Helina ctenophora Xue, 2025

Li, Siyu, Xue, Wanqi, Nihei, Silvio S. & Zhang, Chuntian, 2025, Four new species of Helina Robineau-Desvoidy from far northwestern China (Diptera: Muscidae), Zootaxa 5719 (2), pp. 207-227 : 211-214

Helina ctenophora Xue sp. nov.

( Figs 1–2 )

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Description. Body length 7.0–9.0 mm.

Male. Head. Eye with slightly dense faint yellow ciliae. Frons about 2x as wide as anterior ocellus, and subequal to postpedicel, frontal vitta black; 7–8 pairs of frontal setae, situated on lower 3/5 of frons, without orbital seta; fronto-orbital plate are adjacent at the narrowest point, fronto-orbital and parafacial with gray pruinosity, parafacial slightly shorter than postpedicel, gena with gray pruinosity, genal and postgena setulae black, genal height about 1/4 of eye height, anterior margin of gena with one row of slightly upcurved setae. Antenna black, postpedicel about 3.5x as long as broad; arista long plumose, the longest hairs subequal to postpedicel, arista slightly enlarged at base; epistoma not protruding, vibrissal angle situated behind frontal angle; prementum with weak pruinosity and shinning, about 3x as long as broad, palpus black, as long as prementum; labellum small, posterior margin with teeth.

Thorax. Ground colour black, with weak light brown pruinosity; scutum with sparse light gray pruinosity, with four black vittae, the distance between the inner vittae (between acr rows) is wider than the width of the inner vitta, the inner vitta (between acr rows) almost reaching scutellum. Scutellum has the same color than scutum, lateral and ventral marginal surfaces of scutellum setulose, apical scutellar setae long, basal scutellar setae longer than apical seta, prebasal scutellar setae short, about 2/5x as long as basal scutellar seta; acr 0+1, dc 2+4, ial 0+2, pra about 1/2 the length of posterior notopleural seta, notopleuron conspicuously setulose near the notopleural setae, meron setulose; prosternum, mid-dorsal excavation of proepisternum, anepimeron and katepimeron bare; anterior anepisternal seta 1, katepisternal setae 2+2, spiracles brown.

Wing. Wing slightly transparent, wing membrane brown, veins dark brown, basicosta yellow, tegula brown, costal spine short, less than 1/2 of r-m, subcosta bend in a bow shape, Rs node bare, M straight, r-m and dm-cu with dark spots; calypter yellow, lower calypter tongue-like; halter yellow.

Legs. All black; fore tibia without median p; mid femur without conspicuous av row, with developed pv on basal half only, with 2 sub-apical pd; mid tibia without ad and pv, with 2 p; hind femur with a row of 8 or 9 long av distributed evenly as a comb along the apical half, without pv; hind tibia with 2 av, 2 ad and 5–6 long bristle-like pd on basal half; all tarsi longer than tibiae; claws and pulvilli all long, approximate equal to fifth tarsomere.

Abdomen. Ground colour black, oblong in dorsal view, with dense gray pruinosity, sides of each tergite with shifting spots, tergites 3 and 4 with a pair of black brown spots, tergites 3 and 4 with median vitta, sometimes not conspicuous on tergite 4; tergite 5 with some small brown spots in the base of 1–2 setae, and a complete row of median marginal setae, tergites 4 and 5 with complete posterior marginal row; sternite 1 bare; sternite 5 lateral lobe short, slightly enlarged apically, rectangular basally, with 1–2 long setae rows on both sides.

Terminalia. The inner lobe of cerci conspicuously long and papillary, without conspicuous outer lobe. Surstylus short and thick, with hairs in ventral surfaces. Pregonite approximately equal to the length of postgonite. Postgonite with spines.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA: Kunes-Narati, Xinyuan county, Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture , 1950–2000 m, 43°73′52N, 84°36′80E, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region , 2.vii.2018, Chuntian Zhang leg. ( SYNU2009389 ) . Paratypes: 2 ♂, same as holotype ( SYNU2009388 , SYNU2009381 ) ; 4 ♂, CHINA: Xia Pagoda, Zhaosu County, Yili , 2300–2500 m, 42°40′03N, 80°36′08E, Xinjiang, 5.vii.2018, Chuntian Zhang leg. ( SYNU2009385 , SYNU2029384 , SYNU2009382 , SYNU2006015 ) ; 1 ♂, CHINA: Kanas Lake, Bu'erjin Country, Altay Prefecture , 1500 m, 45°30′21N, 87°07′37E, Xinjiang, 12.vii.2018, Chuntian Zhang leg. ( SYNU2009386 ) ; 1 ♂ CHINA: Kuerderning scenery spot, Gongliu County, Yili , 1100–1580 m, 43°14′38N, 82°54′55E, Xinjiang, 3.vii.2018, Chuntian Zhang leg. ( SYNU2009387 ) ; 1 ♂, CHINA: Bayinbulak-Kunes Grassland, Hejing County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture , 2140– 1680 m, 43°22′18N, 84°77′34E, Xinjiang, 1.vii.2018, Chuntian Zhang leg. ( SYNU2006069 ) . The specimens SYNU2006069 and SYNU2009388 were dissected for description and illustration of male terminalia .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the row of 8 or 9 long anteroventral setae distributed evenly as a comb along the apical half of hind femur. The greek word “ cten ” means comb, “ phora ” means motion. It is a female noun in the nominative singular.

Distribution. China ( Xinjiang).

Remarks. The new species is similar to Helina mimevecta but differs from the latter as follows: postpedicel about 2.5x as long as broad; meron setulose; mid tibia with 5 p on apical 2/3; hind tibia with 7–8 ad; sternite 1 setulose.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Helina ctenophora Xue sp. nov., male.A–B. Dorsal and lateral habitus. C. Head in anterior view. D. Sternite 5. E. Cerci in posterior view. F. Terminalia, pregonite and postgonite. Scale bars: A–C, 1 mm; D–F, 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Helina ctenophora Xue sp. nov., male. A. Abdomen in dorsal view. B. Hind femur (all setae, except av in apical third, are not represented). C. Sternite 5. D. Cerci in posterior view. E. Epandrium, cercus and surstylus in lateral view. F. Terminalia. G. Pregonite and postgonite. Scale bars: A–B, 1 mm; C–G, 0.1 mm.