Alluaudomyia reflexuralis Wu & Li, 2022

Wu, Xiaoxiang, He, Zehua, Lin, Xiaodan, Deng, Bin, Zhai, Qi & Li, Jiahui, 2022, Three new species of the genus Alluaudomyia Kieffer, 1913 (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, China, ZooKeys 1112, pp. 199-218 : 199

Alluaudomyia reflexuralis Wu & Li sp. nov.

Figs 3 , 4 , 5

Type materials.

Holotype. China • Hainan Island: ♂, Qiongzhong County, Limushan National Forest Park: a valley 500 m away from Limu Temple, alt. 585 m, 19°9.10'N, 109°45.31'E, 21.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1089.

Paratypes (4♂8♀). China • Hainan Island: 1♂, same data as the holotype, cer1089-1 • 1♀, Limushan National Forest Park: Management Committee East 610 m Mountain Rotten Wood, alt. 817 m, 19°10.61'N, 109°44.86'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1085 • 1♀, Village southeast 186 m by the stream, alt. 647 m, 19°10.46'N, 109°44.58'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1080 • 1♀, near mountain stream, 628 m east Limushan management building, alt. 817 m, 19°10.62'N, 109°44.87'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1081 • 1♀, nearby small hydropower station on Limuling Mountain, alt. 666 m, 19°10.46'N, 109°44.58'E, 19.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1090 • 2♀, near a stream, 815 m northwest Xue’ershanfang hotel, alt. 686 m, 19°10.45'N, 109°43.95'E, 20.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1082, cer1082-1 • 1♀, a valley, 5 km away from Limu Temple, alt. 582 m, 19°9.00'N, 109°45.20'E, 20.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1079 • 1♀, near a valley, 500 m away from Limu Temple, alt. 585 m, 19°9.09'N, 109°45.31'E, 21.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1084 • 3♂, near a valley, 4.2 km away from Limu Temple, alt. 567 m, 19°8.99'N, 109°45.22'E, 21.XI.2020, Xiaoxiang Wu, Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1100, cer1100-1, cer1100-2.

Diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the Alluaudomyia parva group based on its wing which has a single conspicuous dark spot at the apex of vein R3, two spermathecae without diverticula, and parameres with detached basal arms. The coloration of the wings and legs is quite similar to species of the Alluaudomyia parva group, but the males of this new species can easily be distinguished by the recurved gonostylus. The female of A. reflexuralis is very distinctive with the spermatheca having a rough surface near the neck, which is otherwise present only in A. brevis Wirth & Delfinado, 1964. These two species can be distinguished by four setae on the scutellum of A. reflexuralis .

Description.

Female. Habitus (Fig. 3A ) 1.17-1.40 mm (1.38, n = 8) in length.

Head brown, P/H 0.58-0.68 (0.65, n = 8). Eyes contiguous, bare. Antenna brown with darker pedicel, flagellomeres moderately long and tapering, flagellum length 0.51-0.59 mm (0.55, n = 8), AR 1.01-1.11 (1.07, n = 8). Clypeus brown with 4-6 setae. Palpus brown with segments 1-3 slightly paler; third palpal segment with a small, round sensory pit distally, length 31-37 μm (33, n = 8), PRIII 2.32-2.53 (2.40, n = 8). Mandible with 8-11 teeth.

Thorax brown mottled dorsally, dark brown ventally. Scutum (Fig. 3C ) dark brown with yellow anterolateral and central markings. Scutellum yellowish with dark marking at the middle, bearing 4 large setae. Postscutellum dark brown.

Wings (Fig. 4A ) with a conspicuous dark spot over the apex of vein R3 and a slim dark marking over vein R1; all veins slightly infuscated, excepting pale r-m crossvein, part of vein R, and vein R3; wing length 0.87-0.97 mm (0.90, n = 8), width 0.36-0.41 mm (0.39, n = 8), CR 0.52-0.56 (0.54, n = 8); macrotrichia rather sparse, present along the radial vein, margin and about apical 1/4 of wing membrane. Halter white.

