Amygdalops abnormis, ROHÁČEK J., 2008

ROHÁČEK J., 2008, Revision Of The Genus Amygdalops Lamb, 1914 (Diptera, Anthomyzidae) Of The Oriental, Australasian And Oceanian Regions, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 54 (4), pp. 325-400 : 376-380

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.12584953
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A2710835-FF88-8C1F-9B00-B1CFFCB1F9B2
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Amygdalops abnormis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Amygdalops abnormis View in CoL sp. n.

( Figs 129–143 View Figs 129–135 View Figs 136–143 , 170 View Figs 167–170 )

Type material: Holotype male, labelled: “ SRI LANKA: Bad. Dist. , Ela, black light, 25 November 1976 ”, “ Collectors: G. F. Hevel, R. E. Dietz IV, PB & S Karunaratne, D. W. Balasooriya ” ( USNM, genit. prep.) . Paratypes: SRI LANKA: Kan. Dist. , Udawattakele, 1800 ft, black light, 19.xi.1976, 1 female, G. F. Hevel, R. E. Dietz IV, S. Karunaratne & D. W. Balasooriya leg. ( USNM, genit. prep.) . INDIA: Mysore , Bangalore, viii.1957, 1 female, N. L. H. Kraus leg. ( USNM, in poor condition, genit. prep.) .

Etymology: The species is named “abnormis ” owing to the abnormally modified filum of distiphallus.

Description – Male. Total body length 2.42 mm. Externally similar to A. nigrinotum but differing as follows. Occiput brown, slightly paler medially, sparsely greyish microtomentose. Frontal triangle very narrow. Frons with ochreous to yellow anterior third; stripes between frontal triangle and orbits narrow, silvery grey microtomentose and dull. Orbit with anterior third pale brown to yellow and largely dull (shining around base of anterior ors), rest dark brown and shining. Face ochreous-yellow; parafacialia and gena narrowly ochreous margined. Mouthparts as in A. nigrinotum but clypeus pale brown. Cephalic chaetotaxy as in A. nigrinotum but vi relatively weak (as long as oc but thinner) and subvibrissa about two-thirds of vi; peristomal setulae (8–9) smaller. Eye subovoid as in A. nigrinotum . Genal smallest height 0.08 times as long as shortest eye diameter. Antenna yellow to light yellow, somewhat darker around base of arista. Arista 2.0 times as long as antenna.

Thorax slightly narrower than head. Mesonotum including scutellum uniformly dark brown. Humeral callus dorsally partly yellowish ochreous, otherwise pale brown to brown as also is notopleural area. Thoracic chaetotaxy: 1 prs, reduced to microseta; 2 dc, anterior only twice longer than dc microsetae; 2 sc, apical long and strong (lost in holotype, length deduced from that of female paratype), laterobasal weak but longer than anterior dc. Legs dark yellow, with light yellow coxae and trochanters; mid and hind femora and tibiae somewhat darkened in pre/post-genual third. Pedal chaetotay as in A. nigrinotum ; both hind legs missing in male holotype but f 3 supposedly with some shortened and thickened setae in distal part of posteroventral row of setae. Wing ( Fig. 170 View Figs 167–170 ) with pattern and venation similar to those of A. nigrinotum but pale area in front of preapical spot more distinct. R 4+5 slightly sinuate apically; r-m situated slightly in front of middle of discal (dm) cell. Wing measurements: length 2.26 mm; width 0.61 mm, Cs 3: Cs 4 = 2.17, r-m\dm-cu: dm-cu = 3.23. Haltere brown with darker knob.

Abdomen. Preabdominal terga large, dark brown, T4 with very small (poorly visible), T5 with large pale ochreous anterolateral spot. Preabdominal sterna small but larger than in most relatives, S2-S4 as long as broad but S2 smaller than S3 or S4. S5 distinctly broader, large, 1.5 times as broad as long. S6-S8 dark brown. S6 and S7 similarly formed as in A. nigrinotum but each carrying 2 distinct setae being as long as those on T5 or S8.

