Usia novakii Strobl, 1902

Gibbs, David, 2011, 2960, Zootaxa 2960, pp. 1-77 : 56-58

Usia novakii Strobl, 1902

( Figs. 7, 12 & 20, Plate XV)

Usia novakii Strobl, 1902: 467 .

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE here designated: Croatia, Zara [=Zadar], Novak ♂ / Usia novakii Str ./ Syntypus [♂ in NMBA] ; PARALECTOTYPES: Zara, Novak ♂ / Syntypus [♂ in NMBA]; Zara, Novak ♀ / Syntypus [♀ in NMBA]; Zara, Novak ♀ / Syntypus [♀ in NMBA]; 229[209?]/ Zara, Novak ♀ / Syntypus [♀ in NMBA] .

Other material examined. Albania, 48/ S. Albania, Çajup , 10 July 1933 / A.H.G. Alston & N.Y. Sandwith, B.M. 1932-383 [♀ in BMNH] . Croatia, Dalmatia, Zara, 1879, Mik / novakii , det. Becker [2♀ in TAU] . Greece: Lesvos, 3.8 km SSE Agiasos; Alt: 760m, N39º3'17" E26º23'50", chestnut forest/ 11:15–11:45 10 vi 2004, leg. M. Kapsali / Legousia speculum-veneris (Campanulaceae) Purple / Agean University 0008551 [♂ in UAL]; Magnesia , Pelion , Pliassida Mt. N39º24'02" E23º02'17" 1450m 11 June 2007 leg. D.J. Gibbs [6♂ 12♀ in PCDG]; Ahaia, Chelmos, 1680m N38º01'19" E22º13'02" 17 June 1997, leg. J. Dils [♂ in PCJD]; Mount Parnes , 1 June 1957 leg. G. Mavromou; ex. Coll. B. Aldgren [♀ in PCJD] . Israel, Mt. Hermon 2000m, 7 May 1985, R. Kasher [2♀ in TAU]; Mt. Meiron , 28 May 1981, F. Kaplan [♀ in TAU] . Turkey, vil. Bolu, Abant, 100m – 21 June [19]75, Osella leg. [2♀ in CNBFVR] .

Etymology. Named after Gian Babtista Novak, who collected for Strobl.

Diagnosis. A medium size to relatively large, all black Micrusia of the eastern Mediterranean. Hind femora with fairly long ventral hairs, at lest some longer than depth of femora, marginal hairs of scutellum short, about half scutellar length at mid point, hairs on ocellar triangle about as long as frons at narrowest point, pleurae, including anepisternum, mostly dusted. Male genitalia relatively small, epandrium simple, flask-shaped with rounded apical corners, gonostyli distinctly “s-shaped” and can sometimes be seen in pinned specimens. Reliable identification of both sexes requires examination of genitalia (Plate XV).

Redescription. Measurements. Body length. 3.0– 5.1mm Wing length. 3.2–4.1mm.

Male. Head. Frons relatively broad, a little over a fifth head width, at narrowest point no wider than the length of the third antennal segment, rather matt medially, more shining centrally. Hind half of frons very slightly diverging, front half a little more divergent, front of frons laterally with discrete pale grey, linear dust spots, each occupying about one fifth of the width of frons at this point. Mouth margin very narrow, shining almost disappearing below, above near antennae widening, grey-dusted. Ocellar triangle equilateral, lateral ocelli separated from the eye by their diameter or a little less. Hairs on ocellar tubercle mid-length, almost as long as width of frons at narrowest point. Occiput covered with grey dust obscuring ground colour including on triangular area behind vertex. Black hairs on occiput mid-length above a little longer than half length of longest hairs of vertex, longer below, even longer than those on vertex. Antennae black, scape and pedicel relatively long, third segment compact, rather obovate, straight dorsally distinctly convex ventrally, blunt ended, not quite twice as long as scape and pedicel combined. Very short dark setae on dorsum of all segments, a few longer ones immediately before apical sulcus, sensilla dark. Proboscis black, naked, about as long as mesonotum and scutellum combined. Palps very small, black, clavate with long, dark apical setae, longer than the palps. Thorax. Entirely black, mesonotum smooth and PLATE XV. Usia novakii Strobl, 1902 ; a epiphallic complex ventral, b epiphallic complex lateral, c gonocoxite ventral, d gonocoxite lateral, e epandrium dorsal, f epandrium lateral, g female genitalia ventral, h female sternite 8 ventral.

shining, points of hair insertions readily seen, surface sculpture often a little rougher in front of scutellum. Very thinly grey-dusted on pronotum, postpronotal lobe and a small triangular patch between thoracic suture and wing base. Mesonotum with mid-length, fairly abundant black hairs, acrostichals irregularly bi- to triserial, paramedian lines bare, narrow, not easily seen, laterally hairs generally distributed, the longest hairs, on notopleuron and front of mesonotum, about as long as depth of front femora, those on disc rather shorter, in hind half proclinate, laterally inclined towards mid-line. Scutellum shining black, surface rather roughened and transversely grooved, disc with scattered short hairs, hind margin with irregular fringe of black hairs, longest about half or more the length of the scutellum. Pleura black, predominantly grey dusted but with anepisternum usually shining on anterior margin, anepimeron with small shining central spot and katepisternum undusted in lower half. Upper and hind part of anepisternum with longish black hairs. Wing. Clear, very slightly yellow tinged basally, the veins pale brown. Anal lobe wide, margin convex, about as wide as anal cell. Haltere. Knob distinctly infuscated just a little paler than the infuscated stem. Legs. Black, coxae grey dusted and with fairly long black hairs, particularly on fore-coxae. Rest of legs shining but with rough texture to cuticle, femora with short but erect hairs, ventral hairs longer and include some that are clearly longer than median depth of the femora, especially posteroventral hairs of mid-femora. Hairs on tibia and tarsi very short and adpressed. Abdomen. Black with broad tergites, but not as compact as many species, surface sculpture with readily seen stellate hair insertions with tendency to form transverse welts. Disc of tergites covered with short black recumbent hairs, laterally the hairs clearly longer than the depth of the hind-femora apically. Tergite one obscurely grey-dusted on reflexed margin. Sternites densely grey-dusted with long black marginal hairs. Genitalia. Relatively small and compact. Epandrium simple, flask-shaped with blunt, rounded apical corners, rather uniformly short-haired, undusted. Gonocoxite broad and compact, basally divided and covered in short, black hairs, apically concave shining, hairless. Gonostyli usually concealed in dry specimens but when visible positioned apically and distinctly S-shaped.

Female. Very similar to male, frons a little broader, about a quarter to fifth head width, more evenly divergent from vertex to antennae, anterolateral dust spots often more conspicuous. Mesonotal and abdominal hairs in general slightly shorter. Anal lobe very slightly wider, more convex. Apical sternite square, moderately embossed basally, tufts of black hairs laterally, a grey-dusted ridge apically. When macerated apicomedial notch conspicuous.

Discussion. A fairly distinctive species probably most closely affiliated to U. hyalipennis , U. pusilla and U. susanae , all of which have a somewhat similar epiphallus.

Distribution. Albania, Croatia, Greece (including Lesvos), Israel, Turkey. Although relatively widespread, localities are very scattered and there are rather few specimens in collections. Occasionally occurs in numbers such as at 1450m on Mount Pliassida where many were found in blue Campanula flowers (pers. observ.).