Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont, 2018

Ježek, Jan, Oboňa, Jozef, Pont, François Le, Maes, Jean-Michel & Mollinedo, Sergio, 2018, Two new species of Bruchomyiinae (Diptera, Psychodidae) from the Neotropical Region, Zootaxa 4442 (3), pp. 469-478 : 470-474

Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–20 )

Description. Head ( Fig. 1 ) with prominent vertex, ridge-shaped. Eyes separated by 3 facet diameters anteriorly ( Fig. 2 ); frons with cluster of approximately 22 hair scars at anterior angle of eye, cluster separated from other scars on frons and vertex. Insertions of four supraocular bristles on dorsal margins of eyes enlarged. The fold of eye is marked on Fig. 1 from caudal view (black colour). Antenna (incomplete in holotype and paratype) with flagellomeres elongate ( Fig. 3 ), cylindrical, covered with abundant digitiform soft sensilla over their entire lengths, with paired mushroom- or platter-shaped ascoids ( Fig. 4 ). Scape and pedicel subsphaerical (scape irregularly). Ratio of lengths of segments of palpus maxillaris 1.2:1.0:1.2:3.3, two basal segments almost fused, maxilla (lacinia) not longer than two basal segments together ( Fig. 10 ). Newstead’s scales of third palpal segment not evident. Mouthparts extending over mid length of palpus segment 3. Labial lobes (labella) ( Fig. 11 ) prolonged with a little swollen sides, parallel inner lines of small microsetae are visible. Cibarium ( Figs. 1, 5 ) longer than broad, well sclerotized, without chitinous arch or armature.

Thorax. Anepisternum with elliptical, narrowed (strangled or strangulated) medially (in the middle) setose patch ( Fig. 12 ), thoracic spiracle is kidney-shaped. Wing length 3.5 (holotype) - 3.8 mm (paratype), inconspicuously clouded, almost 4 times longer than wide ( Fig. 7 ). Sc ending free in wing area at almost one third of wing length. R1 long, radial fork placed before ending of R1, arising conspicuously distal to medial fork; medial fork arising distal to r-m by distance equal to twice the length of r-m. R2+3 3.2 and 2.3 times longer than R2 and R3, respectively. M3 and CuA1 run across basally and arcuated before ending of CuA2, both with connections to M1+2 and CuA1. A1 ending free in the wing basis. Following veins strengthened: Sc, R1, R5 and CuA1. Veins are quite clearly attached to the costa, but mostly slightly less heavily sclerotized near their apex. Halteres ( Fig. 6 ) almost ovoid with a prolonged stem, bare. Ratio of maximum length of halteres to their maximum width approximately 4.0:1. Ratios of lengths of femora, tibiae and first tarsal segments: P1 1.1:2.0:1.0, P2 1.2:2.3:1.0, P3 1.3:2.6:1.1. Paired tarsal claws of P1 haired basally as in Fig. 8 , widened in the middle and bent distad. Areas of insertion points of elongate erectile setae of paired verrucae of medial abdominal segments (tergal chaetotaxy) and microsetae see on Fig. 15 .

Terminalia. Hypandrium narrow (observed in paratype Cat. No. 34712), approximately as wide as distiphallus in lateral view, fused to gonocoxites, more sclerotized antero-medially. Epandrium ( Figs. 16, 17 ) quadrangular in dorsal view, about twice as long as wide, more than 3: 1 in lateral view. Ventral plate ( Fig. 16 ) reduced to proximal and distal stripe margins, connected by narrower ligaments laterally on both sides of epandrium. Hypoproct largely triangular, tongue-shaped, epiproct oval with longitudinal sclerotized medial rib, both parts setose ( Figs. 16, 17 ). Cerci cylindrical from dorsal view, bluntly pointed distally, broadly round in lateral view ( Figs. 16, 17 ). Gonocoxite almost cylindrical ( Figs. 13 , 18 ), with numerous conspicuous setae alveoli dorsally and laterally, with several elongate setiform sensilla inserted medially. Gonostyle ( Figs. 13, 14 , 18 ) approximately a little shorter than gonocoxite, irregularly bulbose basally, with two quite different strong protuberances: undulated tapering arm with one tip and straight ramified arm with four pointed digits of different length. Parameres as figured ( Fig. 9 ), flat, sclerotized. Ejaculatory apodeme (dissected, not figured) as long as epandrium, straight, stick-shaped, very narrow (see paratype Cat. No. 34712). Aedeagal complex on Figs. 19 and 20 : Basiphallus with two characteristic prolonged sclerotized patches, connected with paired ovoid sclerites proximally. Bilobed U-shaped distiphallus is fixed in a cleft of two leaves originated hardly in the middle of phallus, rounded caudally in lateral view and pointed in dorsal view. Spines on both parts conspicuous.

