Otites nox Morgulis

Morgulis, Elizabeth, 2013, Review of Otites Latreille (Diptera: Ulidiidae) from Israel with two new species and notes on biology and behavior, Zootaxa 3619 (5), pp. 541-553 : 546-547

Otites nox Morgulis , n. sp.

( Figs. 3 , 6, 9, 12, 15, 18)

Material examined. Holotype 3: ISRAEL: Montfort, 400 m, 33º02'N 35º14'E, 14.iii.2011, E. Morgulis; Paratypes: Same data as holotype, (173, 23Ƥ); Montfort, 4.iii.1976, A. Freidberg (23), 14.iii.1985 (1Ƥ), 10.iii.1981 F. Kaplan (13); Nahal Keziv, Montfort, 400 m, 33º02'N 35º14'E, 24.ii.2011, A. Freidberg (53, 2Ƥ), E. Morgulis (13), 14.iii.2011, A. Freidberg (143, 25Ƥ), L. Bodner (13, 8Ƥ), Har Meron [Mt. Meron], 9.iv.1977, A. Freidberg (13, 3Ƥ), 1100 m, 14.iv.1999, A. Freidberg (2Ƥ), 17.iv.2000 A. Freidberg (23, 4Ƥ), 32º59.7'N 35º24.7'E, 14.iv.2011, A. Freidberg (13, 2Ƥ), L. Friedman (33, 6Ƥ), E. Morgulis (23, 4Ƥ), [Mount Meron], 1200 m, 16.iv.1992, A. Freidberg (1Ƥ). The holotype is double-mounted, minutien pinned on plastic block, in excellent condition, and deposited in TAUI.

Description. Head ( Fig. 3 ): Structure: 1.17–1.32 times as high as long. Frons of same width posteriorly and anteriorly, at lunule level, 1.35–1.41 times as wide as long. Face straight. Carina sand-clock shaped, flattened at dorsal 0.66, where twice as wide as ventral 0.33, widened and rounded ventroapically; carina protrusion about twice as long as parafacial at narrowest level. Eye 1.10–1.16 times as high as long, with sparse, short, whitish setulae. Gena 0.47–0.56 times as high as eye. Fronto-orbital plate at antenna insertion level 0.26–0.40 times as long as gena height. Pedicel 0.6–0.7 times as long as high at apex and 0.40–0.48 times as long as 1st flagellomere; first flagellomere elliptical, 1.25–1.47 times as long as high. Color and vestiture: Ocellar triangle and occiput black, gray microtrichose. Vertex orange medially, black laterally, gray microtrichose. Frons brown posteriorly, yellow to orange anteriorly, with conspicuous white microtrichose medial longitudinal stripe, otherwise inconspicuously white microtrichose. Orbit, parafacial and most of gena dark brown to black, gray-white microtrichose. Face mainly shiny orange-brown, except antennal groove black and densely white microtrichose. Postgena black, gray microtrichose. Scape dark brown to black; pedicel and 1st flagellomere black, slightly gray microtrichose; arista brown to black basally, orange-yellow apically. Clypeus black, gray microtrichose. Palp brown to black; proboscis dark brown. Chaetotaxy: Medial vertical seta 1.07–1.10 times as long as lateral vertical seta; ocellar and postocellar setae each 0.41–0.60 as long as medial vertical seta; posterior orbital seta 1.0–1.2 times as long as anterior orbital seta and 0.63–0.72 times as long as medial vertical seta. Frons setulose, setulae 0.4–0.6 times as long as posterior orbital seta. Labium with long mixed black and yellow setulae. Gena with long black setulae, and 1–3 long setae (as long as orbital seta). Vibrissal angle, postgena and occiput long setulose.

Thorax: Color and vestiture: Black, mostly gray microtrichose. Scutum with medial longitudinal line of green-brown microtrichia from anterior margin to level of second posterior-most acrostichal seta. Chaetotaxy: 1–2 presutural supra-alar and 1–2 postsutural supra-alar setae, 1 postalar, 2–3 intra-alar, 2–3 presutural and 2–4 postsutural dorsocentral, 1–2 presutural acrostichal, 4–5 postsutural acrostichal, 1 proepisternal, 4–6 anepisternal, and 1–2 katepisternal setae present. Scutum, anepisternum, katepisternum and postpronotal lobe setulose.

Legs: Entirely dark brown to black, all coxae silvery-gray microtrichose, remaining parts slightly gray microtrichose.

Wing ( Fig. 18 ): Pattern: Faint brown to gray spotted pattern present; costal cell infuscate; SBB as pale spot at radial sector, slightly extending to costal cell, but not extending to costa; PB as 2 spots: 1 at part of cell r1 adjacent to pterostigma apex and 1 barely distinct spot at crossvein R-M; SAB at apex of r1, extending slightly into cell r2+3; AB not well defined, apex of r2+3 and r4+5 slightly infuscate. Venation: Veins mostly brown, except base of A1+Cu2 and Cu2 yellow. Cell r4+5 1.1–1.3 times as wide at apex as in middle. Crossvein R-M aligned proximal to apex of vein R1. Calypteres beige. Halter base brown, stem and knob yellow. Wing length 3.19–5.40 mm.

Abdomen: Brown to black, dark gray microtrichose; tergite 6 in female shiny brown.

Male terminalia: Epandrium (Fig. 6) 0.89–0.92 times as high as wide, rounded in posterior view; medial surstylus fully fused with epandrium, bearing 5–7 short prensisetae and 5–7 thick setulae; lateral surstylus bent medially at nearly right angle, apically sharply pointed. Phallus ( Fig. 9 ) laterally, on both sides, with short spines; medially microspinulose. Glans membranous and microspinulose.

Female terminalia: Aculeus 4.7–5.0 times as long as wide. Cercal unit ( Fig. 12) oval, apically truncate toslightly rounded, with well pronounced, long lateral groove. Sensilla: BV distal to BD. Pair of large campaniform sensilla present distal to BV. 3 spermathecae, coiled, about 10 times as long as wide at widest place, with tubular body and conical apex present (Fig. 15).

Body length 2.92–5.56 mm.

Distribution. (Currently known only from Israel) Upper Galilee.

Adult activity (in Israel): End of February to middle of April

Etymology. The specific epithet is the Latin noun " nox " (=night) in apposition, which refers to the dark coloration of this species.

Comments. This species differs from all its congeners in the combination of the following three character states: pale brown wing pattern, presence of presutural supra-alar, dorsocentral and acrostichal setae and black antenna. No other species of Otites share more than two of the above mentioned character states with O. nox . This species was found in only two places in Israel: Har Meron (Mt. Meron, ca. 1100m asl) and near the antiquity site "Montfort", at Nahal (=stream) Keziv (ca. 200m asl) that are about 20 km apart. No individuals were ever collected (though searched for) in between the two sites. Adult activity is earlier (February-March) at the Montfort locality than on Har Meron (April), probably due to the altitudinal and thus climate difference.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 4. Head, lateral view. 2. Otites grata; dashed line shows gena height. 3. O. nox n. sp. 4. O. vitalyi n. sp. FIGURES 5 – 7. Epandrium, posterior view, cerci removed. 5. O. grata. 6. O. nox n. sp. 7. O. vitalyi n. sp.

FIGURES 17 – 19. Wings. 17. Otites grata. 18. O. nox n. sp. 19. O. vitalyi n. sp. Abbreviations: BB—basal band, SBB—subbasal band, PB—pterostigmal band, SAB—subapical band, AB—apical band.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Phallus. 8. Otites grata. 9. O. nox n. sp. 10. O. vitalyi n. sp.