Cheilosia alpha, Barkalov & Ståhls, 2022

Barkalov, Anatolij V. & Ståhls, Gunilla, 2022, Cheilosia (Diptera, Syrphidae: Rhingiini) of Nepal with descriptions of 29 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 829 (1), pp. 1-127 : 18-21

Cheilosia alpha sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2FCA8F35-DBB7-415B-A349-501593CEF70A

Figs 5–6

Differential diagnosis

Cheilosia (Montanocheila) alpha sp. nov. can be discerned from other Montanocheila spp. by the combination of presence of black pilosity on lower part of parafacia (only whitish or yellowish in other species), presence of black bristles on hind margin of scutellum, in the female this combination and distinctly glossy maculae on lateral parts of tergites III–IV.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ alpha ’ is from the Greek and refers to the first letter.

Material examined

Holotype NEPAL • ♂; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 11 100 ft a.s.l.; 11 May 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; CNC.

Paratypes NEPAL • 21 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 11 100 ft a.s.l.; 15 May–3 Jun. 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; CNC • 10 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 11 100 ft a.s.l.; 15–28 May 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; Malaise trap 1; CNC • 2 ♀♀; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 11 200 ft a.s.l.; 15–28 May 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; Malaise trap 2; CNC • 1 ♀; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 11 400 ft a.s.l.; 25 May 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; Malaise trap 3; CNC • 1 ♀; 27°58′ N, 85°00′ E; 10 100 ft a.s.l.; 28 May 1967; Can. Nepal Exped.; Malaise trap 8; CNC • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Prov. Mahakali, Hochlager vor Api bis Lager an Chamliya Khola bei Shinae [camp before Api to camp at Chamliya Khola near Shinae]; 3400– 2800 m a.s.l.; 10 Jun. 2005; J. Weipert leg.; IBSJW / NME • 3 ♀♀; Prov. Mahakali, Hochlager vor Api [camp before Api]; 3400 m a.s.l.; 8 Jun. 2005; J. Weipert leg.; IBSJW / NME • 2 ♀♀; Prov. Karnali, Umg. Gotchichaur [surroundings of Gotchichaur]; 2800 m a.s.l.; 21 May 1995; J. Weipert leg.; IBSJW / NME • 1 ♂; Solukhumba, E of Pangkongma La; 27°34′ N, 86°45′ E; 3000 m a.s.l.; 17 May 1997; M. Hauser leg. [523]; CSCA • 1 ♂; Prov. Seti, 42 km NE of Chainpur, Hochtal am Khalapani Khola [valley at Khalapani Khola]; 29°48′23″ N, 81°29′04″ E; 3700–4100 m a.s.l.; 22–23 Jun. 2009; J. Weipert leg.; IBSJW / NME .

Description

Male

LENGTH. Body 6.9–9.4 mm, wing 6.7–8.9 mm.

HEAD. Face in anterior view rather broad, distinctly broadened ventrally, in lateral view moderately protruded, slightly grey pollinose except shiny on facial knob and shiny stripe in lower part, without distinct pilosity; facial tubercle small but distinct; parafacia broad, in width approximately equal to width of basoflagellomere, grey pollinose and densely pollinose along eye, sometimes without pollinosity ventrally, pilosity very long, fine, semi-erect, mostly yellow but mixed with some black pilosity in lower part; gena broad, brownish with fine grey pollinosity and long, pale-yellow pilosity. Frons distinctly convex, finely grey pollinose, denser near eye, covered with long black pilosity; lunule pale yellow, antennal pits distinctly separated; frontal angle distinctly obtuse. Eye completely covered with long, dense brownish pilosity, length of eye contiguity approximately equal to length of frons without lunule. Vertex inflated, long, black pilose, ocellar triangle equilateral. Occiput narrow, in posterior part with long, black and short yellow pilosity. Scape and pedicel shiny black but with slight pollinosity, basoflagellomere roundish, orange, anterior and antero-dorsal margins dark; arista long, black, bare.

