Pericoma inopinata Ježek, Oboňa & Manko, 2021

Ježek, Jan, Oboňa, Jozef & Manko, Peter, 2021, Two new Palaearctic species of moth flies (Diptera, Psychodidae, Psychodinae) from the Caucasus Mts., Zootaxa 4985 (4), pp. 582-594 : 587-592

Pericoma inopinata Ježek, Oboňa & Manko sp. nov.

( Figs 22–37 )

Description. Male. Head roundish, as long as wide ( Fig. 22 ), with prominent cut vertex. Eyes separated, compound, kidney or C-shaped laterally, upper apices of eyes narrower in contrast to lower ones. Posteriolateral margins of eyes with 2–4 insertions of supraocular bristles on both sides. Setae alveoli are almost regularly spaced over the medial surface in spite of lateral patches with sporadic insertions and gore-shaped scar free areas laterally above eyes. Interocular suture bow-shaped, eye bridge formed generally by four facet rows, frontal marginal rows are reduced to three facets ( Fig. 30 ). Minimum distance between eyes corresponds roughly to 3.4 facet diameters; index of distance from tangential points of eye apices to minimum of frons 8.0. Setae alveoli of frontoclypeus arranged almost in rectangular, centrally placed patch near base of antennae, tapering abruptly to a dorsoventral very narrow stripe of hairs close below frontal suture ( Figs 22 , 30 ). Antennae ( Figs 23 , 31 ) of 16 articles. Scape cylindrical, as long as globular pedicel, but narrower, first flagellomeres spindle-shaped, last ones ovoid; terminal flagellomere with an excentrical digital apiculus. Ascoids of flagellomeres 2-13 needle-shaped, a little bent, paired, twice shorter than flagellomeres in which are inserted. At the labellum, as shown in Fig. 32 , parallel lines of miniature spines between both lobes absent. Labellum bulbose, without conspicuous digital protuberances in between ( Fig. 32 ). Length ratio of maxillary palps 1.0:1.6:1.6:2.9, segment 4 annulate ( Fig. 24 ). Ratio of maximum length of cibarium to length of epipharynx 1.3:1 ( Fig. 25 ), labrum pointed.

Thorax. Anepisternum setae patch almost semicircular, with circular thoracic spiracle anteriorly; anepimeron approximately with trapezoid setose patch ( Fig. 26 ). Spiracles narrowly separated from protuberant anterior region of anepisternite and set on low on mesothorax. No thoracic allurement organs. Wings ( Fig. 34 ) lanceolate, a little expanded et the posterior margin, 2.0 mm in holotype, 1.9–2.1 mm, in paratypes, rounded distally, the ending of R 5 a little beyond the tip of wing. Wing membrane not infuscated. Following veins or their parts strengthened: Sc (conspicuously on both ends), R 1, R 5, CuA 1, CuA 2 (markedly in one quarter basally). Radial fork in contrast to medial one complete ( Fig. 34 ). Both forks and the ending of CuA 2 are not in one line; medial fork positioned somewhat to basal wing cell. Wing index 2.7. Knob of halteres ( Fig. 33 ) globular, slightly asymmetrical, tapering to a prolonged stem with a basal fold. Scales are narrow, lanceolate, in contrast to three sensory microsetae ventrally arranged in a vertical row. Ratio of maximum length of halteres (measured to the fold of stem) to their maximum width 2.3: 1. Ratios of lengths of femora, tibiae and first tarsal segments: P 1 1.9:2.0:1.0, P 2 2.0:2.4:1.1, P 3 2.1:2.7:1.2. Paired tarsal claws of P 1 only a little bent in their last third, pointed, haired basally.

Male genitalia with hypandrium stripe-shaped of the same width ( Fig. 29 ). Aedeagal complex with basiphallus (ejaculatory apodeme) almost straight and narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 29 ), inconspicuously swollen and rounded proximally and conspicuously inflated distally to bul-shaped form; apodeme is weakened in the middle (lateral view, Fig. 37 ), strangulated by two clefts in one third basally and bent in second third. Distiphallus consisting of two phallomeres forming a spatula with divergent and pointed long lateral V-shaped protuberances only a little shorter than two parameral sclerites pointed and touched distally. Parameral joints with a transverse slightly curved wave band-like sclerite proximally connected by two narrow stripes with a sclerotized circle, and distally with divergent bolt-shaped protuberances, 0.5 time as long as phallomeres. Gonocoxal condyles apparently fused with parameral sheath. Gonopods see Figs 28, 29 . Gonocoxites are almost cylindrical, stout, as long as gonostyli, at first of the same width, then rapidly tapering to the conspicuously sclerotized prolonged tips ( Fig. 29 ). Gonocoxites have two long setae on the inner side basally, hardly as long as phallomeres. Epandrium ( Figs 35, 36 ) quadrate with two patches of hairs on both sides caudally and a deep notch distally. Central aperture elliptical, doubled, strangulated in the middle. Ventral plate was not observed, only perhaps elliptical remnants. Hypoproct is tongue-shaped, triangular; epiproct only as a fold with a conical inner basis, narrowed medially. Both parts haired. Epandrial claspers almost cylindrical, haired, straight (dorsal view, Fig. 35 ), a little widened at basis and bent (lateral view, Fig. 36 ), 1.3-times as long as epandrium, with 5 tenacula subapically; ends are not frayed.

