Brithura shii, Liu, Qifei & Yang, Ding, 2010

Liu, Qifei & Yang, Ding, 2010, Four new species of the genus Brithura Edwards from China, with an updated key to world species (Diptera, Tipulidae), Zootaxa 2401, pp. 52-60 : 53-56

Brithura shii sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 5–8 )

Diagnosis. Antennal flagellum brown and turning to yellowish brown toward end. Wing pale-yellow, with costal border opposite stigma bulged and broken in male. Tergites of abdomen velvet-yellow, black spots at lateral margins; sternites yellowish brown. Outer gonostylus with two processes, outer one short and pointed, inner one long, obtuse.

Description. Male. Body length 29.0 mm, wing 20.0 mm. Female. Body length 36.0 mm, wing 23.0 mm.

Head. Rostrum reddish brown, with short reddish brown nasus. Vertex brown, occiput yellowish brown. Vertical tubercle reddish brown. Orbit brownish yellow. Hairs on head reddish brown. Antenna 5.5 mm long; scape blackish brown; pedicel brown; flagellum yellowish brown turning to yellow toward end, the last segment brown. Probocis light reddish brown; first segment of palpus black, others blackish brown, joint yellow; hairs short, reddish brown.

Thorax. Ground color yellowish brown. Pronotum brownish with center chestnut brown; prescutum brown with three yellowish brown longitudinal stripes; scutum yellowish brown; scutellum reddish brown with lateral lobe dark brown; mediotergite brown; pleura chiefly brown, pleurotergal tubercle small, pointed, with silvery pubescence on dorsal surface. Hairs on thorax brown. Coxae and trochanters brown; femora brownish yellow with tips black; tibiae yellowish brown; tarsi brown; tibial spurs 1–1–2. Hairs on coxae and trochanters yellow, on other segments of legs brown. Wing ( Fig. 1 ) yellowish with costal region opposite stigma dilated and broken. Stigma yellowish brown. A brownish spot at origin of Rs; area from stigma to cell dm along cord yellowish, surrounded by light grayish yellow suffusion; cell dm with brownish spot ventrally; brownish spot at both sides of middle A1 at midlength. Veins yellow. Halter with stem yellowish brown, knob more blackish but yellowish brown at tip.

Abdomen. Ground color velvet-like yellowish brown. Tergite 1 blackish brown, tergites 2–8 velvet-like brownish yellow with big blackish brown spots at lateral margins. Venter yellowish brown turning to brown toward end. Hairs on abdomen brown.

Hypopygium ( Figs. 5–8 ). Tergite 9 ( Fig. 6 ) as wide as long, caudal margin with a shallow V-shaped incision that is fringed with the long yellow hairs, medially a pair of blade adhered to each other ventrally; sternite 9 ventrally with a black knob and a small process at each side; outer gonostylus ( Fig. 8 ) thick, bulged at midlength, with a small obtuse knob at origin and two processes at tip, outer one small, pointed at tip, inner one obtuse, bent forwards at middle; inner gonostylus ( Fig. 7 ) caved at tip, depressed on outer surface, hairs on inner gonostylus long, yellowish brown.

Female. Similar with male, but costal border opposite stigma smooth. Ovipositor reddish brown.

Type material. Holotype male, Sichuan: Kangding, Pengta (2400 m), 2005. VIII. 31, Fuming Shi. Paratype 1 female, same place as holotype, 2005. VIII. 29, Fuming Shi.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Remarks. This new species is similar to B. fracticosta ( Alexander, 1935) in having a conspicuous spine of the outer gonostylus. It can be easily separated from B. fracticosta by the color pattern of the abdomen and structure of the hypopygium. In B. fracticosta , the tergites of abdomen are dark brown and restrictedly pale at outer lateral angles; the outer spine of the outer gonostylus is relatively larger ( Alexander 1935).

Etymology. The species is named after Prof. Fuming Shi.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Wing (male). 1. Brithura shii sp. nov.; 2. Brithura aureola sp. nov.; 3. Brithura flaviflagellum sp. nov.; 4. Brithura stigmosa sp. nov.;

FIGURES 5 – 8. Brithura shii sp. nov. Male. 5. Hypopygium, lateral view; 6. ninth tergite, dorsal view; 7. inner gonostylus, lateral view; 8. outer gonostylus, lateral view. Scale bar of 5, 6 = 0.5 mm, 7, 8 = 0.25 mm.