Micrepimera pandastica, Ševčík, Jan & Papp, László, 2011

Ševčík, Jan & Papp, László, 2011, New Afrotropical and Oriental species of Micrepimera Matile (Diptera: Keroplatidae), Zootaxa 3128, pp. 58-66 : 61-65

Micrepimera pandastica sp. n.

( Figs. 10–20 )

Type material. Holotype male: VIETNAM, Bac Kan Prov., Ba Be NP, Na Mam, forest in the gorge behind the NP HQ, UV light trap, Apr 17-19, 2010, 22.417137o N 105.632505o E, 200m, VN 2010PL_17, leg. Papp, L., Peregovits, L., Soltész, Z. & Lengyel, G. ( HNHM). Paratypes: 1 male: VIETNAM, Bac Kan Prov., Ba Be NP, NP headquarters, at light, 240 m, Apr 16-19, 2010 - 20.4180798o N 105.6336528o E, VN 2010PL_12, leg. Papp, L., Peregovits, L., Soltész, Z. & Lengyel, G. ( HNHM). 2 males: VIETNAM, Bac Kan Prov., Ba Be NP, Na Mam, at light, 187 m, Apr 17-18, 2010, VN 2010PL_16, 22.411612o N 105.626792o E, leg. Papp, L., Peregovits, L., Soltész, Z. & Lengyel, G. ( HNHM, SMOC). 1 male: VIETNAM, Bac Kan Prov., Ba Be NP, Na Mam, forest in the gorge behind the NP HQ, UV light trap, Apr 17-19, 2010, 22.417137o N 105.632505o E, 200m, VN 2010PL_17, leg. Papp, L., Peregovits, L., Soltész, Z. & Lengyel, G. ( SMOC).

Diagnosis. A remarkably bicoloured, black and white macrocerine fungus gnat ( Fig. 10 ). Antennae mostly white, with dark distal bands on flagellomeres 1 to 10. Flagellomeres 11 to 14 remarkably thin, narrowing gradually. In this respect M. pandastica is similar to M. punctipennis (see fig. 414 of Matile, 1990). Head, thorax and coxae black, abdomen black with white lateral spot on tergite 3 and 4. Wing pattern similar to that of M. punctipennis but the markings are more distinct and dark. The subapical dark spot extended to the tips of M1 and M2. Additional dark areas (not present in punctipennis ) are along the apical parts of veins A1, CuP, CuA1, CuA2 and above base of CuA1. Vein A1 reaching wing margin. Fore femur with a comb of short seteae medioventrally. Apical spurs on mid and hind tibia absent. Gonocoxites fused only basally. Cerci and proctiger different from those of M. berentiana (cf. Fig. 5 and 16 ; figures by Matile 1990 of the terminalia of M. punctipennis are not detailed enough). Gonostylus relatively broad with a short dark apex and with numerous long setae. Contours of gonostylus rather similar to that of M. punctipennis (cf. figs 417–418 of Matile 1990).

Description. Male. Measurements in mm (holotype): body length 6.2, wing length 3.80, wing width 1.27 (ratio of length to width 2.99).

Head. Blackish brown. Compound eyes large, covering almost all the head from lateral view, shortly pubescent. Cerebral sclerite separated from the frons by a membraneous area reaching laterally above the eyes. Anterior edge of cerebral sclerite medially slightly excavated. Three ocelli in triangular position on anterior half of cerebral sclerite. Distinct sagittal furrow in its posterior half. Antenna with 14 flagellomeres, of which the basal 10 flagellomeres are bicoloured ( Figs 12, 13 ), with apical halves dark. Scape and pedicel similar to those of M. berentiana . Flagellomeres 1 to 9 normal, long, cylindrical (i.e. not compressed laterally), flagellomere 10 narrowing apically, flagellomeres 11 to 14 remarkably thin, narrowing gradually. Flagellum with several setae distinctly longer than the width of the flagellum, particularly so for the apical ones. Palpus ( Fig. 14 ) with first palpomere much longer than broad and third palpomere rather globular, i.e. about as long as broad.

Thorax. All blackish brown. Scutum with two rows of dorsocentral setae and laterally with prealar and postalar setae. Scutellum dark brown, with a transverse row of fine subapical setae, without long apical bristles. Mediotergite and laterotergite bare. Anepisternum with a dense patch of setae along the anterodorsal margin. Preepisternum 2 bare, dark brown with the upper third pale. Anepimeron small, bare, not reaching between preepisternum 2 and laterotergite. Haltere mostly dark brown, its basal half yellowish.

