Poecilosomella peniculifera, Papp, 2002

Papp, L., 2002, Eighteen New Oriental Species Of Poecilosomella Duda (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 48 (2), pp. 107-156 : 134-135

Poecilosomella peniculifera sp. n.

Holotype male ( ROM): INDONESIA, Sumatra, W. Sumatra: Kerinci-Seblat Nat. Pk., trial to

L. Tujuh, 14 SEP 1989. B Hubley, DC Darling, ROM 893074 – 1° rainforest, 1640 m, screen sweep,

1°42’N, 101°19’E. Paratypes: 3 females ( ROM, 1 female in HNHM): same data as holotype .

Measurements in mm: body length 1.90 (holotype), 2.12–2.20 (paratype females), wing length 1.72 (holotype), 1.90–1.95 (paratypes), wing width 0.82 (holotype), 0.85–0.88 (paratypes).

Frons dull reddish brown (except for orbitalia), facial plate shiny reddish yellow, cheeks and genae greyish red, genal seta only 0.08 mm long. Antennae reddish yellow, scape brown, first flagellomere slightly conical towards upper apex, 0.112 mm, scape and pedicel (combined) 0.125 mm. Arista with short cilia only, cilia on flagellomere about as long. Three pairs of medium long but thin ifr (right side on holotype 5, 4 on left on one of the paratypes).

Mesonotum blackish brown, subshiny, with 4 sagittal, 5 pairs of dorsocentral and 5 pairs of lateral silvery spots (incl. postpronotal stripes). Anterior katepisternal more than half as long as posterior seta. Scutellum slightly shorter than basal width, with 5 silvery spots, lateral basal ones rather large.

Wing normal in size, light brown, veins yellow but brown on the area of spots on wing. A brown diffuse spot around humeral vein, between R 1 and Rs fork, around upcurving section of R 2+3, and a lighter brown patch from R-M cross-vein down to Cu, and also an area around apical part of R 4+5 darker than the rest of the alar plane. Costal hairs longer and denser than in its congeners, second costal section thickened (0.03 mm thick medially). Second costal section only slightly shorter than third section (0.463 vs. 0.50 mm on holotype). Vein R 2+3 without a vein appendage subapically. Vein R 2+3 bent along a wide arc to costa. Costa overruns apex of vein R 4+5 by a length equalling three time its diameter, vein R 4+5 more strongly bent towards the costa, i.e. apical part not straight, consequently medial part less curved (basal par almost straight).

Legs lighter brown. Male fore tibia strongly thickened, fore tarsus flattened. No parts of fore tarsomeres white, basal half of basitarsi and all 4th and 5th tarsomeres dark, whole 2nd and 3rd tarsomeres light yellow (on all the three legs) or proximal part of 2nd tarsomere of mid and hind tarsi dark. Apical part of femora and bases of tibiae lighter, tibiae with medial and apical broad light rings, medial rings on fore and hind tibia occupy almost 1/3 of tibia. Male fore tibia and basitarsus without long hairs, but fore basitarsus shortened with dense short hairs ventrally. Male mid tibia apically not curved inwards and not flattened dorso-ventrally, ventrally without long hairs, ventroapical seta not distinguishable, much shorter than basitarsal diameter. Male mid basitarsus with anteroventral and posteroventral rows of long black setulae. Female fore basitarsus, as well as hind 2nd tarsomere with short but very dense hairs; setulae on the ventral surface of mid basitarsus also denser than usual. Mid tibial armature (male) peculiar: no mid ventral but a strong anterior at 27/40 (short) and 3/4 (strong), anterodorsals at 1/8, 1/5 (short), 3/10 (large), and 4/5 (very large), posterodorsals at 2/5, 19/40 (thin and short), 3/4 (strong).

Male genitalia not studied. Pregenital sclerites, particularly S8 large. Epandrium normal with a pair of long dorsal setae. Cerci high, without any modification or longer hairs.

Female terminalia characteristic with dull quadrate epiproct, which bears a pair of 0.113 mm long hairs and with 2 pairs of 0.125 mm long curved hairs on cerci.

Distribution: Indonesia (Sumatra)

Etymology: The name is “brush carrier”, peniculus + fero, referring to its peculiar mid basitarsus.

P. peniculifera sp. n. is an easily recognisable species by the basitarsal structures both in male and female. Its closer relationshipin the genus, is at present ob - scure.