Leptoconops (Holoconops) brevistylus, Mazumdar, Abhijit, Saha, Narayan C. & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2010

Mazumdar, Abhijit, Saha, Narayan C. & Chaudhuri, Prasanta K., 2010, Blood sucking midges of Leptoconops (Holoconops Kieffer) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from India, Zootaxa 2619, pp. 49-55 : 50-51

1. Leptoconops (Holoconops) brevistylus sp. n.

( Figs.1 a–h )

Type material. Holotype 3, India, Jharkhand, Maithon Fish Farm, N 23o 46’, E83o 28’, 20 July 1988, Coll: N.C. Saha. Paratypes 2 3 and 3 Ƥ, data same as holotype.

Etymology. The specific name, ‘ brevistylus ’ refers to the short gonostylus.

Diagnosis. The species is characterized by the arrangement of setae on the clypeus, structure of palpal segment III (with its sensory pit), chaetotaxy of flagellomeres, mandible with 12 teeth, wing hyaline or pale brown with weakly developed radial cell, hind tibial comb with 3 spines, long, elongated gonocoxite, short slender gonostylus with 3 ventral setae, nipple-like aedaegus, elongated parameres with truncated base having a subapical, incurved tooth-like structure.

Description. Adult Female. Head. Eyes bare, widely separated as wide as 13 facets. Clypeus ( Fig. 1a ) with 2 basal and 2 lateral setae. Antenna ( Fig. 1b ) brown, flagellomeres I–X vessel like with lateral and middle setae, flagellomere XI elongate, with many dorsal and one stiff apical setae; AR (Antennal ratio) 1.06.

Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 1c ) brown; palpal segment III dark brown moderately swollen at midlength with sensory pit, palpomere IV+V pale brown, with 4 apical setae; PR (Palpal ratio) 2.33. Mandible ( Fig. 1d ) with 12 teeth.

Thorax. Brown. Scutum with anterolateral and caudolateral setae.

Wing ( Fig. 1e ). Length = 0.71, breadth = 0.37; CR (Costal ratio) = 0.52. Hyaline, with brown stigma and anterior veins; surface with dense microtrichia. Costa with 26–30 setae. Radial cell ill developed. An bifurcated.

Legs. Brown. Fore tarsomeres I and II yellowish, III and IV brown; mid tarsomeres I with 2 basal 1 medial 2 apical setae, II with 1 apical seta; hind tarsomeres I with 2 basal and 1 apical setae, II with 1 apical seta. Hind tibial comb ( Fig. 1f ) with 3 unequal setae and pointed spur. TR (Tarsal ratio) of hind leg 1.41. Claws small, equal.

Abdomen. Tergites Yellowish brown. Spermathecae ( Fig. 1g ) well sclerotized unequal, oval to sub oval 0.048 x 0.027 and 0.038 x 0.023 with small neck and 3 small apical spots.

Adult Male. Similar to female, with typical sexual differences. Wing brown with pale stigma and anterior veins, microtrichia densely covering wing surface. Legs grayish. Wing length 0.67, breadth 0.3, CR 0.46. Genitalia ( Fig. 1h ). Tergite IX nearly as long as broad, lateral margin thickened, median process of posterior margin extremely long with slender. Gonocoxite long, with few dorsal (7–8) setae; gonostylus short, attenuated to abrupt point bearing 3 dorsal and 1 stout subapical setae, tip sometimes prolonged in form of lamelliform expansion at its ventral margin; aedeagus long nipple like; parameres well sclerotized, elongate, with truncated base bearing incurved subapical fang-like structure.

Discussion. The species L. (H.) americanus Carter and L. (H.) knowltoni Clastrier & Wirth come closer to the new species in structure of gonocoxite, gonostylus and setae on flagellomeres. Palpomere III with its sensory pit looks like that of L. (H.) andersoni Clastrier & Wirth. In the wing venation, setae of femora, and structure of the stigma and spermatheca, the present species shows similarities with those of L.(H.) amplifemoralis Chanthawanich & Delfinado and L. (H.) helobius Ma & Yu , but the differences in arrangement of setae on clypeus, sensory pit of palpomere III, mandible with 12 teeth, wing with pale or brown stigma and anterior veins, ill developed radial cell, elongate gonocoxite, short gonostylus with setae, nipple-like aedaegus, parameres with truncated base and subapical fang-like structure justify its distinction as a new species of Leptoconops (Holoconops) from India.

Figures

FIGURES 1 a – h. Leptoconops (Holoconops) brevistylus sp. n. Female: a: clypeus, b: antenna, c: maxillary palpus, d: mandible, e: wing, f: hind tibial comb, g: spermatheca, h: male genitalia.