Chillcottomyia sp.

Zouhair, Laila & Kettani, Kawtar, 2022, Moroccan Hybotinae (Diptera: Hybotidae): first record of the subfamily and rare genera with an emphasis on their distribution, Zootaxa 5196 (2), pp. 211-222 : 217-218

Chillcottomyia sp.

( Fig. 5 )

Material examined. Morocco. 1♀, Rif , God’s Bridge (site 4), Akchour, NPTL, 536 m, 01.vii.2019, Sweep net, leg. K. Kettani.

Comments. To date, only six species of Chillcottomyia are known worldwide, with the genus recorded from Japan, China, Philippines, Nepal, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Taiwan ( Yang et al. 2007; Sinclair & Cumming 2017). The undescribed species provided here represents the first record of the genus Chillcottomyia from Morocco as well as for the Mediterranean Region. It should be noted that the specimen is characterized by yellow legs, with the apical portion of the hind femur and hind tibia yellowish brown, three last tarsal segments of all legs dark brown, thorax setae pale, pleura, base of postpronotal lobes, postalar calli and a narrow base of scutellum brown and halteres yellow. It is similar to C. septentrionalis Saigusa in the apical three tarsomeres which are dark brown, and have pale thoracic setae and yellow halteres like in C. nepalensis (Smith) .

Female description. Brown species (Body: 3.8 mm; Wing: 3.6 mm).

Head black in ground color. Eyes holoptic, pubescent; facets bicolored with upper yellow and lower blackish brown, very large occupying most part of head; face separated below antennae. Antenna brown, inserted at about middle of head in profile, scape small indistinctly separated from pedicel; pedicel very short and bristled; postpedicel ovate with long terminal arista-like stylus about 4 times as long as postpedicel with extreme tip with hair-like sensillum. Ocellar tubercle prominent, with pair of long ocellar bristles. Mouthparts upwardly directed, palpus compressed laterally.

Thorax humped and arched above, black on dorsum; pleura, base of postpronotal lobe, postalar calli and narrow base of scutellum brown. Thoracic hairs and setae pale, ending in one stouter pair of long and strong prescutellars; 8–10 scutellars; 2 pairs of marginal scutellar setae; dorsocentrals uniserial; acrostichals biserial.

Wing well-developed, membrane covered entirely with microtrichia; veins brownish, pterostigma brown, rather circular and distinct beginning beyond end of R 1 and not reaching vein R 2+3; basal cells subequal in length; anal cell shorter than basal cells; radial sector long; discal cell large and elongate, emitting 2 veins to wing-margin; halter yellow.

Legs yellow, with apical portion of hind femur and tibiae yellowish brown, hindleg knees brown, last 3 tarsal segments of all legs dark brown; all legs slender and covered with pale fine hairs. Coxae and trochanters with distinct bristles. Fore femur with two ventral setal rows; mid femur without setal rows; hind femur with two ventral setal rows with apical setae longer than basal setae. Fore tibia with two setal rows and very long subapical seta; mid tibia with 2 ventral setal rows, with 2 very long, distinct strong setae in middle and near tip; hind tibia with 2 ventral setal rows and slightly dilated apically.

Abdomen with 8 segments, segments 7 and 8 rather narrowed; tergites black except for two apical segments brownish; sternites brownish; cercus shorter than preceding segment.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Habitus female of Chillcottomyia sp. Scale: 500 µm