Zealantha thorpei, Roháček, 2007

Roháček, Jind ṙich, 2007, Zealantha thorpei gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera: Anthomyzidae), first family representative from New Zealand, Zootaxa 1576 (1576), pp. 1-13 : 6-12

Zealantha thorpei , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–23)

Type material: Holotype ♂ labeled: “ NEW ZEALAND AK, Henderson Valley Scenic Reserve , 29 Dec 2006, S. E. Thorpe ”, “Candia Road entrance. Sedges on stream bank”, “ HOLOTYPUS ♂ Zealantha thorpei sp.n., J. Roháček det. 2007“ (red label) ( NZAC, intact) . Paratypes: NEW ZEALAND, North Island : same data as for holotype, 1♂ ; same but 17.xii.2006, 2♂ 6♀; same but 26.xii.2006, 3♂ 1♀; same but 14.i.2007 1♂ 2♀; AK: Auckland Domain , on plants by stream, 12.xi.2006, 1♀ ; same locality, sedges by stream, 28.xii.2006 3♂ 2♀, S. E. Thorpe leg. ; Henderson, Opanuku Walkway at Chardon Place , stream bank sedges, 18.xii.2006 1♀ , 23.xii.2006 1♂, S. E. Thorpe leg.; Tahuna Torea Res , grasses on spit, 30.xii.2006 1♂, S. E. Thorpe leg. ; Parnell, Hobson Bay, Thomas Bloodworth Park , under board walk to tennis court, coastal swards, 13.i.2007 4♂ 1♀, S. E. Thorpe leg. ; Lynfield, Wattle Bay , sweeping Scirpus , 24.xi.1983 1♀, A. K. Walker leg. ; TO: Tongariro River S. E. National Park , net, 1.i.1971 1♀, H. A. Oliver leg. (11♂ 14♀ NZAC, 5♂ 2♀ SMOC, 4♂ 3♀ with genit. prep.) .

Other material examined (excluded from the type series): NEW ZEALAND, South Island : SD: Ship Cove, 27.xi.–1.xii.1972, 1 specimen (sex unknown because abdomen and hind legs are missing), J. S. Dugdale leg. ( NZAC) .

Etymology: The species is named for Mr Stephen E. Thorpe who collected most of the type series and recognized it as the first representative of the family Anthomyzidae in New Zealand.

Description: M a l e. Total body length 2.02–2.35 mm. Body distinctly bicolourous ( Figs 1–2), head and thorax greyish black with dense velvety dark grey microtomentum with bluish tinge, while abdomen and extremities largely ochreous-yellow. Head ( Fig. 4) about as long as high, with face only slightly receding in profile, dark greyish brown and yellow. Occiput dorsomedially strongly concave, greyish black, with dense grey microtomentum, medially (above foramen) with a pair of short ventrally convergent silvery grey stripes. Frons relatively narrow, yellowish only in anterior fourth to third; rest of frons dark greyish brown and velvety grey microtomentose, dull. Orbits anteriorly (up to anterior long ors) yellow and silvery white microtomentose, posteriorly brownish, with grey microtomentum. Base of each ors seta surrounded by a small darker brown spot. Frontal triangle narrow, poorly delimited, reaching to middle of frons; areas between orbits and frontal triangle very finely brown- and grey-striated and often reaching almost to anterior margin of frons. Ocellar triangle flat but ocelli relatively large. Frontal lunule small, depressed but visible, yellow. Face relatively narrow, medially weakly sclerotized, dull dirty white; parafacialia and gena yellowish white and silvery white microtomentose; gena ventrally with distinctive brown marginal band being posteriorly widened but anteriorly narrowed and extended as a marginal stripe also on parafacialia; postgena dark grey and densely pale grey microtomentose; mouthparts yellow to yellowish white. Cephalic chaetotaxy ( Fig. 4): pvt markedly longer than usual in Anthomyzidae , crossed; vti longest of cephalic setae; vte, oc and posterior ors slightly shorter than vti (vte sometimes as long as vti); oc arising outside of ocellar triangle; 3 ors - 2 long (the middle slightly to distinctly shorter than posterior) and 1 (anterior) short; 1 microsetula (sometimes absent) in front of the foremost (short) ors; 2 pairs of medial microsetulae in anterior third of frons; 1 inclinate setula behind vte; postocular setulae (10–11) short, in single row; postgena with several setulae and 2 relatively short posteroventral setae; 1 long vi (normally shorter than the middle ors); also subvibrissa long, about as long as vi; 4–5 fine peristomal setulae, almost half length of vi. Palpus slender, yellow, with 1 ventral preapical seta and 2–3 shorter ventral setulae in proximal half. Eye convex, large, anteroventrally somewhat widened, with longest diameter oblique and about 1.5–1.6 times as long as the shortest. Eye with dense white pilosity ( Fig. 4) being as long as that of arista. Smallest genal height about 0.16 times as long as shortest eye diameter. Antenna geniculate, entirely whitish yellow; scape minute; pedicel short, simple, not capiform expanded; 1st flagellomere flattened laterally, with white pilosity on anteroventral margin slightly longer than cilia on arista. Arista brown including basal segment, about 2.0 times as long as antenna, shortly ciliate.

