Stupkaiella lasiostyla Curler

Curler, Gregory R. & Moulton, John K., 2010, Contributions to Nearctic Stupkaiella Vaillant (Diptera: Psychodidae), Zootaxa 2397, pp. 48-60 : 53

Stupkaiella lasiostyla Curler sp. nov.

( Figs. 6–11 )

Diagnosis. Adult: Male eye bridge with 4 facet rows, divided by width of 3.5 facet diameters. Interocular suture inverted V-shaped. Labellum wider than clypeus. Scape three times longer than wide; flagellomere I with 5 spines. Male terminalia: Gonostyli with rami of uneven length, dorsal ramus elbowed basally, with a longitudinal patch of microtrichia dorsally; paramere membranous, forming sheath around aedeagus. Female terminalia: hypovalvae with lateral margins convex, posterior margin concave.

Description. Adult Male ( Figs. 6–8, 10–11 ): Measurements, (N = 5) head width 0.50 mm (0.47–0.50), head length 0.48 mm (0.45–0.49), wing length 2.84 mm (2.67–2.95), wing width 1.13 mm (1.03–1.15), palpomere proportion: 1–2.2–2.5–3.3. Eye bridge with 4 facet rows, divided by width of 3.5 facet diameters. Frontal scar patch as wide as frons anteriorly, slightly constricted posteriorly, extending between eyes, interrupted by interocular suture. Interocular suture inverted V-shaped. Antennae: scape three times longer than wide; flagellomere I with 5 spines inserted dorsally; ascoids present on flagellomeres III–XI; flagellomere XIV with node fusiform, apical process approximately 2/3 as long as node. Mouthparts not extending beyond basal palpomere, labellum wider than clypeus. Wing: medial fork arising slightly basal to medial fork, both arising basal to apex of CuA2. Terminalia: hypandrium narrow, arched, not extended posteriorly; epandrium rectangular, about 2/3 as long as wide; gonocoxites strongly rotundate laterally, with dorsomedial margins straight, void of setiform sensilla; Gonostyli with rami of uneven length, dorsal ramus elbowed basally, flattened, acuminate apically, with a longitudinal patch of microtrichia dorsally; aedeagus with basiphallus dorsoventrally compressed basally, bifurcate apically, distiphallus composed of paired, acuminate, recurved sclerites articulated with basiphallus; paramere membranous, forming sheath around aedeagus; cercopods strongly tapered from base to apex, flattened medially, with 14 retinacula inserted dorsoapically; retinacula with apices pectinate. Tergite X tongue-shaped, about 2/3 as long as cercopod.

Adult Female ( Fig. 9 ): Eyebridge with 4 facet rows, divided by 4 facet diameters. Frontal scar patch as in male. Interocular suture as in male. Antenna nearly identical to male, except without spines on flagellomere I. Mouthparts and palpi as in male. Wing venation as in male. Terminalia: Subgenital plate with hypovalvae widened basally, with lateral margins convex, posterior margin concave; genital duct as figured, about 2/3 as wide as base of hypovalvae.

Type material. Holotype [adult male]: U.S.A. NORTH CAROLINA : Buncombe Co: Blue Ridge Parkway @ milepost 365, exposed rock face with spring flowing from pipe, 35°41’30”N 82°22’15”W, 12.vii.2007, coll. J.L. Robinson, sweep net; deposited LACM. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Allotype [adult female]: same data as holotype; deposited LACM. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Paratypes: same data as holotype [9 adult male, 3 adult female (slides)]. Paratypes deposited in LACM, GSMNP and UTK.

Etymology. From the Greek lasio, meaning “hairy”, in reference to the distinct fringe of hair on the medial rami of the gonostyli.

Bionomics. Due to a paucity of collection records, the phenology of S. lasiostyla cannot be accurately determined; however, attempts to collect this species in late July 2009 were unsuccessful, which could mean that S. lasiostyla is primarily a spring species. No other species of Psychodidae were collected with the type series of S. lasiostyla , which may be indicative of the conditions at the type locality (bare rock face with standing water at its base).

Distribution. Collected from one location on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina .

Remarks. Adults of S. lasiostyla are easily distinguished from other Stupkaiella by the shape of the gonopods, particularly the gonostyli with hairy, curved dorsal rami in the male, and the shape of the subgenital plate and genital duct in the female. Most specimens of S. lasiostyla exhibit a partial 5th row of facets in the eye bridge; however, this partial row is either absent or consists of only one facet in some specimens, and thus is not treated as a true facet row.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 15. Stupkaiella lasiostyla Curler sp. nov. 6. Male head, frontal view. 7. Wing. 8. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 9. Female terminalia, internal structure, ventral view. 10. Right patagium, frontal view. 11. Right gonopod, dorsal view. Stupkaiella robinsoni Curler sp. nov. 12. Right gonopod, gonostyle separated, dorsal view. 13. Male head, frontal view. 14. Male terminalia, dorsal view. 15. Female terminalia, internal structure, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm (10 – 12), 0.1 mm (8, 9, 14, 15), 0.25 mm (6, 13), 0.5 mm (7).