Minettia (Minettiella) plurifurcata, Shi, Li & Yang, Ding, 2014

Shi, Li & Yang, Ding, 2014, Five new species of Minettia (Minettiella) (Diptera, Lauxaniidae) from China, ZooKeys 449, pp. 81-103 : 83-84

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Lauxaniidae

Minettia (Minettiella) plurifurcata sp. n. Figs 16- 20

Type material.

Holotype: ♂ (CAUC), CHINA, Hubei: Shennongjia National Natural Reserve, Pingqian, 1650 m, 26. vii. 2007, Qifei Liu.

Etymology.

Latin, pluri-, meaning many, and furcata, meaning forked; referring to the aedeagus with forked and acute processes in different lengths; a feminine adjective.

Diagnosis.

Arista plumose, with longest rays slightly shorter than height of 1st flagellomere. Thorax with whitish gray pruinosity, sparse on anterior 1/2 and dense on posterior 1/2. Mesonotum 0+3 dc (anterior dc far behind transverse scutal suture), acr in 6 rows. All tibiae pale yellow at base; fore tarsi black, mid and hind tarsi dark yellow. Mid femur with 4 a.

Description.

MALE. Body length 3.7 mm, wing legth 4.2 mm.

Head. Frons with yellow anterior margin. Gena about 1/7 eye height. Antenna yellow with brown on apical 2/3 of 1st flagellomere, 1st flagellomere nearly 2.0 times longer than high; arista plumose, with longest rays slightly shorter than height of 1st flagellomere. A black round spot present between eye and base of antenna. Proboscis and palpus black.

Thorax with whitish gray pruinosity, sparse on anterior 1/2 and dense on posterior 1/2. Mesonotum 0+3 dc (anterior dc far behind transverse scutal suture), acr in 6 rows; prsc as long as 1st postsutural dc; anepisternum with setulae on lower margin. Legs: tibia black with pale yellow at base; fore tarsi black, mid and hind tarsi dark yellow. Fore femur with 5 pv and 8 pd, fore tibia with 1 short preapical ad and 1 short apv. Mid femur with 4 a and 1 app; mid tibia with 1 strong preapical ad and 1 strong apv. Hind tibia with 1 weak preapical ad and 1 short apv. Wing with costa with 2nd (between R1 and R2+3), 3rd (between R2+3 and R4+5) and 4th (between R4+5 and M1) sections in proportion of 5.2:4:1; r-m at middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M1 in proportion of 1:1.2; ultimate section of CuA1 about 1/5 of penultimate section.

Abdomen with sparse whitish gray pruinosity. Male genitalia (Figs 16-20): syntergosternite circular with dorsal setulae, epandrium with a wide median incision on dorsal margin in lateral view; surstylus short subuliform and originating from inner side of epandrium in lateral view and convergent apically in posterior view; hypandrium nearly W-shaped; postgonite slender, slightly curved with 2-3 short apical setulae; aedeagus slender, columnar and rounded apically, with furcated acute processes in different length; aedeagal apodeme short, as long as 1/3 length of aedeagus.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Remarks.

The new species is very similar to Minettia (Minettiella) clavata sp. n. from China (Hubei) in the following characteristics: acr in 6 rows; all femora black and tibiae black with pale yellow at base; fore tarsi black, mid and hind tarsi dark yellow; wing yellow at base, but it can be separated from the latter in the following characteristics: the mesonotum having whitish gray pruinosity, sparse on anterior half and dense on posterior half, and 0+3 dc, anterior dc strong; the surstylus being long triangular and originating from the inner side of the epandrium. In Minettia (Minettiella) clavata , the mesonotum has 0+3 dc with anterior dc weak, hair-like; the epandrium is nearly rectangular; the surstylus is fused with the epandrium, and claviform with a triangular basal process a projecting apical process, a small acute ventroapical process and a tiny incision in lateral view.

Distribution.

China (Hubei).