Thorax slightly narrower than head, almost entirely blackish brown and very densely pale to dark bluish grey microtomentose, of peculiar velvety appearance; only small stripe separating scutellum and postscutellum and suture between pteropleuron and hypopleuron yellowish. Thoracic chaetotaxy: 1 hu; 2 npl (anterior longer); 1 prs and 1 sa (both very weak); 1 pa (moderately long); 2 strong postsutural dc (anterior shorter, about half length of posterior) and 5 dc microsetae in front of them; 4 rows of ac microsetae on suture but only 2 rows between anterior dc, the latter posteriorly reaching to level of posterior dc; 2 sc, laterobasal weak and shorter than anterior dc, apical as long as posterior dc (these are the longest thoracic setae), both sc situated rather dorsally on scutellum; 1 ppl, markedly longer than in other Anthomyzidae (sometimes almost as long as prs but weaker); 2 relatively long stpl (anterior only slightly shorter) and 2–3 setulae in dorsal half of sternopleuron; its ventral part with 4–5 longer setae. Scutellum rounded triangular, convex dorsally; postscutellum well developed, distinctly bulging. Legs dirty ochreous-yellow, femora and tibiae somewhat darker and last tarsal segment of all tarsi blackish brown in distal half. f 1 ( Fig. 19) with ctenidial spine small, distinctly shorter than maximum width of t 1 and with long thin setae in posteroventral (longer setae) and posterodorsal row; f 2 uniformly setulose; f 3 ( Fig. 16) with a long row of posteroventral setae, 6–7 of them in apical two-fifths shortened and thickened; t 2 with short ventroapical seta; t 1, t 3 and all tarsi simply setulose; tarsal claws and empodium relatively long. Wing ( Fig. 3) moderately long and narrow, with ochreous veins and conspicuously ochreous-yellow membrane. C with very small and sparse spinulae between apices of R 1 and R 2+3. Sc well developed basally and fused with R 1 apically to form a distinct preapical kink on the level of subcostal break. R 2+3 slightly sinuous, parallel to C with apex slightly upcurving to it; R 4+5 very slightly bent (recurved) along its entire length, subparallel to M apically; the latter straight or very slightly bent. Discal (dm) cell moderate, narrow proximally, widened distally, with r-m situated about the middle; dm-cu slightly convex. Apical portion of CuA 1 about as long as dm-cu and not reaching wing margin. A 1 short, not reaching wing margin. Alula small, narrow. Wing measurements: length 2.08–2.50 mm, width 0.69–0.88 mm, Cs 3: Cs 4 = 1.24–1.52, rm\dm-cu: dm-cu = 2.04–2.45. Haltere with stem yellowish, knob almost white.

