Schizohelea clastrieri Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, 2024

Szadziewski, Ryszard, Dominiak, Patrycja, Rumišek, Mario, Neinhuis, Christoph, Wanke, Stefan & Rupp, Thomas, 2024, Predatory midges of the genus Schizohelea Kieffer, 1917 in Europe and North Africa (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 5514 (2), pp. 169-187 : 179

Schizohelea clastrieri Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp , sp. nov.

( Figs. 7a–c , 8 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6876633A-53D6-477A-A6D9-7C1D0175A3D2

Diagnosis. Second radial cell about 1.4 times longer than first radial cell. Macrotrichia on wing membrane absent. Male is distinct in having straight gonostylus, aedeagus with two apical submedian processes and a ventral plate armed with strong teeth, short and strong parameres, and bilobed apex of lateroventral expansion of gonocoxite. Female unknown.

Description

Male. Flagellum 0.76 mm long. Flagellomeres 12–13 of one antenna partly teratologically fused ( Fig. 7a ). Palpus longer than proboscis, third palpal segment 0.075 mm long ( Fig. 7b ). Wing length 1.55 mm, costal ratio CR 0.61; second radial cell short, about 1.4 times longer than first one ( Fig. 7c ). Wing membrane without macrotrichia. Scutellum with 4 marginal bristles and 6 shorter setae. Hind femur and tibia moderately stout. Hind tibial spur short, hind tarsomere 1 with palisade setae in one row, subbasal spine present. Tarsal ratio TR(1) 1.8, TR(2) 1.7, TR(3) 1.8. Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Lateroventral tubercle of gonocoxite distinct with bilobed apex ( Fig. 8c ). Gonostylus slender, almost straight, gradually tapering towards pointed apex, 0.9 of gonocoxite length ( Fig. 8b ). Parameres short and stout, apex strongly expanded into elliptic structure ( Fig. 8d ). Aedeagus arch-shaped, with 2 apical projections and ventral plate armed with 9 unequal teeth ( Fig. 8e ).

Female unknown.

Type material. Holotype male, Algeria, Sétif province, Ras Isly near Béjaia, 24.04.1981, R. Szadziewski leg. ( CEIG).

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of the late Dr. Jean Clastrier (1910–1997) in recognition of his superb, numerous, and important contributions to our knowledge of biting midges of Africa and Europe.

Distribution. Algeria.

Comments. Schizohelea clastrieri resembles S. incerta in presence of dentate ventral plate of aedeagus and the shape of lateroventral gonocoxal tubercles. However, parameres in the new species are short and stout with strongly expanded apex, and the gonostylus is nearly straight (in S. incerta parameres are slender with short claw-like dark apical curved spine, and gonostyli are slightly C-curved). Aedeagus in S. clastrieri is also slightly similar to that in males of S. armata ( Fig. 10a ) and S. leucopeza , but the latter two species lack ventral plate with teeth and their parameres are slender.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Schizohelea clastrieri Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, sp. nov. (a–c) and S. withersi Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, sp. nov. (d–f), males: a—flagellomeres 11–13 of teratological antenna; b, d—maxillary palp; c, e—wing; f—thorax and legs.

FIGURE 8. Schizohelea clastrieri Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, sp. nov., male genitalia: a—ventral view; b— gonostylus; c—gonocoxal expansions; d—parameres; e—aedeagus.

FIGURE 10. Male genitalia of Schizohelea described by Remm (modified drawings from Remm 1967, 1980, 1993): a—S. armata (Remm, 1993) from Kunashir Islands; b—S. lampropeza (Remm, 1967) from Georgia; c—S. pekae (Remm, 1980) from Kyrgyzstan; d—S. spathulata (Remm, 1993) from Armenia.