Thinophilus deemingi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: E987D48E-1FB1-4E86-801C-44BACFAB7907

Fig. 10

Diagnosis

The small-sized Thinophilus deemingi sp. nov. is remarkable, having modified fore tarsus with basitarsus thick at apex; tarsal segments 2–4 short, triangular, with black lateral setae; segment 5 rounded, widened and flattened. As a whole, fore tibia ⅓ × as long as fore tarsus. In addition, wing crossvein dm-m ½ × as long as distal part of M 4. Other species of the Thinophilus indigenus group have practically simple fore tarsus, longer than fore tibia; wing crossvein dm-m as long as or ⅔ × as long as distal part of M 4.

Etymology

The specific epithet is dedicated to the collector, the British dipterist Dr J.C. Deeming (NMWC)

Material examined

Holotype OMAN • ♂; “ Muscat, Qurum Beach; [23°37′ N, 58°28′ E]; 23 oct. 1990; J.С. Deeming leg.”; NMWC.

Description

Male (Fig. 10A)

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 1.8 mm; antenna length 0.5 mm; wing length 1.8 mm; wing width 0.6 mm.

HEAD (Fig. 10B). Postcranium bluish black, whitish pollinose; frons, face and clypeus greenish black, grey pollinose; face under antennae about 2 × as wide as height of postpedicel; clypeus half as long as epistoma, 1.6 × as wide as long; palp yellow, bearing black bristly hairs; proboscis dark brown; 2 diverging ocellars; 1 vertical, 1 postvertical, stronger and longer than, and not in row with upper postoculars; upper postoculars uniseriate, black; middle and lower postoculars multiseriate, white, long; antennal scape, pedicel and postpedicel blackish dorsally, yellow ventrally (Fig. 10C); scape with scale-like inner projection; pedicel simple, convex on inner side; postpedicel apically browned, rounded, with short pubescence, as high as long; arista-like stylus dorsal, black and thick basally, thin distally, shortly pubescent; length ratio of scape to pedicel to postpedicel to stylus, 0.05/0.04/0.08/0.2.

THORAX. Metallic, grey dusted; mesonotum greenish blue-black; pleura bluish black; no acrostichals; 6 dorsocentrals decreasing in length anteriorly; scutellum with 2 strong marginals and 2 minute laterals; few upper and lower, white propleural bristles of different length.

LEGS. Fore coxa yellow; mid and hind coxae black, yellow at apex; legs mostly yellow; fore tarsomeres 2–5 and mid and hind tarsomeres 4–5 brown-black.

FORE LEG. Coxa with black setae and bristles; femur (Fig. 10D) slightly thickened, with anteroventral row of about 6 black bristles, longer than femur height, with 3 preapical posteroventral setae; tibia bearing 2 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal and 3 apical short bristles; basitarsus thick at apex; tarsal segments 2–4 short, triangular, with black lateral setae (Fig. 10E); segment 5 rounded, widened and flattened; length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.68/0.55/0.18/0.05/0.05/0.04/0.09.

MID LEG. Coxa with black setae; femur anteroventral row of black bristles, about as long as femur height, with 3 preapical posteroventral setae; tibia bearing 2 anterodorsal; 2 posterodorsal, 4 apical bristles; tarsal segment 5 weakly widened; length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.69/0.66/0.36/ 0.12/0.08/0.06/0.07.

HIND LEG. Coxa with 1 black exterior bristle; femur with ventral row of several very short black setae, as long as anterodorsal setae; tibia bearing 2 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal bristles, 4 apicals; segment 5 weakly widened; length of femur, tibia and tarsal segments (in mm): 0.78/0.78/0.2/0.19/0.1/0.08/0.07.

WING (Fig. 10F). Hyaline, without darker shades; veins brown-yellow, more yellowish at base; distal part of M 1+2 convex; tip of R 4+5 parallel with M 1+2; ratio of part of costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 to that between R 4+5 and M 1+2 (in mm), 0.24/0.14; crossvein dm-m straight; ratio of dm-m to distal part of M 4, 0.16/0.27; anal vein distinct; halter yellow; lower calypter yellow, with white cilia.

ABDOMEN. Bluish black, weakly dusted; setae and hind-marginal bristles on tergites black, short; sternites bearing fungi ( Laboulbeniales). Hypopygium (Fig. 10G) brown with yellow appendages; epandrial lobe fingerlike, with strong apical bristle; hypandrium short, apically concave; phallosoma massive, almost reaching apex of surstyli; phallus long and simple, strongly curved at apex of phallosoma, projected; surstylus straight (lateral view) with few longer bristles and several short apical and preapical setae (Fig. 10H); cerci dorsally fused almost to apex, boat-shaped, with marginal bristles (Fig. 10G).

Female

Unknown.