THORAX. Postpronotum black, densely grey pollinose and white pilose. Scutum smooth, with weak puncturation, shiny-black with grey pollinose area anterior to transverse suture and narrow stripe in front of scutellum, in anterior part covered with comparatively long, dense, whitish or yellowish pilosity, in posterior half with very long black and yellow pilosity, intermixed with 4–5 times shorter yellow pilosity, lateral parts lacking strong bristles; scutellum with pollinose stripe anteriorly, otherwise shiny without pollinosity, pilosity long black and short yellow, scutellum hind margin without strong black bristles; subscutellar fringe with long yellow pilosity. Pleura black, with a more or less developed brown macula on katepimeron, grey pollinose and long white pilose, postero-dorsal corner of anepisternum and anepimeron with some black pilosity, katepisternum with confluent yellowish pilosity, intermixed with some black pile. Metasternum yellowish pilose.

LEGS. Fore coxa brown, densely grey pollinose, with appressed yellow pilosity, without baso-lateral spur; femora black with tip narrowly yellow; long pilosity on fore and mid femur in basal half yellow and black in apical half, long pilosity on hind femur yellow; tibia black, but yellow in basal ⅓ and at tip; tarsi black dorsally and yellow ventrally.

WING. Completely microtrichose, translucent with slight brownish tinge medially; inner angle between veins M 1 and R 4+5 right, Rs with short dark pile along all length. Haltere brownish with black knob; calypter yellow with brown rim and yellow pilosity.

ABDOMEN. Comparatively broad, oval, in broadest part approximately equal to width of scutum at level of wing base, black; tergites with distinctly shining large maculae on antero-laterally; covered with comparatively long, rather sparse, erect pilosity, white on terga I–II and anterior corners of terga III–IV, and black on posterior corner of tergites II–IV. Hypopygium with yellow and some black pilosity. Sternites densely grey pollinose, covered with long, erect and short appressed white pilosity, some short, black appressed pilosity on medial part of tergite IV.

Female

LENGTH. Body 6.9–9.4 mm, wing 6.7–8.9 mm.

HEAD. Face and facial tubercle as in male; parafacia broad, narrower than width of basoflagellomere, mainly white pilose but often with a few black pile ventrally, in some specimens with brown spot or stripe on lower part. Frons comparatively narrow, with distinct lateral furrows and sometimes an almost invisible central furrow; pilosity erect yellow or black and yellow; at anterior ⅓ with narrow transverse stripe of grey pollinosity. Basoflagellomere moderate in size (not much broader than in male).

THORAX. Scutum with less developed grey pollinosity on anterior part; notopleural area and postalar callus more densely pollinose; pilosity short, erect yellow and black, intermixed with 3–5 times longer black pilosity. No bristles on lateral parts of scutum. Scutellum margin with some long, black, not very strong bristles.

ABDOMEN. Slightly broader than mesonotum at level of wing base, broadest part at the end of tergite II. Black, matte, with shiny anterior corners of tergites III–IV and all of tergite V. Otherwise as in male.

Remarks

Cheilosia alpha sp. nov. is included in the subgenus Montanocheila . The shapes of the distiphallus (apical sclerite of aedeagus) and of the surstylus of the male genitalia are similar to those of members of subgenus Floccocheila , but the species is not large sized and long pilose as the other taxa placed in Floccocheila .

Distribution

Nepal.

Figures

Fig. 5. Cheilosia (Montanocheila) alpha sp. nov.; A–C, F–I = paratype, ♂ (CNC), D–E = paratype, ♀ (CNC). A. Head, lateral view. B. Antenna, lateral view of pedicel and basoflagellomere. C. Tip of wing. D. Head, dorsal view. E. Antenna, lateral view of pedicel and basoflagellomere. F. Surstylus and gonocercus, lateral view. G. Aedeagus and aedeagal apodeme, lateral view. H–I. Superior lobes of hypandrium, lateral view. Scale bars indicated in drawings.

Fig. 6. Cheilosia (Montanocheila) alpha sp. nov. A–B. Holotype, ♂ (CNC); dorsal and lateral views. C–D. Paratype, ♀ (CNC); dorsal and lateral views. Photo: Pekka Malinen, FMNH Luomus. Scale bars = 1 mm.