Aphaniosoma longilingua, 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 : 93-97

Aphaniosoma longilingua sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1E96F635-7BC1-4EA5-9919-1F93FB3380E5

Figs 51–52

Diagnosis

This is the only species in the family with such an elongated head and a long geniculate proboscis ( Fig. 51A–B ); scutum yellow with brown longitudinal vittae; 2 well-developed fronto-orbital setae; the phallapodeme particulary large and heavily sclerotized in proportion to the rest of the hypopygial structures.

Etymology

The species epithet is a combination of the Latin ‘ longus ’ (‘long’) and ‘ lingua ’ (‘tongue’) and refers to the exceptionally long proboscis.

Material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL • ♂; Deir Shaman , 500 m North, near Yarden; 32°02ʹ N, 35°30ʹ E; 15 Mar. 2005; L. Freidman leg.; SMNHTAU 405826 .

Paratype

ISRAEL • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNHTAU.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: male 1.4 mm, female 1.4 mm. Wing length: male 1.4 mm, female 1.4 mm.

Male (holotype)

HEAD. Yellow except for ocellar triangle and occiput, apart from small area behind vertex and behind vertical setae; gena about ⅓ × as high as eye at middle and with scattered pale yellowish white setulae; a pair of vibrissal setae on each side; frons narrower than long but too shrunken to assess further; ocellar setae longer than posterior fronto-orbital seta; 2 moderately well-developed fronto-orbital setae and 2 shorter setae anterior to these; about 14 pale setulae on frons that are all more or less uniform in length (frontal setulae seen in female paratype but not in male holotype because of its shrunken frons); inner and outer vertical well-developed; paravertical setae short and parallel, postocular setae in one row; proboscis long and geniculate; face very short, poorly sclerotized and depressed; median carina distinct, a little broader between bases of antennae and then sharp and low, reaching clypeus; antenna yellow, pedicel paler than basal flagellomere and with distinct short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with very short pile along anterior margin; arista brown and minutely pilose.

THORAX. Yellow; scutum with brown longitudinal vittae separated by narrow yellow lines and covered with yellowish microtomentum; middle pair of vittae short; postpronotal lobe and notopleuron yellow; scutellum yellow and pleura yellow with brown marking on katepisternum; mediotergite dark brown; chaetotaxy: 2 postpronotal, 1 presutural with a short fine seta close and anterior to it, 1 incurved intra-postpronotal, 2 notopleurals; 1+5 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 2+4 dorsocentrals with only posterior seta, well-developed, 1+4 acrostichals including prescutellars, 4 scutellars, 1 anepisternal seta with 3 weak setae below it, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner and 1 short fine seta far anterior to it and 1 below it.

WING. Veins all pale; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.4 × that between R 4+5 and M 1; distance between crossveins about 1.6 × as long as posterior crossvein, which is about 0.3 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere pale yellow.

LEGS. Fore femur with long setulae on posterior aspect; numerous pale-yellow setulae scattered on all legs; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black and pulvilli normal; tarsomeres 4 and 5 dark; hind trochanter not modified.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 51C ). Tergites with brown dorsal band not reaching sides; tergite 6 narrow and ventrally tapering almost to a point; tergites pale setulose.

HYPOPYGIUM ( Fig. 52 A ). Macerated and dissected before being sent to the author; epandrium small and pale, bearing a narrow surstylus; pregonite not identified and may be absent; postgonite short, narrow and a little darker than surstylus; aedeagus not identified (may have been membranous or broken off); phallapodeme very large and heavily sclerotized; cercus pale yellow, fused with the opposite side and setulose but without any exceptionally long setae.

Female ( Fig. 51B–C )

As for male, but with brown central areas on all pleural sclerites and without secondary sexual characters.

Variation

Although more material is required to assess this, it may be anticipated that some chromatic and pattern variation will be present, as is the case with all species of Aphaniosoma . Some specimens may have less brown markings or conversely more dark markings with the scutal vittae confluent anteriorly.

Distribution

Israel.

Figures

Fig. 51. Aphaniosoma longilingua sp. nov. A. ♂, holotype (SMNHTAU 405826), habitus, lateral view. B–C. ♀, paratype (SMNHTAU). B. Head and thorax, lateral view. C. Habitus, lateral view.

Fig. 52. Aphaniosoma longilingua sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SMNHTAU 405826). A. Hypopygium, lateral view. B. Pregenital sternites, left, ventral view, right, lateral view.