Leylaiya pellea Evenhuis & Kettani, 2018

Evenhuis, Neal L. & Kettani, Kawtar, 2018, Genera of Mythicomyiidae (Insecta, Diptera) new to the fauna of Morocco, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 4429 (2), pp. 348-356 : 351-352

Leylaiya pellea Evenhuis & Kettani , n. sp.

( Fig. 4)

Diagnosis. This species can easily be separated from the only other known Mediterranean species, Leylaiya mimnermia , by the dark occipital, thoracic, and abdominal coloration (occiput, thorax and abdomen predominantly yellow with yellowish orange pattern in L. mimnermia ). Using the key to species of Leylaiya in Gharali & Evenhuis (2011) , this species is stymied at couplet 3. Veins M1 and R4+5 are neither parallel nor do they converge, but in contrast diverge at the wing margin due to the curved M1 (cf. Fig. 4).

Description. Male ( Fig. 4). Length: 0.88 mm. Head. Predominantly dark brown (occiput damaged in holotype); eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by two times distance between lateral ocelli; frons brown, thin yellow-white line along eye margin; face and clypeus brown; antennae yellowish brown; scape minute; pedicel cylindrical, slightly wider than long; flagellomere lanceolate-conical, length about three times greatest width, with minute apical style; proboscis yellowish brown, thick, length ca. four times head height (extended condition); labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length two times head height.

Thorax. Mesonotum yellowish with three black dorsal longitudinal vittae, later most extending from posterior to humeral mark to scutellum, medial vitta from anteriormost portion of mesonotum to prescutellar area, continuing to scutellum as fine line; scutellum yellowish white; scutum and scutellum with scattered pale hairs; humeral callus, interhumeral mark, notopleural line to wing base, supra alar area, post alar callus, and pleura (except katepimeron) yellow; katepimeron yellow, brown anteroventrally. Halter stem and knob white.

Legs. Coxae and legs white.

Wing. Hyaline; veins brown; vein Sc incomplete, ending at level slightly beyond origin of Rs; R4+5 very slightly curved to wing margin; vein M1 thin, almost evanescent, curved toward wing margin, diverging from R4+5; M2 fairly straight to wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing minute.

Abdomen. Tergites I–IV brown, with yellow as thin line posteriorly; tergites III–VIII yellowish brown; venter white.

Genitalia. Not dissected. Hypopygium shining yellowish brown with dark brown and sharply pointed pseudosurstyli.

Female. Unknown.

Types. Holotype male from Morocco: 17 km NWW Tiznit , beach, 29.749°N, 9.892°W, 9 Apr 2015, C. Schmid-Egger. Holotype deposited in BPBM .

Remarks. This marks the northwestern-most record of Leylaiya on the African continent. With further collecting, it may well be found in adjacent countries and may be more widespread than currently known. The senior author has at hand other undescribed species from Niger and Zimbabwe. Specimens have been observed in Libya but are currently unavailable for study.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Morocco.