Otites freidbergi Morgulis

Morgulis, Elizabeth, 2015, Two peculiar new species of Otites Latreille 1804 (Diptera: Ulidiidae) with reduced phallus, Zootaxa 3949 (4), pp. 567-574 : 569-570

Otites freidbergi Morgulis n. sp.

( Figs. 1 , 3–5 , 8 –9)

Material examined. Holotype ♂: ISRAEL: Har Meron, 1100 m, 32º59.7'N 35º24.7'E, 14.iv.2011, E. Morgulis; Paratypes: Same data as holotype (39♂, 17♀), A. Freidberg (12♂, 22♀), L. Friedman (7♂, 2♀); Har Meron, 1100 m, 14.iv.1999, A. Freidberg (4♂, 17♀), 17.iv.2000, H. Ackerman (10♂, 7♀), A. Freidberg (45♂, 12♀), 25.iv.2002, (13♂, 3♀), L. Friedman (3♂, 3♀), 24.iv.2003, A. Freidberg (16♂, 9♀)(all in TAUI). The holotype is pinned directly and deposited in TAUI.

Diagnosis. This species differ from its congeners in the next combination of characters: gena 0.6–0.8 times as high as eye; wing yellowish-hyaline, without pattern; legs mostly yellow; prensisetae on medial surstylus extend medially along ventral 0.75; phallus 1.25–1.30 times as long as epandrium height.

Description. Head ( Fig. 3 ): Structure: 1.1–1.2 times as high as long. Face slightly receded. Carina in anterior view rounded and convex dorsally, flattened and widened ventrally; carina protrusion about as wide as parafacial at narrowest level. Eye 1.0–1.1 times as high as long, with sparse, short, whitish setulae. Gena 0.6–0.8 times as high as eye. Fronto-orbital plate at antenna insertion level as long as 1st flagellomere. First flagellomere 1.3–1.4 times as long as high. Color and vestiture: Ocellar triangle and occiput black, silvery microtrichose. Vertex orange-brown medially, black dorsally, silvery microtrichose. Frons mostly matt orange to brown, often dorsally infuscate, densely silvery microtrichose at dorsal 0.5, indistinctly silvery microtrichose at ventral 0.5. Orbit medially white microtrichose, dorsally and ventrally shiny brown. Face shiny yellow to reddish-brown. Gena pale brown, shiny anteriorly, white microtrichose posteriorly. Postgena beige-brown, silvery-gray microtrichose. Pedicel brown; 1st flagellomere orange at basal 0.2–0.5, remaining part black; arista dark brown to black basally, brown to orange apically. Clypeus brown to black, slightly silvery microtrichose. Palpus mostly yellow-orange to brown, apically infuscate. Chaetotaxy: Medial vertical seta 1.1–1.2 times as long as lateral vertical seta; ocellar and postocellar seta each 0.4–0.7 times as long as medial vertical seta; posterior orbital seta 1.3–1.5 times as long as anterior orbital seta and 0.5–0.7 times as long as medial vertical seta. Frons densely setulose, setulae 0.3–0.5 times as long as posterior orbital seta. Labellum with long mixed black and yellow setulae. Gena with 1, rarely 2 setae and long black setulae. Vibrissal angle, postgena and occiput with long black setulae.

Thorax: Color and vestiture: Black, silvery-gray microtrichose. 3 scutal darker areas with sparser microtrichia: 1 lateral presutural, 1 medial postsutural, and 1 lateral postsutural: lateral presutural area triangular; medial postsutural longitudinal area extending from anterior scutum margin to level of posterior dorsocentral seta; lateral postsutural longitudinal area extending from transverse suture to level of posterior supra-alar seta. Chaetotaxy: 2 supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar 1–3 acrostichal, 1–5 dorsocentral (0–1 presutural and 1–4 postsutural), 1–5 anepisternal and 1–2 katepisternal setae present, sometimes with additional 1–3 katepisternal setulae. Scutellum with 1 basal and 1 apical setae. Scutum, postpronotal lobe, katepisternum and anepisternum setulose, setulae 0.5– 0.9 times as long as major setae.

Legs: Forefemur black dorsally, tarsi with 1–5 tarsomeres brownish to black, remaining parts yellow to orange; all coxae and apical tarsomeres densely gray microtrichose, remaining parts slightly gray microtrichose.

Wing ( Fig. 4): Hyaline, slightly yellowish; no pattern present; pterostigma opaque yellow. Venation: Veins yellow basally, reddish-brown apically. Cell r4+5 0.75–0.85 times as wide at apex as at widest place. Crossvein R-M usually aligned with apex of vein R1. Vein Cu2 curved or straight. Calypters white. Halter base and stem orange, knob whitish-yellow.

Abdomen: Black in both sexes. Male with syntergite 1+2 gray microtrichose; tergites 3–5 gray microtrichose medially and posteriorly, with wrinkled areas without microtrichia. Female tergites usually entirely gray microtrichose; some females with pattern, resembling that of males. Male terminalia: Epandrium ( Fig. 5) nearly as high as wide, slightly oval in posterior view; both surstyli fully fused with epandrium; medial surstylus about half as long as lateral surstylus in posterior view; prensisetae on medial surstylus extend medially along ventral 0.75; lateral surstylus medially curved. Phallus (as in Fig. 7) 1.25–1.30 times as long as epandrium height, bare, laterally slightly sclerotized. Female terminalia: Aculeus 6.1–6.3 times as long as wide. Cercal unit oval ( Fig. 8 ) with well pronounced, long lateral groove. Sensilla: BV apical to BD. Pair of large campaniform sensilla present distal to BV. 3 elongate and coiled spermathecae (Fig. 9), about 8 times as long as wide.

Measurements (mm). Body length 3.4–8.2, wing length 3.4–7.2.

Developmental Stages: Eggs: Elongate, white, rice-grain-like, anterior end pointed, posterior end rounded. About 1.7 mm long, 0.4 mm wide.

Type locality. Israel, Har Meron.

Distribution. Israel, Upper Galilee (Har Meron).

Habitat. Specimens were collected on both herbaceous vegetation and on trees along a narrow gap between two densely wooded areas of the maquis. The dominant trees were the oaks, Quercus calliprinos Webb and Q. boissieri Reuter.

Etymology. This species is named after the dipterologist and authors’ colleague, Dr. Amnon Freidberg.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Otites freidbergi n. sp. male, habitus. FIGURE 2. Otites friedmani n. sp. male, habitus.

FIGURE 3. Otites freidbergi n. sp. head, lateral view.

FIGURE 8. Otites freidbergi n. sp. cercal unit, ventral view. Abbreviation: BD = basal dorsal seta; BV = basal ventral seta. FIGURES 9 – 10. Spermatheca: 9. Otites freidbergi n. sp.; 10. O. friedmani n. sp.