Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii, Li & Bai & Yang, 2023

Li, Wenliang, Bai, Yingming & Yang, Ding, 2023, The genus Minettia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera: Lauxaniidae: Lauxaniinae) from the Oriental Region with descriptions of seventeen new species, Zootaxa 5256 (3), pp. 201-249 : 207-210

Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii sp. nov.

( Figs. 11–20 )

Diagnosis. Face blackish brown on ventral margin; frons with a pair of black longitudinal stripes along frontoorbital rows, extending from ocellar triangle to occiput; surstylus not separated from epandrium, connected by one U-shaped sclerite behind cercus in posterior view; phallus with many spiny processes inside and some long spiny processes extended from apex of phallus.

Description. MALE. Body length 4.0– 4.1 mm, wing length 4.5 mm. FEMALE. Unknown.

Head ( Fig. 11 ) brownish yellow, with grayish white pruinescence. Face and parafacial with dense grayish white pruinescence, ventral margin of face blackish brown. Frons brownish yellow, as long as wide and parallel-sided, with a pair of black longitudinal stripes along fronto-orbital rows, extending from ocellar triangle to occiput; ocellar triangle blackish brown, ocellar setae developed, almost as long as posterior fronto-orbital setae, anterior frontoorbital setae reclinate, shorter than posterior fronto-orbital setae. Gena about 1/5 height of eye. Antenna brownish yellow, first flagellomere and arista broken. Proboscis blackish brown, with white and black setulae; palpus black with black setulae.

Thorax ( Fig. 14 ) blackish brown, with grayish white pruinescence. 0+3 dorsocentral setae; acrostichal setulae in six irregular rows, with a pair of strong acrostichal setulae, longer than first post-sutural dorsocentral setae; a pair of strong prescutellar setae, longer than first post-sutural dorsocentral setae and strong acrostichal setulae. One anepisternal seta, two katepisternal setae. Legs blackish brown, tibia and tarsi yellow. Fore femur with seven posterior dorsal setae, seven posterior setae and seven posterior ventral setae; fore tibia with one dorsal preapical seta and one strong apical ventral seta. Mid femur with five anterior setae; mid tibia with one strong dorsal preapical seta and one strong apical ventral seta. Hind femur with one preapical anterior dorsal seta; hind tibia with one dorsal preapical seta. Wing ( Fig. 12 ) hyaline and yellow at base; costa with 2nd (between R 1 and R 2+3), 3rd (between R 2+3 and R 4+5), and 4th (between R 4+5 and M 1) sections in proportion of 7.3: 2.3: 1.3; r-m on middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M 1 in proportion of 5.7: 2.8; ultimate section of CuA 1 about 1/4 of penultimate. Haltere pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 15 ) black, with grayish white pruinescence. Male genitalia ( Figs. 16–20 ): syntergosternite circular. Epandrium narrow and long, surstylus extended from ventral margin of epandrium, not separated from epandrium, connected by one U-shaped sclerite behind cercus in posterior view; hypandrium without inner process, narrow in the middle and wide on both sides. Postgonite slightly shorter than phallus, tapering apically and curved in ventral view. Phallapodeme shorter than phallus; phallus with small apical concavity, with many spiny processes inside and some long spiny processes extended from apex of phallus.

Type material. Holotype ( CAUC): ♁, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Fanjingshan, 2001. VIII. 1, Wanzhi Cai . Paratypes ( CAUC): 1♁, CHINA, Guizhou Province: Fanjingshan, 2001. VIII. 1, Fang Zhao .

Distribution. China (Guizhou)

Etymology. Latin, caii , named after Wanzhi Cai, the collector of the holotype.

Figures

FIGURES 11–15. Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii sp. nov. Male. 11. head, anterior view; 12. wing; 13. habitus, lateral view; 14. thorax, dorsal view; 15. abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 16–20. Minettia (Plesiominettia) caii sp. nov. Male. 16. syntergosternite and epandrium, lateral view; 17. epandrial complex, posterior view; 18. syntergosternite, anterior view; 19. phallic complex, ventral view; 20. phallic complex, lateral view. Scale 0.5 mm.