Neoacanthoneura chiroptera Kameneva

Kameneva, Elena P., 2012, Revision of Aciuroides Hendel and Neoacanthoneura Hendel (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Pterocallini), Zootaxa 3227, pp. 1-33 : 19

Neoacanthoneura chiroptera Kameneva , new species

( Figs. 31 –32, 52, 66–68)

Type material. Holotype ɞ: TRINIDAD, Simla / Arima Valley, 6–12.II. 1966, S.S. & W.D.Duckworth ( USNM). Paratypes: TRINIDAD: 2 ɞ, 2 Ƥ, label as in holotype; 2 ɞ, same but 13–19.II. 1966 ( USNM, SIZK); Ƥ, same but 9– 11.II. 1966, W.D.Duckworth; Ƥ, same but 11.II. 1966, W.D.Duckworth; Ƥ (headless, genitalia dissected and kept in genitalia vial), same but II. 1966, W.D.Duckworth ( USNM); ɞ, 4 Ƥ (1 female antennae missing, 1 female abdomen missing), W.[est] I.[ndies], same but mercury vapor lamp, " 82 - 66 ", 28.III. 1982, M.J.W.Cock ( USNM, SIZK); 3 ɞ, W.[est] I.[ndies], Arima Valley, 800–1200ft., 10–22.II. 1964, J.G.Rozen & P.Wygodzinsky Collectors (1 male genitalia dissected and kept in genitalia vial); 2 ɞ, 3 Ƥ, Arima, Blanchisseuse Rd., 2000 ', 28–31.XII. 1981, Morton S. Adams ( AMNH, SIZK) (1 female genitalia dissected and kept in genitalia vial); 2 ɞ, 2 Ƥ, same but 3–9.I. 1982, Morton S. Adams; ɞ, Ƥ, same but 12–14.I. 1982 ( AMNH).

Diagnosis. Neoacanthoneura chiroptera is similar to N. apicalis in the wing pattern containing 3 dark elements: oblique cuneiform subbasal crossband, complete discal crossband and arcuate or crescent apical band, differing from it by the apical C-shaped band joined to the discal crossband in the pterostigma and cell r 1, and from almost all the species of the genus by the short brown bar (=accessory crossband) at the pterostigma base parallel to the subbasal cuneiform crossband, and not forming closed triangle, separated along vein R 2 + 3 by the distance 1.5–2 times more than its width. Neoacanthoneura chiroptera can be distinguished from other species of the genus (except N. steyskali ) also by the costal margin of the wing angulated (sharply bowed anteriorly) at the level of half the distance between crossvein dm-cu and the wing apex (in male) and by the basalmost hyaline spot in cell r 1 open, connected to the hyaline area in cell r 2 + 3 (in male and female).

Description. Male. Head ( Fig. 52) yellow with whitish face and brownish occiput; length: height: width ratio 1: 1.4: 1.53, with compound eye 1.5 times as high as long and frons almost 1.5 times as long as wide. Head setae as described for N. brachioptera ; 2–3 frontal setulae, all inclinate; postocellar seta usually shorter than ocellar and posterior orbital seta. Flagellomere 1 and gena as in N. brachioptera . Thorax as in N. brachioptera . Legs yellow with black setae and setulae; fore tibia, mid and hind femora and tibia often brownish; one tibial spur 1.5–2.2 times as long as tibia wide; basal tarsomeres of fore and hind tarsi with brushes of black setulae. Wing ( Figs. 31–32) hyaline with brown pattern, consisting of 2 elements: 1) F-like basal costal brown band between humeral crossvein and base of pterostigma, joined with cuneiform subbasal crossband along posterior margin of costal cell and with short transverse bar at base of pterostigma, delimiting subrectangular hyaline spot in cell r 2 + 3 opened into hyaline field along vein R 2 + 3, and 2) narrow discal crossband from apex of sc cell through r-m and dm-cu crossveins to posterior margin joined with C-like or crescent apical spot. Costal vein sharply produced anteriorly at 0.8 of wing length, with ventral row of setulae conspicuously thickened, short and dentate, setulae of dorsal row thin and unmodified. Pterostigma narrow, 1.5 times as long as costal cell. Vein R 1 setulose distally of Sc apex, mostly subparallel to costa, scythe-like broadened and flattened between R 1 and R 2 + 3 apices. Vein R 2 + 3 conspicuously undulate. Vein M ratio m 3: m 2: m 4 = 1: 10–14: 7–12. Wing length 2.8–3.8 mm.

Male abdomen as described for in N. brachioptera ; epandrium ( Figs. 62–63) brown, moderately long, parallelsided, with brown setulae and very short surstyli divergent at 120–150 º, each with 2 subapical prensisetae. Phallus moderately long and virtually bare.

Female similar to male, but wing venation less modified ( Fig. 32), as in N. brachioptera ; R 1 bare proximally of Sc apex level, pterostigma 1.2 times as long as costal cell, wing pattern as in N. brachioptera , except F-shaped pattern in basal half, as in N. chiroptera male; wing length 2.6–3.5mm; thorax, abdomen ( Figs. 64–65) and legs as described for N. apicalis ; eversible membrane ( Fig. 66) with 2 pairs of long taeniae 0.5 times as long as whole membrane, without spine-like scales, posterior half of membrane uniformly covered with multidentate scales. Aculeus 8 times as long as wide, with blunt cercal unit ( Fig. 67). 3 spermathecae ( Fig. 68) similar in size, spherical, brown.

Etymology. The name is from the Greek chiros, hand and pteron, wing, reflecting the shape of the male wing, angulate and somewhat similar to the wing of a bat.