Differential diagnosis. Similar to Boreofairchildia sziladyi ( Tonnoir, 1940) . However, B. sziladyi is characterized by Sc distally connected to C and R1; median protuberance of gonostylus U-shaped, short-toothed, with shallow cleft and much-more longer sinuous projection dorsally; parameres with two pointed apices dorsally, both parts declinated. Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont sp. nov. has ending of Sc free ( Fig. 7 ), not connected to C and R1; median protuberance of gonostylus straight, ramified, with four pointed digits of different length and, moreover, undulated tapering arm dorsally ( Figs. 13, 14 , 18 ); parameres with one apice dorsally ( Fig. 9 ). Boreofairchildia belti is similar as well to B. mopani (de León, 1950) in aedeagal complex, where gonostylus has only three apical long and slender protuberances, with bases contiguous, extended posteriorly; parameres of heavily sclerotized structures, blade-like, straight or slightly sinuous, not recurved, simple. Third palp segment evidently with a dense patch of Newstead´s scales at about middle in contrast to B. belti where this character is not evident.

Type locality. Central Nicaragua, rain forerst on the Caribbean slope of the Cerro Musun , east of Matagalpa department.

Type material. Holotype: male ( NMPC, dissected, slide, red label), Nicaragua: Cerro Musun , v.-vi.2009 , CDC miniature light-trap, Le Pont leg., Cat . No. 34711, Inv. No. 24165. Paratype: male ( NMPC, dissected, yellow label), same data, Cat. No. 34712, Inv. No. 24166.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Thomas Belt, an English geologist and author of a highly regarded work „The naturalist in Nicaragua “ (1874).

Distribution. Currently known from one locality in Central Nicaragua.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont sp. nov. male. 1. Head, frontal view, antennae omitted. 2. Facets in detail, frontal view. 3. Basal antennomeres, ascoids omitted. 4. Ascoid and some insertions of setae in detail. 5. Cibarium, epipharynx and labrum, dorsal view. 6. Haltere, lateral view. 7. Wing. 8. Tarsal claw of P 1, lateral view. 9. Paramere, lateral view. [Scale: 7 = 1 mm; 1, 3, 6 = 0.2 mm; 5, 9 = 0.1 mm; 2, 4, 8 = 0.05 mm]

FIGURES 10–14. Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont sp. nov. male. 10. Maxilla and palpus maxillaris. 11. Terminal lobes of labium. 12. Selected thoracal sclerites, lateral view. 13. Gonocoxite and gonostyle, lateral view. 14. Gonostyle, caudal view. [Scale: 12 = 0.5 mm; 10, 13 = 0.2 mm; 11, 14 = 0.1 mm]

FIGURES 15–20. Boreofairchildia belti Ježek, Oboňa & Le Pont sp. nov. male. 15. Margin of tergal abdominal chaetotaxy, in detail. 16. Epandrium, cerci, epiproct and hypoproct, dorsal view. 17. Same, lateral view. 18. Gonocoxite and gonostyle, diagonal view. 19. Aedeagal complex, dorsal view, ejaculatory apodeme omitted. 20. Same, lateral view. [Scale: 15–18 = 0.2 mm; 19, 20 = 0.1 mm]