Abdomen slender, elongate, largely ochreous to yellow (only terga posterolaterally spotted) and sharply contrasting with very dark thorax. Preabdominal terga (T1-T5) ochreous or light ochreous, all with brown to dark brown subtriangular spot in posterolateral corner being larger than in female (cf. Fig. 15). T1 and T2 dorsally separate, the former with very short and sparse setulae. T2-T5 subequal in length, broad, reaching far onto ventral side of abdomen, all with sparse, short but relatively robust setae (longest at posterior margin). Preabdominal sterna paler than terga, yellowish, relatively narrow, and, except for S1, finely setose. S1 shortest, shorter than wide, bare. S2-S3 about as long as wide, S4-S5 becoming wider than long, S5 widest. Spiracles situated near ventral margin of terga. T6 reduced to a very short, bare, unpigmented, membranous transverse strip between T5 and S8. S6 and S7 strongly asymmetrical, situated on left side of postabdomen, ochreous like S8; S6 very short and transverse; S7 twice longer than S6, both with more sclerotized and brownish anterior margin and each usually with 3 (rarely with 2 or 4) setae; S8 yet longer than S7, situated dorsally and bearing a number (7–12) of setae.

Genitalia ( Fig. 7) with hypandrial and aedeagal complexes large compared to size of epandrium. Epandrium ( Figs 6–7) dark brown, contrasting with pale-pigmented postabdominal sclerites S6-S8, semiglobular, moderately broad, with rather sparse setosity including 1 pair long dorsolateral setae; anal fissure small, subtriangular. Cercus small, short, pale-pigmented, with numerous fine setae, apical longest. Medandrium ( Fig. 6) of unusual subtriangular shape, dorsally pointed. Gonostylus ( Figs 5–7) relatively large (almost as long as epandrium), of simple shape, apically tapered and bent anteromedially, with non-acute apex, densely micropubescent on outer side and finely setose on inner side. Hypandrium ( Figs 8–9) frame-like, moderate, relatively long and narrow (see Fig. 9), slighty sinuous in profile ( Fig. 8), with anterior internal lobes reduced and membranous; posterior arms of hypandrium fused with transandrium. Transandrium ( Fig. 10) strongly sclerotized, forming slender transverse arch with lateral bulges, but posteromedially simple, without caudal process. Pregonite ( Figs 8–9) fused to hypandrium, anteriorly flat, leaf-like and bent medially, posteriorly somewhat bulging ventrally; anterior part with 2 setae, posterior projection with 6–7 setae. Postgonite ( Figs 8–9) conspicuously widened, flat, slightly bent posteriorly, with 1 anterior setula in distal third in addition to a few granular sensillae. Basal membrane covered with flattened spine-like excrescences being largest posteromedially. Ventral to basal membrane there is a peculiar paired ventral sclerite (see Figs 8–10), possibly homologous with connecting sclerite. Aedeagal part of folding apparatus also distinctive ( Fig. 14), with rich armature on its wall formed by flat spines densely arranged in curved rows; posterior to it there is an additional set of pale spines forming a bunch-like group attached to lateroventral part of phallophore. Phallapodeme very robust, particularly in distal pale-pigmented part; its basal part laterally expanded and posteriorly forked ( Fig. 11) but its fulcrum relatively slender ( Fig. 14). Aedeagus with short, simple, frame-like phallophore ( Fig. 14) and large distiphallus bifid from its basal third. Saccus ( Fig. 14) relatively short, largely sclerotized (distal membranous portion reduced), reinforced with several sclerites (dorsal, lateral, ventral) and its laterodistal parts distinctly spinulose. Filum ( Figs 13–14) also rather short, formed by a pair of sclerites, the robust ventral sclerite basally widened ( Fig. 13), the dorsal one slender, ribbon-shaped and weakly sclerotized; apex of filum formed by membranous expansions of both these sclerites. Ejacapodeme small, with usual digitiform projection ( Fig. 12), rather dark-pigmented.

