Alavesia spinosa, Sinclair & Grimaldi, 2020

Sinclair, Bradley J. & Grimaldi, David A., 2020, Cretaceous diversity of the relict genus Alavesia Waters and Arillo (Diptera: Empidoidea: Atelestidae), American Museum Novitates 2020 (3961), pp. 1-40 : 30-34

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1206/3961.1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5462049

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B94C5B-FFD1-3C67-67CE-34B2FEB47027

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Alavesia spinosa
status

sp. nov.

Alavesia spinosa View in CoL , new species

Figures 1L View FIGURE , 4A View FIGURE 4 , 5C View FIGURE 5 , 7C View FIGURE 7 , 17A View FIGURE 17

DIAGNOSIS: Wing moderately slender (fig. 17A), L/ W 2.88, with distinctly narrowed apex; R 4 +5 and M 1+2 slightly curved; bm-cu and CuA nearly symmetrical; cell dm long and slender. Postpedicel very large, L/ W 4.88, lanceolate. Male genitalia with pair of thick, spinelike setae just anterior to bases of surstyli .

DESCRIPTION: Male. Coloration partially visible, much of cuticle with layer of air. Mesoscutum and scutellum dark tan/light brown; postpedicel brown; pleura brown at least in center, perhaps more; halter knob light brown; tarsi entirely dark brown, tibiae and femora lighter; tergites 1–4 dark brown, others yellowish; wing completely hyaline. Head: Scape slender, longer than pedicel; pedicel small, quadrate, setose; postpedicel long, lanceolate (fig. 1L), L/ W 4.88; stylus relatively short, 0.39 × length of postpedicel, with 2 minute basal articles.

Thorax: Macrosetae thickened (fig. 5C); acrostichals small and fine, in biserial rows; dorsocentrals similar to acrostichals, ending in pair of long prescutellar setae plus 3 smaller macrosetae per side. Postpronotal setae only slightly larger than acrostichals; 5 notopleural setae of variable lengths; 1 postsutural supraalar seta; 1 postalar seta; 3 pairs scutellar setae, apical pair upright, crossed at tips, only slightly larger than lateralmost scutellars.

Legs: Forecoxa setose on anterior surface, longer at apex; forefemur with anteroventral row of ~30 short, spinulelike setae along length of femur; mid and hind femora with such setae only near apex. Tibia with long, apical ventral seta(e): 1-2-2. Hind tibia with short dorsal row of 3–4 thick setae, lengths ~0.7 × width of tibia, posterior surface with brush of fine setulae.

Wing: Length 1.7 mm (fig. 4A), vein C terminating slightly beyond M 1+2; Sc nearly reaching costal margin; R 4+5 parallel to M 1+2 but diverging at apices, both veins slightly curved (not straight); crossvein r-m at distal third of cell dm, cell long and slender; apex of M 4 slightly closer to M 1+2 than to CuA+CuP; CuA not aligned with bm-m; apex of cell cua acute, cell cua almost symmetrical with cell bm; CuA+CuP bent slightly in middle.

Abdomen: Slightly longer than thorax. Setae short, with little differentiation; sternites 2–4 with slightly thicker, short setulae on posterior and lateral margins. Terminalia (fig. 7C): Epandrium short, broad, dorsally complete, with some setulae and fringe of 5–6 long, fine setae on ventral margins. Cercus small. Surstylus long, slender, digitate, with medial row of 5 fine setulae, apical setula clavate. Phallus short, bifid. Genitalia uniquely with pair of stout, large, spinelike setae near bases of surstyli.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype, male: AMNH KL7-18 About AMNH . The fly is in excellent condition, preserved in clear yellow amber with many microscopic details visible.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is from the Latin spinosus (thorny), in reference to the pair of thick, spinelike setae on the male terminalia.

AMNH

American Museum of Natural History

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Diptera

Family

Atelestidae

Genus

Alavesia

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