Sycorax furca Curler

Curler, Gregory R. & Jacobson, Amanda J., 2012, New species of Psychodidae (Diptera) from Australasia, with a checklist of the world species of Bruchomyiinae and Sycoracinae, Zootaxa 3552, pp. 43-65 : 52-53

Sycorax furca Curler sp. nov.

( Figs. 16–18 )

DIAGNOSIS. Male terminalia: parameres with posterior lobes tapered to acute apices, without apical hooks; dorsomedial process of paramere bipartite, with dorsal and ventral divisions; dorsal division digitiform, extending slightly beyond aedeagus; ventral division bifurcate apically, about equal in length to aedeagus; aedeagus with apices broadly triangular.

DESCRIPTION. Male ( Figs. 16–18 ): Measurements (n=2), head width 0.30 mm, head length 0.21 mm, palpus length 0.08 mm, wing length 1.22 mm, wing width 0.51 mm, R2+3 length 0.33 mm (0.32–0.34), R3 length 0.28 mm (0.27–0.30), gonocoxite length 0.11 mm, gonostylus length 0.08 mm, gonostylus spine length 0.07 mm. Head broadly rounded in frontal view. Antennae: scape and pedicel sub-spherical, flagellomeres missing in all specimens. Wing: radial fork with R2+3 about 1.5 times longer than R3. Terminalia: gonostylus with subterminal seta closer to base of apical spine; ejaculatory apodeme laterally compressed; aedeagus with apices broadly triangular; parameres with posterior lobes straight, tapered to acute apices, without apical hooks; dorsomedial process of paramere bipartite, with dorsal and ventral divisions; dorsal division digitiform, extending slightly beyond aedeagus; ventral division bifurcate apically, about equal in length to aedeagus; epandrium with setae alveoli sparse, inconspicuous.

Female: Unknown.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype [male]: New Caledonia. SUD PROVINCE: 17 km NNE Noumeá, Mt. Koghis, 22°10’33”S 166°30’17”E, 550m, 13–24.xi.2000, coll. E. Schlinger and J. Boutin, Malaise trap; deposited MNHN. Specimen dissected, mounted on micro-slide. Paratypes [2 males]: same data as holotype; deposited USNM and LACM.

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet furca is a Latin word meaning “fork”, in reference to the shape of the ventral division of the dorsomedial process of the parameres.

BIONOMICS. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Collected from one location in New Caledonia.

COMMENTS. Males of Sycorax furca are easily distinguished from those of other Sycorax known to occur in New Caledonia. The bifurcate dorsomedial process of the parameres and the broad triangular apices of the aedeagus are unique to this species. Specimens of S. furca were collected in a forested area within a botanical garden. The stream nearest this site is approximately 1/ 2 mile away.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 21. Sycorax furca Curler sp. nov., male. 16. Parameres and aedeagus, dorsal view. 17. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 18. Left gonopod, dorsal view. Sycorax sinuosa Curler sp. nov., male. 19. Parameres and aedeagus, dorsal view. 20. Aedeagus, dorsal view. 21. Left gonopod, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.