Bezzia (Bezzia) titanochela, Grogan, 2020

Grogan, William L., 2020, A Revision of the Nearctic Predaceous Midges in the Bezzia (Bezzia) pulverea complex (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 4877 (3), pp. 429-467 : 462-464

Bezzia (Bezzia) titanochela n. sp.

( Figs. 67–71 )

Bezzia male form 28C, Dow & Turner 1976: 67. Florida.

Diagnosis. The only Nearctic species of the B. pulverea complex with the following combination of characters. Males with dark brown hind femur and tibia, hind tibia with broad light brown subapical band; gonostylus very short, very broad, with large claw-like outer prong that is greatly curved and a smaller inwardly curved inner prong; aedeagus very broad with high basolateral shoulder-like extensions; and moderate size (WL 1.62–1.83 mm). Females femora and tibiae with same coloration and banding patterns as males, but, their hind tibia lacks large apical spines; palpal segment 3 very short (PR 2.50–2.60); spermathecae unequal-size, the larger (length 0.24–0.25 mm) greatly elongate, slender with greatly tapered neck, the smaller (length 0.11 mm) ovoid with moderately tapered neck; and moderate size (WL 1.74–1.93 mm).

Male. Head. Brown. Eyes moderately separated by the diameter of 3 ommatidia. Antennal flagellum with flagellomere 1 moderately long, brown except base pale, 2–9 yellowish to light brown, 10 with proximal 7/8 light brown, distal 1/8 darker brown, 11–13 brown with extreme bases light brown; flagellomeres 2–7 vasiform, 8–9 elongate vasiform, 10–13 greatly elongate, 10 (holotype) or 13 (paratypes) longest; AR 1.01–1.18 (1.09, n=3); flagellum moderately long, length 1.28–1.45 (1.37 mm, n=3). Palpus moderately long, segment 5 extending just beyond apex of labrum; segment 3 slender, basal 1/3 slightly bulbous with meso-central group of 2–4 long capitate sensillae; PR 2.75–3.63 (3.33, n=4). Mandible slender with 2–4 slender apical, 3–6 smaller proximal medial teeth; 2–4 very small widely spaced lateral teeth. Thorax ( Fig. 67 ). Reddish brown, scutellum dark golden. Scutum with short, stout, curved setae, most dense on dorsum, sparse on lower lateral surfaces and a few large long stout setae on rear section of dorsum, and 7–15 long, stout pre-alar setae; scutellum with 7–12 long setae. Fore femur yellowish (holotype) or light brown (paratypes) with brown basal band, with or without poorly developed narrow subapical brown band, mid femur light brown with or without brown basal band and broad dark brown apical band, hind femur uniformly dark brown; 2–4 fore, 0–1 mid, hind ventral femoral spines. Fore tibia brown with narrow subbasal, broader subapical light brown bands, mid tibia brown with very narrow basal and broader subapical pale or very light brown bands, hind tibia dark brown with broad light brown subapical band; 3–4 fore, 4–6 mid, 7–9 hind large dorsal tibial spines; 2–3 fore, 3–4 mid ( Fig. 68 ), 2 hind large apical tibial spines. Tarsomeres 1–5 yellowish to pale brown; apices of claws deeply bifid. Wing moderately narrow; membrane hyaline, lightly infuscated on costa, radial veins, proximal section of medius and between costa, radius, in radial cell and narrow strip beyond apex of costa; posterior veins hyaline, well developed; WL 1.62–1.83 (1.74 mm, n=4), WW 0.49–0.54 (0.52 mm, n=4); CR 0.68–0.71 (0.70, n=4). The wings of the holotype are in excellent condition, but, those of the three male paratypes from Alabama are in poor condition and it is difficult to see veins and several other characters. Halter brown; knob darker brown on holotype and one paratype. Abdomen. Brown. Tergites 1–8 covered with sparse to moderately dense medium-size stout setae. Genitalia ( Figs. 69–70 ). Tergite 9 moderately long, broad with apicocentral group of 4 long stout setae; cerci moderately long, apices extending beyond mid-length of gonocoxites, bases stout, tapered slightly distally with several large subapical and apical setae. Sternite 9 ventral portion moderately short with moderately deep, broad U-shaped apicocentral excavation, inner margins with dense fringe of long fine setae; and thin, elongate foot-shaped apicolateral extensions that extend beyond gonocoxites and overlay the basal section or more of gonostyli, their basolateral margins are moderately sclerotized. Gonocoxite short, very broad, base straight, lateral margins curved distally; apices very broad, truncate, their ventral apicolateral sections with 4–6 very large, stout, tapered, sinuate setae. Gonostylus with very short broad basal section, apical portion very broad; inner prong well-developed, blade-like, tip rounded or sharply pointed, inwardly directed; outer prong very long, greatly curved, slightly tapered distally, tip sharply pointed. Parameres fused; basal arms short, very broad, greatly divergent, moderately sclerotized, apices truncate or slightly rounded; distal portion lightly sclerotized, broad, triangular, tapered distally, apex slightly expanded, arrow-head shaped. Aedeagus triangular; basal arch very broad, deep, extending ½ of total aedeagal length; basal arms lightly sclerotized on proximal 2/3, distal 1/3 more heavily sclerotized, apices recurved 90˚ or more, tips truncate or rounded; main body very broad, with large, very high basolateral extensions; apex short, abruptly tapered, tip narrowed, rounded or possibly pointed.

