Thinophilus deemingi, Grichanov, 2023

Grichanov, Igor Ya., 2023, A review of the Afrotropical Thinophilus Wahlberg, 1844 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with the descriptions of ten new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 878, pp. 1-52 : 31-32

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.

Figures

Fig. 10. Thinophilus deemingi sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (NMWC). A. Habitus. B. Head, anterior view. C. Head and antenna, lateral view. D. Fore femur and tibia, posterior view. E. Fore tarsus, dorsal view. F. Wing. G. Hypopygium after maceration, dorsal view. H. Distal appendages of hypopygium after maceration, lateral view.