Neostenoptera appalachiensis Plakidas and Ferro, 2016

Plakidas, John D. & Ferro, Michael L., 2016, A new species of Neostenoptera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae) from eastern North America, Insecta Mundi 2016 (510), pp. 1-9 : 2-3

Neostenoptera appalachiensis Plakidas and Ferro , new species

( Fig. 1–13 )

Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 1 ), body length (measured from head to end of genitalia) male 1.3 mm (n=4); female 1.8–2.0 (n=3) mm. Color: antennae light brown; head, thorax, and legs brown; eyes reddish brown, with a dark brown spot below each eye; abdomen light brown; wings teneral, with only veins R 1 and CuA 1 present, and a fringe of long, brown setae along wing margin except on proximal 1/4. Males of N. kiefferi differ from males of this new species by their flagellomere 11 which is more broadly rounded on its base, and the tarsomere ratio is 1: 0.5: 0.4: 0.7. In addition, N. congoensis differs from this new species in that vein R 5 is present at midlength, the scutellum possesses two setae, and females have digitate sensoria on flagellomeres 1–8 and foreleg tarsomere ratio of: 1: 0.6: 0.5: 0.7 (female foreleg tarsomere ratio in N. appalachiensis is 1: 0.4: 0.3: 0.5).

Head. Eyes situated laterally, separate, without an eye bridge. Occiput with two stout setae. Palpus and labellum absent; oral opening small ( Fig. 2 ). Frons with 2–3 setae, no scales. Antennal scape with one seta; pedicel with horizontal rows of microtrichia, no setae ( Fig. 3, 4 ); flagellum of female with10 flagellomeres with 2 digitate sensoria on flagellomeres 1–9 ( Fig. 4, 5, 6 , only ventral sensoria shown), each with a single lateral seta and short necks, flagellomere10 shorter, narrower than preceding flagellomeres ( Fig. 6 ); flagellum of male with 11 flagellomeres with either digitate sensoria or simple sensoria on flagellomeres 1–2 or 1–3, flagellomeres 4–11 lack sensoria ( Fig. 3, 7 ).

Thorax and chaetotaxy. Two dorsolateral, 1–2 dorsocentral setae; 4 shorter setae on pronotum; lateral sclerites bare except for a fine covering of microtrichia. Wing ( Fig. 1 ) elongate, narrow, with a row of long brown setae along the entire wing margin except on proximal ¼; vein R 1 closely joined to C, reaching the wing margin before midlength, vein R 5 absent; vein CuA 1 visible near wing base. Halter with a single long seta near its base. Legs with fore femur inflated distally, mid, hind femora slender, or only slightly inflated distally; tarsi 4-segmented, tarsomere 1 about twice as long as 2, T1>T2>T3<T4, tarsal claws falcate, empodia shorter than claws ( Fig. 8 ); male foreleg tarsal ratio (excluding tarsal claw): 1: 0.4: 0.3: 0.5; female foreleg tarsal ratio (excluding tarsal claw): 1: 0.4: 0.3: 0.5.

Male abdomen and chaetotaxy. Tergites, and sternites membranous. Tergite 1 with 2 lateral setae; tergites 2–7 with 2 setae situated anteriorly and posteriorly, and 2 closely approximated trichoid sensillae; tergite 8 ( Fig. 9 ) with 2 setae and 2 trichoid sensillae. Sternite 1 membranous, without setae; sternites 2–7 with 4 setae and 2 closely approximated trichoid sensillae; sternite 8 with 2 setae and 2 trichoid sensillae. Tergite 9 (epandrium) with 5–6 setae along posterior margin, no lateral setae or trichoid sensillum ( Fig. 9 ). Cerci elliptical ( Fig. 9 ), hypoproct (sternite 10) not discernible.

Gonocoxites fused along anterior margin ( Fig. 10 ), covered with microtrichia and lateral, ventral setae. Gonostyli about 3 x longer than wide ( Fig. 9, 10 ), covered with fine setulae and a few setae, inner margin with longer, stouter hair-like setae forming a dense comb. Ejaculatory apodeme brown, heavily sclerotized, extending above the tegmen and longer than gonocoxal apodemes ( Fig. 10 ). Tegmen positioned dorsal to ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 10 ), heavily sclerotized, interrupted basally by a series of horizontal ridges ( Fig. 10, 11 ), and fused basally with the gonocoxal apodemes. Aedeagus membranous the apex extends beyond the tip of ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 10, 11 ).

Female abdomen and chaetotaxy. Tergites, sternites 1–7 similar to male, except for distortion due to slide mounting, and therefore the trichoid sensillae are not visible. Tergite 8 with 2 anterior, 2 posterior setae; sternite 8 with 4 setae and one seta positioned laterally ( Fig. 12 ); other tergites, sternites with more numerous setae and a group of lateral setae ( Fig. 12 ). Hypoproct bilobed; cerci two segmented ( Fig. 12 ), disticercus slightly longer than basicercus, with horizontal rows of microtrichia and 2 short dorsal setae located at the distal corners ( Fig. 12 ). Two ovoid, lightly sclerotized spermathecae at level of tergite 8.

Type material. Holotype male, labeled: USA: TN: Sevier Co. GSMNP Sugarlands QW, 24 VI-15 VII 2006, N35˚39.826’, W83˚31.509’, reared 1- M. Ferro. Deposited in USNM. Six paratypes: 3 males, 3 females, with same pertinent data as the holotype. One female deposited in USNM; 1 female deposited in LSAM; 1 male, 1 female deposited in CUAC; and 1 male, 1 female deposited in JPPC.

Additional non-paratype material from USNM: 3 females, 1 male, Alabama, Baldwin Co. Shell mounds, Malaise trap, 5/19/2006, John McCreadle, mounted in Hoyer’s solution ; 1 female, 3 males, North Carolina, Mecklenburg Co. Charlotte, VII-21-23-1991, J.F. Cornell, lot 91 09754, in Hoyer’s solution. The above material from the USNM is labeled N. appalachiensis Plakidas and Ferro .

Etymology. The specific name appalachiensis, Latin , “from the Appalachians”, in reference to the collection site of the type series from Tennessee, located along the western flank of the Appalachian Mountains.

Figures

Figure 1. Neostenoptera appalachiensis, female, lateral view.

Figures 2–7. Neostenoptera appalachiensis. 2) Male head, ventral view, detailing the oral opening. 3) Male scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres 1–3, ventro-lateral view. 4) Female scape, pedicel, and flagellomeres 1–4, ventral view. 5) Female flagellomeres 1–2, ventral view. 6) Female flagellomeres 8–10, ventral view. 7) Male flagellomeres 9–11, ventral view.

Figures 8–11. Neostenoptera appalachiensis. 8) Female tarsomeres 3–4 and tarsal claw. 9) Male abdominal segments 8–9 and genitalia, dorsal view. 10) Male genitalia, tergite 9 and cercus removed, dorsal view. 11) Male genitalia, right gonopod removed, lateral view.

Figure 12. Neostenoptera appalachiensis female abdominal segments 8–10, lateral view.

Figure 13. County-level collection localities of N. appalachiensis from: Alabama: Baldwin Co.; North Carolina: Mecklenburg Co.; Tennessee: Sevier Co.