Empidideicus(Anomaloptilus) regius Evenhuis & Gharali, 2022

Evenhuis, Neal L. & Gharali, Babak, 2022, The subgenus Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae) in Madagascar, Zootaxa 5222 (5), pp. 401-426 : 413-415

Empidideicus(Anomaloptilus) regius Evenhuis & Gharali , n. sp.

( Figs 11, 12 , 34, 35 , 45 , 58 , 73, 74 )

Types. Holotype ♂ from MADAGASCAR: Tulear Province : Zombitse National Park, near national road, 22°50.13′S, 44°43.87′E, 825 m, 19–27 May 2002, Malaise in spiny forest, R. Harin’Hala ( CASLOT 019842 ) . Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 1♀, Tulear Province : Zombitse National Park, near ANGAP Office , 840 m, 20 Jan–13 Feb 2003, M.E. Irwin, F. Parker & R . Harin’Hala ( CASLOT 019836 ); 1♂, Zombitse National Park, near ANGAP Office , 840 m, 27 Mar–3 Apr 2002 ( CASLOT 019845 ); 3♂, Andohahela National Park, Parcel III, 22°49.85′S, 46°32.17′E, 16–26 Dec 2002, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, R . Harin’Hala , Malaise trap ( CASLOT 024704 ) . Holotype in CAS . Paratypes in CAS and BPBM .

Diagnosis. Most similar to E. (A.) andriambahomananii n. sp. on the basis of both species having the prescutellar area black; but it can be easily separated from it by the predominantly yellow scutellum (scutellum with brown basomedially in E. (A.) andriambahomananii n. sp.), the anal cell widely open in the wing margin (anal cell closed in E. (A.) andriambahomananii n. sp.), and the predominantly yellow pleura (pleura predominantly brow to black in E. (A.) andriambahomananii n. sp.).

Description:

Male ( Fig. 11 ). Length: 1.70-2.30 mm. Wing: 1.80–2.50 mm. Head: higher than long; eyes dichoptic, separated at vertex by 1.5× distance between lateral ocelli; occiput and postgena black; frons slightly depressed medially, white with spot of brown medially; face white; antennae (cf. Fig 23 ) with scape short, subtrapezoidal, white; pedicel subconical, wider than long, yellowish brown; first flagellomere long, linear-lanceolate, length 5× width; second flagellomere short, one-fifth length of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum white; clypeus brown, length one-half length of oral margin; proboscis brown, length subequal to head length; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, about equal to length of proboscis; palpus not evident.

Thorax ( Fig. 34 ). Mesonotum matte black with yellow laterally as broad stripe from humeral callus to postalar callus, interhumeral mark coalesced with mark on humeral callus; scutellum black; mesonotal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine brown hairs; pleura bare; pleura predominantly yellow with brown only on ventral portion of katepisternum and meron; halter with stem grayish brown, knob white with large black spot dorsally.

Legs. Fore coxa yellow; mid and hind coxae with brown color; rest of legs white except tarsal segments 3–5 brown.

Wing ( Fig. 45 ). Elongate, length 2.5× width; subhyaline with pale brownish tinge; veins brown; costa ends onethird way beyond end of R 4+5; vein Sc incomplete; Rs thin at connection with R 1; R 4+5 very slightly bowed; vein M 1 curved at wing margin; M 2 straight; cell dm closed by tiny apical crossvein; A 1 effaced, straight to wing margin; anal cell narrowly open in wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.

Abdomen ( Fig. 58 ). Dorsum with tergites I–IV black medially, yellow elsewhere; tergites with sparsely scattered white hairs; sternites yellow.

Genitalia ( Fig. 73 ). Hypopygium shiny brown. In lateral view with epandrium subquadrate, with small apicoventral process; gonocoxa subtriangular in lateral view with rounded subrectangular gonostylus ( Fig. 73D ), with thin dark sclerotization basally ( Fig. 73A, B ); lateral arms of parameral sheath extending below gonocoxa, conspicuously flared apically; parameral sheath cylindrical, extending only slightly above apex of gonocoxa ( Fig. 73C ); aedeagal bulb large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme large, subequal in length to gonocoxa, lanceolate, truncate dorsally, long pointed ventrally, with lanceolate lateral rami.

Female ( Fig. 12 ):As in male except mesonotum ( Fig. 35 ) brown with admedial yellow stripes from interhumeral marks to prescutellar area. Genitalia ( Fig. 74 ): furca genital fork M-shaped; large opaque, round, black structure each side of furca, with narrow opaque black basal arm (longer than in E. (A.) hauseri n.sp.) meeting at vaginal opening; spermatheca spheroid-ovate, sclerotized brown, with striations on basal half, apical invagination shallow; apical spermathecal duct subequal in length to sperm pump, very slightly swollen at junction with sperm pump; sperm pump long, thin, appearing corrugated, slightly wider than apical duct, without apical and basal valves evident; basal duct very short, not corrugated, confluent with sperm pump; common duct absent.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the great Malagasy King Andrianampoinimerina (1745–1810), whose full name is Andrianampoinimerinandriantsimitoviaminandriampanjaka. It was thought here to be prudent for labeling purposes to shorten the name to regius . Born as Ramboasalama or Ramboasalamarazaka, he was a military and political leader who had a significant impact on Madagascar history. He is considered by some historians as one of the greatest political rulers and military strategists of all times, in the same vein as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Shaka.

Figures

FIGURES 11–16. Malagasy Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus), habitus, lateral view. 11, E. (A.) regius, n. sp., male; 12, E. (A.) regius, n. sp., female; 13, E. (A.) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis, male; 14, E. (A.) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis, female; 15, E. (A.) rinhai, n. sp., male; 16, E. (A.) rinhai, n. sp., female.

FIGURES 34–39. Malagasy Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus), thoraces, dorsal view. 34, E. (A.) regius, n. sp., male; 35, E. (A.) regius, n. sp., female; 36, E. (A.) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis, male; 37, E. (A.) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis, female; 38, E. (A.) rinhai, n. sp., male; 39, E. (A.) rinhai, n. sp., female.

FIGURES 40–47. Malagasy Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus), wings. 40, E. (A.) andriambahomananii, n. sp.; 41, E. (A.) contrasticus, n. sp.; 42, E. (A.) hauseri, n. sp.; 43, E. (A.) irwini, n. sp.; 44, E. (A.) nanus, n. sp.; 45, E. (A.) regius, n. sp.; 46, E. (A.) rhinoclypeatus Evenhuis; 47, E. (A.) rinhai, n. sp.

FIGURES 50–58. Malagasy Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus), abdomens, dorsal view. 50, E. (A.) andriambahomananii, n. sp., female; 51, E. (A.) contrasticus, n. sp., male; 52, E. (A.) contrasticus, n. sp., female; 53, E. (A.) hauseri, n. sp., male; 54, E. (A.) hauseri, n. sp., female; 55, E. (A.) irwini, n. sp., male; 56, E. (A.) irwini, n. sp., female; 57, E. (A.) nanus, n. sp., male; 58, E. (A.) regius, n. sp., male.

FIGURES 73–74. Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) regius, n. sp., genitalia. 73, male, A, lateral view, B, gonocoxae, ventral view, C, phallic complex, D, gonostylus, detail; 74, female.

FIGURES 23–24. Malagasy Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus), antennae. 23, E. (A.) andriambahomananii, n. sp.; 24, E. (A.) nanus, n. sp.