Genitalia. Epandrium hemispherical, relatively long ( Figs 129–130 View Figs 129–135 ), with dense and thick setae, 1 dorsomedial and 1 ventrocaudal longest; anal opening dorsally subcordate, ventrally widened ( Fig. 129 View Figs 129–135 ). Cercus as long as gonostylus, bare anteriorly and laterally, setose and micropubescent posteriorly. Medandrium ( Fig. 129 View Figs 129–135 ) comparatively small and narrow dorsally. Gonostylus ( Figs 129, 133 View Figs 129–135 ) rather small, subtriangular, with tapered but apically rounded tip; micropubescence restricted to posterodorsal part of outer side; inner side of gonostylus with relatively short setae. Hypandrium ( Fig. 132 View Figs 129–135 ) rather robust but not broad and pale-pigmented, with weak internal lobes; transandrium ( Fig. 131 View Figs 129–135 ) simple, with concave ventral margin; caudal process single, flat, arising from this concavity, weakly sclerotized and finely granulose. Pregonite ( Fig. 132 View Figs 129–135 ) very low, fused with hypandrium, incurved, not projecting ventrally, with only 6 setae. Postgonite ( Fig. 132 View Figs 129–135 ) small, slightly bent, proximally darker, distally lighter, tapered and acutely pointed, with 1 microseta in proximal third; basal sclerite attached to postgonite well-developed, slightly smaller than postgonite ( Fig. 132 View Figs 129–135 ). Aedeagal part of folding apparatus ( Fig. 135 View Figs 129–135 ) somewhat darkened dorsally, externally provided with flat polygonal tubercles; connecting sclerite slender proximally, dilated and finely tuberculate distally. Basal membrane armed by flattened spines, particularly posteroventrally ( Figs 131, 132 View Figs 129–135 ). Aedeagal complex ( Fig. 135 View Figs 129–135 ) with rather robust phallapodeme, having shortly forked base and apex with short lateral projections. Aedeagus with short frame-like phallophore and very large distiphallus. Distiphallus peculiarly modified. Base of distiphallus almost bare. Saccus of distiphallus long, curved, except for basal and ventral sclerites membranous and provided with about 5 thorn-like spines in the middle, a series of short spines on apex and a number of scattered spinulae adherent to surface. Filum of distiphallus unusual, formed by single compact sclerite being expanded in mm, others = 0.05 mm

a flat crooked process in the middle and terminating in very tapered apex ( Figs 134, 135 View Figs 129–135 ). Ejacapodeme small, with a thicker digitiform projection.

Female. Similar to A. nigrinotum unless mentioned otherwise. Total body length 2.34–2.50 mm. Wing measurements: length 2.38–2.46 mm, width 0.65–0.73 mm, Cs 3: Cs 4 = 1.90–2.00, r-m\dm-cu: dm-cu = 3.53. Abdomen with T1-T3 completely dark brown; T4-T6 with distinct pale yellowish anterolateral spot on each side; spots on T4 and T6 smaller than those on T5. Preabdominal sterna S3-S4 longer than broad; S5 as long as broad and distinctly wider than S4 but narrower than (postabdominal) S6.

Postabdomen ( Figs 137–138 View Figs 136–143 ). T6 somewhat wider but not longer than T7, slightly tapered posteriorly, with numerous dense short and thick setae, dark brown with pale ochreous anterolateral spots and anterior margin. S6 largest sternum, as wide as T7, pale yellow and finely setose. T7 blackish brown with paler brown anterior marginal area, posteriorly emarginate, ventrolaterally embedding 7th spiracles (see Fig. 138 View Figs 136–143 ). S7 large, unusually broad, with characteristic lateral blackish spots in the middle and fine setae restricted to posterior half. T8 brown but paler than T7, broad and transverse, with fine setae posteriorly, micropubescent except for bare lateral and posterior marginal areas. S8 brown, very small in comparison with S7 or T8, finely setulose, with distinctive posteromedial bulge. T10 very small, transverse, brownish, with striking transverse row of stronger microtomentum and a pair of longer posteromedial setae. S10 rounded pentagonal, larger than T10, brownish, micropubescent. Internal sclerotization of genital chamber not large, formed by two pairs of fused twisted pale brown sclerites ( Figs 139, 143 View Figs 136–143 ) being suddenly widened in front of S8; annular sclerite fine, twisted, highly visible; vaginal area finely spinulose. There is also some secondary sclerotization near insertion of spermathecal and accesory gland ducts. Accessory gland ( Fig. 142 View Figs 136–143 ) formed by a bunch of microglobulae on a short, distally dilated duct. Ventral receptacle ( Fig. 141 View Figs 136–143 ) membranous, vesiculate, with smooth surface and a slender digitiform, ventrally directed terminal projection, set on short, proximally dilated, duct. Spermathecae spherical, relatively large ( Figs 136, 140 View Figs 136–143 ), each with small subconical spines in basal half; duct cervix of medium size. Cerci ( Figs 137, 139 View Figs 136–143 ) short and robust, dark brown, with relatively short fine setae.

Discussion – This is the most peculiar species of the A. nigrinotum subgroup distinguished by the uniquely modified filum of the distiphallus (original ribbon-shaped sclerites fused to form single compact sclerite with lobe-like processes – see Fig. 134 View Figs 129–135 ). Otherwise it can be separated from related and similarly coloured species by the darker humeral and notopleural areas (only dorsal side of humeral callus yellowish), the distinct setae on the male S6 and S7, the shape of the gonostylus (resembling somewhat that of A. simplicior ROHÁČEK, 2004 or A. thomasseti LAMB, 1914 – see ROHÁČEK 2004: Figs 39 View Figs 38–43 , 47 View Figs 44–51 ), the female S7 large with blackish lateral spots, the S8 small and the cerci short and robust.

Biology – Two of the three type specimens were caught in light traps (on black light). Occurrence dates: VIII, XI.

Distribution – Sri Lanka, southern India.