Parusia propinqua, Gibbs, 2023

Gibbs, David, 2023, A world review of the bee fly tribe Usiini (Diptera, Bombyliidae) - Part 3: Parageron Paramonov s. lat., European Journal of Taxonomy 863 (1), pp. 1-162 : 141-144

Parusia propinqua gen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AE374F61-1A31-46DA-9C35-C986FD795B31

Fig. 66

Etymology

From Latin ‘ propinquus ’ = ‘near’, ‘neighbouring’, ‘related’; refers to the great similarity of this species to other members of the aurata -species group.

Type material

Holotype

SPAIN • ♂; “ Andalusia, Sierra Nevada, above Padul , 1341 m, N37°02.732′ W3°36.321′, 1 May 2008, leg. D.J. Gibbs ”; NHMUK.

Paratypes

SPAIN • 1 ♂; “ Andalusia, Sierra Nevada, above Padul , 1346 m, N37°02.736′ W3°36.324′, 2 May 2008, leg. D.J. Gibbs ”; PCDG • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; “ Almeria, Uleila N37°11′56″ W02°12′07″ 740 m 25 March 2001, leg. J. Dils & J. Faes ”; PCJD • 2 ♀♀; “ Baños y Mendigo, 13 km S of Murcia, Mosa Trajectum 14 May 2004 leg. C.E. Dyte ”; NHMUK • 1 ♀; “same data”; PCDG .

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: 2.6–3.9 mm. Wing length: 2.7–4.2 mm.

Male

HEAD. Gena and mouth margin brownish black to black in ground colour, narrower than the apical breadth of a palp, grey dusted gena narrow, linear, more shining mouth margin broader. Eyes separated at their narrowest by two to three times the diameter of the front ocellus, hind ocellus separated from the eye margin by about half the diameter of that ocellus (on average more widely separated than in Pru. loewi ). Ocellar tubercle shining, barely dusted, frons brownish black to black in ground colour, narrow part matt grey dusted, more blackish at narrowest part from some angles, noticeably converging from hind corners to well in front of anterior ocellus, then widening relatively abruptly onto anterior of frons. Front part of frons densely blue-grey dusted, rather more thinly so centrally. White hairs on ocellar tubercle conspicuously longer than the width of the frons at rear, narrow part of frons bare, anterior part of frons with numerous white hairs which are no more than half the length of those on the ocellar tubercle, mostly much shorter. Occiput dark in ground colour densely covered with grey or brownish dust, triangular area behind ocelli equally dusted. The whole covered with erect pale yellow to white hairs, short above just overtopping ocellar tubercle, much longer below, silky, slightly wavy but not very dense. Ommatidia uniform in size across the eyes. Antennae blackish, postpedicel variable but usually a little less than twice length of scape and pedicel together, sensilla in subapical sulcus white and conspicuous in the three male types. All antennal segments with short pale brown hairs above, longest just before subapical sulcus. Palps short but easily visible, strongly clavate, brown to black, the pale yellow apical setae as long as the length of the palps. Proboscis not very long, approximately one and a half head lengths, dorso-laterally clothed with short, inclined brown setae, basoventral membrane brown.

THORAX. Black ground colour largely obscured by grey to brown dust except along the conspicuous paramedian and antehumeral vittae where the shining black cuticle shows through, dulled by a thin coating of brownish dust, subshining. Paramedian vittae variable a little narrower to a little broader than dusted acrostichal stripe, extending from very front of mesonotum to three quarters of the way back. Antehumeral vittae usually divided at thoracic suture, lacking darker spot above wing base, area in front of scutellum can be darker, more thinly dusted. Mesonotum covered with moderately long, pale yellow hair, the longest hairs as long as those on the ocellar tubercle. Scutellum relatively sparsely haired on the disc, long hairs fringing the apical margin. Pleura dusted as notopleuron, with similar hairs on pronotum, posterior half of the anepisternum and a few scattered across katepisternum. Metepimeron dark in specimens so far seen.

WING. Membrane faintly brown tinged, the veins brown, yellower basally. Crossvein r-m a little beyond basal third of discal cell, conspicuously beyond m-cu. Anal lobe moderately developed with evenly convex margin, about as broad as the anal cell.

HALTERE. Pale yellow to white, base of stem slightly brownish.

LEGS. Coxae dark with a coating of grey dust like that on the pleura. Remainder of legs black or very dark brown, only thinly dusted so not obscuring the shining cuticle. Coxae externally and femora ventrally covered with rather long, white hairs, on the femora longer than the greatest depth of the femora. Femora dorsally and tibia rather densely covered with short, white hairs.

ABDOMEN. All tergites black and shining, but very inconspicuously dusted so not as glossy as completely undusted cuticle would be (compare gonocoxite). Tergite one more densely brown dusted so not shining, laterally reflexed margins of all tergites densely grey dusted obscuring the ground colour. All tergites with narrow to very narrow, sharply demarcated yellow apical margins, visible at least laterally even if dull yellow, often obsolete on disc and tapering away towards sternites. Sternites black and densely grey dusted obscuring the ground colour, apical yellow margins absent or very obscure. Tergites and sternites all covered with fairly long, erect yellow hairs, longest on sternites.

GENITALIA. Conspicuously large and globular compared to most Protypusia gen. nov., but typical for Parusia gen. nov. Gonocoxites black to dark brown, shining, composed of two rounded hemispheres separated by a deep sulcus. Gonostylus sharply curved, apical three-fifths at right angles to basal twofifths. Epandrium shining black to dark brown, apico-lateral corners rounded. Both gonocoxite and epandrium covered in long whitish to pale yellow hairs, longest and densest on gonocoxite.

Female

Differs from the male in its more broadly separated eyes, about five times the diameter of the front ocellus, about one-fifth head width at narrowest point, hind ocellus separated from the eye margin by approximately one and a half times the diameter of that ocellus. A few hairs on the middle part of the frons laterally (sometimes very inconspicuous). Hairs on legs and abdomen shorter, conspicuously so on the abdomen. Apical yellow margins to tergites significantly broader and brighter, not or hardly narrowing medially, tergite eight not noticeably more shining than preceding tergites. Proximal part of genital fork flat (only two dissected specimens), spathulate, bluntly pointed. Common spermathecal duct attached to distal end of main sclerotized part of genital fork at an obtuse angle or at right angles so pointing towards tip of abdomen or dorsally.

Remarks

Very closely allied to Pru. loewi and occurring alongside it at the type locality although at a higher altitude. Differs mainly in the form of the epiphallus, non-genitalic features being very subtle. Based on the few specimens available, this species is smaller, darker, with less shining thoracic vittae and reduced yellow apical margins to the tergites. Females differ subtly in the form of the genital fork but may not always be reliably determinable. However, in the specimens dissected so far the form of the genital fork and attachment of the common spermathecal duct is consistent.

Distribution

Southeastern Spain.

Figures

Fig. 66. Parusia propinqua gen. et sp. nov. a. Epiphallic complex ventral. b. Epiphallic complex lateral. c. Gonocoxite ventral. d. Epandrium dorsal. e. Female genitalia ventral.