Dolichocephala brevis, Liu, Xiaoyan, Wang, Mengqing & Yang, Ding, 2014

Liu, Xiaoyan, Wang, Mengqing & Yang, Ding, 2014, The genus Dolichocephala newly found in Shaanxi Province (China), with descriptions of three new species (Diptera: Empididae), Zootaxa 3841 (3), pp. 439-445 : 440-441

Dolichocephala brevis sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 )

Diagnosis. Thorax entirely black. Wing with seven hyaline spots, of which the apical spot in cell r5 is small and indistinct. Fore coxa brownish yellow, mid and hind coxae blackish. Clasping cercus short spine-like; phallus apically long finger-like.

Description. Male. Body length 1.3 mm, wing length 1.7 mm.

Head black with pale gray pollinosity. Hairs and bristles on head black; occiput with a row of 5 strong postocular bristles (uppermost being vt), lower half of occiput with minute pale hairs; ocellar tubercle weak with 2 long anterior oc and two pairs of very short posterior hairs. Antenna black; pedicel with circle of black apical hairs; first flagellomere short, somewhat quadrate (1.1 times longer than wide); arista 5 times as long as first flagellomere, black, indistinctly pubescent. Proboscis blackish to black with black hairs; palpus black with black hairs and 2 apical bristles.

Thorax black with pale gray pollinosity. Hairs and bristles on thorax black; no acr, 5 strong dc, 1 long h, 1 long ph, 1 short hair-like npl, 1 long sa, 1 psa slightly shorter than sa; scutellum with pair of long sc. Laterotergite with 2 short weak blackish bristles. Legs brownish yellow except mid and hind coxae dark brown, extreme tips of all tibiae brown, tarsomere 3 brown and tarsomeres 4–5 dark brown. Hairs on legs blackish except those on coxae dark yellow. Fore femur with erect preapical anterior comb of short bristles. Fore tibia with anterodorsal serration; i.e., about 20 rows of short black hairs arranged in comb. Hind tibia with short black bristles arranged in combs anterodorsally on apical third. Wing ( Fig. 1 ) dark gray with 6 large round hyaline spots and 1 indistinct, small apical spot in cell r5; cell Sc and base of cell r1 pale; veins dark gray. Squama dark brown with brown hairs. Halter dark yellow with brown base.

Abdomen black with pale gray pollinosity. Hairs on abdomen black.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 2 ). Epandrial lamella rather large, somewhat quadrate, distinctly higher than long. Surstylus short and thick, not visible in lateral view. Cercal plate small, with 2 long bristles; clasping cercus short spine-like, shorter than height of epandrial lamella. Hypandrium somewhat conical in lateral view, lacking brush of bristles. Phallus apically strongly curved, finger-like.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labeled: CHINA, Shaanxi, Liuba (N33°37′ 9.78″ E106°54′ 59.83″), Guanghuashan, 1912 m, 2013. VIII. 20, leg. Yuqiang Xi ( CAU).

Distribution. China (Shaanxi).

Remarks. Dolichocephala brevis sp. nov. and D. longa sp. nov. are somewhat similar to the two species, D. panesari Wagner & Leese and D. rotundinota Wagner & Leese , described by Wagner et al. (2004) from the Himalayas, but may be easily separated from the distinctly acute clasping cercus. The new species is very similar to Dolichocephala longa sp. nov., but may be separated from the latter in the following characters: wing with seven hyaline spots, apical spot very small; clasping cercus short spine-like, shorter than height of epandrial lamella. In D. longa sp. nov., the wing has eight hyaline spots, of which the apical spot is large and rounded; and the clasping cercus is long spine-like, distinctly longer than height of the epandrial lamella.

Etymology. This species is named after the short clasping cercus.

Abbreviations: BP = basiphallus; CC = clasping cercus; CP = cercal plate; DP = distiphallus; EPN = epandrium; HYP = hypandrium; SEPN = subepandrial sclerite; SUR = surstylus; S8 = sternum 8; T8 = tergum 8.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Dolichocephala brevis sp. nov. (male). 1. Wing; 2. genitalia, lateral view.