Diplonevra biflagella, Lee & Lee & Kim, 2022

Lee, Jun-Ho, Lee, Jun-Gi & Kim, Sam-Kyu, 2022, A taxonomic study on the South Korean Diplonevra (Diptera: Phoridae), Zootaxa 5138 (3), pp. 238-260 : 243-245

Diplonevra biflagella , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1E, 1F , 4D–F , 5C , 6C–E , 8C, 8D )

Diplonevra taigaensis: Liu & Yang, 2016: 47 (nec Michailovskaya, 1990; 2000) (male only, misidentification).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Diplonevra species by the combination of the following characteristics: inner face of male hind trochanter with two bifurcated stout setae on median area and three stout setae on ventral area; ventrobasal area of inner face of male hind femur with short ascending process bearing two flagellate long setae at tip and 6–10 strong, pointed setae and several hairs below ascending process; hind tibia with two dorsal longitudinal setal palisades, without both anterodorsal and anteroventral setae; left plate of hypandrium with rounded transparent extension at posteroventral margin.

Description. Male. Body length 1.63–2.43mm (n=9). Head ( Fig. 1E ). Frons blackish to dark brown, shiny. Flagellomere 1 dark brown, as large as half of compound eye, ovoid, slightly pointed apically. Arista brown. Palpus brown, narrower than maximum width of flagellomere 1, with four bristles and single short seta apically. Labrum and labella dull yellow. Thorax ( Fig. 1F ). Scutum and scutellum blackish to dark brown. Posterior margin of scutum with three pairs of prescutellar bristles; inner two pairs shorter and weaker than outermost one pair. Scutellum with two pairs of long bristles of subequal length; both anterior and posterior scutellar bristles convergent but not apically crossing each other. Pleuron ( Fig. 1E ) dark brown. Legs ( Fig. 1E ) dark brown except front, mid-tibiae and tarsi yellowish brown. Fore tibia without dorsal setae. Midtibia ( Fig. 4D ) with two dorsal longitudinal setal palisades; anterodorsal one extending two-fifths of midtibial length while posterodorsal one extending entire length of midtibia. Two dorsal midtibial bristles on basal half protruding at different point each; anterodorsal one at basal one-third, posterodorsal one at basal one-eighth of midtibia. Inner face of hind trochanter ( Fig. 6C–E ) with two bifurcated stout setae on median area and three stout setae on ventral area. Ventrobasal area of inner face of hind femur ( Fig. 6C–E ) with short ascending process bearing two flagellate long setae at tip and 6–10 strong, pointed setae and several hairs below ascending process. Hind tibia ( Fig. 4E, F ) with two dorsal longitudinal setal palisades and one row of posterodorsal fine setae, without anterodorsal, anteroventral setae. Wing ( Fig. 5C ). 1.55–2.31mm long (n=9). Costal index 0.52–0.57. Mean costal ratio 4.2:1.1:1; range 3.5–4.8:1.0–1.3:1. Costal setae of costal section III 0.03–0.06mm long. Vein of costal sections II–III thickened. Base of Rs with single short hair. Vein M 1 curved, slightly recurved apically. Vein brown and membrane hyaline with yellow tinge; 3 or 4 alular setae present, 0.06–0.10mm long. Halter brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 1E, F ). Tergites blackish to dark brown. Venter of abdomen grayish brown. Hypopygium ( Fig. 8C, D ) dark brown. Epandrium with numerous hairs on dorsal and lateral faces. Left side of epandrium ( Fig. 8C ) with sharply protruded epandrial lobe, bearing few strong setae and one apical long seta. Right side of epandrium ( Fig. 8D ) with one strong seta and several long hairs along posterior margin and minute, hooked lobe curved inward on posteroventral corner. Hypandrium tomentose. Left plate of hypandrium ( Fig. 8C ) with rounded, transparent extension at posteroventral margin. Right plate of hypandrium ( Fig. 8D ) ovoid, with rounded, translucent posterior margin. Cercus with one pair of yellowish brown sclerites mounted dorsally on dark brown stalk; length of cercus about 3.3 times as long as maximum width of cercus; stalk with numerous hairs of similar length on surface.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the two flagellate setae protruding from the ascending process on the inner face of the hind femur.

