Hoffeinsodes reducta, Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017

Wagner, Rüdiger, 2017, Synopsis of extinct Bruchomyiinae (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Burmese, Baltic and Dominican amber, with descriptions of new genera and species, Zootaxa 4320 (1), pp. 100-120 : 107

Hoffeinsodes reducta sp. nov.

(Figs. 4a–d)

Etymology. Name based due to the presumable absence of gonostyli.

Diagnosis. Hoffeinsodes species, cross sclerite with a single setose tip, gonostyli with sharp apex.

Material. Holotype male, no. 1379- 3 in coll. Hoffeins.

Geological stratum. Baltic amber.

State of preservation. Specimen poorly conserved, head, thorax and abdomen recognizable; palpi complete, antenna incomplete; right front femur, tibia and first tarsomere, and both hind legs maintained, another broken leg nearby.

Syninclusions. None.

Description. Head with oval eyes, distance between the eyes about 10 facet diameters. Only scape, pedicel and 1 st flagellomere conserved. Palpus 4 segmented; relative length: 20-33-52-103; absolute length: 0.12-0.19- 0.31- 0.61 mm.

Head length 0.28 mm. Length of thorax + abdomen 2.87 mm; length of genitalia 0.38 mm. Thorax with swellings above halters with basal rings of setae.

Wing length 3.68 mm. Sc ends in R1, sc-c not discerable. First basal cell elongate rectangular, extends to middle of wing. R2+3 originates at about middle of first basal cell, considerably longer than R2. R4 originates from front edge, R5 from middle, M1+2 from rear edge of first basal cell. M3 and M4 originate at close quarters at middle of second basal cell; m-cu crossvein short; CuA and CuP run parallel slightly curved to hind wing margin.

Abdomen with 8 segments and genitalia; first and 6th segments narrower than segments 2–5; genitalia inverted by segments 7 and 8; 7th segment appears less sclerotized than other segments. Genitalia with a large rectangular cross sclerite, hind margin setose. Gonostyli probably missing; aedeagus and parameres not clearly discernable; the lateral sclerites with sharp tips seem to be the parameres. Epandrium not clearly discernable but with strong lateral apically bent lobes; tip of proctiger with small oval setose partly visible cerci.

Distal to genitalia is a pair of petiolate spherical structures similar in shape and position to that of H. obtusa (periaedeagal sheath). Although the surface of the sheath is less well preserved, a connection towards the aedeagus is clearly visible.

Comments. A Hoffeinsodes species distinguished from congeners by Sc ending in R1, the probable absence of gonostyli, and strong apically bent postepandrial lobes. The periaedeagal sheath is sufficiently visible to mention it is part of the genitalia.