Legs (Fig. 4D ) dark brown with pale rings. Coxae and trochanters all brown, of foreleg slightly paler; all femora brown, each with a subapical pale ring, hind femur pale at base; tibiae pale at basal and subapical part, broadly brown at middle, and narrowly dark brown apically, dark area of some specimens with an additional pale marking medially or the basal pale on midtibia (Fig. 4E ); tarsi yellow or yellowish except for hind tarsomere 1 dark brown. Hind tibial comb with 6-7 spines; fore- and midclaws subequal, hind claws very unequal. Tarsal ratio of foreleg TRI 1.81-2.00 (1.90, n = 8), of midleg TRII 2.21-2.55 (2.35, n = 8), of hind leg TRIII 2.37-2.82 (2.63, n = 8).

Abdomen (Fig. 3D ). Tergites 1-5 pale with brown markings. Sternite 8 moderately sclerotized, posterior margin with a pair of broad and short triangular processes. Sternite 9 brown, strongly narrowing from lateral side to the middle part (Fig. 5B ). Two spermathecae (Fig. 4B ) subequal, measuring 51-60 μm (55, n = 8) by 44-49 μm (47, n = 8) and 47-49 μm (48, n = 8) by 38-44 μm (41, n = 8), pear-shaped, with short, sclerotized neck, and surface with small hyaline markings near neck.

Male. Habitus (Fig. 3B ) 1.33-1.70 mm (1.52, n = 5) in length. Generally similar to female, differing as follows:

Antenna with pedicel dark brown, flagellomeres 1-10 pale brown, plumose hairs yellowish-brown, flagellomere 13 slightly shorter than flagellomere 12. Clypeus with 4 setae. Teeth absent. Wing (Fig. 4C ) slim and slightly longer than in females, length 0.97-1.08 mm (0.94, n = 5), width 0.30-0.37 mm (0.33, n = 5), CR 0.46-0.48 (0.47, n = 5), and with a single conspicuous spot at the apex of cell r2. The banding pattern of legs (Fig. 5A ) is similar to female but much lighter in color, all legs with two rows of spine-like setae. Abdomen (Fig. 3E ) pale, tergites 4 and 5 with brown markings; tergites 1-5 with one long seta at each side, and tergites 6-8 with two.

Male genitalia as Fig. 5C-F . Sternite 9 with very shallow caudomedial excavation. Tergite 9 short and broad, posterior margin almost truncated, with small apicolateral projections, cerci with scattered setae. Gonocoxite stout, bearing distinct short setae and sparse long setae; gonostylus slender, slightly recurved and pointed apically, surface smooth with sparse indistinct setae in line and two distinct subapical setae. Aedeagus (Fig. 5E ) arched, basal arch low; distomedian process medium length, apex pointed, and strongly reflexed ventrally. Parameres (Fig. 5F ) separate, each one with a detached basal arm broad, medial portion nearly straight, semi-embraced and tube-like, distal portion strongly curved, tapering, and pointed apically.

Etymology.

The name reflexuralis refers to the slightly recurved gonostylus; to be treated as an adjective.

Remarks.

Both the new species and the following described new species A. limu belong to the Alluaudomyia parva group, which is recorded from China for the first time. All specimens of A. reflexuralis were collected from the rainforest of Hainan Island from 567 to 817 m. The color patterns of the wings, legs of A. reflexuralis resemble that of A. limu , but the new species can easily be discriminated by the male and female genitalia. It is difficult to associate males with females for these two species just by morphological characters. DNA barcodes helped to correctly associate both sexes for these two species.

Figures

Figure 3. Alluaudomyia reflexuralis Wu & Li, sp. nov. A female, habitus in lateral view B male, habitus in lateral view C thorax of female, dorsal view D abdomen of female, dorsal view E abdomen of male, dorsal view. Scale bars: 500 μm (A, B); 200 μm (C-E).

Figure 4. Alluaudomyia reflexuralis Wu & Li, sp. nov. A wing of female B spermathecae C wing of male D thorax of female, lateral view E mid tibia of female. Scale bars: 200 μm (A, C, E); 20 μm (B); 500 μm (D).

Figure 5. Alluaudomyia reflexuralis Wu & Li, sp. nov. A thorax of male, lateral view B sternites 8 and 9 of female, ventral view C male genitalia, ventral view D male genitalia with parameres and aedeagus removed, ventral view E aedeagus, ventral view F parameres, ventral view. Scale bars: 500 μm (A); 50 μm (B-D); 20 μm (E, F).