Tomosvaryella estebani, Withers & Claude, 2021

Withers, Phil & Claude, Jocelyn, 2021, Checklist of the Pipunculidae (Diptera) of mainland France: further faunistic records and description of a new species, Zootaxa 5067 (4), pp. 517-547 : 520-524

Description of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov.

( Figs 1–10 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BE20A861-2030-461D-9EC3-3283C97A475A

Examined material (161♂ & 4♀). HOLOTYPE: male ( Fig. 1–2 ), FRANCE, Jura , RNCM, Lons-le-Saunier, Malaise trap n° TMMA3 , 46.6583329°N 5.5463318°E, 385 m asl, 3.ix.2019, leg. Dominique Malécot (coll. MHNG pinned and preserved in microvial in glycerine) . PARATYPES: FRANCE: Jura , RNCM, Lons-le-Saunier, Malaise trap n° TMMA3 , 46,6583329°N 5,5463318°E, 385 m asl, leg. Dominique Malécot , 5♂, 4.vi.2019 (coll. PW) (preserved in microvial in glycerine) , 2♂, 7.vii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 22♂, 22.vii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 23♂, 05.viii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 10♂, 21viii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 1♂, 21.ix.2019 (coll. CENFC) . Jura , RNCM, Macornay, Malaise trap n° TMMA4 ( Fig. 3 ), 46.6519206°N 5.5476563°E, 408 m asl, leg. Dominique Malécot , 33♂, 5.viii.2019 (coll. JC) , 1♂ (CK940—ENA accession number LR 983843 ) , 22.vii.2019 (coll. JC) ; 5♂, 22.vii.2019 (coll. MTD) ; 24♂, 22.vii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 12♂, 21.viii.2019 (coll. CENFC) ; 2♂, 03.ix.2019 (coll. CENFC) , Malaise trap n° TMMA1 , 46.6556434°N 5.5469335°E, 402 m asl , 10♂, 1.viii.2018, leg. Dominique Malécot, coll. MLS (exept 1♂ preserved in microvial in glycerine) , 1♂, 15.vi.2018 (coll. CENFC) ; 5♂, 1.viii.2018 (coll. CENFC) ; 2♂, 30.viii.2018 (coll. CENFC) . Yonne, RNBP, Mailly-le-château, Malaise trap n°133, leg. M. Jouve , 1♂, 24.vii.2019, 47.5818263°N 3.6481421°E, 152 m asl (coll. PW) (preserved in microvial in glycerine) , Malaise trap n°138, 1♂, 02.vi.2020, 47.5845672°N 3.6457273°E (coll. CENB) , 2♂, 18.v.2020 (coll. CENB) . ITALY: Trentino / Alto Adige , Prov. Bolzano-Südtirol , Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio , Sulden valley near Schmelz, SW of Prad, Malaise trap n°1 “Schmelz”, 10°34’56.6E 46°36’42.1N, 942 m asl , 1♂, 27.vi–4.vii.2005, leg. C. Lange & J. Ziegler (coll. MNHU) , 1♂, 25.vii–1.viii.2005 (coll. MNHU) ; 1♂, 1–5.ix.2005 (coll. MNHU) ; 1 ♀, 4–13.vii.2005 (coll. MNHU) ; 1♀, 11– 27.vi.2005 (coll. MNHU) ; 2♀, 5–19.ix.2005 [specimens recorded as Tomosvaryella indet. in Kehlmaier (2008b)].

Additional examined material. FRANCE: Hautes-Alpes, Forêt de Boscodon, Clot Joubert , Crots , yellow pan trap, leg. H.- P. Tschorsnig (coll. MTD), 1♂ (CK313), 20–26.v.2002 . ITALY: Trentino-Alto Adige, Prov. Bolzano-Südtirol, Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio , Sulden valley near Schmelz , SW of Prad, 10°34’56.6’’E 46°36’42.1’’N, 940 m asl, leg. C. Lange & J. Ziegler (coll. MTD), 1♂ (CK147), 11–27.vi.2005 . Trentino-Alto Adige, Prov. Bolzano-Südtirol, Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio , Sulden valley near Schmelz , SW of Prad, 10°34’56.6’’E 46°36’42.1’’N, 940 m asl, leg. C. Lange & J. Ziegler (coll. MTD), 1♀ (CK148), 27.vi–1.vii.2005 . Trentino-Alto Adige, Riva del Garda , Monte , Brione , 300 m asl, leg. C. Kehlmaier (coll. MTD), 1♂ (CK152), 26.vii.2006 . This additional material was collected in the framework of the GBOL programme and it was not included in the type series because it was not examined directly by the authors of the present paper, but by Christian Kehlmaier.

