Limonia juvenca Alexander, 1935

Lü, Hanhuiying, Chen, Yaru, Ren, Jinlong, Wang, Ning, Yang, Ding & Zhang, Xiao, 2023, DNA barcoding for the identification of Limonia crane flies (Diptera: Limoniidae) from China, including a new species and a newly recorded species, Zoological Systematics 48 (3), pp. 236-248 : 236-248

Limonia juvenca Alexander, 1935 ( Figs 5–6 )

Limonia (Limonia) juvenca Alexander, 1935c: 243 ; Podenas & Podeniene, 2017: 13 (Redescription).

Diagnosis. Prescutum and presutural scutum yellow with a brown middle stripe. Wing with dark brown stigma; Sc ending slightly beyond fork of R, m-cu before fork of M. Gonocoxite with a large lobe. Gonostylus with tip curved and blackened. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite. Distal part of paramere rod-like and curved, with tip acute and blackened.

Description. Male. Body length 7.2–7.8mm, wing length 7.0– 7.5 mm.

Head ( Fig. 5B ) dark brown with brown hairs. Antenna with scape and pedicel brown, flagellomeres light brown and apically darkened. Scape cylindrical; pedicel oval; flagellomeres cylindrical, apically tapering. Hairs on antenna dark brown. Rostrum dark brown with tip light. Palpus dark brown. Hairs on rostrum and palpus brown.

Thorax ( Fig. 5C ). Pronotum yellow with middle area dark brown. Prescutum and presutural scutum yellow with a brown median stripe. Postsutural scutum dark brown, middle area dark yellow, each lobe with a yellow spot. Scutellum dark brown with caudal edge and both sides of anterior edge brownish black. Mediotergite brown, bases of both sides light yellow, middle area with a light stripe. Pleuron ( Fig. 5A ) yellow with episternum dark brown. Hairs on thorax dark brown. Coxae and trochanters yellow; femora light brown to brown with bases and sub-tips paler; tibiae and tarsi brown. Hairs on legs brown. Wing ( Fig. 5D ) light yellow with brown to dark brown pattern. Dark brown spots at base of Rs, sc-r and stigma; dark brown seam along CuA; brown spots at middle area of cell br, tip of wing and tips of anal lobe and cells cup and cua; brown seam along cord and tip half of M. Vein yellow, brown in clouded areas. Venation: Sc ending slightly beyond fork of R, sc- r close to tip of Sc and about as long as distal section of Sc; distal section of R 1 about twice as long as R 2; m-cu before fork of M, distance approximately 1/3–1/2 its own length; basal section of M 3 straight, slightly longer than m-m. Halter brown.

Abdomen ( Fig. 5A ). Tergites 2–5 brown with bases light yellow, remaining tergites brown. Sternite 1 light yellow, sternites 2–6 light yellow with caudal margins brown, sternite 7 brown with base yellow, sternite 8 dark brown.

Hypopygium ( Fig. 6 ). Tergite 9 transverse and fusiform, middle of posterior margin emarginate. Gonocoxite brownish yellow, nearly cylindrical. Gonostylus brown with base light; base inflated, tip blackened, suddenly tapering and curved. Gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite. Paramere wide at base, distal part rod-like and curved with tip acute and blackened. Aedeagus strongly bifid at apex.

Female. Body length 8.1 mm, wing length 8.0 mm. Similar to male. Ovipositor ( Fig. 5E ) with tergite 10 brownish yellow. Cercus brown with tip light, nearly straight. Hypogynial valve brownish yellow, base with a brownish black spot combined with a brown stripe.

Material examined. 1♂ ( LLIM301 A01), China, Sichuan, Pingwu, Wanglang National Nature Reserve (2500 m), 2016.VII.31, Yuqiang Xi. 1♂ 1♀ ( LLIM301 A02– LLIM301 A03), China, Sichuan, Pingwu , Wanglang National Nature Reserve , Changbaigou (2404m), 2016.VIII.7, Yuqiang Xi .

Distribution. China (Sichuan), Russia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan.

Remarks. This species is recorded from China for the first time. For descriptions and illustrations of this species, also see Alexander (1935c) and Podenas & Podeniene (2017), but there are some variations. In Alexander (1935c), the pleuron is yellow and the femora of legs are uniformly brown, while in Podenas & Podeniene (2017), the central area of the pleuron is spotted ( Fig. 5A ) and the femora are brown with yellow bases. In this study, the central area of the pleuron is spotted and the femora are light brown to brown with paler bases and sub-tips ( Fig. 5A ).

Figures

Figure 5. Limonia juvenca Alexander, 1935. A. Habitus of male, lateral view; B. Head, lateral view; C. Thorax, dorsal view; D. Wing; E. Female ovipositor, lateral view. Scale bars: A=2.0mm; B, E=0.3 mm; C =0.5mm; D=1.0mm.

Figure 6. Limonia juvenca Alexander, 1935. A. Male hypopygium, dorsal view; B. Male hypopygium, ventral view. Scale bars = 0.2mm.