Pseudolycoriella bisulca, Vilkamaa, Pekka, Hippa, Heikki & Mohrig, Werner, 2012

Vilkamaa, Pekka, Hippa, Heikki & Mohrig, Werner, 2012, The genus Pseudolycoriella Menzel & Mohrig (Diptera, Sciaridae) in New Caledonia, with the description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3207, pp. 1-21 : 3-6

Pseudolycoriella bisulca sp. n.

Figs 2 A–G

Material studied. Holotype male. NEW CALEDONIA, Mont Nondoué, sclerophyllous forest, 3.vii.1992, Bonnet de Larbogne, Chazeau & Guilbert (in MNHN). Paratypes. 4 males, same data as holotype (in MNHM), 1 male, Rivière Bleue N.P., (parc 6), rainforest, 16.vii.1992, Bonnet de Larbogne, Chazeau & Guilbert (in MNHN), 1 male, Rivière Bleue N.P., humid forest, 15–29.ix.1986, Bonnet de Larbogne, Chazeau & Tillier (in MNHN), 6 males, Rivière Bleue N.P., 150 m, humid forest on alluvials, Malaise trap, 26.iii–9.iv.1987, Bonnet de Larbogne, Chateau & Tillier (in MNHN), 3 males, same data as previous but 22.iv–6.v.1987 (in MNHN), 1 male, Mt. Panié, 140 m, 7– 18.xii.1990, M. Baylac & T. Bourgoin (in MNHN), 3 males, Ouinné Valley, 730 m, 166°28’E, 22°02’S, humid forest with araucarians, 27–30.x.1984, Tillier & Bouchet (in MZH, SMNH and PWMP), 3 males, NEW CALEDO- NIA, 20.xii–8.i.1986, Bonnet de Larbogne & J. Chazeau (in MNHN). Other material. 1 male, Ouinné Valley, 730 m, 166°28’E, 22°02’S, humid forest with araucarians, 27–30.x.1984, Tillier & Bouchet (in MNHN).

Description. Male. Head. Brown, antenna unicolorous pale brown, maxillary palpus pale brown. Eye bridge 2–3 facets wide. Face with 8–15 scattered longer and shorter setae. Clypeus with 4–6 setae. Maxillary palpus with 3 palpomeres; palpomere 3 longer, in some specimens shorter than palpomere 1, palpomere 2 shortest; palpomere 1 with 2–6 setae, with a dorsal patch of sensilla; surface of antennal flagellomeres rough, flagellomere 4 ( Fig 2 A–B) 1.7–2.2x as long as wide, the neck as long as broad, the longest setae shorter than the width of flagellomere. Thorax. Brown, setae dark. Anterior pronotum with 2–5 setae. Episternum 1 with 3–7 setae. Scutum with short dorsocentrals, with some stronger laterals, scutellum with 4 longer and some short setae. Wing. Fumose. Length 1.3–2.1 mm. Width/length 0.40–0.45. Veins indistinct. R1/R 0.90. c/ w 0.65. r-m and than bM subequal in length, both r-m and bM non-setose. Halter pale brown. Legs. Yellow. Coxal setae pale. Apical part of front tibia, Fig. 2 C: tibial organ with pale fine vestiture forming a large demarcated patch. Front tibial spur slightly longer than the tibial width. Claws with teeth. Abdomen. Yellowish, setae dark. Hypopygium, Figs 2 D–G. Brown, concolorous with abdomen. Gonocoxa longer than gonostylus, mesial margin with short sparse setosity. Gonostylus slightly curved, with the mesial side impressed; with a dense apical vestiture, with two strong curved, in some speciemens angulate, blunt subapical megasetae, with a long subapical whiplash seta. Tegmen subquadrangular, with an indistinct weakly sclerotized apical process.

Discussion. Pseudolycoriella bisulca can be distinguished from all other Australasian species of the genus in having a mesially strongly impressed gonostylus with a narrow gonostylar apex with two long and blunt megasetae. The Micronesian P. sylviae (Steffan) also has an apically very narrow gonostylus, but the megasetae are thicker. Pseudolycoriella bispina Mohrig from New Zealand also has a mesially strongly incised gonostylus with two megasetae, but its gonostylus is apically broad and its tegmen has lateral broadenings. One of the specimens of P. b i s u l c a studied seems to have the ventromesial margin of the gonostylus less incised than the others do ( Figs 2 D and F), but this may be an artefact. However, the same specimen has unusually long antennal flagellomeres ( Fig. 2 B) and it may possibly represent a distinct species. We list the specimen under ‘ Other material’ rather than as a paratype.

Etymology. The name is Latin, bisulca , forked, referring to the apex of the gonostylus which may appear forked due to the two apical megasetae.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Pseudolycoriella bisulca sp. n. (A, C paratype; B, D, F specimen from Ouinné Valley; E, G holotype). A, B. Antennal flagellomere 4, lateral view. C. Apical part of front tibia, prolateral view. D, E. Part of hypopygium, ventral view. F, G. Gonostylus, ventral view. Scale 0.1 mm. 1 = apical process, 2 = aedeagal margin, 3 = front tibial organ.