Schizohelea algeriana 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 : 177-179

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

( Figs. 4e–h , 6 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ECFD6277-C1D3-4E49-962E-114036E7748F

Diagnosis. The new species is unique in having wings with a long second radial cell which in both sexes is 1.7–2.5 times longer than first one. Macrotrichia on wing membrane absent. The male is distinct in having markedly curved gonostylus, simple aedeagus with rounded apicomedian plate armed with strong teeth, stout and curved parameres, each with enlarged bulbous apex, and strong and slightly 3-lobed apex of lateroventral tubercle of gonocoxite. Female with unarmed legs, and arms of sternite 9 broad and blunt, with dark recurved apical margin each.

Description

Male. Flagellum barely visible. Third palpal segment 0.075 mm long. Wing length 1.50 mm, costal ratio CR 0.63; second radial cell about 2.1 times longer than first one ( Fig. 4e ). Wing membrane without macrotrichia. Scutellum with 4 marginal bristles and some short setae. Legs including hind femur slender. Hind basitarsus with subbasal spine and a single row of palisade setae, tibial comb with 9 spines, hind spur short. Tarsal ratio TR(1) 1.5, TR(2) 1.6, TR(3) 2.1. Male genitalia ( Fig. 6 ). Gonocoxite with strong lateroventral expansion with slightly 3-lobed apex ( Fig. 6c ). Gonostylus slender, distinctly C-curved, 1.3 times longer than gonocoxite ( Fig. 6b ). Parameres stout, curved with enlarged bulbous apex ( Fig. 6d ). Aedeagus arch-shaped with broad, dentate apicomedian plate, median tooth strongest ( Fig. 6e ).

Female. Flagellum length 0.51–0.60 mm, antennal ratio AR 0.91–1.14. Third palpal segment 0.053 –0.065 mm long. Mandible armed with 9–12 teeth. Wing length 1.24–1.45 mm, costal ratio CR 0.69–0.70; second radial cell 1.7–2.5 times longer than first radial cell ( Fig. 4f ). Wing membrane without macrotrichia. Scutellum with 4 long and 4–5 short marginal setae. Tarsal ratio TR(1) 1.6–1.8, TR(2) 1.9–2.0, TR(3) 2.1–2.4. Two subequal spermathecae present, both slightly ovoid with short neck, length 0.055 –0.072 mm, rudimentary spermatheca distinct ( Fig. 4h ). Abdominal sternite 9 with blunt singular arms; blunt apex with recurved margin ( Fig. 4g ).

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

Other specimens: Algeria, Sétif province, Ras Isly near Béjaia, Apiaceae , 4.05.1981, 1 female, R. Szadziewski leg. ; Béjaia Province, Tichi near Béjaia, 8.05.1981, 1 female, R. Szadziewski leg. ; Jijel Province, Ziama Mansouria , 16.04.1981, 1 female, R. Szadziewski leg. ( CEIG) .

Etymology. The specific name refers to Algeria, the country of the type locality.

Distribution. Algeria.

Comments. Similar to S. lampropeza ( Remm, 1967) , S. pekae ( Remm, 1980) and S. spathulata ( Remm, 1993) from eastern Eurasia, the newly described species has simple, arch-shaped aedeagus. It differs from all the above species in the shape of the aedeagal apicomedian plate, which is armed with strong teeth. Additionally, parameres in S. algeriana are stout, curved and have enlarged bulbous apices. The males of the above-mentioned species described by Remm have a smooth apicomedian plate of the aedeagus and slender parameres. The new species is also unique in having wings with a long second radial cell.

We are not entirely sure if the three examined females were correctly associated with the holotype male, therefore we are not including them in the type series.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Schizohelea incerta (Clastrier, 1963) (a–d) and S. algeriana Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, sp. nov. (e–h): a—male maxillary palp; b—male wing; c—female wing; d—male thorax and legs; e—male wing; f—female wing; g—female genitalia; h—spermathecae.

FIGURE 6. Schizohelea algeriana Szadziewski, Dominiak, Rumišek et Rupp, sp. nov., male genitalia: a—ventral view; b— gonostylus; c—gonocoxal expansions; d—parameres; e—aedeagus.