Asphondylia leeae Felt

Kolesik, Peter & Gagné, Raymond J., 2020, A review of the gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Indonesia: taxonomy, biology and adult key to genera, Zootaxa 4847 (1), pp. 1-82 : 14-16

Asphondylia leeae Felt

[ Figs 6 a–m]

Asphondylia leeae Felt, 1921b: 148 .

Material examined. Syntypes, male, 2 females, and 2 pupae reared from fruit galls on Leea sambucina (L.) Willd. [now junior synonym of Leea indica (Burm. f.) Merr.] ( Vitaceae ), collected in Bogor, Java, 24-ix-1918, Felt #a3097). One of Felt’s two slides bearing this series contains whole mounts of one male and two females, the other, two pupae. The male has a well-preserved abdomen, shriveled wings, all flagellomeres missing except the basal three of one antenna, and most legs shriveled; one female has one antenna preserved, shriveled wings, the tip of the needle-like protrusible part of ovipositor broken off, and most legs well-preserved, the other has a well-preserved ovipositor, shriveled wings, and is missing all flagellomeres; one pupa is mounted laterally, containing a female insect inside, the other is mounted dorsoventrally and also contains a female inside. The date written on both of Felt’s slides is “24/IX’14” which is presumably an error because in the 1921b paper he states “24/9, ‘18”, which is consistent with the date in DvLR & DvL (1926).

Description. Male. Antenna: first flagellomere 4x longer than wide [ Fig. 6e ]. Palpus 3-segmented, segments progressively longer [ Fig. 6d ). Apicoventral spur on first tarsal segment robust [ Fig. 6b ]. Tarsal claws robust, strongly curved at distal third, empodia longer than claws, pulvilli about ¼ empodial length [ Fig. 6c ]. Gonostylus round in posterior view, teeth of equal length, one narrow and curved, one wide and straight [ Fig. 6f ].

Female. Flagellomeres 1–9 progressively slightly shorter, 10–12 progressively much shorter, first flagellomere 4.5x longer than wide [ Fig. 6i ]. Needle-like protrusible part of ovipositor about 2x longer than seventh sternite, not widened at terminus in ventral view [ Fig. 6 g–h],

Pupa. Antennal horns long, narrow, smooth [ Fig. 6j ]. Anterior frontal horn robust, sharply pointed [ Fig. 6j, k ]. Three posterior frontal horns, small, sharply pointed, subequal in size, the two upper posterior horns slightly closer to each other than to lower horn [ Fig. 6j, k ]. Cephalic papillar setae about 1/4 length antennal horns [ Fig. 6j ]. Prothoracic spiracle short, gradually tapering, rugged at distal third, trachea bulging, ending at basal 2/5 [ Fig. 6m ]. Abdominal tergal spines simple, gradually larger from anterior to posterior rows [ Fig. 6l ].

Larva unknown.

Remarks. A fruit gall on Leea sambucina Willd. in Gabon, Africa was identified by Houard (1923) as caused by A. leeae , but his accompanying figures 1107 and 1108 show irregular, lumpy galls that appear different from the regular, smooth gall of Felt’s type series from Indonesia [ Fig. 6a ]. Resolving this identification should depend on comparison between the gallmakers, so we are not including Gabon in the geographical distribution range of A. leeae . In Indonesia, undescribed gall midges were found feeding on Leea aequata L. and L. indica . These cause flower galls that are different from the fruit gall of Asphondylia leeae in their irregular ball-shape, swollen calyx and corolla with still visible lobes and forming a cup-like structure (DvLR & DvL 1926, Nos 861, 862).

Biology. This species causes a fruit gall on Leea indica . DvLR & DvL (1914) describe and illustrate the gall (No. 443, Fig. 203 [ Fig. 6a ]). Normal fruit are depressed-spheroidal, about 10 mm wide and 7 mm high while galled fruits are substantially larger, pear-shaped to round, 15 mm wide and 20 mm long, the surface smooth and greygreen. The inside is composed of parenchymatic tissue and an irregular larval chamber in the center.

Geographical distribution. This species is known from Java, where it was found at Pare, near Kediri , alt. 200 m, v-1912, Bogor, alt. 250 m, 24-ix-1918 and Depok, alt. 100 m, viii-1918 (DvLR & DvL 1914; Felt 1921b; DvLR & DvL 1926) .

Figures

FIGURES 6a–m. Asphondylia leeae: a, gall on Leea indica, two normal fruit on left, gall on right (Fig. 203 of DvLR & DvL 1914); b–f, male: b, first tarsal segment; c, last tarsal segment with claw and empodium; d, palpus; e, first three flagellomeres; f, gonostylus (posterior); g–i, female: g, posterior end of abdomen (ventral); h, end of needle-like protrusible part of ovipositor (ventral); i, antenna, 6th flagellomere shriveled; j–m, pupa: j, head (ventral); k, head (ventrolateral); l, last abdominal segments (ventrolateral); m, prothoracic spiracle. Fig. 6n. Asphondylia litseae: n, pupal antennal horns (dorsal, Fig. 5 of Felt 1921b).