Lordiphosa makaibarensis Pradhan & Chatterjee, 2017

Fartyal, Rajendra S., Sati, Pradeep C., Pradhan, Sushmika, Kandpal, Mukul C., Toda, Masanori J., Chatterjee, Rabindra N., Singh, Birendra K. & Bhardwai, Asha, 2017, A review of the genus Lordiphosa Basden in India, with descriptions of four new species from the Himalayan region (Diptera, Drosophilidae), ZooKeys 688, pp. 49-79 : 62-63

Lordiphosa makaibarensis Pradhan & Chatterjee sp. n.

Fig. 6

Type material.

Holotype. ♂: INDIA: West Bengal, Darjeeling, Kurseong, 26°53'N, 88°17'E, 1,458 m a.s.l., 1 September 2010, S. Pradhan leg. (DZHNBGU).

Paratypes. INDIA: 5♂, 5♀, same data as the holotype (DZHNBGU, SEHU).

Diagnosis.

Epandrial, caudosubapical, large flap not serrate on dorsal margin (Fig. 6A, B ). Paramere as broad as aedeagal basal process, apically pointed, sclerotized and without pubescence, subapically not serrate; sensilla approximately four, arranged relatively compactly in an irregular row on submedial portion (Fig. 6C, D ).

Description

(not referring to characters commonly seen in the foregoing species, L. ayarpathaensis ). Adult male. Head. Supracervical setae 10-15; postocular setae 12-13; occipital setae 11-13. Occiput, ocellar triangle and fronto-orbital plates brownish yellow. Antennal pedicel light brownish yellow; first flagellomere light grey; arista with 3-4 dorsal and 1-2 ventral branches in addition to terminal fork. Gena and clypeus brownish yellow. Cibarial medial sensilla 22-23; posterior sensilla approximately 16.

Thorax light brownish yellow. Posterior dorsocentral seta situated nearer to anterior dorsocentral seta than to anterior margin of scutellum.

Wing. Veins greyish yellow.

Legs light brownish yellow. Foreleg femur with approximately five long setae in two rows on ventral and outer surfaces.

Abdomen. Tergites nearly entirely yellow; each tergite with small setae in approximately two rows and large setae on posterior margin. Sternites off-white.

Terminalia (Fig. 6A-D ). Epandrium with 6-9 setae on medial to dorsal portion and approximately nine setae on ventral lobe (Fig. 6A ). Surstylus with approximately 15 stout, trichoid prensisetae in a single row dorsally but in two or three irregular rows ventrally on distal margin (Fig. 6B ). Cercus with 16-17 setae medially to dorsally, ventro-apically truncate and with approximately four prominent, curved setae on margin and small, apically somewhat pointed projection at anterior corner (Fig. 6A, B ).

Measurements (holotype / range in 5♂ paratypes, in mm). BL = 1.78 / 1. 48-1.81, ThL = 0.81 / 0.74-0.85, WL = 2.22 / 2.22-2.44, WW = 0.74 / 0.81-0.85.

Indices (holotype / range in 3♂ paratypes, in ratio). FW/HW = 0.50 / 0.44-0.53, ch/o = 0.13 / 0.10-0.31, prorb = 0.83 / 0.63-0.78, rcorb = 0.17 / 0.22-0.44, vb = 0.40 / 0.31-0.50, dcl = 0.61 / 0.56-0.71, sctl = 1.38 / 1.17-1.35, sterno = 0.25 / 0.30-0.50, sterno2 = 0.13 / 0.10-0.38, orbito = 0.25 / 0.48-0.80, dcp = 0.57 / 0.47-0.62, sctlp = 1.00 / 0.75-0.97, C = 3.40 / 2.91-3.18, 4c = 0.77 / 0.67-0.79, 4v = 1.69 / 1.39-1.69, 5x = 1.00 / 1.10-1.75, ac = 2.00 / 2.00-2.75, M = 0.31 / 0.34-0.47, C3F = 0.30 / 0.17-0.27.

Adult female. Terminalia. Oviscapt with approximately five trichoid, lateral ovisensilla (Fig. 6E, F ).

Etymology.

Partaining to "Makaibari tea estates". Makaibari was the first tea factory in the world, established in 1859, in Kurseong, Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Distribution.

India (West Bengal).

Flower visitation.

Adult flies of this species were collected from flowers of Datura suaveolens (local name: Dhokrey; English common name: Angel trumpet or Devils trumpet; Fig. 5B, C ), an exotic plant belonging to the Solanaceae . It was introduced from South America and is now found growing along riverbeds or forest edges at moist places almost all over India.

Remarks.

This species closely resembles the foregoing species, L. ayarpathaensis , in having the large flap on caudosubapical margin of epandrium, the oviscapt medially broad and humped in lateral view and distally narrowing and curved ventrad, and the large, sclerotized perineal plate present between oviscapts, but can be distinguished from it by the smaller size and paler color of the body and the diagnostic characters.

Figures

Figure 5. Flowers visited by Lordiphosa flies: A Hedychium spicatum (Zingiberaceae) visited by L. ayarpathaensis sp. n. B, C Datura suaveolens (Solanaceae) visited by L. makaibarensis sp. n.

Figure 6. Lordiphosa makaibarensis Pradhan & Chatterjee, sp. n. (♂ paratype from Kurseong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India): A, B periphallic organs (A caudolateral view B caudoventral view) C, D phallic organs (C ventral view D lateral view) E, F oviscapt (E lateral view F ventral view). Scale bars 0.1 mm.