Xenoplatyura bifida Cao et Xu

Cao, Jian, Zhou, Zuji, Xu, Huachao & Wu, Hong, 2007, First record of the genus Xenoplatyura Malloch, 1928 from China, with descriptions of three new species (Diptera: Keroplatidae), Zootaxa 1465, pp. 31-38 : 36-37

Xenoplatyura bifida Cao et Xu , n. sp.

( Figs. 3 , 14–17 )

Diagnosis. Similar to X.sichuanensis , n. sp. in having faint infuscation on apex of wing, but the bilobed and elongated tergite IX is characteristic of X. bifida . The radiomedial fusion is longer than the petiole of M and the shapes of gonocoxites and gonostyli are also good characters to distinguish it from the other three Chinese species of the genus.

Description. MALE. Lengths: Body: 7.9 mm; wing: 6.4 mm.

Head. Vertex and occiput yellowish brown with fairly dense small black recumbent hairs. Frons yellowish brown. Antennae: scape and pedicel cup-shaped, dark brown. Flagellum: dark brown. Face dark brown with pale yellow upper half. Palpi: segments I–II dark brown, segments III–IV yellowish brown; segment IV long and slender. Labellum pale brown, fleshy.

Thorax. Mesonotum dark brown, obscurely yellow on humeral area and side margins; long dark setae on side margins. Scutellum dark brown with long setae on posterior margin. Prothorax dark brown with some long setae. Anepisternum, katepisternum, laterotergite and mediotergite brown, bare. Halter yellow.

Legs. Yellow. Fore coxa, apex of mid and hind coxae with long recumbent black hairs. Femora with recumbent black hairs. Fore tibia with setulae in rows on apical half, hind and mid tibiae with setulae in rows on apical third. All tibiae with some setae. Fore tibia without comb, mid tibia with posterior comb and hind tibia with anterior and posterior combs. Tibial spurs dark brown. Fore and mid basitarsi 0.9x lengths of their respective tibiae, hind basitarsus 0.7x length of hind tibia. Claws minute.

Wing ( Fig. 3 ). Hyaline with a pale brown shade apically. Veins dark brown. Costa extends slightly beyond vein R5; Sc ends slightly beyond base of Rs; Sc-R situated at level of basal 0.2 of distance between h and tip of Sc. Distance between tips of R1 and R4 1.3 times as long as R4. Ratio of radiomedial fusion / petiole of M: 1.1. Petiole of M one-sixth as long as length of M1+2. Veins M2 and CuA1 not reaching wing margin, vein A reaches wing margin.

Abdomen. Tergites dark brown, with dense recumbent black hairs. Sternum patterned as on tergites.

Hypopygium ( Figs.14–17 ). Tergite IX ( Figs. 16, 17 ) dark brown, bilobed and elongated, cercus visible in lateral view. Genitalia as in Figs.14–16 .

FEMALE. Unknown.

Types. Holotype ɗ (ZJFC 060215) from: China: Sichuan Province: Wanglang National Natural Reserve, 25 July 2006, Jian Cao.

Etymology. The species epithet derives from the Latin bifidus = bifid, referring to tergite IX bilobed.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Xenoplatyura wings. 1. X. sichuanensis, n. sp. 2. X. lata, n. sp. 3. X. bifida, n. sp.

FIGURES 14 – 17. X. bifida, n. sp. 14. gonocoxites and gonostyli, ventral view. 15. gonocoxites and gonostyli, dorsal view. 16. male terminalia, lateral view. 17. tergite IX, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.