Homoneura (Homoneura) gemmiformis, Li & Yang, 2012

Li, Wenliang & Yang, Ding, 2012, Eleven new species of the Homoneura (Homoneura) beckeri group from Yunnan, China (Diptera, Lauxaniidae), Zootaxa 3537, pp. 1-28 : 18-20

Homoneura (Homoneura) gemmiformis sp. nov.

( Figs. 7, 18, 29, 72–75)

Diagnosis. Face without spots. Mesoscutum with lateral margin yellow before transverse scutal suture and a yellow lateral stripe along sa row from transverse scutal suture to base of scutellum. Wing with a narrow brown stripe on dm-cu. Abdominal tergite 2 with a pair of blackish brown lateral posterior bands; tergites 3–6 each with a black median spot, confluent with black posterior band on tergites 3–5.

Description. MALE. Body length 3.5 mm, wing length 3.4 mm.

Head pale ( Fig. 7) yellow. Face without spots. Frons about as long as wide and parallel–sided, with two narrow blackish gray stripes along or rows and a narrow brown triangular median stripe extending to ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle grayish black; oc strong, about as long as anterior or, anterior or slightly shorter than posterior or. Gena about 1/6 height of eye. Occiput with a wide grayish black stripe confluent with ocellar triangle. Antenna blackish brown except 1st flagellomere not known because specimen is broken. Proboscis yellowish brown with yellowish and blackish hairs; palpus pale yellow with blackish hairs.

Thorax ( Fig. 18) blackish brown with grayish white pruinescence. Mesoscutum with lateral margin yellow before transverse scutal suture and a yellow lateral stripe along sa row from transverse scutal suture to base of scutellum, 0+3 dc (anterior dc clearly behind transverse scutal suture), acr in 8 somewhat irregular rows. Anepisternum blackish brown except yellow ventral apical corner, pteropleuron and dorsal margin of katepisternum blackish brown. Scutellum brownish black except yellow apical margin, with yellowish gray pruinescence. Legs pale yellow, but all tarsi dark yellow except tarsomere 5 brown on apical half; basal 1/3 of fore tibia and base of hind tibia each with an incomplete brown ring. Fore femur with 4 strong pv and 6 pd, ctenidium with 11 short bristles; fore tibia with 1 long preapical ad and 2 short apv. Mid femur with 5 a and 1 apv; mid tibia with 1 strong preapical ad and 3 strong apv. Hind femur with 1 preapical ad; hind tibia with 1 weak preapical ad and 1 short apv. Wing ( Fig. 29) slightly yellow, with a narrow brown stripe on dm-cu; subcostal cell hyaline; costa with 2nd (between R 1 and R 2+3), 3rd (between R 2+3 and R 4+5) and 4th (between R 4+5 and M 1) sections in proportion of 1.7: 0.6: 0.3; r-m before middle of discal cell; ultimate and penultimate sections of M 1 in proportion of 1.1: 0.8; ultimate section of CuA 1 about 1/5 of penultimate. Halter pale yellow.

Abdomen yellow with sparse silvery white pruinescence; tergite 2 with a pair of blackish brown lateral posterior bands; tergites 3–6 each with a black median spot, confluent with black posterior band on tergites 3–5. Male genitalia ( Figs. 72–75): protandrium broken; epandrium nearly oblong in lateral view, surstylus incurved claviform; hypandrium with a pair of slender ventral processes, hypandrial apodeme short; gonopod columniform with apex inflated inwardly in ventral view, with preapical setulae; aedeagus with distinct apical incision, consisting of 2 pairs of slender processes, 2 pairs of petaliform sclerites, making apical half of aedeagus budshaped in ventral view; apical half of dorsal sclerites bifurcated in lateral view.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( CAU), CHINA, Yunnan Province: Hekou, Binglangzai Reservoir , 21. V. 2009, Tingting Zhang.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Remarks. The new species is somewhat similar to Homoneura (Homoneura) nigritarsis Shi &Yang from China (Hainan) in the following characters: face without spots; mesoscutum with yellow or brown stripe; wing with a narrow brown stripe on dm-cu; abdominal tergites 3–5 with black median spot confluent with black posterior band; tergite 6 with a brown median spot; surstylus incurved claviform; aedeagus with distinct apical incision. But it can be separated from the latter by the following features: mesoscutum with a pair of yellow lateral stripes along sa rows; abdominal tergite 2 with a pair of blackish brown lateral posterior bands; hypandrium with a pair of slender ventral processes, hypandrial apodeme short; gonopod with apex inflated inwardly in ventral view. In H. (H.) nigritarsis , the mesoscutum has a pair of brown lateral stripes along dc rows; the abdominal tergite 2 has a blackish brown posterior band; the hypandrium has a small ventral process; the gonopod is not inflated inwardly at apex in ventral view (Shi & Yang 2009).

Etymology. Latin, gemmiformis , meaning bud shape, referring to the apical half of the aedeagus being budshaped in ventral view.