Platycephala lateralis, An & Yang, 2009

An, Shuwen & Yang, Ding, 2009, Four new species of Platycephala with a key to the Chinese species (Diptera, Chloropidae), Journal of Natural History 43 (7 - 8), pp. 399-409 : 405-406

Platycephala lateralis sp. nov.

( Figure 3 )

Type material

Holotype: female, China: Guangdong: Ruyuan, Nanling , 23 July 2003, Shuwen An.

Diagonisis

Frontal triangle elongated and narrowed, blackish laterally. Hind femur with a black stripe. Female cerci short and thick.

Description

Body length 6 mm (female), wing length 4 mm (female).

Head ( Figure 3A–B ) brown, triangular in profile, about 1.5 times longer than high; frons not strongly produced beyond anterior level of eye, in profile about 0.35 times as long as long axis of eye; gena prominently broadened posterad, anteriorly strongly narrowed below eye; parafacial about 0.028 times as long as long axis of eye. Frontal triangle trapezoid, occupying most area of frons, reaching its anterior margin and semicircular anteriorly with blackish lateral margin; ocellar triangle and surrounding area black; area between eye and frontal triangle depressed and brown-yellow. Setulae and setae on head brown. Antenna ( Figure 3C ) brown; pedicel blackish, 0.6 times as long as third antennal segment; third antennal segment nearly rectangular, 1.7 times longer than wide, rounded apically; arista pale yellow, pale short pubescent. Proboscis and palpus pale yellow with pale setulae.

Thorax black, slightly narrower than head; anterior portion of humerus brown, propleuron brown with a black spot, upper portion of anepimeron yellow; mesonotum 1.1 times longer than wide, with prominent setigerous punctures; scutellum 1.5 times wider than long. Setulae and setae on thorax black; katepisternum with some long thin setulae. Legs brown; hind femur ( Figure 3D ) and hind tibia with blackish area, and hind femur with a distinct black stripe on apical portion; hind femur thickened, about 3.8 times longer than wide and 2.1 times thicker than fore femur; hind tibia somewhat curved. Setulae on legs pale; hind femur with some long setulae. Wing hyaline; veins mostly brown. Relative lengths of costal sections second:third:fourth55.5:7.9:5.5. Squama yellow with pale setulae. Halter blackish.

Abdomen blackish, light microtrichose; dorsum slightly rugose; venter brown. Setulae and setae on abdomen black. Genitalia (♀) ( Figure 3E–F ): brown-yellow; tergite 8 semicircular; sternite 8 separated at middle; sternite 9 subtriangular; cerci stout. Setulae on genitalia brown; tergite 9 with one pair of long setulae; tergite 8 with one row of long setulae on apical margin.

Distribution

China (Guangdong).

Etymology

The Latin lateralis means lateral. The species is named after the black lateral margin of the frontal triangle.

Remarks

The new species is similar to Platycephala lii An and Yang from Guizhou in the elongate and narrowed frontal triangle, and the black lateral margin of the frontal triangle, but can be separated from the latter by the distinct parafacial and the hind femur with a distinct black stripe. In P. lii , the parafacial is distinctly narrowed, and the hind femur is only tinged with some black ( An and Yang 2003)

Figures

Figure 3. Platycephala lateralis sp. nov. (female): (A) head, dorsal view; (B) head, lateral view; (C) hind femur and tibia, anterior view; (D) antenna, lateral view; (E) abdominal terminalia, dorsal view; (F) abdominal terminalia, ventral view. Scale bar 0.25 mm.