Lonchaea aberdare, Macgowan, 2018

Macgowan, Iain, 2018, Definition of the Lonchaea polyhamata species-group (Diptera, Lonchaeidae) with a description of new species, Zootaxa 4446 (3), pp. 325-342 : 335-337

Lonchaea aberdare sp. nov.

Description. Male; head; Eyes densely pilose, covered with long white hairs which are approximately 0.3x length of orbital seta. Frons sooty black, frontal and interfrontal setulae long, approximately 0.5x length of orbital seta, slightly recurved at apex. Orbital plate sub-shining black, covered in fine microsculpture, bearing 1–2 setulae. Lunule black, parafacials and face covered lightly with grey pollinosity. Antennae entirely black, postpedicel length to depth ratio 2.7:1. Arista black, microscopically pubescent. Anterior genal setulae in a single and slightly detached row of 5 along mouth margin. Palps with long dense black setulae.

Thorax: scutum sub shining blue-black overlain by grey-brown pollinosity, covered in long setulae, approximately 0.6x length of orbital seta. Thoracic sclerites also relatively heavily pollinose. Anepisternum with 4 anterior setae, these difficult to distinguish from other strong setulae on the sclerite, 6 posterior setae. Proepimeron and proepisternum each with 1 seta. Katepisternum with 2 setae, anterior slightly weaker, numerous long setulae almost as long as the setae lying anterior to these. Scutellum more lightly pollinose than thoracic scutum, on margin with 3 setulae between lateral and apical setae, 2 between apical setae. Calypteres pale yellow with a long, dense golden fringe. Wings very slightly fumose anteriorly, veins dark. Wing length 4.5mm. Legs entirely black, femora slightly brownish. Fore and hind basal tarsomeres with a short ventral fringe of stiff golden setae, this extending on to basal quarter of fore tibia. Hind femur on apical half with a row of 1 strong and 3–4 finer anteroventral setae, all longer than depth of femur

Abdomen: rather long and narrow, sub-shining blue-black, apical tergite elongated, ratio of its length to that of preceding segment 3.2:1, attenuated towards apex, a group of apical setulae present.

Male terminalia: ( Figs. 29–32 ): In lateral view epandrium not completely fused, portion anterior to suture visible as a large rounded lobe extending for most of width of epandrium. Cerci membranous, long and narrow, bent ventrally on apical third, covered in fine setulae with longer setulae on ventral surface and apically. Surstyli projecting posteriorly from shell of epandrium, basally posteriorly directed but with a large ventrally directed apical position. A slightly serrated spike-like process arising from base of cerci. In ventral view cerci broad and hood-like. Processes at base of cerci long, thin and pointed, slightly medially directed at their apices. In internal view a very unusual finger-like structure arising from medial surface of surstyli, basally semi membranous with a very black chitinised apical half bearing a single apical setulae. Phallus short and stout, with a few scattered hairs on basal portion.

Female: Similar to male, eye pilosity and body setae slightly shorter. Frons approximately the width of an eye. Apical segment of aculeus bullet-shaped, on dorsal surface with a pair of stiff setae on apical third, these 0.75x length of apical segment, a shorter pair at apex, ventrally with a slightly longer pair of apical setae.

Type material: Holotype ♂: KENYA, Aberdare , 3000–4000m 1.xii.1986, A. Friedman

Paratypes; 3♂ 4♀ with the same data. ( TAUI)

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the Aberdare Range where the type series was collected.

Figures

FIGURES 29–32. Lonchaea aberdare sp. nov. 29. Epandrium and associated structures lateral view. 30. same ventral view 31. Same, internal view. 32 Phallus ventral view.