Calopedila, Felt, 1913

Kolesik, Peter & Gagné, Raymond J., 2020, A review of the gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Indonesia: taxonomy, biology and adult key to genera, Zootaxa 4847 (1), pp. 1-82 : 71-72

“Calopedila” polyalthiae Felt

[ Figs 41 a–h]

Calopedila polyalthiae Felt 1927b: 385 ; Gagné 1973: 288, unplaced to genus.

Material examined. Syntype series, 8 males, 17 females, pupa, reared from fruit gall on Polyalthia subcordata (Blume) Blume, Mt Gede, Cibodas , Java, xi-1923, Felt #a3386. The types are uncleared and mounted on two slides, the first with 7 males, 6 females and 1 pupa, all abdomens filled with black, non-transparent matter and male terminalia mounted laterally and badly shriveled, the second slide with 1 male, 9 females, all abdomens filled with black matter except for part of the terminalia on some specimens .

Description. Adult. Occipital protuberance absent. Wing: R 5 nearly straight, joining C anteriad of wing apex, C broken at juncture with R 5, Rs not present [ Fig. 41e ] Irregular number of flagellar segments, first and second flagellomeres not connate, 17–18 (n= 3 in male, cylindrical and short-necked [ Fig. 41h ], and 19 (n=1) flagellomeres in female with very short necks [ Fig. 41g ]. Palpus 3-segmented, palpiger present [ Fig. 41c ]. Tarsal claws bent at midlength, robust, toothed, empodia as long as claws [ Fig. 41d ].

Male. Wing 2.4 mm (2.4–2.5) long, 1.1 mm (1.0–1.1) wide. Terminalia not properly observable on available specimens; gonostylus completely setulose.

Female. Wing 3.0 mm (2.9–3.0) long, 1.2 mm wide. Terminalia: elongate, protractible, cerci fused, tapered, more than 2x longer than basal width, hypoproct narrow in lateral view, 1/3 length of cerci [ Fig. 41f ].

Pupa [ Fig. 41b ]. Cervical setae short, less than half-length of antennal horns. Antennal horns elongate, in ventral view narrowed by half at distal third, resulting in an acutely pointed lateral lobe and a terminal, rounded apical lobe. Prothoracic spiracle short, narrow.

Remarks. Felt (1927b) placed this species only tentatively in Calopedila , a genus erected for Rhopalomyia herbsti ( Kieffer 1903) that causes a branch gall on Baccharis rosmarinifolia (Asteraceae) in Chile. The Chilean species has tarsal claws with small teeth and empodia that are nearly twice the length of the claws, male flagellomeres without necks, and female cerci that are no longer than broad. From these characters Calopedila appears to have an affinity to Rhopalomyia Rübsaamen and is treated as a junior synonym of Rhopalomyia in Gagné & Jaschhof (2017) . “ Calopedila ” polyalthiae is shown here to have tarsal claws with large teeth and empodia that are only as long as the claws [ Fig. 41d ], male flagellomeres with necks [ Fig. 41h ], and female cerci that are elongate and narrow [ Fig. 41f ], all of which show that the species was initially misplaced to genus. The species belongs to the supertribe Lasiopteridi , but we cannot guess where this species might be assigned below that level given the poor specimens available and the fact that so little is known of SE Asian Lasiopteridi generally. We might feel justified in erecting a new genus for “ C.” polyalthiae once better material is found.

Biology. This species causes a fruit gall on Polyalthia subcordata (Annonaceae) described by DvLR & DvL 1926, gall No. 408, Fig. 293 [ Fig. 41a ]). Individual galls are spheroid, about 3 mm across and covered with short brown hairs. They develop on the surface of the fruit, occurring mostly gregariously and arranged in thick irregular clumps. The larval chamber is small and spherical.

Geographical distribution. This species is known only from its type locality at Mt Gede, Cibodas , Java, alt. 1400 m, vi-1920; alt. 1500 m, xi-1923 (DvLR & DvL 1926).

Figures

FIGURES 41a–h. “Calopedila” polyalthiae: a, galls on Polyalthia subcordata (Fig. 293 of DvLR & DvL (1926)); b, pupal vertex and antennal bases; c–g, female: c, palpus; d, tarsal claw and empodium; e, wing; f, postabdomen (lateral); g, 10th flagellomere; h, male 7th flagellomere.