Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi, Ebejer, 2023

Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 872, pp. 1-161 : 88-91

Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3857614B-5E83-430B-BDB7-80FD7E32ADC4

Figs 48–49

Diagnosis

A black species with dense greyish microtomentum giving it an overall grey appearance; with margins of pleural sclerites and hind margins of abdominal tergites yellow ( Fig. 48A ); apex of scutellum yellow; basal flagellomere yellow in male, dark brown in female; 2 distinct fronto-orbital setae. Male densely microtomentose on tergite 6 and on dorsal part of epandrium, leaving two small shining brown patches dorsally on epandrium ( Fig. 48B ). There are four species similar to A. kravchenkoi sp. nov. in external characters and in the structures of the male hypopygium. Aphaniosoma bartaki Ebejer, 1998 , described from Uzbekistan, has a broader and bilobed medial extension of the ventro-lateral margin of tergite 6 and a differently shaped pregenital sternite, which is more transverse and has two short and broad posteriorly directed lobes; the surstylus and postgonite are dark sclerotized. Aphaniosoma hamatum Ebejer, 2007 and A. similis Ebejer, 2007 , both described from Mongolia, have a narrower curved ventral lobe to tergite 6, a bilobed pale surstylus and pale pregonite. Aphaniosoma subtilis Ebejer, 2007 , described from Kyrgizstan, is most similar to the new species in external features, and hypopygial structures must be examined for differentiation: the postero-ventral lobe of tergite 6 is narrower and longer with the apex broad and round in the new species ( Fig. 49A ); the surstylus is dark, curved and pointed in A. subtilis whereas in A. kravchenkoi it is translucent (in macerated specimens) and curved only slightly at the tip; the pregonite is large, broad and strongly curved downwards in A. kravchenkoi but narrow and almost straight in A. subtilis ; the postgonite in both species is translucent, but that of A. kravchenkoi is shorter.

Etymology

The species is named after V. Kravchenko who collected many specimens of Aphaniosoma in Israel.

Material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL • ♂; ‘ Iddan; 19 Mar. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU 405825 .

Paratypes

ISRAEL • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNHTAU • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 11 Oct. 1994; F. Kaplan and A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 30 Mar. 1999; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 28 Apr. 1999; SMNHTAU • 5 ♀♀; ‘ Enot Samar; 3 Mar. 1999; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 5 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Mar. 1999; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 24 Nov. 1999; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 12 Apr. 2000; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Ma‘agan Mikha ‘El ; 15 May 2000; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Nahal Neqarot , N of Sappir; 4 Mar. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 4 ♂♂; ‘ Iddan ; 20 Jun. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ En Iddan ; 20 Jun. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; ‘ En Gedi ; 19 Mar. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 6 ♂♂; ‘ En Gedi (Nahal David); 5 Jun. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 11 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; ‘ En Gedi / N Arugot ; 31 May 2000; B. Merz leg.; MHNG • 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀; N. Arava valley ; 30°46ʹ N, 35°14ʹ E; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix and chenopods; MJE • 3 ♂♂; Dead Sea , Zomet Zohar; 31°08ʹ N, 35°21ʹ E; alt. - 338 m; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; MJE • 17 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Dead Sea , ‘ Enot Zuqim; 31°43ʹ N, 35°27ʹ E; alt. - 400 m; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; MJE • 1 ♀; Jericho , route 90; 31°48ʹ N, 35°29ʹ E; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on roadside vegetation; MJE .

Other material

ISRAEL • 1 ♂, preserved in alcohol; N. Arava valley ; 30°46ʹ N, 35°14ʹ E; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix and chenopods; MJE • 1 ♂, preserved in alcohol; Arava valley , Qetura [Ketura]; 50 km north of Eilat; 29°58ʹ07″ N, 35°03ʹ38″ E; alt. 126 m; 3–8 May 2013; Z.A. Yefremova leg.; Malaise trap; coll. code 140907; ZSM .

JORDAN • 1 ♂, 1 ♀, preserved in alcohol; Wadi Rum , “Sietental” [valley]; 29°34ʹ29ʹʹ N, 35°24ʹ25ʹʹ E; 14 Oct. 2011; J.-H. Stuke leg.; 1580; J-HS .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: male 1.1 mm, female 1.3 mm. Wing length: male 1.2 mm, female 1.3 mm.

Male, holotype

HEAD. Yellow on frons and anterior part of gena, otherwise, ocellar triangle, entire occiput and posterior margin of gena black; gena about ½ × as high as eye at middle and with scattered pale yellow setulae; one vibrissal setae but with 2 as strong setae close to it, one on buccal margin and the other on gena lateral to vibrissa; frons narrow at anterior margin about 0.5 × as wide as at level of anterior ocellus; ocellar setae as strong as posterior fronto-orbital, 2 distinct but not especially strong fronto-orbital setae and 3 short setulae anterior to these; about 8 short setulae on frons with a distinctly longer pair in front of the anterior ocellus; inner and outer vertical well-developed; paravertical setae short and convergent, postocular setae short and in one row; face short, poorly sclerotized and depressed; median carina low and not reaching clypeus; antenna yellow, pedicel paler than basal flagellomere and with distinct short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with fine pubescence along anterior margin; basal 1 / 5 of arista yellow contrasting with black distal portion.

THORAX. Black and almost uniformly greyish microtomentose, leaving only postpronotal lobe and notopleuron bright yellow, postalar calli dusky yellowish; scutellum grey with yellowish apex; pleura grey with narrow yellow margins to sclerites; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal, 1 presutural, 1 short incurved intra-postpronotal, 2 notopleurals, 0+4 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 2+6 dorsocentrals with only the posterior one strong, 1+4 acrostichals with no prescutellars, 4 scutellars, anepisternal damaged by pin in holotype, present in paratypes, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner and 4 fine setae scattered on disc.

WING. Veins all brown; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.7 × that between R 4+5 and M 1; distance between crossveins about 1.3 × as long as posterior crossvein, which is about 0.4 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere pale yellow.

LEGS. Yellow; numerous pale setulae scattered on legs, fore femur with additional long setulae on posteriorly; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black, pulvilli normal; tarsomeres yellow; hind trochanter not modified.

ABDOMEN. Tergites black with yellow hind margins, bearing short pale setulae almost exclusively on the hind margins; tergite 6 densely grey microtomentose ( Fig. 48B ); sternite 6 modified, having the lateral borders extended into triangular lobes, and the posterior margin bearing two short and narrow projections ( Fig. 49B ).

HYPOPYGIUM ( Figs 48B , 49A ). Epandrium, on each side, with yellow anterior half and brown posterior half; densely microtomentose dorsally above a small shining brown spot; surstylus narrow elongate; pregonite large and curved; aedeagus brown (not distended and cannot be assessed further); epiphallus shining brown and apically pointed; postgonite pale narrow, rod-like. cerci fused, pale yellow and with long apical setae.

Female

Similar to male, but with basal flagellomere dark brown and a broad dark brown band across the middle of the frons.

Variation

There is some chromatic variation in this species where a few specimens have the grey scutum breaking up into vittae over the posterior half, and the pleural sclerites have broader yellow margins.

Distribution

Israel, Jordan.

Figures

Fig. 48. Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SMNHTAU 405825). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Hypopygium in situ, posterior view.

Fig. 49. Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov., ♂, paratype (SMNHTAU). A. Hypopygium, lateral view. B. Sternite 6, ventral view. Abbreviations: See Material and methods.