Lotobia supraelegans, Hayashi & Papp, 2004

Hayashi, T. & Papp, L., 2004, The Genus Lotobia Lioy (Diptera, Sphaeroceridae) From The Oriental Region, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50 (3), pp. 211-225 : 220-223

Lotobia supraelegans sp. n.

( Figs 23–32 )

Holotype male ( HNHM): THAILAND, Mae Ta Man elephant park, 45 km N of Chiang Mai, 01. 12. 2003 – swept on elephant dung, leg. Földvári, Peregovits & Szappanos, No 25.

Paratypes: 90 males, 27 females ( HNHM, 3 males, 2 females NIID): same as for holotype [genitalia of one male and female each in a plastic microvial with glycerol] . 4 males, 4 females ( HNHM, abdomen of one of the males in a plastic microvial with glycerol): Nepal , Royal Chitwan National Park, Bandarjhola Island – Jungle Island Resort, 84°10’E, 27°35’N, 150 m, 1995.10.30. – swept on Elephas maximus dung, leg. L. Peregovits. 1 male ( HNHM, gen. prep.): Viet Nam : Da Lat, Institute of Biology, 12 Dec 1994, horse droppings, leg. S. Mahunka, No. 786. Paratypes. INDIA: 31 males, 18 females, Nagarahole National Park, 720 m, Karnataka Sta. , Oct. 9–10, 1993, T. Hayashi ; 6 males, 4 females, Mudumalai, 900 m, Tamil Nadu Sta. , Oct. 3–5, 1993, T. Hayashi . THAILAND: 2 males, 1 female, Chiang Dao , 450 m, Aug. 13, 1989, T. Hayashi ; 29 males, 8 females, ditto, Oct. 25, 2001, T. Hayashi . VIETNAM: 1 male, 3 females, Cuc Phuong , 370 m, Ninh Binh Prov., Oct. 11–14, 1995, H. Kurahashi .

Description – Body length 2.2–2.5 mm (holotype male 2.36 mm).

Head: Mostly yellowish brown, vertex and median occiput somewhat darkened; frontal vitta entirely granulated; inner and outer vt, oc, and 2 ors almost same length; postocular setae weak and few; clypeus small, twice as wide as long, entirely yellowish brown; eye round, about 1.5 X as long as smallest genal width; antenna brown; scape with 1 long hair-like setae; pedicel with 2 long blunt setae and several short setae.

Thorax: Almost yellowish brown; postpronotal lobe yellowish brown contrasting with brown to dark brown scutum; ac setae very short and dense, completely diffused with dc setae; only posterior np distinct; katepisternum somewhat darkened, with a few small setae along central vertical axis and 2 long hairs ventrally; scutellum brown to dark brown, each side somewhat yellowish, rather long, about 1.5 X as wide as long, with 18–20 marginal tubercles, concolorous with scutellum, basal 2 tubercles not fused.

Wing: Hyaline, veins yellowish; R 4+5 only slightly bent forward; M 1+2 strongly bent forward and distinctly convergent to R 4+5; halter pale brown.

Legs: Yellowish brown to brown; fore and hind femora not thickened; hind tibia with a strong ventral and a very weak anteroventral spines apically.

Abdomen: Preabdominal sclerites strongly sclerotized, brown.

Male. Syntergite 1+2 large, about 1.5 X as long as tergite 3 ( Fig. 24 ), in subapical 1/8 with a transverse patch covered by small scales arranged in rows, each with 3 (2, 4) small setulae. Tergite 3 almost as long as tergite 4, tergite 4 twice as long as tergite 5; tergites 3 and 4 transverse rectangular with lateral and caudal short setae, tergite 5 short, covered by microsetae. Male sternite 2 comparatively large and weakly sclerotized, sternite 3 about as long as broad. Sternite 4 large, shallowly concave postero-medially, with a pair of black, medially curved apical processes ( Figs 26, 27 ) each with a blunt apical and subapical projection ( Fig. 27 ); sternite 5 very narrow.

Male terminalia ( Fig. 23 ) not large. Cercus slightly bifid, with long setae on its attenuated apical part, crescent-shaped in caudal view. Surstylus ( Fig. 23 ) comparatively long, not bent inwards, medial surface apically and subapically with short but thick black teeth and short hairs. Paramere of Fig. 24

(postgonite) ( Fig. 25 ) with long and thin basal process (seta medium long), long thin apical part and indistinct subapical process. Distiphallus ( Figs 28–29 ) extremely long and thin, apex rounded.

Female. Syntergite 1+2 about 1.5 X as long as tergite 3, tergite 3–5 almost same length; tergites 3 and 4 somewhat reduced ( Fig. 31 ), tergite 5 longer than broad. Female sternite 2 ( Fig. 30 ) rather large but weakly sclerotized, sternites 3–5 comparatively small, sternite 5 not divided (weakened), sternites 2–5 with a pair of long setae on posterior margin. Spermathecae ( Fig. 32 ) not completely globular, wrinkled, sclerotized duct not much longer than spermathecal height, in apical third with some minute thin setulae. Cercal setae comparatively short.

Distribution. Nepal, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

Remarks. This species is closely related to L. elegans VANSCHUYTBROECK from Congo, which however has scale-like (short black) setae on inner surface of surstylus. This species is commonly found on elephant dung.

0.05 mm for Fig. 27

mm for Fig 32

Figures

Figs 23–25. Lotobia supraelegans sp. n., paratype male, abdomen and genitalia. 23 = genitalia, caudal view, 24 = abdomen, dorsal view (inset: scales on tergite 2), 25 = paramere (postgonite), widest (nearly lateral) view. Scales: 0.5 mm for Fig. 24, 0.2 mm for Fig. 23, 0.1 mm for Fig. 25 and for inset

Figs 26–29. Lotobia supraelegans sp. n., paratype male, abdomen and genitalia. 26 = preabdominal sternites, ventral view, 27 = caudal process of sternite 4, higher magnification, 28 = genitalia, schematic lateral view, 29= distiphallus, ventral view. Scales: 0.5 mm for Figs 26, 28, 0.2 mm for Fig 29,

Figs 30–32. Lotobia supraelegans sp. n., paratype female.30 = preabdominal sternites, ventral view, 31 = abdomen, dorsal view, 32 = spermatheca. Scales: 0.5 mm for Fig. 30 and 31, respectively, 0.1