Macrocera nuragica, Chandler, 2009

Chandler, Peter J., 2009, The fungus gnats (Diptera: Bolitophilidae, Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae) of Sardinia, with description of six new species *, Zootaxa 2318 : -

14. Macrocera nuragica sp. nov.

( Figs 9–10)

Type material. Holotype ♂: I-Sardegna (Carbonia-Iglesias), Domusnovas, sa Duchessa, 371 m, UTM WGS84 32 S 0464990 4358384, 2-16.V.2006, Malaise trap S2, G. Chessa legit, Progetto Sardegna – CNBF ( CNBFVR).

Paratype: 1 ♀: same data as holotype except 18.IV-2.V.2006 ( CNBFVR) .

Diagnosis. A small (for the genus) brownish yellow species with abdominal segments 6–8 and the genitalia darker brown and unmarked wings with macrotrichia present on most of membrane, belonging to a group with the male genitalia more complex than is typical for the genus, including a sclerotised aedeagal apodeme, resembling some species of this group in the cerci being elongate and narrowed apically, distinguished from them by the structure of the gonostylus which is broadly rounded ventrally and extended as a blunt sclerotised process dorsally.

Description. Male. Head mainly brown but face yellow; short dark bristling becoming longer ventrally on occiput and strong black setae on face. Antenna brown with scape and pedicel yellowish; elongate and probably about as long as body, but with tips missing, comprising only 9 and 10 flagellomeres respectively; long slender flagellomeres bear short dark bristling. Palpus yellowish, slender.

Thorax yellowish brown with all bristling dark, bearing three stripes on mesonotum, the median extending from fore margin onto disc of scutellum, the laterals rounded anteriorly and leaving large yellow humeral areas; mediotergite also dark medially. Pleura bare except for several short setae on upper part of anepisternum and some on disc of laterotergite. Mediotergite bare. Wing yellowish with brownish veins. Macrotrichia distributed over most of wing membrane, except radial sector and near base. Vein Sc long, ending in costa shortly before level of r-m fusion. Vein R 4 curved, ending in costa its length beyond tip of R 1 and not enlarged apically. Costa extending 0.2 distance from R 5 to M 1. Basal part of M well developed but faint in apical half; r-m fusion very short. Vein A 1 reaching costa. Base of m-Cu and basal portion of CuA 1 adjoining it pale and asetose, all other veins including Rs, r-m fusion and R 4 setose. Haltere yellow, bearing many fine setulae. Wing length 3.7 mm. Legs yellow except coxae 2–3 which are brownish; only parts of fore legs and femur and tibia of one hind leg present in holotype; bearing short dark setulae, irregular on tibiae. Fore metatarsus half length of its tibia.

Abdomen with segments 1–5 brownish yellow, 6–8 dark brownish and genitalia brown; all with short dark bristling. Genitalia ( Figs 9–10) brown with broadly fused gonocoxites which bear dense fine setae on distal margins; gonostylus broadly rounded ventrally and extended as a blunt apically broadened sclerotised process dorsally; aedeagus membranous but with sclerotised apodeme. Tergite 9 ( Fig. 10) short and broad; cerci elongate, broad basally but extended as slender processes, which are approximated apically and bear a few strong setae.

Female. Similar to male. Antenna probably relatively shorter and about two thirds body length but also with tips missing, comprising only 10 and 7 flagellomeres respectively. Wing brownish tinged. Costa extending 0.3 times distance from R 5 to M 1. Legs with one fore and one hind leg missing in specimen. Abdomen with tergites 1–4 yellow on apical half, 5–6 on apical third, 7 entirely brown. Ovipositor short, tergites 8–9 and sternite 8 brown; short slender two-segmented cerci yellowish. Wing length 3.3 mm.

Etymology. Named for the Nuragic people who were the aboriginal inhabitants of Sardinia.

Chorotype. Type 6 [3.02 of Vigna Taglianti et al. (1999)]. Mediterranean.

Italian distribution. Sardinia only.

Notes. This species belongs to a mainly Mediterranean group of Macrocera Meigen with macrotrichia on the wing membrane and more complex genital structure than is found in most species of the genus. Members of this group were described by Bechev (1991), Chandler (1994), Chandler and Gatt (2000), Martinovský (2001) and Chandler et al. (2006). Among this group it is allied to M. buskettina Chandler, 2001 from Malta and M. gemagea Bechev, 1991 from Bulgaria, which also have the cerci slender and narrowed apically, but differs in the structure of the gonostylus.