Schizomyia diplocyclosae Elsayed & Tokuda

Elsayed, Ayman Khamis, Yukawa, Junichi & Tokuda, Makoto, 2018, A taxonomic revision and molecular phylogeny of the eastern Palearctic species of the genera Schizomyia Kieffer and Asteralobia Kovalev (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Asphondyliini), with descriptions of five new species of Schizomyia from Japan, ZooKeys 808, pp. 123-160 : 128-131

Schizomyia diplocyclosae Elsayed & Tokuda sp. n. Figs 18-24, 25-29; Table S1

Characters given in S. achyranthesae except for the following:

Etymology.

The species name, diplocyclosae, is based on the generic name of the host plant, Diplocyclos palmatus ( Cucurbitaceae ).

Type material.

Holotype: 1♂ (KUEC): reared from a larva obtained from a flower bud gall on D. palmatus , collected from Hantagawa, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on 10.ii.2016, T. Ganaha-Kikumura leg., emerged on 14.iii.2016. Paratypes: All paratypes were reared from flower bud galls on D. palmatus in Japan. 4 larvae: collected from Gogayama, Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture on 4.iii.2002, M. Tokuda leg., departed from galls on 9.iii.2002; 2 larvae: collected from Kinjo cho, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture on 13.i.1977, S. Yamauchi leg.; 4 pupal exuviae: collected from Shuri, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, emerged in February 1977, S. Yamauchi leg.; 2 pupal exuviae, 3♂, 5♀: same data as holotype; 5 pupal exuviae, 3♂, 2♀: collected from Hantagawa, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture on 10.ii.2016, T. Ganaha-Kikumura leg., emerged on 15.iii.2016; 1 pupal exuviae: collected from Hantagawa, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture on 10.ii.2016, T. Ganaha-Kikumura leg., emerged on 16.iii.2016; 1 pupal exuviae: collected from Hantagawa, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture on 10.ii.2016, T. Ganaha-Kikumura leg., emerged on 21.iii.2016.

Description.

Head (Fig. 18): Fronto-clypeus with 17-24 setae (n = 6). Palpus: first segment ca 38.3 μm, second 1.4 times as long as the first, third 1.3 as long as the second, fourth 1.5 as long as the third.

Thorax: Wing (Fig. 21) length 2.15-2.26 mm (n = 5) in female, 1.70-2.12 (n = 5) in male. Empodia slightly longer than tarsal claws (Fig. 22). Anepimeral setae 11-18 (n = 8); mesanepisternum scales 20-38 (n = 8); lateral scutum setae 26-48 (n = 8). Lengths of leg segments as in Suppl. material 1: Table S1.

Female abdomen (Figs 23, 24): Posterior margin of tergite VIII with a pair of slightly developed dorsal lobes. Sternite VII about 2.5 times as long as preceding sternites. Ovipositor: distal protrusible needle-like portion about 3 times as long as sternite VII.

Male abdomen: Terminalia (Fig. 25): Gonostylus dorsally with several setae on distal half.

Mature larva: Sternal spatula with posterior portion about 2.8 times as wide as the base of the anterior free portion (Fig. 26). Larval anus with 2 asetose anal papillae.

Pupa (Figs 28, 29): Prothoracic spiracle 280-310 μm long (n = 6).

Distribution.

Japan: Kikaijima Island and Okinawa-honto Island ( Yukawa and Masuda 1996).

Gall and life history.

Schizomyia diplocyclosae induces subglobular and pale green flower bud galls on D. palmatus , about 6-10 mm in diameter. Each gall consists of 10-45 chambers and each chamber contains a single larva [Gall No. C-409 in Yukawa and Masuda (1996)]. Galls become mature between December and March and larvae depart from galls to drop to the ground. The adults of S. diplocyclosae emerge in February and March when the larvae were reared under laboratory temperature ( Yukawa and Masuda 1996, present data). Similar flower bud galls were found on Melothria liukiuensis Nakai ( Cucurbitaceae ) and considered to be induced by this species or a closely related one (Yamauchi et al. 1982, Yukawa and Masuda 1996).

Remarks.

Schizomyia diplocyclosae is morphologically very similar to S. achyranthesae but differs from it by the following characters: S. diplocyclosae has a shorter ovipositor (protrusible needle-like-portion three times as long as sternite VII while four times as long in S. achyranthesae ), less developed dorsal lobes on the posterior margin of female tergite VIII, gonocoxite more pointed posteroapically, empodia longer than claws and larva with only two anal papillae (four in S. achyranthesae ).