Type specimens. Holotype, ♂, South Korea: Jeollanam-do, Gwangyang-si, Ongnyong-myeon, Chusan-ri , Southern Experimental Forest of Seoul National University in Mt. Baegunsan , 35°01′52.9″N, 127°36′24.8″E, 16–19.vi.2019, Malaise trap, Nam & Park leg. ( NIBR) . Paratypes, 1♂, South Korea: Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Soheul-eup, Korea National Arboretum ( KNA), 37°45′22″N, 127°09′48.9″E, 30.vi.2014, Malaise trap, KNA leg. ( KNU) ; 1♂, same locality as holotype, 3–15.vii.2019, Malaise trap, Nam & Park leg. ( KNU) ; 1♂, Busan, Seo-gu, Seodaesin 4-dong, near public restroom located in Mt. Gudeoksan , 35°07′39″N, 129°00′21.9″E, 26–29.v.2020, Malaise trap, J. H. Sohn et al. leg. ( KNU) ; 3♂, Jeollabuk-do, Wanju-si, Unju-myeon, Wanchang-ri , Mt. Daedunsan , 36°05′59.4″N, 127°18′02.4″E, 30.v–13.vi.2021, Malaise trap, O. C. Kwon leg. ( KNU) ; 2♂, ditto ( NIBR) .

Ecology. Ecological information for the species is largely unknown.

Remarks. The Chinese record of D. taigaensis ( Liu & Yang 2016) is considered a misidentification of the new species D. biflagella , sp. nov., based on comparison of the hind leg setation and hypopygium, with reference to the original and later description of D. taigaensis (Michailovskaya 1990; 2000). Unfortunately, depository of the type specimens of D. taigaensis is unknown (Sergey Yu. Storozhenko, pers. comm.). Although two bifurcated setae on the inner face of the hind trochanter were not mentioned in the description and are not visible in figures of Liu & Yang (2016) due to different orientation, photographs in the same orientation as for the Chinese specimens ( Fig. 6C, D ) and a more ventral orientation ( Fig. 6E ) of the same specimen clearly showed two bifurcated setae.

Distribution. Korea (Gyeonggi-do, Jeollabuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Busan), China.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Diplonevra species from South Korea, lateral view (A, C, E, G, I, K) and dorsal view (B, D, F, H, J, L). A, B, D. abbreviata (male); C, D, D. abbreviata (female); E, F, D. biflagella, sp. nov. (male); G, H, D. florescens (male); I, J, D. florescens (female); K, L, D. hirsuta (male). Scale bars=2mm (A–D, G, I, J), 1mm (E, H, K, L), 0.5mm (F).

FIGURE 4. Mid- and hind tibiae of Diplonevra species from South Korea, anterodorsal view (Midtibia: A, D, G, J, M, P, S), anterior view (Hind tibia: B, E, H, K, N, Q, T) and dorsal view (Hind tibia: C, F, I, L, O, R, U). A–C, D. abbreviata; D–F, D. biflagella, sp. nov.; G–I, D. florescens; J–L, D. hirsuta; M–O, D. incisura, sp. nov.; P–R, D. nigritarsis, sp. nov.; S–U, D. peregrina. Abbreviations: ad=anterodorsal setae, av=anteroventral setae, sp=setal palisade. Scale bars=0.25mm.

FIGURE 5. Wings of Diplonevra species from South Korea, dorsal view. A, D. abbreviata (male); B, D. abbreviata (female); C, D. biflagella, sp. nov. (male); D, D. florescens (male); E, D. florescens (female); F, D. hirsuta (male); G, D. incisura, sp. nov. (male); H, D. incisura (female); I, D. nigritarsis, sp. nov. (male); J, D. nigritarsis (female); K, D. peregrina (male); L, D. peregrina (female). Scale bars=1mm (A, B, D, E), 0.5mm (C, F–L).

FIGURE 6. Inner face of male hind trochanters and femora of Diplonevra species from South Korea, posterior view. A, B, D. abbreviata; C–E, D. biflagella, sp. nov. (C, D: posterior view, E: posteroventral view, arrow: bifurcated setae); F, G, D. florescens; H, I, D. hirsuta. Abbreviation: asp=ascending process. Scale bars=0.2mm (A, F, H), 0.1mm (B, C, G, I), 0.05mm (D, E).

FIGURE 8. Hypopygia of Diplonevra species from South Korea, left view (A, C, E, G) and right view (B, D, F, H). A, B, D. abbreviata; C, D, D. biflagella, sp. nov.; E, F, D. florescens; G, H, D. hirsuta. Abbreviations: cer=cercus, ep=epandrium, epl= epandrial lobe, hpl=left plate of hypandrium, hpr=right plate of hypandrium, scl=sclerite mounted on cercus. Scale bars= 0.25mm (A, B), 0.2mm (C–H).