Wing. Hyaline, with distinct dark markings. Membrane covered with microtrichia, without macrotrichia. A dark transverse band in the apical part of wing, reaching from the tip of R5 to M1 and M2 ( Fig. 11 ). A large dark spot over R4 and two smaller ones on proximal third of both M1 and M2. Further dark markings on the branches of Cu and around r-m fusion. C produced beyond R5 to 3/5 of the distance of the tips of R5 and M1. Costa, R1 and R5 covered with macrotrichia. R1 ending in C at about half of the length of wing. Radio-median fusion light but traceable. Basal portion of media developed. CuA1 approaching CuA2 bellow r-m fusion. CuP fold-like, distinct, long but not reaching wing margin, dark in its distal third. Vein A1 strong, dark in distal half, reaching wing margin.

Legs. Relatively long and narrow, bicoloured ( Fig. 10 ). All coxae and trochanters blackish brown. C1 covered with setae mainly on front side, C2 with several setae apically and C3 with several fine posterolateral setae. Hind coxa widens towards its base. Femora sparsely clothed with fine trichia, not longer than maximum width of femur. Fore femur whitish, darkened only apically, bearing a distinct comb of short seteae medioventrally. Mid and hind femur darkened at distal half. All tibiae light brown with blackish tips, covered with numerous short trichia arranged irregularly. The apex of fore tibia widened, without distinct anteroapical depressed area. Fore tibia with one apical spur, as long as maximum tibial diameter. Both mid and hind tibia apically without spurs, at most with several slightly longer trichia. The first tarsomere slightly longer than tibia in all legs.

Abdomen. Almost all brownish black ( Fig. 10 ). Tergites 3 and 4 laterally with a white spot near the anterior margin. Terminalia dark with light gonostyli.

Terminalia ( Figs 15–20 ) are rather specific. Tergite 9 ( Fig. 15 ) much broader than long, anterior margin strongly concave. Anterolateral edges with medially curved processes ( Figs 15–16 ). Tergite 9 with several long marginal and discal setae. Cerci and proctiger: apical part not divided, only the short setae may show its original paired structure. Two large basal setose plates present, where the setae are directed medially. Gonocoxites ( Fig. 17 ) fused on a short basal section only, medially with a large opening (less apparent in some paratypes, but this may be due to unequal clearing in KOH) and a pair of large widely rounded well-sclerotised processes, which meet sagittally. Gonocoxal apodeme rather thin ( Fig. 19 ), connecting sclerite without any posterior processes. Gonostylus ( Fig. 18 ) rather broad with a short dark rather sharp apex and with numerous long setae. Inner genitalia ( Figs 19- 20 ) peculiar with 3 sclerites with microscopic longitudinal lines (sagittal one may be the distiphallus).

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown. The type specimens were captured at light in limestone forests of northern Vietnam.

Etymology. The specific name (adjective) is a wordplay—a combination of “ panda “ and “ fantastica “, referring to the unusual coloration of the new species.

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 11. Micrepimera pandastica sp. n., paratype male (SMOC). 10 — habitus, 11 — wing.

FIGURES 12 – 16. Micrepimera pandastica sp. n., paratype male (HNHM). 12 = apical flagellomeres (8 th to 14 th), 13 = apical flagellomeres (8 th to 14 th) of another HNHM paratype, 14 = palpus, lateral view, 15 = tergite 9, dorsal view, 16 = cerci and proctiger with contours of tergite 9, subdorsal (inner) view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 12 – 15, 0.1 mm for Fig. 16.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Micrepimera pandastica sp. n., paratype male (HNHM). 17 = gonocoxites with contours of gonostyli, dorsal view, 18 = gonostylus with contours of gonocoxites, ventral view, 19 = genitalia with proximal half of gonocoxites and gonocoxal apodemes, dorsal view, 20 = inner genitalia, dorsal view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Figs 17, 19, 0.1 mm for Figs 18, 20.

FIGURES 3 – 9. Micrepimera berentiana sp. n., paratype male (HNHM). 3 = palpus, lateral view, 4 = tergite 9, dorsal view, 5 = cerci and proctiger, dorsal view, 6 = gonostyli with contours of gonocoxites, ventral view, 7 = contours of antenna, 8 = flagellomeres 7 th to 14 th, 9 = inner genitalia, dorsal view. Scales: 0.2 mm for Fig. 7, 0.1 mm for Figs 3 – 6, 8 – 9.