Female. Similar to male unless mentioned otherwise. Total body length 2.08–2.94 mm. Postocular and peristomal setulae more numerous (in largest specimens up to 15 postoculars and 7 peristomals) and ac microsetae forming 4 rows also behind anterior dc setae. Fore leg with f 1 and t 1 more darkened; particularly f 1 dorsally distinctly greyish brown tinged. Wing measurements: length 2.10–3.08 mm, width 0.75–1.13 mm, Cs 3: Cs 4 = 1.15–1.28, rm\dm-cu: dm-cu = 2.07–2.55. Abdomen ( Fig. 15) with terga pale ochreous to yellow, having brownish spots in posterolateral corners shorter, smaller. Preabdominal terga wider and more transverse than in male. T1 smaller than T2; T2–T5 subequal in length, all shortly setose. Preabdominal sterna as in male, but S4 and S5 slightly wider and more transverse.

Postabdomen ( Figs 17–18) short, strongly tapered posteriorly. T6 large, broad, tranversely suboblong, pale yellow, with brown spot in posterolateral corners. S6 transverse, subtrapezoidal, wider than S5, whitish yellow and sparsely finely setose. T7 and S7 fused to form ring-shaped pale ochreous tergosternum where boundary of original S7 is (at least posteriorly) indicated by depressed line; dorsal part (original T7) of tergosternum with thicker setae, ventral part (S7) comparatively large and broad, finely setose. 7th spiracle embedded in ventrolateral part of tergosternum. T8 plate-shaped, transversely suboblong with rounded corners, with fine setae including 1 long in posterior corner; S8 shorter than T8, transverse, semicircular, posteromedially with narrow fissure (best visible in caudal view), densely micropubecent and finely setose. Genital chamber (uterus) with internal sclerotization ( Figs 21–22), formed by 1 pair of posterior, flat, crooked, ventrolaterally situated sclerites and 1 anterior, large, annular sclerite of ovoid to pear-shaped outline ( Fig. 22). Ventral receptacle ( Fig. 23) small, weakly sclerotized, shortly subcylindrical with terminal curved digitiform projection, set on tube-like proximal duct; accessory gland ( Fig. 21) hyaline, bearing stalked globulae on surface and connected to distally dilated duct by a thin stem. Spermathecae (1+1) very shortly pyriform ( Fig. 20) with plain surface, long sclerotized cervix (almost as long as spermathecal body), several minute stalked globulae attached to surface and relatively short, broad, densely ringed duct. T10 ( Fig. 17) small, transverse, with somewhat projecting anterior corners and rounded posteriorly, pale, with 1 pair of long setae arising on small transverse medial tubercle surrounded by reduced micropubescence. S10 ( Figs 18, 21–22) larger than T10, transversely pentagonal, bare except for fine marginal setae and some micropubescence at posterior margin. Cercus ( Figs 17–18) short, broad, with rich setosity, including apical thicker (but not longer) setae.

Discussion: Zealantha thorpei sp. nov. can easily be recognized from all hitherto described species of Anthomyzidae by the distinctive colouring of the body (dark velvety microtomentose head and thorax contrasting with largely ochreous abdomen), pilose eyes, and additionally supported by the shortly ciliate arista, long subvibrissa, short ctenidial spine on f 1 and unusually long pvt and ppl setulae. Only some species of Anagnota Becker, 1902 have a similar bicolourous appearance but these differ in having arista pectinate, thorax without velvety micropubescence with pleural part ventrally yellow, and f 1 lacking ctenidial spine not to mention quite different cephalic and thoracic chaetotaxies (cf. Roháček 2006).

Biology: The majority of the type series was collected in sedges (unidentified Cyperaceae ) on stream banks and there is also one female taken by sweeping Scirpus sp. Some of the remaining specimens were caught in coastal swards, grasses on spit or on plants by stream. These data indicate the species is most preferably associated with Cyperaceae-dominated vegetation on damp littoral habitats. Adults were recorded in September (one female) and from late November to January.

Distribution: Hitherto, the species has been recorded from the North Island of the New Zealand mainland (AK and TO areas) and from the northernmost area of the South Island (SD area). Although the frequent appearance of the species in December 2006 and January 2007 in the Auckland metropolitan area suggests that the species could be recently introduced to New Zealand, the discovery of several older specimens (collected in 1971, 1972 and 1983 in TO, SD and AK areas) in the NZAC collection demonstrates that Zealantha thorpei sp. nov. is likely an indigenous species simply overlooked in the past.