Corniphora yanbianensis, Liu, 2023

Liu, Guangchun, 2023, A new genus of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from China, with description of a new species, Zoological Systematics 48 (4), pp. 361-364 : 363

Corniphora yanbianensis sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Frons higher than wide, raised, shiny; supra-antennal setae and lower fronto-orbital setae absent; first flagellomere elongate, horn-like; arista apical, 2-segmented; anepisternum bare, divided; vein R 2+3 present; alula with 3 setae; left side of epandrium slender, finger-like; right side of epandrium broad; hypandrium bilobular; anal tube light yellow, slender, with short setulae.

Description. Male. Body length 2.14 mm ( Fig. 1 ). Frons ( Figs 2–3 ) brown, ocellar triangle dark brown. Frons higher than wide, shiny, scattered about 12 short setulae around ocellar triangle. Supra-antennal setae and lower fronto-orbital setae absent. Lower interfrontal setae higher than middle of frons and much further apart from each other than that from upper interfrontal setae. Ocelli developed and ocellar triangle slightly raised. First flagellomere whitish yellow, very long, horn-like; arista apical, short, two segmented; pedicel long rod-shaped and concealed in first flagellomere. Palpus whitish yellow, oval, with 6 short setae at apex.

Thorax ( Fig. 1 ) brown, with dense setulae. Anepisternum bare, divided. Scutellum with two pairs of setae, anterior pair shorter. Legs brown, except fore leg light brown. Fore tibia with a row of 10 dorsal setulae; fore tarsomeres slender, ratios of lengths about: 3.4: 1.2: 1: 0.8: 1 ( Fig. 5 ). Mid tibia ( Fig. 6 ) without isolated setae, with a completed palisade and rows of a anterodorsal setulae and a posterodorsal setulae. Hind femur ( Fig. 7 ) broad, setulae below basal half as long as those of anteroventral row of outer half; hind tibia with complete dorsal palisade, a row of 6 anterodorsal setulae and a row of 8 stronger posterodorsal setulae. Wing ( Fig. 4 ) length 1.92mm, veins light brown, membrane almost colorless. Vein Sc absent. R2+3 present. Costal index 0.52, costal ratio 3.24: 2.24: 1, costal cilia 0.07 mm. M 1 originated after fork vein, basal half concave and apical half recurved. Alula with 3 setulae. Halter light yellow, stem brown.

Abdominal tergites brown, venter grayish brown. Tergite II widest, narrowing backwards; tergites with sparse short setulae. Male terminalia small, brown, partially retracted into segment VI. Left side of epandrium ( Fig. 8 ) extending into a finger-like process postero-ventrally and bearing 4 setulae. Right side of epandrium ( Fig. 9 ) wide, with 4 setulae postero-ventrally. Hypandrium bilobular, lacking basal setulae. Anal tube whitish yellow, longer than epandrium; hypoproct with a pair of terminal setae.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♂ (slide), China, Jilin, Yanbian, Huichun (43°12'31.92″N, 131°10'10.95″E, 1266 m), 2014–Aug–2, leg. Jianfeng Wang, Zhuo Zhang. Paratypes. 1♂, same data as holotype; 1♂, China, Jilin, Yanbian, Antu (42°10'55.69″N, 128°10'05.57″E, 1115 m), 2014–Jul–31, leg. Jianfeng Wang, Zhuo Zhang.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality.

Distribution. China (Jilin).

Remarks. C. yanbianensis sp. nov. is the only known species of the genus. Its biology is unknown.

Funding The research was supported by the Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372245).

Guangchun Liu

Liaoning Key Laboratory of Urban Integrated Pest Management and Ecological Security, College of Life Science and Bioengineering, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China, E-mail: [e-mail]

Figures

Figures 1–9. Corniphora yanbianensis gen. & sp. nov. 1. Body, left view. 2. Head, anterior view. 3. Head, anterior view, showing pedicel. 4. Wing. 5. Fore leg, posterior view. 6. Mid leg, anterior view. 7. Hind leg, anterior view. 8. Male terminalia, left view. 9. Male terminalia, right view. Scale bars: 1=1.0mm; 2–7=0.2mm; 8–9=0.1mm.