Female. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. Pericoma inopinata can hardly be distinguished at first sight from the similar species P. calcilega Feuerborn, 1923 , P. pingarestica Vaillant, 1978 , P. tonnoiri Vaillant, 1978 ; and P. vestita Vaillant & Withers, 1993 (a part of Vaillant’s group trifasciata – see Vaillant 1978, part 317, p. 214, calcilega subgroup of Vaillant & Withers 1993 and the key of Kvifte & Ivkovic 2018), with a distiphallus consisting of two phallomeres forming a spatula with divergent and pointed or rounded long lateral V-shaped protuberances. In the new species, the two parameral sclerites are not pointed; they are blunt and separated distally. The gonostyli are at first almost globular (swollen) and bent in almost right angle to very prolonged, thin, needle-shaped protuberances. P. inopinata has two parameral sclerites tapering and touched caudally in one point, and the gonostyli are, moreover, at first cylindrical at first and then rapidly tapering to the conspicuously sclerotized prolonged tips, almost straight or only a little arched ( Fig. 29 ).

Type material. Holotype male: Transcaucasia , Georgia, Mtskheta – Mtianeti region, Mejilaurni, forest and bushy springs, outlets, 1270 m a.s.l., 42°19’25.4”N 44°38’43.9”E, 13.vii.2019, by sweep netting, Kovács, Manko, Murányi and Vinçon leg ( Fig 39 ). Slide with a dissected specimen, Cat. No. 34878, Inv. No. 25935 ( NMPC).

Paratypes 22 males (slides): 20 males of the same locality, method, collectors and date, Cat. No. 34879-34898, Inv. No. 25936-25955 ( NMPC) ; two males Azerbaijan, Qax district, Lǝkit, Mamırlı waterfall and springs, 600 m a.s.l., 41°29’34.0”N 46°51’32.1”E, 7.v.2019, by sweep netting, Oboňa and Manko leg. Slide with a dissected specimen, Cat. No. 34876-34877, Inv. No. 25933-25934 ( NMPC) .

Type locality. Georgia, Mtskheta – Mtianeti region, Mejilaurni.

Etymology. Inopinatus – a, – um from Lat. (adjective) = unexpected; refers to a scientific bombshell in spring areas of Transcaucasia.

Bionomics. Unknown, males were collected near montane waterfalls, springs and outlets.

Distribution. Currently recorded only from Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Figures

FIGURE 39. Type locality of Pericoma inopinata Ježek, Oboňa & Manko sp. nov., forest and bushy springs, outlets, Mejilaurni, Mtskheta – Mtianeti region (Georgia).

FIGURES 22–29. Pericoma inopinata Ježek, Oboňa & Manko sp. nov. male. 22. Head, frontal view, antennae omitted. 23. Ba- sal antennomeres. 24. Maxilla and palpus maxillaris. 25. Cibarium, epipharynx and labrum, dorsal view. 26. Thoracic sclerites, lateral view. 27. Tarsal claw of P1, lateral view. 28. Gonopod, lateral view. 29. Aedeagal complex and gonopods, dorsal view. [Scale: 22, 26 = 0.3 mm; 29 = 0,2 mm; 23-25, 28 = 0.1 mm; 27 = 0.05 mm]

FIGURES 30–37. Pericoma inopinata Ježek, Oboňa & Manko sp. nov. male. 30. Frons and facets in detail, frontal view. 31. Apical flagellomeres. 32. Terminal lobe of the labium. 33. Haltere, lateral view. 34. Wing. 35. Epandrium and epandrial claspers, dorsal view. 36. Same, lateral view. 37. Aedeagal complex, lateral view. [Scale: 34 = 1 mm; 33, 35, 36 = 0.2 mm; 30-32, 37 = 0.1 mm]