Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) hispida, Pal & Brahma & Hazra, 2023

Pal, Gouri Sankar, Brahma, Shubhranil & Hazra, Niladri, 2023, One new species and new records of three species of the genus Forcipomyia Meigen, 1818 (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) from West Bengal, India, Evolutionary Systematics 7 (1), pp. 83-89 : 83

Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) hispida sp. nov.

Fig. 2

GenBank accession number.

OP730326.

Type material.

Holotype ♂, India, West Bengal, Alipurduar, Jayanti (26°41'58.56"N, 89°36'49.68"E), Light trap, 12.XI.2021, Col. G.S. Pal. Paratypes 3♂ and 1♀, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis.

The only species of the subgenus Forcipomyia Forcipomyia may be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: Adult male. Gonocoxite long, narrow and curved at middle, apical part of it bearing tuft of setae; gonostylus inflated at middle and curved apically; base of parameres separated, sub-median process of parameres inwardly curved apically. Adult female. Distal half of third palpal segment swollen with large sub-apical sensory pit and subequal spermathecae.

Etymology.

The specific name " hispida " is derived from the tuft of setae at the distal end of the gonocoxite.

Description.

Male (n = 4). Head. Head dark brown, eye contiguous and bare. First and last five flagellomeres longest and terminal flagellomere with terminal papilla (Fig. 2a ). Length ratio of flagellomeres (I-XIII): 24-28 (25.5): 13-15 (14): 14-17 (15.7): 14-17 (16.2): 14-16 (15): 16-17 (16.7): 16-18 (17): 16-18 (17.5): 16-18 (17): 65-67 (65.7): 35-40 (38.2): 24-28 (26): 35-38 (36.7); AR 1.38-1.42 (1.40). Third maxillary palp (Fig. 2b ) longest, round, shallow sensory pit at sub-apical end. Length ratio of palpal segments (I-V): 12-13 (12.7): 15-17 (16): 35-37 (36.5): 13-14 (13.7): 11-12 (11.5). PR 4.11-5.28 (4.76).

Thorax. Dark brown. Scutellum with nine setae. Wing (Fig. 2c ). Covered with numerous microtrichia and sparsely distributed macrotrichia. WL 1.10-1.16 (1.13), WW 0.37-0.39 (0.38), CR 0.45-0.47 (0.46). Legs. Pale brown in colour without any banding pattern. HTC (Fig. 2d ) with 8 spines and spur. TRI 1.30-1.36 (1.32), TRII 1.12-1.16 (1.13), TRIII 1.05-1.11 (1.08).

Abdomen. Brown without any scale.

Genitalia (Fig. 2e-i ). Sternite IX 110-120 (116) long and 205-212 (208.75) wide, 1.8 times wider than length. Tergite IX 180-186 (182.25) long, 209-215 (212.25) wide and posterior margin rounded not extending beyond half of gonocoxite with long apicolateral process ending with 5-6 setae. Gonocoxite dark brown, slightly arch, middle portion narrower than base and apex, 186-202 (197.5) long, almost 3 × its greatest breadth, 62-70 (66.75) with stout setae on surface and tuft of setae at its distal end; gonostylus pale brown, 107-112 (109.75) long and 20-23 (21.5) wide, usually half as long as gonocoxite; swollen medially, distal part slightly curved. Parameres (Fig. 2e ) separated; lateral process of parameres well developed extending to base of gonocoxite; sub-median process shorter and apical part little curved inwardly. Aedeagus with (Fig. 2f ) little curved basal arms with highly sclerotised, well developed basal arch, with a rod like ridge at middle and triangular apex.

Female (n = 1). Similar to male with usual sexual differences.

Head. All flagellomeres of antenna (Fig. 2j ) bearing sensilla chaetica, flagellomeres IX-XIII bearing sensilla trichodea, VI-XII with few sensilla basiconica. Length ratio of flagellomeres (I-XII): 18: 17: 21: 20: 19: 19: 19: 17: 21: 20: 20: 19: 32; AR 0.74. Length ratio of palpal segments (Fig. 2k ) (I-V): 13: 20: 41: 09: 11; PR 3.41.

Thorax. Wing (Fig. 2l ) large and wide, r1 cell obsolete and r2 cell open, WL 1.19, WW 0.47 and CR 0.46. HTC (Fig. 2m ) with 9 spines. Tarsomeres of fore legs missing, TRI not measurable, TRII 1.20 and TRIII 1.06.

Abdomen. Dark brown. Spermathecae (Fig. 2n ) two, nearly subequal, highly sclerotised measuring about 50 × 45 and 65 × 58.

Larva and Pupa. Unknown.

Discussion.

The new species is more or less similar to the Indian species, Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) imparitheca Saha, Das Gupta, Gangopadhyay & Mukherjee, 2009 in the shape of aedeagus and maxillary palp but differs significantly in the structure of gonocoxite with tuft of setae, and shorter parameres having shorter submedian process than the known species. The male of the new species is also similar to the Chinese species F. dividus Liu & Yu, 2001 in the aedeagal structure, but the shape of the parameres is completely different from each other. The parameres are fused in F. dividus while they are separate in the new species; submedian process is much longer, and TR value is much higher in F. dividus than the new species.

The females of F. imparitheca show resemblances to the new species in AR, PR and CR values. New species possesses subequal spremathecae without neck while in F. imparitheca , the spermathecae are unequal, with short neck. The female of the new species is also similar to another Indian species, Forcipomyia fulvipes Saha, Das Gupta, Gangopadhyay & Mukherjee, 2009 in the shape of spermathecae (subequal), AR and CR values, much lower PR values. However, PR value and shape of the third maxillary palp segment differ from each other (PR value is much lower in F. fulvipes than the new species; the third maxillary palp segment in F. fulvipes is swollen in the middle but swollen at the distal end in new species).

Distribution.

India (West Bengal).

subgenus Forcipomyia Dycea Debenham, 1987

Figures

Figure 2. Forcipomyia (Forcipomyia) hispida sp. nov. a-h male (♂); a. antenna; b. maxillary palp; c. wing; d. hind tibial comb; e. parameres; f. aedeagus; g. photograph of male genitalia (dorsal view); h. illustration of male genitalia; i. photograph of male genitalia (ventral view); j-n female (♀); j. Antenna; k. maxillary palp; l. wing; m. hind tibial comb; n. spermathecae. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.