Cerodontha (Dizygomyza) feldmani, Eiseman & Lonsdale, 2018

Eiseman, Charles S. & Lonsdale, Owen, 2018, New state and host records for Agromyzidae (Diptera) in the United States, with the description of thirty new species, Zootaxa 4479 (1), pp. 1-156 : 43

Cerodontha (Dizygomyza) feldmani spec. nov.

( Figs. 25–26 , 128 , 286–292 )

Holotype. NORTH CAROLINA: Durham Co., Durham, Leigh Farm Park , 24.v.2016, em . 30.v.2016, T.S. Feldman, ex Carex flaccosperma (basal rosette), #CSE2523, CNC654291 (1♂).

Etymology. This species is named for Tracy S. Feldman, who collected the type specimen as well as all other North Carolina material used in this study.

Host. Cyperaceae : Carex flaccosperma Dewey.

Leaf mine. ( Fig. 128 ) Irregular, upper surface, with some portions whitish and some green (interparenchymal); frass not evident.

Puparium. ( Fig. 26 ) Brown, elongate; tapering and with more pronounced segmentation in the posterior half; most segments with a roundish black patch on the ventral surface; formed within the mine, toward the base of the leaf.

Distribution. USA: NC.

Adult description. Wing length 1.9mm (♂). Female unknown. Length of ultimate section of vein CuA1 divided by penultimate section: 1.5. Eye height divided by gena height: approximately 6.0. First flagellomere much enlarged and covered with dense pale hairs to base of segment; base of antennae widely separated. Arista pubescent and with swollen basal section as long as pedicel height. Lunule 2/3 width of frons, height half width. Ocellar triangle not evident. Orbital plate weakly defined, slightly more sclerotized than vitta. Posterior ocelli displaced, separated by twice ocellar width (anterior and posterior ocelli separated by less than one ocellar width). With light gray pruinosity that is denser on notum.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori, two ors. Ocellar and postvertical setae subequal to ors. Four dorsocentral setae, decreasing in length anteriorly, especially on anterior two pairs. Six scattered rows of acrostichal setulae.

Coloration: ( Fig. 25 ) Setae dark brown. Body dark brown; frontal vitta and inner half of orbital plate with beige tint; lunule slightly iridescent; face with yellow ventromedial spot; calypter white; haltere yellow; apex of fore femur light yellow with spot as long as wide.

Genitalia: ( Figs. 286–292 ) Epandrial process above anus rounded, bumpy, longer than wide. Surstylus fused to epandrium, small, slightly pointed, with row of three tubercle-like setae along inner margin. Process of subepandrial sclerite long, narrow, tapered, slightly curved, outer distal margin serrated and with subapical point. Hypandrium stout, rounded apically, inner lobe distal, transverse, with several sockets. Small, narrow postgonite typical of genus. Phallophorus elongate, with ventromedial projection of margin and dorsal fusion to basiphallus. Basiphallus short, single dorsal plate split apically into one pair of ventrally curved branches, with left arm shorter. Hypophallus large and membranous with right sclerite absent and left sclerite long and narrow with triangular process on outer margin before midpoint. Paraphallus membranous, lobate, with short rectangular ventral sclerotization. Mesophallus width approximately ¼ length, mostly narrow along length with slight lateral swelling subapically and before midpoint. Distiphallus slightly longer than mesophallus, dark, entirely divided into two tubules; sinuate, with small, sharp curve at base and large C-shaped curve apically; apex paler, slightly dilated. Ejaculatory apodeme well-developed; base extended to duct insertion; stem short, grading into paler blade.

Comments. Cerodontha (Dizygomyza) feldmani is a relatively dark, indistinct species with an enlarged first flagellomere, yellow fore knee and 4 fronto-orbitals, but the phallus is distinctive ( Figs. 291–292 ). The left sclerite of the hypophallus is present, long, narrow and with a strong, pointed outer-basal process, the paraphallus is clear and lobate with a rectangular ventral sclerotization, and most distinctively, the mesophallus is narrow along its entire length with only slight medial and subapical swelling, and the distiphallus is long with a sharp, short basal bend and a large semicircular apical curve. This species will key to C. (D.) paludosa using Spencer & Steyskal (1986), but that Californian species has a larger wing (2.5–3.0mm) and a larger, more broadly curved distiphallus and the mesophallus is more slender and segmented.

Figures

FIGURE 22–29. Figure 22: Cerodontha (Butomomyza) angulata (Loew), empty puparium. Figure 23: Cerodontha (Butomomyza) sp. 1., empty puparia (left one parasitized by a braconid wasp). Figure 24: C. (Dizygomyza) edithae spec. nov., adult male. Figures 25–26: C. (D.) feldmani spec. nov.; 25: adult male; 26: empty puparium. Figure 27: C. (D.) morosa (Meigen), empty puparium. Figure 28: C. (Poemyza) incisa (Meigen), puparium. Figure 29: C. (P.) inconspicua (Malloch), puparia.

FIGURES 124–132. leaf mines; 124: Cerodontha (Butomomyza) angulata (Loew) in Dichanthelium clandestinum (puparium on leaf surface at lower left); 125: C. (B.) angulata in Carex sp.; 126: C. (C.) dorsalis (Loew) in Triticosecale sp.; 127: C. (Dizygomyza) edithae spec. nov. in Iris versicolor (puparium at left); 128: C. (D.) feldmani spec. nov. in Carex flaccosperma (puparium at far left; other dark spot is a dead larva); 129: C. (D.) cf. iraeos (Robineau-Desvoidy) in Iris cristata (brown puparium to right of black frass spot); 130: C. (D.) morosa (Meigen) in Carex leptonervia (puparium at right); 131: C. (Poemyza) incisa (Meigen) in Cinna arundinacea (transmitted light, with two puparia); 132: C. (P.) inconspicua (Malloch) in Elymus virginicus (transmitted light, with two puparia).

FIGURES 286–292. Cerodontha (Dizygomyza) feldmani spec. nov., male genitalia; 286: external components, anterior (subepandrial sclerite shaded); 287: same, left lateral; 288: postgonite, left lateral; 289: hypandrium, ventral; 290: ejaculatory apodeme; 291: phallus, ventral; 292: phallus, left lateral.