Amblypsilopus ankarana, Grichanov, 2021

Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2021, Eleven new species of Amblypsilopus Bigot (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Sciapodinae) and a key to the species of Madagascar and adjacent islands, European Journal of Taxonomy 755 (1), pp. 47-87 : 52-55

Amblypsilopus ankarana sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9F936DA0-BD46-4F1A-A4F6-AFE61E667628

Fig. 1

Diagnosis

Amblypsilopus ankarana sp. nov. belongs to the A. abruptus species group and is close to A. disjunctus (Parent, 1936) from Central Africa and to A. madagascariensis from Madagascar, which differ from the new species in the fore basitarsus 1.5 times as long as segment 2; the fore tibia and tarsus devoid of long setae. The fore basitarsus is 1.5 times as long as segment 2 in the new species; the fore tibia with posteroventral row of 4–5 long fine setae on distal ⅔; the fore tarsomeres 1 and 2 with posterior row of elongate setae, about as long as tarsomere diameter.

Etymology

The species is named after the Ankarana Special Reserve situated in northern Madagascar, in the former Antsiranana Province, now the Diana Region.The Reserve is a small,partially vegetated plateau composed of 150 Ma old Middle Jurassic limestone. With an average annual rainfall of about 2000 millimetres, the underlying rocks are susceptible to erosion, thereby producing caves and underground rivers. The rugged relief and the dense vegetation have helped protect the region from human intrusion ( Rossi 1974).

Material examined

Holotype MADAGASCAR • ♂; Antsiranana Province, Ankarana Special Reserve , 2.6 km E of Andafiabe; 12°57.523′ S, 49°07.189′ E; 4–6 Jan. 2007; A.H. Kirk-Spriggs leg.; AMGS.

Description

Male ( Fig. 1A )

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 3.7 mm; antenna length 1.6 mm; wing length 3.7 mm; wing width 1.2 mm.

HEAD ( Fig. 1B ). Frons shining greenish violet; about 10 long vertical and one long and strong postvertical bristles; upper postocular setae black, with uppermost seta rather long; lateral postocular setae white, long, uniserial; ventral postcranium covered with irregular white long hairs; face shining greenish violet, broad, bulging under antennae, 1.25 times as high as wide under antennae, 1.85 times as high as wide at clypeus, at clypeus three times as wide as postpedicel; clypeus densely covered with short white hairs, large, as high as wide; antenna ( Fig. 1C ) black, 2.2 times as long as height of head; scape simple; pedicel with ring of short bristles; postpedicel conoid, as long as high, with short hairs; arista-like stylus dorsoapical, separated from postpedicel, with fused segments, microscopically haired; length (mm) of scape, pedicel, postpedicel, stylus, 0.06/0.06/0.08/1.41; proboscis and palpus black, with white hairs; palpus with 2 black bristles.

THORAX. Mesonotum and scutellum metallic blue-green, pleura blue-black, weakly grey pollinose; 2 long dorsocentral bristles behind suture with strongest posterior pair and 3 shorter dorsocentrals anteriorly; 4 pairs of rather long acrostichals; scutellum with 2 strong bristles.

LEGS. Including coxae black; fore and mid coxae with mostly black hairs and 2–4 black subapical bristles; hind coxa with 3 long and about 5 short black setae; all femora with double row of long ventral setae decreasing in length distally, at most 1.5–2 times as long as diameter of femur; mid femur with 3 posteroventral subapical seta; fore tibia ( Fig. 1D ) with posteroventral row of 4–5 setae, two times as long as diameter of tibia; fore tarsomeres 1–2 with complete posterior row of setae, as long as diameter of segment, with ventral pad of white hairs along entire length ( Fig. 1E ); mid and hind tibiae with few rather short dorsal and ventral setae; hind tarsomeres 4–5 dorsoventrally flattened and slightly widened; femur, tibia and tarsomere (from first to fifth) length ratio (mm): fore leg: 0.92/0.94/0.62/0.38/0.18/0.1/0.09, mid leg: 1.08/1.25/0.96/0.3/0.2/0.13/0.1, hind leg: 1.24/1.78/0.82/0.35/0.18/0.1/0.09.

WING ( Fig. 1F ). Widest at middle, greyish, veins brown; costa with elongate, slightly curved setulae; R 4+5 gently curved to M 1 in apical third; M 1+2 almost straight; M 1 with strong elbow, forming nearly right angle with M 1+2; ratio of parts of costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 to those between R 4+5 and M 1, 4/1; crossvein dm–m straight; ratio of crossvein dm-m to apical part of M 1+2 (fork-handle) to apical part of M 4, 0.55/0.5/0.24; anal vein weak; anal lobe and alula well developed; anal angle acute; lower calypter black, with black cilia; halter black.

ABDOMEN. Thin, shining blue-black, with long black cilia and long marginal setae; pregenital segments combined two times as long as mesonotum; hypopygium ( Fig. 1G ) black, with black appendages; cercus short, strap-like (dorsal view), densely haired, with 3 pedunculate bristles at apex; surstylus strongly curved, flattened and semi-rounded (ventral view), with 3 strong mid-ventral setae, 4 weaker setae distally, thin hooked dorsoapical process ( Fig. 1H ); epandrial lobe reduced; one short epandrial seta.

Female

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 1. Amblypsilopus ankarana sp. nov. Holotype, ♂ (AMGS). A. Habitus. B. Head. C. Antenna. D. Fore femur and tibia. E. Fore tarsus. F. Wing. G. Hypopygium, left lateral view, reflected light. H. Surstylus, ventrolateral view, transmitted light.