Beckidia inflata, Mukherjee & Hazra, 2023

Mukherjee, Bindarika & Hazra, Niladri, 2023, Taxonomic studies on Harnischia complex from India (Diptera: Chironomidae), Zootaxa 5278 (2), pp. 239-263 : 241

Beckidia inflata sp. n.

GenBank Accession No. OP683426

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4ED2CD46-2EAB-4F2E-9DF2-50F79AB607CC

Material examined. Holotype male, labelled ‘ Holotype Beckidia inflata sp. n., India, West Bengal, Purba Barddhaman [23.2446° N, 87.8496° E], 31.iii.2022, Coll. B. Mukherjee’ . Paratype 1 male, labelled ‘ Paratype Beckidia inflata sp. n., India, West Bengal, Purba Barddhaman [23.2446° N, 87.8496° E], 26.viii.2022, Coll. B. Mukherjee’ . Paratypes 2 males, labelled ‘ Paratype Beckidia inflata sp. n., India, west Bengal, Purba Barddhaman [23.2393° N, 87.8512° E], 02.ix.2020, Coll. N. Hazra’ . Paratype 1 male, labelled ‘ Paratype Beckidia inflata sp. n., India, West Bengal, Purba Barddhaman [23.1840° N, 88.0302° E], 20.ii.2023, Coll. Sk. Mohim Ali’ .

Diagnostic characters. The new species can be separated from other species of Beckidia by the following combination of characters: acrostichals absent, anal point slightly widened apically, apically broadened superior volsella having 13–16 apical setae and covered with microtrichia, and gonostylus apically widened.

Etymology. The name ‘ inflata ’, originated from a Latin word ‘ inflatus ’, refers to the apically expanded superior volsella.

Male (n=5). Total length 2.75–3.07, 2.9 mm. Wing length 1.53–1.55, 1.54 mm. Costal length 1.47–1.49, 1.48 mm. Antennal length 0.82–0.85, 0.835 mm.

Colouration. Thorax yellow with brown marking; leg and abdomen yellowish brown.

Head. Head width 375–470, 422.5 µm. Temporal setae 7–8 (IV 2, OV 3, Po 2–3). Clypeal setae 10–12. Frontal tubercles absent. Eyes bare with dorsomedial extension of 100–110, 105 µm. AR 1.58–1.63, 1.61; ultimate flagellomere 520–530, 525 µm long. Palpomere lengths (I–V) (µm): 34.5: 27.6–28, 28.8: 106–110; 108: 140–146, 143: 200. CA 0.46–0.55, 0.50.

Thorax. Scutal tubercle absent. Ac 0, Dc 5–6, Pa 2, Scts 4. Wing ( Fig. 1A ). VR 1.06–1.13, 1.095. R 1 and R 4+5 bare. Brachiolum with 2 setae. Squama with 4–6 fringed setae. FCu distinctly distal to RM. Anal lobe moderately developed. Legs. Fore tibia with 1 seta. Mid legs with 2 tibial spurs; 13.8 µm long with 27–28 lateral teeth. Hind leg with 2 tibial spurs; 16 µm and 18.5 µm long with 32 teeth. Lengths and proportions of leg segments shown in table I .

Hypopygium ( Figs. 1B–D ). Anal tergite band Y shaped. Anal point 42–46, 44 µm long, apically expanded. Laterosternite IX with 2 setae on each side of anal point. Longitudinal and transverse sternapodeme 57.5–61, 59.25 µm and 27.5–30, 28.75 µm long respectively. Superior volsella 53–57.5, 55.25 µm long and 28 µm wide apically, somewhat racquet like, microtrichiose with bearing 13–16 setae and fused with inferior volsella. Gonocoxite 105– 115, 110 µm long. Gonostylus 161–165, 163 µm long widest distally. HR 0.65–0.70, 0.675. HV 2.61–2.66, 2.63.

Distribution. India, West Bengal.

Remarks. Apically broadened superior volsella, distally thickened gonostylus and absence of acrostichals confirm the emplacing of the new species in the genus Beckidia Saether. The new species shows closeness with B. connexa Zorina, 2006 in having distally swollen gonostylus, nearly similar anal point and lacking of acrostichals. They differ in the shape of anal tergite band (H shaped tergite band in B. connexa while it is Y shaped in new one) and superior volsella (pad like in B. connexa while it is apically inflated in new species).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult male Beckidia inflata sp. n. A. Wing, B. Hypopygium (dorsal), C. Hypopygium, scale 0.01 mm, D. Superior volsella, scale 0.01 mm.

Tables

TABLE I. Lengths (µm) and proportions of legs in Beckidia inflata sp. n.

	Fe	Ti	Ta1	Ta2	Ta3
P1	500–600, 550	300–400, 350	700	320	280
P2	360–470, 415	330–420, 375	220	100	80
P 3	550–600, 575	400–510, 455	360–400, 380	200–210, 205	170–200, 185
Continued.
	Ta4	Ta 5	LR	BV	SV
P1	220	110	1.8–2.3, 2.05	1.6–1.8, 1.7	1.2–1.4, 1.3
P 2	60	60	0.52–0.66, 0.59	3.1–3.7, 3.4	3.2–4, 3.6
P3	120	90–100, 95	0.84–0.9, 0.87	2.2–2.4, 2.3	2.6–2.8, 2.7