Plecia inflata Oustalet, 1870

Skartveit, John & Nel, André, 2017, Revision of fossil Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) from French Oligocene deposits, Zootaxa 4225 (1), pp. 1-83 : 44

Plecia inflata Oustalet, 1870

( Figs. 31 , 123 – 125)

Plecia inflata Oustalet, 1870: 142 .

Material examined. Holotype (female) NMB F1495.

Additional material (5 females) NMB F2152, F2210, F2215, F2344, F2345.

Localities. Corent, Kleinkembs.

Diagnosis. A medium-large Plecia (total length 8.7 – 10.7 mm). Antennal flagellum probably 8-segmented. The species has highly distinctive female terminalia with a pair of strong, hook-shaped appendages on the last sternite.

Redescription. Male unknown.

Female: Total length 8.7 – 10.7 mm (N=6)

Head (fig. 124): Length 1.02 mm (N=1), width 1.01 – 1.07 mm (N=2). Black. Antennal flagellum rather slender, probably 8-segmented. Compound eye prominent. Ocellar tubercle low and indistinctive.

Thorax: Length 2.5 – 2.9 mm (N=6). Black. Haltere light brown.

Wing (fig. 123): Length 8.4 – 9.8 mm (N=3), width 3.4 mm (N=1), length/width = 2.53 (N=1). Light brown fumose, veins brown. Costa extending to apex of R4+5. Subcosta long and distinctive, humeral vein present. Pterostigma indistinctive. R2+3 rather long, curved. CuA with a long stem and short, rounded fork.

Legs: Dark brown, rather short, slender throughout. Fore femur 2.2 – 2.3 mm (N=2), fore tibia 2.2 – 2.3 mm (N=2), hind femur 2.6 – 2.8 mm (N=3), hind tibia 2.7 mm (N=2).

Abdomen: Length 5.9 – 7.7 mm (N=6). Brown, cylindrical.

Terminalia (fig. 125): Dark brown. Last sternite much darker and heavier sclerotized than preceeding sternites. Last sternite with a pair of strong, hook-shaped appendages.

Figures

FIGURE 31. Plecia inflata, female. Holotype of Plecia inflata Oustalet, NMB F 1495. FIGURE 32. Plecia lapidaria, female. Syntype of Plecia lapidaria Heyden & Heyden, NHMUK In 58813. Image reproduced with permission from NHMUK.