Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli Edwards, 1927

Starkevich, Pavel, Podėnas, Sigitas & Sivell, Duncan, 2022, Tipula (Vestiplex) levisoni sp. nov., a new cranefly (Diptera, Tipulidae) from the Western Himalayas, Zootaxa 5115 (1), pp. 131-145 : 137-141

Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli Edwards

( Figs 21–37 )

Tipula mitchelli Edwards, 1927: 229–230 .

Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli: Alexander, 1942: 39 ; 1953: 342; Savchenko, 1960: 212; 1964: 202–203; Alexander & Alexander, 1973: 64.

Material examined. INDIA, Kashmir , Sheeshnag, 14,000 ft. [4267 m], 14.vii.1960, S.W. Batra (4 ♂, SEM) ; Kashmir, Sheeshnag , 16,000 ft. [4877 m], 14.vii.1960, S.W. Batra [female genitalia slide No. PS 0379f] (1 ♀, SEM) ; Kashmir , Killarmarg , 10,000 ft. [3048 m], 19.vii.1923, Fletcher; India. Pres. by T.B. Fletcher. B.M.1925-546, male genitalia slide No. PS 0373m (1 ♂, BMNH) ; Kashmir , Killarmarg, 10,000 ft. [3048 m], 21.vii.1923, Fletcher; India. Pres. by T.B. Fletcher. B.M.1925-546 (1 ♂, BMNH) .

Redescription. Male. Body length 15.9–16.2 mm, wing length 18.1–18.5 mm. General body colour yellow ( Figs 21, 22 ).

Head. Vertex and occiput grey with dark brown median line ( Fig. 22 ). Rostrum yellow, dorsally thinly dusted with grey pruinescence. Nasus distinct. Antenna 13-segmented, when bent backwards extends beyond base of abdomen. Scape and pedicel yellow, flagellum brown. Each flagellomere, except first, with basal enlargement and small incision. Apical flagellomere small. Distal flagellar segments sinuous. Longest verticils about three times shorter than corresponding segments. Palpus brown.

Thorax. Pronotum yellow with medial brown spot or line. Prescutum and presutural scutum with four bluish grey stripes, narrowly bordered with brown. Brown borders of medial stripes fused ( Fig. 22 ). Interspaces grey. Postsutural scutum grey, each lobe with two bluish grey, spots without borders. Scutellum yellow, mediotergite yellow, thinly dusted, both sclerites with brown line. Pleura brownish yellow. Coxae yellowish, thinly dusted, trochanters yellow, femora and tibiae yellow, narrowly darkened at tip; first two tarsal segments yellow, distally darker with blackened tips, last segments dark brown. Tarsal claw without tooth. Wing patterned with brown. Halter pale with brown knob.

Abdomen. Abdominal segments yellow with distinct brown dorsal and lateral stripes.

Hypopygium ( Figs 24–31 ). Yellowish brown. Epandrium distally forming rectangular, saucer-shaped plate ( Fig. 24 ). Plate with straight posterior margin, medially with rounded projection, small denticles on either side, and obtuse lateral corners. Anterior margin elevated into blackened border terminating in blackened obtuse angles. Gonocoxite unarmed, ventromesal part short, nearly triangular in shape ( Fig. 25 ). Outer gonostylus narrowed at base and flattened in middle ( Fig. 26 ). Inner gonostylus in form of curved plate, with triangular beak blackened at tip and right angle to rest of sclerite ( Fig. 27 ). Aedeagal guide in shape of slender tube, base with dorsal flange narrow, membranous at base, ventral flange flattened ( Fig. 28 ). Gonocoxal fragment large with lateral and medial sclerites well-developed ( Fig. 29 ). Medial sclerites fused, anterior apodeme distinct, slightly flattened, posterior part broadly flattened and arched distally. Lateral sclerites broadly U-shaped, expanded at base. Sperm pump with flattened central vesicle ( Fig. 30 ). Compressor apodeme with median emargination. Posterior immovable apodeme longer than compressor apodeme, large and extended laterally into broad plate, medially with darker ridge. Anterior immovable apodeme widely rounded. Aedeagus with distal part ventrally membranous and nearly scoop-shaped ( Fig. 31 ).

Female. Body length 26.9 mm, wing length 4.7 mm. Generally similar to male ( Fig. 23 ). Tergites and sternites with pale margins. Wing greatly reduced, brachypterous.

Female terminalia ( Figs 32–37 ). Tergite 10 shiny brown. Cercus brown, slender, with distal part strongly upcurved ( Fig. 32 ). Ventral margin distally with small serrations ( Figs 32, 33 ). Hypovalva short, filamentous ( Fig. 34 ). Median incision between hypovalvae deeper than posterior margin of sternite 8. Lateral angle of sternite 8 rounded. Sternite 9 with lateral parts parallel-sided, posterior part broad and flattened ( Fig. 35 ). Furca posteriorly flattened, anteriorly narrowed ( Fig. 35 ). Bursa copulatrix with spermathecal ducts sclerotised at base; cul-de-sac of bursa copulatrix curved ( Fig. 36 ). Spermatheca broadened at base, nearly pear-shaped ( Fig. 37 ).

Distribution. India (Jammu and Kashmir).

Remarks. Tipula mitchelli was described by Edwards in 1927 based on two males collected by F.J. Mitchell from Kashmir, although the exact locality is unknown ( Edwards 1927). Unfortunately, the type specimens of T. mitchelli were not found in BMNH.

The association of the female specimen with this species are based on the similar general body coloration; the female belongs to the leucoprocta species complex which can be easily distinguished by the specific bursa copulatrix; specimens were collected at the same locality, same day with differences in 600 meters at the altitudes lying in the zone of subalpine meadows.

Figures

FIGURES 21–23. Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli. 21, male, lateral view; 22, male, head and thorax, dorsal view; 23, female, lateral view. Scale of 21, 23 = 0.5 mm; 22 = 1 mm.

FIGURES 24–31. Male terminalia of Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli. 24, epandrium, dorsal view 25, left gonocoxite, lateral view; 26, left outer gonostylus; 27, right inner gonostylus, lateral view; 28, aedeagal guide, lateral view; 29, gonocoxal fragment, dorsal view; 30, sperm pump, dorsal view; 31, distal part of intromittent organ, lateral view. Scale a: 24–30 = 0.5 mm; b: 31 = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 32–37. Female terminalia of Tipula (Vestiplex) mitchelli. 32, tergite 10 with cercus, left lateral view; 33, distal part of cercus, lateral view; 34, sternite 8 with hypovalvae, ventral view; 35, sternite 9 with furca, dorsal view; 36, bursa copulatrix, dorsal view; 37, spermatheca. Abbreviation: cds, cul-de-sac of bursa copulatrix. Scale a: 32 = 1 mm; b: 33–37 = 0.5 mm.