Description. MALE. Body length 2.5 mm; wing length 2.5 mm. Head. Eyes touching for a distance at least 1.5 times the ocellar triangle; flagellum pointed and with tip yellow, pedicellus black. Thorax. Black, bristles black; humeri white; wing membrane hyaline, covered with microtrichia (i.e. no bare areas), crossvein r-m reaching cell dm almost at the middle; haltere white with darkened knob; legs dark brown with yellowish knees and all tarsi yellowish except brown distitarsi; trochanter black with hind trochanter ventrally with four black spines and one smaller spine; femora lacking any distinct ventral black spines (but not with protuberance); pulvilli as long as distitarsus. Abdomen. Abdomen dark brown; tergite 1 with lateral patch of about 4 longer black setae on each side; dorsal setae of abdomen brownish to black, their length increasing towards tergite 5 where they are as long as dorsal setae of thorax, i.e., approximately diameter of hind tibia; tergite 5 with sparse and coarse dark hairs (shorter than the diameter of the femur); sternites dark brown with the distinct bristles on the hind margin of sternite 3 ( Fig. 4 ). Genitalia ( Figs 6–8 ). Viewed dorsally with short epandrium; surstyli rather symmetrical, apically weakly bent inward and left surstylus almost as long as the one on the right; left surstylus projecting over right one and narrower; viewed laterally both surstyli gently bent, basally angular (right) or bulbous (left); phallus trifid, with curved ejaculatory ducts, lacking any distinct spines or appendages; phallic guide minute and inconspicuous; membranous area of syntergosternite 8 and ejaculatory apodeme not accessible due to dissection.

FEMALE. As male except for the following features: eyes separated; frons silver–grey pollinose except in front of ocellar triangle for length equal to twice ocellar triangle, along lateral margins somewhat further down; basal spines (two) on fore and mid femora well–developed and brown to black; pulvilli and claws about 1.5 times as long as last tarsal segment; female ovipositor as in Fig. 9 .

Etymology. The new species is named after Estéban, Jocelyn Claude’s son. Specific epithet in genitive case.

Ecology. Adult habitat. Lowland calcareous grassland very dry with scrubs, thickets and hemlines: Sieglingio decumbentis–Brachypodietum pinnati Zielonkowski, Natura 2000 code: 6210–17, Cotoneaster integerrimae –Amelianchieretum ovalis Faber, Natura 2000 code: 5110–2, Coronillo variae–Brachypodietum pinnati J.M. Royer & Bidault ex J.M. Royer, Natura 2000 code: not known but included in 6210–6, Teucrio montani–Bromenion erecti J.M. Royer in J.M. Royer, Felzines, Misset & Thévenin, Natura 2000 code: 6210–30, Inulo montanae–Brometum erecti Hagène ex J.M. Royer in J.M. Royer, Felzines, Misset & Thévenin, Natura 2000 code: 6210–29 (a detailed phytosociological description was not realised in Stelvio National Park but Figs 31 and 32 in Ziegler (2008) provide an impression of the locality characterised by chasmophytic vegetation). Altitude. 150–1300 m asl. Phenology. May to October, with maximum in July-August ( Fig. 10 ). Host. Unknown.

Current distribution. France (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté: Jura, Yonne; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: Hautes-Alpes), Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige: Trentino, Bolzano).

DNA barcoding. Females were matched with males by DNA barcoding. The mitochondrial COI gene of the Italian non-type material was matched with a male paratype from France (CK940) by C. Kehlmaier (unpublished). The sequence of the male paratype from France (ENA accession number LR 983843 ) is closest to T. sylvatica ( Meigen, 1824) (ENA accession number LT 671782 ) with an uncorrected p -distance of 9.0 %.

Differential diagnosis. Male. T. estebani resembles T. sylvatica in the following: abdominal hairs black, humeri white, halter pale, hind trochanter with several spines, legs black, knees and basal third to fourth of tibiae yellow, femora without basoventral spines. It can be differentiated from T. sylvatica by the following aspects: the membranous area is larger; distinct black bristles on hind margin of sternite 3 (bare in T. sylvatica ), tergite 5 with sparse and coarse dark hairs (shorter than the diameter of the femur), and details of the genitalia (compare with figure 3 in Földvári & De Meyer 2000), especially the lateral and dorsal views of the surstyli. Female. T. estebani resembles T. sylvatica complex in the following aspects: piercer fairly long (at most reaching tergite 2) and weakly downcurved. T. estebani is distinct by the ventral base of the ovipositor (sternite 7), because it has a marked angle ( Fig. 9 ) whereas it is rather rounded in T. sylvatica / T. coquilletti (Fig. 16C in Földvári & De Meyer 2000). Due to the low number of females known so far this feature this characteristic could not always be so distinct.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Malaise trap n°4 in France, RN de la Côte de Mancy (Jura), where the holotype of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov. was captured (Photo: Frédéric Ravenot.)

FIGURE 10. Flight period of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov. (n= 165 specimen examinated). Bars refer to number of specimens.

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of the male of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov., holotype, before pinning. 1: dorsal view. 2: lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 4–5. Sternites 3 and 4 of the male of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov. Paratype (4) and Tomosvaryella sylvatica (Meigen, 1824) (5). Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 6–9. 6–8. Terminalia of the male of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov. 6: dorsal view. 7: right surstylus, phallic guide and ejaculatory duct, lateral view. 8: left surstylus, lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm. 9. Terminalia of the female of Tomosvaryella estebani sp. nov. Paratype in lateral view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.