tubercle-like seta and a long normal seta. Cercus narrow, setose. Subepandrial sclerite with a pair of plate-like arms, each with a dorsal lobe bearing a seta (Fig. 22H ). Hypandrium slightly sclerotized along outer margin. Postgonite bare and goose barnacle-shaped (Fig. 22G ). Phallophorus with deep incision below, articulated with phallapodeme, fused to epiphallus (Fig. 22F, G ). Basiphallus with long narrow right sclerites and a short basal sclerite. Hypophallus broad and membranous; lateral margins lightly sclerotized, medially with a pair of fused narrow sclerites (Fig. 22G ). Mesophallus dark, cylindrical, widest basally, as long as distiphallus (Fig. 22G ). Distiphallus comprising one pair of stout tubules; basal 1/3 composed of ventral dark subtriangular sclerite and weaker medial region; distal 2/3 cylindrical, dorsally and laterally pigmented, with truncated, unpigmented apex (Fig. 22G ). Ejaculatory apodeme pale brown, fan-shaped with long stalk; sclerite of sperm pump with lateral extension; sperm pump clear (Fig. 22I ).

Female (Fig. 22E ). Similar to male, but larger. Wing length 2.3 mm. Postabdomen: (Fig. 23A, B ) Oviscape dark brown, setigerous (Fig. 23A ). Tergite 10 trifurcate, laterally uniting narrow pleural sclerites (Fig. 23B ). Each cercus with two stout, apical, trichoid sensilla, 1/3 length of cercus (Fig. 23B ). Spermathecae semi-orbicular, with truncate proximal ends (Fig. 23A ).

Etymology.

The specific name (cometiformis = comet-shaped) refers to the oblong trail-leaving yellow pattern against the black background on the scutum, which resembles a comet.

Japanese name.

Suisei-jingasagoke-hamoguribae.

Host plant.

Reboulia hemisphaerica orientalis ( Aytoniaceae ).

Mine.

Larvae construct linear-blotch mines in the thallus, and pupate in the mines (Fig. 23D-G ).

Biological notes.

The habitats of this species are rocky cliffs in warm temperate evergreen forests (Fig. 23C ). Our rearing records suggest that this species is univoltine, and that adults emerge from overwintered pupae in spring.

Distribution.

Japan (Honshu, Shikoku).

Remarks.

This species resembles P. igniculus and P. luna in having a pair of black lateral band on scutum and wholly yellow scutellum; it is distinguished from them by the number of tubercle-like setae in a comb of male epandrium (3-4 in P. cometiformis ; 5-6 in P. igniculus ; 7-8 in P. luna ). The morphology of male epandrium of this species closely resembles that of " P. dorsata " in Papp and Černý (2017: fig. 101E), suggesting that this species is distributed also in Europe.

Figures

Figure 22. Phytoliriomyza cometiformis sp. nov. A-D holotype male A habitus B lateral C frontal D dorsal E paratype female, dorsal (MK-AG-a 428) F-J male genitalia (F-H at type locality I, J at Sagiura) F whole genitalia, ventral G phallic complex, lateral H, J epandrium, ventral I ejaculatory apodeme, lateral.

Figure 23. Female morphology and larval ecology of Phytoliriomyza cometiformis sp. nov. A, B female postabdomen A oviscape and spermatheca B tergite 10 C habitat at type locality D-G mined thalli of Reboulia hemisphaerica orientalis (D at type locality E at Ukawa F, G at Sagiura). An arrow in F indicates an internal puparium.