Sobarocephala cycla, Lonsdale, Owen, 2014

Lonsdale, Owen, 2014, Revision of the Old World Sobarocephala (Diptera: Clusiidae), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 211-240 : 217-218

Sobarocephala cycla spec. nov.

Figs 15–17, 54–59

Description (Figs 15–17). Male. (Fig. 15) Body length 2.8–3.8mm. Arista densely plumose (sparser apically). Setae brown. Ocellar seta thin. Presutural intra-alar seta absent. Two dorsocentral setae, sometimes with slightly more developed setula in front of anterior dorsocentral. Acrostichal seta absent. One lateral scutellar seta. Head yellow with infuscation around base of arista and ocellar tubercle brown; darker specimens with orange tint on face and back of head brown below ocelli; gena shining. Scutum brown excluding anterior margin and anterior half of postpronotum (Fig. 15). Scutellum and metanotum brown. Pleuron and legs yellow with anepisternum, anepimeron, and fore tibia and tarsi brown. Halter entirely white. Wing clear, sometimes with faint anterodistal infuscation. M1+2 ratio 4.4. Abdomen yellow with tergites 3–5, posterior portion of tergite 2 and epandrium brown.

Male terminalia ( Figs 54–56 ). Annulus well-developed, not enclosing 7th spiracle. Cerci broad, shallow; setae short. Surstylus circular, inner face densely covered with stout pointed tubercles. Hypandrial lobe as long as arm and with one minute distal and two long medial setae. Phallapodeme well-developed with head reduced and angled dorsally. Pregonite membranous with one seta. Postgonite large with several medial setulae. Basiphallus and epiphallus small. Distiphallus 2/5 length of phallapodeme; paraphallus with broad, serrated distal margin; thumb small and rounded to relatively large and globose.

Variation - Malaysia. Pale Malaysian paratype male (Fig. 16) differing externally as follows: markings on first flagellomere weak; head light yellow below antenna; pigment on scutum reduced with thin medial emargination on central stripe and with faded sutural and postsutural spots; pleuron and legs entirely light yellow; tergite 5 broadly yellow laterally; surstylus slightly broader (Figs 57–58); head of phallapodeme larger and projecting; pregonite absent (Fig. 59); paraphallus thumb broader and more apically positioned. Malaysian female paratype similar externally to darker holotype except as follows: setae darker; hind tibia brown excluding base and apex; first flagellomere light yellow with brown dorsal stripe; clypeus brown; tergites 2–7 brown. Non-type Malaysian females agree with description of female paratype, except these with two pairs of lateral scutellar setae.

Variation - Indonesia. Indonesian males differ as follows: scutum as in Fig. 17; yellow portion of pleuron white; fore tibia and tarsi light brown; gena pilose; wing dusky along anterodistal margin. Indonesian females as for males except tergites 2–7 dark brown.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin for “circle” (cyclus), referring to the shape of the surstylus.

Holotype: MALAYSIA. 1st Div., Semongoh For. Res., 1°25’N, 110°17’E, 15–19.xi.1976, Malaise over stream, P.S. Cranston (1♂, BMNH).

Paratypes: INDONESIA. Sumatra, Aceh Gunung Leuser Nat. Pk., Ketambe Res. Sta. , 5.ix.1989, B. Hubley, Alas River, riparian veg., screen sweep, 350m, 3\41’N, 97\39’E (1♂, ROME), Sumatra, Aceh Gunung Leuser Nat. Pk., Ketambe Res. Sta. , per D.C. Darling, 1° rainforest, mature forest, Terrace 4, light gap, 400m, 3°41’N, 97°39’E, Malaise trap w/ pans, 22– 30.ix.1989 (1♀, ROME), 1– 30.ix.1989 (1♀, ROME), W. Kalimantan Gunung Palung Nat. Pk. , 21.vi.1991, Darling, Rosichon & Sutrisno , Cabang Panti Res. Sta. , 1° rainforest—Alluviai—RR5, 1°15’S, 110°05’E, screen sweep (1♂, ROME). MALAYSIA. Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata , 4800–5000ft, 6.xi.1983, J.W. Ismay (1♂, BMNH), same collection as holotype (1♀, BMNH).

Additional material examined: MALAYSIA. Sarawak: 1st Div., Lubok Jita , 1°12’N, 110°48’E, 6– 10.xi.1976, Malaise in peat swamp forest, P.S. Cranston (2♀♀, BMNH).

Comments. Sobarocephala cycla is strongly supported as the sister species to S. eurystylis on the basis of male genitalic structures, particularly the large, subcircular surstylus, the enlarged postgonite and the shape of the distiphallus and paraphallus; external colouration is also somewhat similar in some S. cycla . Despite these similarities and a range of notal patterning that could be considered a continuum of that seen in the already described S. eurystylis , these are maintained as separate taxa on the basis of the consistent yellow abdominal pattern seen in the new species. Unlike most Old World congeners, all specimens, regardless of notal pattern, have at least tergites 1, 6 and the annulus yellow.

Figures

FIGURES 54 – 56. Sobarocephala cycla spec. nov., dark phase male genitalia; 54: external, left lateral; 55: external, posterior; 56: hypandrial complex, left lateral. Figs 57 – 59: S. cycla spec. nov., light phase male genitalia; 57: external, left lateral; 58: external, posterior; 59: hypandrial complex, left lateral. Figs 60 – 62: S. orientalis spec. nov., male genitalia; 60: external, left lateral; 61: external, posterior; 62: hypandrial complex, left lateral.