Sycorax spina Curler

Curler, Gregory R. & Jacobson, Amanda J., 2012, New species of Psychodidae (Diptera) from Australasia, with a checklist of the world species of Bruchomyiinae and Sycoracinae, Zootaxa 3552, pp. 43-65 : 54-56

Sycorax spina Curler sp. nov.

( Figs. 22–29 )

DIAGNOSIS. Male terminalia: parameres with posterior lobes broad, rounded, with dorsal spiniform processes; dorsomedial process of paramere spatulate, swollen at mid-length, extending beyond apices of aedeagus; medial processes of parameres smoothly curved, bulbous apically; aedeagus with apices acuminate. Female terminalia: spermathecal ducts inflated, ovoid, not annulated; sternum 10 bell-shaped in dorsal view.

DESCRIPTION. Male ( Figs. 22–23 , 26–29 ): Measurements (n = 4), head width 0.30 mm, head length 0.21 mm (0.20–0.22), palpus length 0.08 mm, wing length 1.26 mm (1.22–1.30), wing width 0.51 mm (0.49–0.54), R2+3 length 0.36 mm (0.34–0.38), R3 length 0.27 mm (0.24–0.28), gonocoxite length 0.12 mm, gonostylus length 0.09 mm, gonostylus spine length 0.06 mm. Head elliptical in frontal view, wider than long. Antennae: scape and pedicel sub-spherical, flagellomere 1 slightly longer than flagellomere 2; ascoids present only on flagellomeres 1–3. Wing: length of radial fork less than ¼ the length of wing; R2+3 about 1.75 times longer than R3. Terminalia: gonostyle with subterminal seta closer to apical spine; ejaculatory apodeme laterally compressed; vasa deferentia short, about as long as width of ejaculatory apodeme; testes globular, about three times as wide as vasa deferentia; ejaculatory duct funnel-shaped, expanding from base to apex; aedeagus with apices narrow, blade-like, acuminate; parameres with posterior lobes broad, rounded, with dorsal spiniform processes; dorsomedial process of paramere spatulate, swollen at mid-length, extending beyond apices of aedeagus; medial processes of parameres smoothly curved, bulbous apically; epandrium with setae alveoli conspicuous.

Female ( Figs. 24–25 ): head as in male except with ascoids present on flagellomeres 1–8; mouthparts undeveloped. Wing as in male. Terminalia: spermathecal ducts inflated, ovoid, not annulated; spermathecae spherical; genital fork lightly sclerotized, with little pigment; sternum 10 bell-shaped in dorsal view.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype [male]: New Caledonia. NORD PROVINCE: Réserve speciale de faune de l’Aoupinié, in alpine forest, 21°9’25”S 165°19’22”E, 700m, 13–30.xi.2000, coll. D. Webb, E. Schlinger, M. Irwin and J. Boutin, 6m Malaise trap; deposited MNHN. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Allotype [female]: same location as holotype, 9–14.xii.2000, coll. M. Irwin and J. Boutin, 6m Malaise trap; deposited MNHN. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Paratypes: same data as holotype [1 male, 1 female], same location as holotype, 6–12.vii.2000 [1 male] coll. D. Webb, E. Schlinger, J. Boutin, 9–14.xi.2000 [5 males, 4 females] coll. M. Irwin and J. Boutin; deposited USNM, LACM and NZAC.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. New Caledonia. SUD PROVINCE: Réserve Col d’Amieu, 7.5 km NW Sarramea, 21°35’6”S 165°49’8”E, 303m, 13–30.xi.2000 [1 female] coll. E. Schlinger and M. Irwin, Malaise trap.

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet spina from Latin is in reference to the spiniform posterior processes of the parameres.

BIONOMICS. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Collected from two locations in New Caledonia.

COMMENTS. Males of Sycorax spina is similar to those of S. sinuosa , but can easily be separated by comparison of the dorsomedial process of the parameres. S. spina has a spatulate process that extends beyond the aedeagus while S. sinuosa has a very short process. Females of S. spina have a bell-shaped sternum 10 and ovoid spermathecal ducts that are not annulated. This combination of character states is unique among female Sycorax currently known from New Claedonia. Ascoids are present only on some flagellomeres in the male and female. It is clear that ascoids are absent from the remaining flagellomeres and have not simply been broken or removed. As in some other species, ascoids are present on flagellomeres 1–3 in the male and 1–8 in the female. S. spina was collected from a location with no streams nearby, as well as a location with a stream in the vicinity. However, the majority of specimens were collected from the former locality, and it is unlikely that the presence of the stream influenced the presence or absence of this Sycorax species.

Figures

FIGURES 22 − 25. Sycorax spina Curler sp. nov. 22. Male head, frontal view, right palpus removed, left antennal flagellum removed. 23. Male wing. 24. Female terminalia, external structure, ventral view. 25. Female terminalia, internal structure, ventral view. Abbreviations: cerc = cercus; gen fk = genital fork; spth = spermathecae; st = sternite; tg = tergite. Scale bars = 0.05 mm (24 – 25), 0.125 mm (22), 0.5 mm (23).

FIGURES 26 − 29. Sycorax spina Curler sp. nov., male. 26. Parameres and aedeagus, dorsal view. 27. Genital tract, dorsal view. 28. Gonopods, dorsal view. 29. Epandrium, cerci and hypoproct, dorsal view. Abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; cerc = cercus; dmp = dorsomedial process of paramere; eja = ejaculatory apodeme; gcx = gonocoxite; gst = gonostyle; hprct = hypoproct; mp = medial process of paramere; pl = posterior lobe of paramere; pm = paramere; sp = spiniform process of paramere; ss = spiniform seta; st = subterminal seta. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.