Female. Head. Similar to male with the following notable sexual and other differences. Antennal flagellum with proximal ½ of flagellomeres 2–8 pale brown, distal ½ brown, 9-13 with proximal 1/8 pale brown, distal 7/8 brown; flagellomeres 2–8 vasiform with central whorl of long, slender stout setae, 9–13 greatly elongate, 12 or 13 longest with basal whorl of long, slender hyaline setae and remainder of surface with numerous similar scattered shorter, thinner setae; AR 1.39–1.49 (1.44, n=2); flagellum relatively short, length 1.03–1.09 (1.06 mm, n=2). Palpus slightly broader than male; segment 3 short, broad; PR 2.50–2.60 (2.55, n=2). Mandible broad with 8–10 large distal, 4–6 smaller proximal medial teeth; 3–5 very small, widely spaced lateral teeth. Thorax. Scutum with 8–10 large pre-alar setae; scutellum with 6 long setae. Femora, tibiae with same coloration and banding patterns as males; 2–3 fore, 1–2 mid, 1 hind large femoral spines; dorsal tibial spines not determinable; 2 fore, 3 mid large apical tibial spines, hind tibia without apical spines; tarsomeres 1–3 pale, 4–5 brown, claws as in females of B. pulverea . Wing similar to males, but broader; WL 1.74–1.93 (1.79 mm, n=2), WW 0.66–0.68 (0.67 mm, n=2); CR 0.73–0.75 (0.74, n=2). Abdomen ( Fig. 71 ). Brown. With same coloration and setae as in male; internal tergal apodemes not visible. Sternite 9 halves broad, moderately sclerotized; apices heavily sclerotized, anterior prongs curved, tips blunt, narrowly separated. Spermathecae unequal-size, elongate ovoid; the larger greatly elongate (0.24–0.25 mm long) with narrow tapered neck; smaller shorter (0.11 mm long) with moderately tapered neck.

Distribution. Florida, Alabama and Texas (see Discussion below).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of two Greek terms, titan (gigantic) and chela (claw), in reference to the very large claw-like inner and outer prongs of the male gonostylus.

Type Material. Holotype male. FLORIDA, Liberty Co., Torreya St. Pk., 22 Apr. 1967, W. W. Wirth ( USNM) . Paratypes, 4 males, 2 females. ALABAMA, Dallas Co., Marion Junction, Black Belt Subta. , ex. wet muddy tire tracks, in pasture, 19 April 1979 –emerged 27 April 1979, M. Lame , 1 male; same data except ex. polluted mud hole in open pasture, 1 May–emerged 29 May 1979, M. Lame , 1 male, 1 female; same data except emerged 28 May 1979 , 1 female. Morgan Co., Decatur, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge , 4–7 May 1978, J. I. Glick , 1 male ( AUEM). TEXAS, (Fort Bend Co.), Richmond, Brazos River , 22 June 1917, CU (Cornell University). Ent. Exped., Lot 542 Sub 24 , 1 male ( CUIC) .

Discussion. The male and female paratypes from Auburn University (AUEM) were dissected, mounted on slides in Hoyer’s solution which is now dark brown despite that the edges of their coverslips were sealed with black polyvinyl chloride or glyptol. In addition, the Hoyer’s solution has shrunk, causing gaps between the heads, bodies and abdomens of these specimens, and they are now in poor condition. Due to their poor condition, I did not designate either of these two female paratypes from Alabama as allotype.

The male paratype from Texas was originally mounted on a pin and likely borrowed by Willis Wirth from Cornell University ( CUIC) during the late 1970s or early 1980s prior to his retirement from the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, USDA. Wirth apparently cleared this specimen in KOH or NaOH, then dissected and slide-mounted it in Canada balsam and on the slide label he wrote “COR”. It is in mostly good condition and the genitalia are identical to other males in the type series, but, it is slightly smaller (WL 1.41 mm) than the Florida holotype and male paratypes from Alabama. The antennal flagella and hind legs are missing, making it impossible to know if the hind tibiae had the broad pale subapical band of other males in the type series. The locality of this specimen is a short distance WSW of Houston , Texas , indicating that this new species may be more widely distributed than suggested by the other specimens from Florida and Alabama .

Figures

FIGURES 67–71. Bezzia titanochela n. sp. Male, 67–70, Female, 71. 67 Thorax and legs. 68 Mid tibial apical spines. 69 Genitalia at focal level of sternite 9, parameres, aedeagus, gonocoxites and gonostyli. 70 Genitalia at focal level of parameres, aedeagus, gonocoxites and gonostyli.