Amiota elsaltoensis, Jones & Grimaldi, 2022

Jones, Lance E. & Grimaldi, David A., 2022, Revision Of The Nearctic Species Of The Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2022 (458), pp. 1-181 : 51-65

Amiota elsaltoensis , sp. nov.

Figures 29C–D , 30C–D , 32 , 86B

DIAGNOSIS: Small fly (ThL 0.97 mm), nearly black; frons black dorsally, ventral third silvery near lateral corners; outer paraphysis long, linear, tapering to a point, 3 pairs of slender, dorsal spines curved inward; base of inner paraphysis with 3 sets of medially pointed lobes, terminating in 3 pairs of dorsally pointed appendages, 2 apical sets fused at base, forming a semicircular inner region.

DESCRIPTION: Small fly (ThL 0.97 mm), nearly black, fading slightly to dark brown ventrally; legs yellow. Frons black dorsally, ventral third silvery in lateral corners. Cheek relatively wide (EL/CW 11.83), whitish gray posteriorly. Palp yellow. Tergites 1 and 2 lightly colored. Arista: Medium, plumose; longest branch D3; A.R. 0.28; 4 dorsal, 1 ventral branch; branch D4 pointed mediad; arista trunk with medium microtrichia nearly to apex. Male genitalia: Epandrium split medially, margins not grading into surrounding membrane; ventral lobes very long in posterior view, extending well beyond surstyli. Cercus semicircular, not grading into surrounding membrane; dorsal membranous area large, triangular. Surstylus triangular or wedge-shaped; 12 short prensisetae, apices blunt; numerous scattered setulae along lateral margin on ventral third; small lobe on apicallateral corner not extending beyond prensisetae. Subepandrial sclerite simple, tapering to an acute point; lacking subepandrial appendage. Outer paraphysis large and distinctive: long; linear, slightly sinuous in shape, especially distal third; apex tapered to blunt point; 5–7 sensilla clustered subapically; dorsally with 3 equally spaced pairs of slender spines, each pair curved medially, overlapping; base of outer paraphysis in lateral view with a dorsoposteriorly pointed spine, base cuplike, intersecting perpendicularly with a strongly hooked appendage. Inner paraphysis base with 3 pairs of basal lobes, pointed medially; distal portion with 3 pairs of appendages pointed dorsally; posterior pairs fused at base, forming a semicircular shape; basalmost pair of appendages simple, with a small lateral spine. Aedeagal apodeme 1.25× longer than wide, broad and shieldlike in lateral view, not strongly bent; lateral margins slightly constricted at middle; distal end flared as wide as base with a shallow concave depression/ emargination. Hypandrium U-shaped; lateral arms thickened with a distinctive gonopod; stalk small, expanding at the apex to a wide oval pad. Ejaculatory apodeme small, 0.4× length of epandrium, barely sclerotized. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 1, Am 1455) FL/FW 0.59, EL/EW 1.25, EL/CW 11.83, FML/FMW 0.26, PR/RR 0.54, ThL 0.97 mm.

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: male: 14 mi. SW. El Salto , Dgo. [Durango] MEX., [23.786449, -105.597725], 8000′, June “26” 1964, J.F. McAlpine, attracted to man, Am 1455, [specimen glued to pin, dissected]. Deposited in the Canadian National Collection ( CNC).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Known only from the holotype.

ETYMOLOGY: Derived from El Salto, city in Durango State of Mexico, a productive locality for Amiota .

DISTRIBUTION: Amiota elsaltoensis is currently known only from the holotype in the vicinity of El Salto within the state of Durango.

COMMENTS: This species exhibits the characteristic behavior of attraction to the eyes and face common to many Amiota .

Figures

FIG. 29. Heads and lateral views, A. cervites species group. A–B. A. cervites, sp. nov. (Am 1526, holotype). C–D. A. elsaltoensis, sp. nov. (Am 1455, holotype). E–F. A. multiplex, sp. nov. (Am 1552, holotype).

FIG. 30. Aristae, A. cervites species group. A–B. A. cervites. C–D. A. elsaltoensis. E–F. A. multiplex. Not the same scale.

FIG. 32. Male terminalia, A. elsaltoensis. A. Epandrium and cerci. B. Lateral view with ejaculatory apodeme. C. Hypandrium and paraphyses, ventral view. D. Paraphyses, lateral view. E. Aedeagal apodeme. F. Surstyli. G. Paraphyses, dorsal view. (Am 1455, holotype).

FIG. 86. Distribution maps, A. cervites species group. A. A. cervites. B. A. elsaltoensis. C. A. multiplex.