Didicrum letitiae Omad

Omad, Guillermo, 2014, Two new species of Didicrum Enderlein (Diptera, Psychodidae, Psychodinae) from Argentinean Patagonia, Zootaxa 3794 (4), pp. 565-574 : 568-571

Didicrum letitiae Omad , sp. nov.

( Figs. 14–27 )

Description. Male ( Figs. 15–22 ). Head: ( Fig. 15 ): about as long as broad (without considering the mouthparts), oval in frontal view; interocular suture inverted V-shaped, eye bridge with 3 rows of facet separated by 3.5–4 facet diameters; frons below eyes broad, with a single setae alveoli patch emarginated below eye-bridge without dorsal extension,with 2–3 setae between eye-bridge; clypeal region broad with a single patch of uniformly distribuited alveoli ( Fig. 15 ); palpus long ( Fig. 17 ) about as long as the head, 0.58 the length of the antenna, palpal formula 1.0: 1.4: 1.6: 2.4; mouthparts short, 0.25 times the length of the head; labella bulbous, with long spiniforms setae on anterior part and some shorts ones on the distal portion; Antenna short, 0.3 times as long as wing; scape about 2 times the length of the subspherical pedicel ( Fig. 18 ); with 14 flagellomere, flegellomere 1–2 barrel shaped, flagellomere 3–11 flask-shaped, terminal 3 flagellomere reduced ( Fig. 19 ), apical one with apiculus as long as the node; ascoids small with 4 branches, ascoids absents from flagellomere 1 and from las three.

Thorax. Wing ( Fig. 16 ): 2.2 times as long as broad; Sc ending beyond the level of base of R5, R2+3 not attached to R4; R5 ending beyond wing tip.

Terminalia. ( Figs. 20–23 ): hypandrium hardly visible; gonocoxite longer than gonostylus with strong spiniform setae uniformly distributed; anterior gonocoxal apodeme plate-like, nearly triangular ( Fig. 20 ), not touching at middle; gonostylus short, 0.7 times the length of the gonocoxite, with a patch of setae alveoli at the external margin of the base; gonostylus wide at base tapering to the point, slightly curved, ending with a very small hook, with small spiniform setae over the surface ( Fig. 20 ).

Distiphallus about as long as the basiphallus, wide at base, tapering at the end ( Figs. 20, 21 ); basiphallus broad, nearly quadrate; Aedeagus composed by three rami, two overlapping (one dorsal and one ventral) and one lateral. Dorsal ramus long, 1.2 times the length of the ventral ramus, hardly sclerotized, nearly straight, with slight undulation before apex; ventral ramus shorter than dorsal ramus, broad at base and curved, with acute apex slightly curved; the lateral ramus short than the previous ones, straigth, ending in a bulb covered with small projections like teeth ( Figs. 20, 21 ); pair of parameres presents, each one on the internal side of the gonocoxite, short, 0.66 the length of the gonostylus; epandrium nude, 0.8 the length of the distiphallus, with anterior margin reinforced, posterolateral angles rounded, posterior margin concave; tergum 10 small ( Fig. 22 ), rounded, dome-shaped, pubescence; sternum 10 tongue-shaped, longer than broad and nearly as long as the epandrium; surstylus long, 3 times the length of the gonostylus, slightly curved, with strong spiniform setae all over its surface, with one rounded tenacula on the apex ( Fig. 23 ).

Measurements. Head high: 0.40, width: 0.39; mouthparts length (from clypeus inferior border to apex of labellum): 0.10; palpus length: 0.49; antenna length: 0.83; wing length: 2.20, width: 1.00; epandrium length: 0.13; surstylus length: 0.35; tenaculum length: 0.05; gonostylus length: 0.11; gonocoxite length: 0.15; aedeagus length: dorsal ramus: 0.16, ventral ramus: 0.13; paramere: 0.09.

Female. ( Figs. 24–29 ). Similar to male except for the following characteristics. Head ( Fig. 24 ): antenna nearly 2 times the length of the head, with flagellomeres barrel-shaped, ascoids very small, with 5 branches ( Fig. 28 ) (a few with 4 branches), flagellomere 1 without ascoids ( Fig. 27 ); palpal formula: 1.0: 1.2: 1.4: 2.0. Palpus ( Fig. 26 ) and wing ( Fig. 25 ) as figured. Postabdomen ( Fig. 29 ): subgenital plate oval, posterior margin well defined; hypovalve with external margin curved and divergent apex rounded with internal margin nearly straigth, space between them nearly triangular; chitinous arch coinciding with the limit of hypovalve pubescence, ending triangular; longitudinal and lateral struts well developed, genital ducts with striations over lobs ( Fig. 29 ); cercus two times long as the subgenital plate, wide at the base, then tapering toward the distal portion.

Measurements. Head length: 0.40, width: 0.41; mouthparts (from clypeus inferior border to apex of labellum): 0.12; antenna length: 0.76; palpus length: 0.45; wing length: 2.30, width: 0.99; subgenital plate length: 0.15; cercus length: 0.30.

Material examined. ARGENTINA. Río Negro, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Mallin Los Patos (41º 15’ 48.6’’ S, 71º 17’ 50.3’’ W, 1020 m asl), Malaise trap, 10–20.xii.2006, Garré and Montes de Oca, leg. 1 ♂ (holotype); 1 ♂ (paratype); 1 ♀ (paratype); Nahuel Huapi nacional Park, Laguna Mercedes, Isla Victoria (40º 52’ 43.4’’ S, 71º 34’ 41’’ W, 899 m asl), Malaise trap, 3–21.i.2008, Garré and Montes de Oca, leg. 1 ♂ (paratype); 1 ♀ (paratype).

Etymology. The specific epithet letitiae is in honor of Leticia Pafundi, the beloved wife of the author.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14. Didicrum naimae Omad, sp. nov., female. 9. Head frontal view. 10. Wing. 11. Palpus. 12. Antenna in part, showing the last 7 flagellomeres. 13. scape and pedicel. 14. Postabdomen. All measures in mm.

FIGURES 15 – 21. Didicrum letitiae Omad, sp. nov., male (holotype). 15. Head frontal view. 16. Wing. 17. Palpus. 18. Scape, pedicel and first flagellomere. 19. Last five flagellomeres. 20. Terminalia in part showing the basiphallus, gonopods (gonocoxites and gonostyli) and the aedeagal complex. 21. Aedeagal complex in part showing the parameres, distiphallus and the aedeagus branched. All measures in mm.

FIGURES 22 – 23. Didicrum letitiae Omad, sp. nov., male (holotype). 22. Terminalia in part showing the posterior part of the epandrium, tergum 10, sternum 10, and first portion of the cercus. 23. Tip of the cercus showing the apical tenacula. All measures in mm.

FIGURES 24 – 29. Didicrum letitiae Omad, sp. nov., female. 24. Head frontal view. 25. Wing. 26. Palpus. 27. Scape, pedicel and first flagellomere. 28. Antenna, last six flagellomeres. 29. Postabdomen. All measures in mm.