Desertepidosis robusta, Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2019

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2019, New Dicerurini from Europe, mostly Sweden (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae, Porricondylinae), Zootaxa 4559 (2), pp. 245-264 : 249

Desertepidosis robusta sp. nov.

Figs 2–4

Diagnosis. The eye bridge is 1–3 ommatidia long and continuous dorsally, i.e. better developed than in any of the congeneric species. As another peculiarity, the costal break is situated beyond, not before, the wing apex ( Fig. 4 ). The number of flagellomeres could not be determined, since both our specimens lack the antennal apices. The neck of the fourth flagellomere is shorter than the node; the palpus is 4-segmented; the claws bear a single, large tooth basally; and the empodia are slightly shorter than the claws. With regard to genitalic structures, D. robusta bears closer resemblance to D. borealis rather than to D. grytsjoenensis , which finds expression in the following combination of characters ( Fig. 2 ). The posterior edge of the ninth tergite is sinuous, with the convex sections lacking microtrichia (↓ 5); the gonostylus is not perfectly parallel-sided due to a subbasal constriction (↓ 6); the setae bordering the gonocoxal emargination are unequally long; the anterior processes of the gonocoxal apodemes are unusually thick (↓ 7); and the tegmen is clearly longer than the ventral gonocoxal bridge. Another peculiarity of D. robusta is the ejaculatory apodeme, whose apex is slightly broadened and topped by a membranous, vaguely contoured cap (↓ 8); the base, which is also broadened, is more strongly sclerotized than in D. borealis (note that the broadening is partly creased in the holotype ( Fig. 2 ) but not so in the paratype ( Fig. 3 )).

Etymology. The species epithet, a Latin adjective meaning robust, is an allusion to the fact that male morphology is not so strongly degenerated in D. robusta as in the congeneric species.

Type material. Holotype. Male, Sweden, Uppland, Uppsala, Rickebasta , alder swamp forest, 24 June–16 July 2005, Malaise trap (trap 9, collecting event 1610) (spm. SE 878 in NHRS). This specimen was previously labeled a paratype of D. borealis . Paratype. Male , Sweden, Småland , Bäckebo, Grytsjön Nature Reserve, mixed forest of aspen, spruce and pine, 19 June–16 July 2014, MT, MCJ (spm. CEC 1594 in SDEI) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Desertepidosis grytsjoenensis, male, holotype. 1: Genitalia, ventral. Desertepidosis robusta, males. 2: Genitalia, ventral, holotype. 3: Base of ejaculatory apodeme, ventral, paratype. 4: Apex of wing, dorsal, holotype. Scales for 1– 3, 0.05 mm, for 4, 0.25 mm. Arrows refer to characters described in the diagnosis.