Planetella attilai Ševčík & Hippa, 2023

Ševčík, Jan, Hippa, Heikki, Burdíková, Nikola, Sopuch, Kryštof, Skuhravá, Marcela & Bruun, Hans Henrik, 2023, Integrative taxonomy of Central European Planetella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) indicates high species diversity, intraspecific variation and low host specificity, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 63 (2), pp. 413-450 : 430-431

Planetella attilai Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov.

( Figs 8 , 14A,B )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J, Slovakia , Cerová vrchovina Protected Landscape Area, Tachty, 12.v.–11.vi.2021, Malaise trap in Carex acutiformis , leg. J. Roháček & J. Ševčík, specimen after DNA extraction, prepared on slide (No. PLA37 ) (coll. NMPC) . PARATYPEs: SLOVAKIA: 1 J, Cerová vrchovina Protected Landscape Area,Tachty, 28.v.–22.vi.2020, Malaise trap in Carex acutiformis , leg. A. Balázs, specimen after DNA extraction, in ethanol, No. PLA 30d (coll. JSL-UOC); 1J Muránska planina National Park, Trsteník valley, 12.v.–16.vi.2016, Malaise trap among Carex rostrata and Carex umbrosa , leg.J.Roháček & J.Ševčík, specimen after DNA extraction, prepared on slide (No. PLA 1b) (coll. JSL-UOC).

DNA sequences. DNA sequences (COI barcode region, 28S, 16S) taken from the paratype (No. PLA 30d) are deposited in GenBank. Their Accession numbers are provided in Table 1. The COI sequence of the paratype (No. PLA 30d) is identical with that of the holotype (No. PLA 37).

Diagnosis. A mostly light brown to orange brown species, with some parts of thorax dark. Antenna with 12 binodose, relatively long flagellomeres, plus a short apical segment. Eyes with a thin, membranous eye-bridge. Terminalia with a subrectangular, distally rounded hypoproct, and relatively narrow gonostylus.

Etymology. This species is named after Dr. Attila Balázs, a specialist on Odonata, organizing entomological research in Cerová vrchovina Protected LandscapeArea, who collected one of the paratypes.

Description. Male. Wing length 5.5 mm (holotype). Overall body coloration mostly orange brown to greyish brown, with head, antennae, legs, halters, ventral part of abdomen and gonostyli darker.

Head. Eyes with a narrow, membranous eye-bridge, about 1 to 2 ommatidia broad.Antennal flagellum with 12 binodal tricircumfilial, relatively long flagellomeres, and apically with a very short (about one third of previous flagellomere) uninodal flagellomere lacking circumfila. Flagellomere 1 four times as long as broad, of similar shape as the other flagellomeres, flagellomere 4 about 4.5 times as long as broad ( Fig. 14A ). Maxillary palpus with 3 palpomeres, the apical palpomere (P3) about 1.5 times as long as P2.

Thorax mostly light brown. Scutum distinctly produced above the head, with three longitudinal stripes. Mediotergite blackish brown, except for the anterior margin. Lateral sclerites mostly greyish brown.

Wing elongated, about 2.7 times as long as broad. Veins C, R 1, R 5 and Cu-stem dark and distinct. R 1 joining C in the middle of wing. R 5 reaching C beyond wing apex. Rs indistinct. M 4 light and indistinct. CuA with dark stem and bent downwards.

Legs with tarsal claws slightly longer than maximum tarsal diameter, gradually bent.

Abdomen mostly light brown, ventrally darker. Tergites with 2 to 3 light oval spots on each side.

Terminalia ( Fig. 6 ). Gonocoxite about three times as long as broad, mediobasally with a broad rounded lobe. Gonostylus relatively narrow, slightly curved, 3.3 times as long as broad, shorter than gonocoxite, apically rounded and pointed medially. Cerci short, pointed or rounded, basally fused. Hypoproct longer than cerci, subrectangular, apically rounded or slightly excavated, with several marginal setae. Aedeagus narrow, subtriangular, as long as gonocoxites, longer than hypoproct. Gonocoxal apodemes strongly sclerotized, medially fused.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. The paratype from Trsteník (No. PLA1b) differs slightly from the holotype and the other paratypes in details of the male terminalia ( Figs 8A,B versus 8C,D), mainly in the shape of hypoproct, shape of cerci and in the small mediobasal lobe on the gonocoxite. The difference in COI barcode sequence between this paratype and the holotype is only 6 nucleotides (less than 1%), indicating that they belong to the same species.

Biology. This species is associated with Carex acutiformis , Carex rostrata and Carex umbrosa . The galls remain unknown.

Discussion. This species is characterized by its smaller size, 12 flagellomeres, the eyes with a thin eye-bridge, narrow gonostylus and rectangular, apically rounded or only slightly excavated hypoproct. It is currently known only from two localities in Slovakia. According to K2P genetic distances ( Tab. 3), the closest species appears to be P. submontana sp. nov., with only 8.0% of genetic distance.

Figures

Fig. 8. Planetella attilai Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (A, B – holotype, C, D – paratype No. PLA1b). Male terminalia in ventral (A, C) and dorsal (B, D) view. Scale 0.1 mm.

Fig. 14.Antennal flagellomere 4 and outline of flagellomere 1 with or without associated pedicellus.A (holotype), B (paratype) – Planetella attilai Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), C – P. davidi Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), D – P. galiciensis Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), E – P. hlisnikovskyi Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), F – P. muranica Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), G – P. riparia Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), H – P. submontana Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype), I – P. thermophila Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype). Scales: 0.1 mm.

Fig. 6. Male terminalia in ventral (A, C, E) and dorsal (B, D, F) view. A, B (specimen No. PLA62) and C, D (holotype, No. PLA61) – Planetella adami Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. E, F – P. aestivalis Ševčík & Hippa sp. nov. (holotype). Scale 0.1 mm.