Wohlfahrtia spinisternum Pape & Zhang, 2018

Ge, Ying-Qiang, Zhang, Dong & Thomas, Pape, 2018, A new species of Wohlfahrtia Brauer & Bergenstamm (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from northwestern China, with three new synonymies and a pictorial synopsis, Zootaxa 4434 (1), pp. 130-140 : 131-134

Wohlfahrtia spinisternum Pape & Zhang sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 , 6H )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( NZMC): China, Xinjiang, Fuyun County / Kalamaili Nat. Cns. Ctr. [= Kalamaili Nature Conservation Center or Kalamaili Nature Reserve] / 45°13’N 88°50’E, 900m / 24–27.V.2014, T. Pape ( Fig. 2E ) [collected by sweep net].

Diagnosis. Similar to other Wohlfahrtia spp. in eXternal morphology. Male mid femur distally with unmodified pv bristles (i.e., no ctenidium). Abdominal tergites 3–5 each with three black spots; median spot on tergite 3 large, tear-shaped and reaching posterior margin; median spot on tergite 4 confined to posterior half; median spot on tergite 5 confined to posterior quarter. Male sternite 5 with thorn-like eXpansion of posterior margin. Phallus long and slender, with well-developed ventral lobe at base and spoon-shaped distal part.

Description. Male. Body length 9.80 mm.

Head. Eye bare, red; fronto-orbital plate and parafacial black, with silvery microtomentum; frontal vitta with silvery grey microtomentum; frontal bristles 9–10, stronger anteriorly; gena and occiput with dense and long black bristles; gena 0.34 times as high as eye in lateral view; occiput not swollen; antenna not reaching level of vibrissal insertion; pedicel reddish brown; postpedicel greyish, 2.40 times as long as pedicel; arista longer than postpedicel, short plumose on basal 3/7; vibrissa and peristomal bristles well developed; palpus dirty yellow, with black tip.

ThoraX. Ground colour black, with silvery microtomentum; chaetotaXy: acrostichals 2+3; dorsocentrals 2+3; intra-alars 2+2; supra-alars 3; scutellum with 1 pair of basal, lateral, apical and discal bristles, respectively; meral bristles strong, 10, in single row; katepisternal bristles 1:1. Wing. Hyaline; subcostal sclerite and basicosta yellow; cell r4+5 narrowly open at wing margin; lower calypter yellowish white. Legs. Black, eXcept knee reddish; fore femur with dense and elongated bristles in rows along d, pd and pv surfaces; fore tibia with 3 d bristles on basal half, 1 apical d bristle, 1 median pd bristle and 1 pv bristle; mid femur with strong v bristles in single row and without an apical pv ctenidium; mid tibia with 1 near-median ad bristle, 1 near-median pd bristle, 1 median av bristle and 1 median pv bristle,; hind femur with dense and elongated bristles in rows along ad, av and pv surfaces; hind tibia with strong ad bristles in single row, and with fringe of long v bristles.

Abdomen. Ground colour black, with silvery microtomentum; tergites 1+2–5 with black, distinct spots; median spot on tergite 3 large, tear-shaped and reaching posterior margin; median spot on each of tergites 4 and 5 smaller and lighter and confined to posterior half and posterior quarter, respectively; tergites 4–5 and syntergosternite 7+8 with strong marginal bristles; tergite 5 with dense fringe of long bristles on ventral margin ( Fig. 2D ); sternite 5 strongly sclerotiZed, with posterior margin produced into a sharp and sclerotiZed point ( Fig. 2C ); sternite 6 projecting posteriorly as a light brown, rounded process ( Fig. 2C ); epandrium orange red; cercus long and with dorsal outline almost straight in lateral view ( Fig. 2B ); surstylus large, triangular, with strong and stout bristles subapically on posterior margin ( Fig. 2B ); postgonite with long bristle at base; phallus long and slender, with well-developed ventral lobe at base and spoon-shaped distal part ( Fig. 2B ).

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Palaearctic—China (Xinjiang).

Remarks. Wohlfahrtia spinisternum Pape & Zhang sp. nov. is undoubtedly a member of Wohlfahrtia , as evidenced by the abdominal colour pattern with distinct black spots on a dense, silvery microtomentum, and the shape of the phallus with an elongate, spoon-shaped distal part. The subapical cluster of long, straight bristles on the posterior margin of the surstylus and the thorn-like eXpansion of the posterior margin of male sternite 5 appear to be autapomorphic, separating this species from all its congeners ( Figs 2B–D ; 6H). The absence of a mid-femoral ctenidium is noteworthy as the only other species of Wohlfahrtia without this structure is W. aschersoni ( Enderlein, 1934) ( Salem 1938; Verves 1985; Pape 1995), which is known from Egypt, Libya, Oman and the United Arab Emirates ( Pape 1996; Hall et al. 2009).

Etymology. The species epithet, which should be treated as a noun in apposition, is composed from the Latin nouns spinus = thorn, and sternum = breastbone (term used for ventral arthropod sclerites). The new species is named after its uniquely-shaped male sternite 5, which is strongly sclerotiZed and gradually raised posteriorly into a sharp and sclerotiZed point.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Wohlfahrtia spinisternum Pape & Zhang sp. nov., holotype ♂. A. Habitus, left lateral vieW. B. Head and thorax, dorsal vieW. C. Head, left lateral vieW. D. Head, anterolateral vieW. E. Head, anterior vieW. Scale bars: A = 2.00 mm, B–E = 1.00 mm.

FIGURE 2. Wohlfahrtia spinisternum Pape & Zhang sp. nov., holotype ♂. A. Abdomen, dorsal vieW. B. Terminalia, left lateral vieW. C. Tip of abdomen and terminalia, right lateral vieW; upper arroW shoWing pointed process on sternite 5, loWer arroW shoWing projecting sternite 6. D. Post-abdomen, ventral vieW; arroW shoWing dense fringes of long bristles on ventral margin of tergite 5. E. Label. Scale bars: A = 1.00 mm, B–C = 0.50 mm.

FIGURE 6. Male terminalia and abdomens of Wohlfahrtia spp. A. W. intermedia (Portschinsky). B. W. magnifica (Schiner). C. W. monegrosensis Wyatt & Hall. D. W. nuba (Wiedemann). E. W. pachytyli (ToWnsend). F. W. pavlovskyi Rohdendorf. G. W. smarti Salem. H. W. spinisternum Pape & Zhang. I. W. stackelbergi Rohdendorf. J. W. trina (Wiedemann). K. W. vigil (Walker) (left) and W. meigenii (Schiner) (right) sensu Verves (1985). L. W. villeneuvi Salem.[A, F, G (loWer part) and I from Rohdendorf (1956); B, D, J and L from Lehrer (2003); C, G (upper part) from Hall et al. (2009); E from Zumpt (1972); J from Séguy (1933); K from Verves (1985).]