Strongylophthalmyia thaii L. PAPP, 2006

Papp, L., Merz, B. & Földvári, M., 2006, DIPTERA OF THAILAND A summary of the families and genera with references to the species representations, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 52 (2), No. 2, pp. 97-269 : 171-172

Strongylophthalmyia thaii L. PAPP , sp. n.

(Figs 56, 63–65)

Holotype male ( HNHM): THAILAND: 8 km E of Doi Anh Kang , over a rocky brook, Nov 2, 2004, No. 17, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI.

Paratypes: 11 males (one of them with abdomen and genitalia in a plastic microvial with glycerol): data same as for the holotype; 13 m (two of them with gen. prep.): Thailand, 2004, leg. L. PAPP & M. FÖLDVÁRI: 1 m: Doi Inthanon N. P., below Haui Sai Nueng Falls , along the brook, Oct 30, No. 7; 1 m: Doi Suthep N. P., along a forest brook, Oct 31, No. 11; 1 m: same as No. 11, Nov 9, No. 26; 1 m: ibid., over and along a brook, above and below a small waterfall, Oct 31, No. 12; 2 m: Mae Fang N. P., over and along a forest brook, Nov 1, No. 14; 7 m: Ban Na Lae, nr Pua, over a rocky forest brook, Nov 5, No. 19 .

Measurements in mm: body length 3.37 (holotype), 3.04–3.80 (paratypes), wing length 2.70, 2.59–2.95 (paratypes), wing breadth 1.05, 1.03–1.22.

Head black. Ventral part of cheeks and genae with a row of downwards and backwards directed whitish hairs. Cheeks and genae with very dense white microtrichia, which continue in microtomentose rim around eye. Face also tomentose. Ocellar triangle slightly anterior to the middle of frons. Three pairs of slightly reclinate fronto-orbitals, vti large, vte medium, plus an additional lateral vertical/occipical seta present. Ocellar setae only 0.20 mm long, postocellars longer. Pedicel with 0.20 mm long dorsal seta. First flagellomere (Fig. 56) with 0.055 mm, process with 0.075 mm long dense cilia. Arista bare, ca. 0.50–0.55 mm long. Antennal process as in Fig. 56. Palpus normal, broadening apicad, rounded apically, greyish yellow, apex black on a section of 0.1–0.12 mm, apex with dense black setae, which are not longer than 0.12 mm.

Lateral part of postpronotum, prosternum and sclerites between yellow, thorax otherwise shiny black. Thoracic chaetotaxy: 2 dc (!), 2 np, 1 presututal ia, 1 sa, 1 pa. Mesonotal microchaetae scaettered (not dense), whitish and comparatively long. One pair of short dorsal and 1 pair of long apical scutellars. Anepisternum with a thin posterior anepst seta and with some long whitish hairs on upper posterior edge. At the height of base of fore coxa a straight row of 12–14 downwards and backwards directed white, 0.12–0.13 mm long hairlike setae. This character seems to be a strong synapomorphy in several Oriental Strongylophthalmyia spp.

Legs yellow, mid tibia dorsally slightly fumose in some specimens (particularly so for proximal ½). Hind tibia (except its apical part) as well as apical part of hind femur brown or blackish. Fore femur concave in lateral view with 5–6(7) short black spines on medial half, beginning with basal 1/5 (i.e. between 2/10 and 7/10). First spine maybe more basal (1/6). Coxal setae white.

Wing clear, veins ochreous or light brown. Wing membrane cilia not dense but long. Costa much thickened distally to R 1. Costal sections: 94: 61, 78: 58. Intra-crossvein sections and distal section of M: 38.5: 43: 81, 26.5: 41: 78. Base of vein R 4+5 with medium-sized ochreous knob. Calyptrae blackish with long black fringe. Haltere whitish with grey to blackish stalk.

Abdomen black, but tergites 1 and 2 diffuse greyish yellow. Male genitalia structurally as in other Strongylophthamyia spp. Cercus not long, widest subapically, apex triangular ( Fig. 64 ). Apical seta as long as cercus itself. Surstylar lobe almost parallel-sided, apex rounded ( Fig. 64 ). Ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 65 ) 0.16–0.18mm long, broadest (0.06–0.08 mm) apically, where sclerotization “broken”. Distiphallus more or less globular with intricate sclerotization. Aedeagal apodeme 0.62 mm, strongly S-curved at middle. Ventroapical part of hypandrial complex (gonopod) with a proclinate, sharp, not digitiform process ( Fig. 63 , cf. Fig. 62 ).

Strongylophthalmyia thaii sp. n. keys to S. spinosa FREY, 1956 in STEYSKAL’ s (1971) key. However, it turned out, that the differentiating character, used by STEYSKAL (1971) and FREY (1956), i.e. short black spines on the slightly concave dorsal side of fore femur, is not a specific but a species group characteristic (6 known spp., see SHATALKIN 1996). The males of this group have a more or less developed process on dorsal side of first flagellomere subbasally. The concrete form of the antennal process, as well as details of the male genitalia make the individual species easily recognisable. S. thaii sp. n. seems close to S. punctata HENNIG. The male palpus of S. punctata is extremely broad, while that of the new sp. is normal. The shape of the antennal process in profile and details of the male genitalia are also characteristics for safe separation.

Figures

Figs 60–65. Strongylophthalmyia spp., male genitalia.60–62 = S. punctata HENNIG: 60 = epandrium and cerci, lateral view, 61 = ejaculatory apodeme, broadest extension, 62 = gonopod, ventral part, broadest view; 63–65 = S. thaii sp. n. paratype: = gonopod, ventral part, broadest view, = epandrium