Platyroptilon wui Cao, Xu et Evenhuis

Xu, Huachao, Cao, Jian, Zhou, Zuji, Wu, Hong & Huang, Zhiwei, 2007, First record of the tribe Keroplatini from China, with descriptions of two new species (Diptera: Keroplatidae), Zootaxa 1497, pp. 35-40 : 36

Platyroptilon wui Cao, Xu et Evenhuis , n. sp.

( Figs. 1–4 )

Description. MALE. Lengths: Body: 6.6 mm; wing: 3.8 mm.

Head. Vertex and occiput yellowish brown with fairly dense small black recumbent hairs. Three ocelli, median ocellus very small. Frons obscurely yellow, bare. Antennae ( Fig. 1 ): scape and pedicel yellowish brown. Flagellum: 14 flagellomeres; first 13 flagellomeres with long parallel pectinations each covered with very short close-set setae and with 1–4 terminal setae; first 11 flagellomeres yellowish brown, the 12th flagellomere obscurely yellow with pale yellow coloration apically, the apical two flagellomeres all pale yellow. Face obscurely yellow. Palpi pale yellow.

Thorax. Mesonotum brown with silvery pruinosity, three bare yellow stripes on disc separated by two narrowly hairy brown stripes, medial bare stripe extending anteriorly to pronotum; long dark setae on lateral margins. Scutellum obscurely yellow, with long dark setae on posterior margin. Anepisternum, katepisternum and laterotergite yellowish brown, bare; mediotergite yellowish brown, narrow yellow membranous area at base, bare. Halter yellow, knob pale brown.

Legs. Yellow (apex of mid coxa and apical three-fourths of hind coxa brown). Tibiae with few setae except fore tibia and tibial setulae forming distinct regular rows towards apex. Fore tibia without comb, mid tibia with only black posterior comb, hind tibia with black anterior and posterior comb. Tibial spurs yellowish brown. Fore basitarsus 1.1x length of fore tibia, mid and hind basitarsi 0.8x lengths of their respective tibiae. Tibial spurs yellowish brown. Claws strong.

Wing ( Fig. 2 ). Veins yellowish brown. Costa reaching one-third distance from vein R5 to vein M1; Sc ends in C slightly beyond the level of apex of Rs; Sc2 situated at level of basal 0.4 between h and tip of Sc. Distance between tips of R1 and R4 0.6 times as long as R4. Ratio of radiomedial fusion / petiole of M: 1.3. Petiole of M one-seventh as long as length of M1; vein M2 not reaching wing margin, vein A1 almost reaching wing margin.

Abdomen. Tergite I brown, tergites II–V brown with yellow anterolaterally, tergites VI–VIII brown. Sternite I brown, sternites II–V brown with yellow basal half and Sternites VI–VIII brown.

Hypopygium ( Figs. 3–4 ). Tergite IX yellow, tapered from base to apex and subequal in length to gonocoxites. Cercus visible in dorsal view, short and rounded apically. Gonocoxites yellow, broad with some densely short stout setae apically. Gonostylus ( Fig. 3 ) yellow.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Types. Holotype ɗ (ZJFC 931899) from: CHINA: Zhejiang province: Gutian Mountains, 25 July 1992, Hong Wu; paratype: 1ɗ, Henan province: Jigong Mountains, 11 July 1997, Hong Wu.

Etymology. This species epithet honors the collector of the specimens, Prof. Wu Hong.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to the Neotropical species P. zernyi Edwards , in having 14 flagellomeres, but it is easily distinguished by the apical two flagellomeres being pale yellow (these flagellomeres are brown in P. z e r n y i) and the distinct difference between the shape of their gonostylus. Having compared P. w u i, n. sp. with the Oriental species P. kirkspriggsi Matile and P. s c u r ro r Matile, we have found that the new species differs in having 14 flagellomeres (only 12 flagellomeres in the two mentioned species), radiomedial fusion 1.3x length of petiole of M (0.5x in P. kirkspriggsi and 1.0x in P. s c u r ro r) and M2 not reaching wing margin (reaching it in the other two species). The shape of the gonostylus is also characteristic of P. w u i n. sp. .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Platyroptilon wui, n. sp. 1. wing; 2. male antenna, scale bar = 0.2 mm; 3. male terminalia, ventral view, scale bar = 0.1 mm; 4. male tergite IX and cercus, dorsal view. scale bar = 0.1 mm.