Herina monticola ( Stackelberg, 1945 )

Kameneva, Elena P. & Pljushtch, Igor G., 2010, The Central Asian Herina (Diptera: Ulidiidae), with the description of a new species from Afghanistan, Zootaxa 2424, pp. 42-50 : 43-46

Herina monticola ( Stackelberg, 1945)

( Figs. 1 ; 3–11)

Myennis monticola Stackelberg 1945: 685 . Myennis monticola: Soós 1984: 58 .

Herina monticola: Kameneva 1992: 29 .

Material examined. Types. Lectotype Ƥ and paralectotype 1Ƥ (designated by Kameneva 1992): TADJIKISTAN: Ziddy, S slope of Ghissar Range, 16.06.1944 (Stackelberg) ( ZISP). Other material:. TADJIKISTAN: 1Ƥ, Anzob, Ghissar Range, upper flow of Shakhman Darya River 28.06.1956 (Grunin) ( ZISP).

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by wing pattern with two pairs anteriorly fused crossbands and the crossveins r-m and dm-cu closely approximated (2 full, joined crossbands on the wing, distal to the approximated crossveins r-m and dm-cu, which is unique in Herina ), in combination with the grey and brown microtrichose mesonotal scutum and shining brown or black scutellum.

Redescription. Head ( Figs. 4–6 ) 1.3 times as high as wide in profile. Frons 1.5 times as long as wide, with matt yellow, laterally orange or yellowish red frontal vitta and reddish brown margins, long black setulose on vitta and densely silver microtrichose band along eye margin. Ocellar triangle matt black, vertical plates and dorsal margin of occiput dark brown. Parafacial 0.8 times as wide as flagellomere 1, densely silver microtrichose. Face pale yellow, white microtrichose; facial carina concave in profile, with ventral margin of face slightly protruding anteriorly. Clypeus brownish yellow, bare anteriorly, silver microtrichose laterally, 0.5 times as high as width of flagellomere 1; antenna mainly brown, with all joints partly or entirely yellow on medial surface; flagellomere 1 less than twice (1.8–1.9 times) as long as wide, grey microtrichose, rounded dorsoapically; arista brownish yellow in basal tenth of its length, the remainder dark brown, bare; palpus narrow (0.5 as wide as flagellomere 1), rounded, with long black setae. Compound eye vertical oval, 2.0-2.2 times as high as long. Gena 0.3 times as high as eye, brown, with moderately long setulae; non-microtrichose area ventral to eye 1.2–1.4 times as long as high. Occiput densely microtrichose and yellow in ventral portion. Two equally long vertical setae, 1.5 times as long as flagellomere 1; 1 orbital, 1 ocellar and 1 postocellar seta, all half as long as vertical setae. 4–5 somewhat lateroclinate orbital setulae anterior to orbital seta, 0.5–0.75 as long as the latter, becoming shorter from posterior to anteriormost. All setae and setulae black.

Thorax ( Figs. 3, 5 ) black, densely grey microtrichose; antepronotal area, postpronotal lobes, anepimeron, katepimeron and scutellum subshining black or brownish black; pair of brown microtrichose vittae between transverse suture and acrostichal setae; wide brown supraalar area from dorsocentral row of setulae to wing base and between transverse suture and intraalar seta. Mesonotum long setulose, with setulae one-third as long as setae, and 4–5 long postsutural dorsocentral setulae half as long as dorsocentral setae. Scutum conspicuously broad, 1.25 times as long as wide between presutural corners and 1.57 times as long as wide between postalar setae, almost subrectangular and not widening posteriorly. One postpronotal, 2 supra-alar, 2 dorsocentral, 1 acrostichal, 4 anepisternal and 1 katepisternal setae present. Proepisternal seta well developed. Scutellum slightly convex, subshining brown to black, sparsely grey microtrichose, with 4 strong setae. All setae and setulae black. Mediotergite black, pleurotergite grey microtrichose.

Legs brown, except mid and hind tarsi brownish yellow, densely setulose, with rows of long posterior and posterodorsal setulae on fore femur, numerous moderately long setulae on anterior and posterior surfaces and 2 subequal long, thickened ventroapical setae on mid tibia; all setae and setulae black; coxae and femora conspicuously grey microtrichose.

Wing ( Fig. 1 ) hyaline with brown base and 4 brown crossbands, subbasal crossband reaching from apical one-third of costal cell through basal crossveins into anal lobe, discal crossband fused with subbasal and extending from pterostigma through closely approximated crossveins r-m and dm-cu to hind margin. Subapical and apical crossbands fused to each other in cell r1, reaching into cell m and separated from discal crossband by hyaline area crossing whole wing. Costal cell brown, with medial one-third hyaline. Vein R1 setulose only on apical half. Crossveins r-m and dm-cu at level of vein R1 apex, separated from each other by distance less than half length of r-m. Cell bcu (=cup) with well developed triangular postero-apical lobe. Calypters and halteres white.

Abdomen ( Fig. 7 ) subshining brown, with syntergite 1+2 mostly grey microtrichose at posterior margin, and tergites 3–6 shining brown to black. Posterior margins of tergites 3–5 with widened medially grey microtrichose area in posterior half to one-fifth, black setulose. Tergites 3–5 wide, with lateral margins extending onto ventral side. Sternites 2–5 subquadrate, sternite 6 ( Fig. 8 ) posteriorly at least 1.4 times as wide as sternite 5.

Female terminalia. Oviscape brownish or orange yellow, 0.75 mm long, aculeus ( Fig. 9 ) 1.13 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, with moderately wide and long cercal unit ( Fig. 10 ). Three long, slightly undulate spermathecae with acute apices ( Fig. 11 ).

Male unknown.

Measurements: Wing length 4.0– 4.3 mm. Body length: 4.1–4.3 mm.

Remarks. Herina monticola is a Central Asian species that shows no close similarities with any other known Oriental or Palaearctic species, and occupies an isolated position in this highly diverse genus. It resembles the European H. florescentiae (Linnaeus 1758) in having similar head and compound eye shapes, grey microtrichose mesonotum with brownish vittae and four dark crossbands on the wing, but can be easily differentiated from the latter by the subbasal and discal crossbands fused at anterior margin (at posterior margin in H. florescentiae ), and preapical crossband crossing wing distal of crossvein dm-cu (through crossvein dm-cu in H. florescentiae ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Wings. 1. Herina monticola (Stackelberg). 2. Herina odnosumi Kameneva & Pljushtch, sp. nov. Scale in mm.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Herina monticola (Stackelberg), non-type ♀. 3. Habitus, lateral view. 4. Head, lateral view. 5. Head and mesonotum, dorsal view. 6. Head, anterior view.

FIGURES 7 – 11. Herina monticola (Stackelberg), non-type ♀. 7. Abdomen, dorsal view. 8. Abdominal sternites 3 – 6, ventral view. 9. Aculeus, ventral view. 10. Cercal unit, ventral view. 11. Spermathecae.