Stilpon moroccensis Grootaert & Zouhair, 2014

Grootaert, Patrick, Zouhair, Laila & Kettani, Kawtar, 2021, A new species of the genus Stilpon Loew, 1859 from Morocco (Diptera: Empidoidea, Hybotidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 113, pp. 1-12 : 1-12

Stilpon moroccensis Grootaert & Zouhair , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8DB6A473-905A-4E72-851A-54ECDCFD0050

( Figs 3–5 )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. HOLOTYPE ♂. MOROCCO, Rif , Stehat, 2 m, 25.iv–25.v.2015, Malaise trap, leg. K. Kettani, (in University Abdelmalek Essaadi, Tétouan).

PARATYPES 6♂♂, 4♀♀. MOROCCO, Rif , 1♂, Amsemlil Bog , 1067 m, 23.iv.2017, sweep net, leg. K. Kettani ; 1♂, 1♀, Bab Tariouant , 1294 m, 31.v–28.vi.2015, Malaise trap, leg. K. Kettani ; 3♂♂, 3♀♀, Beach of Stehat , 2 m, 25.iv–25.v.2015, Malaise trap, leg. K. Kettani ; Eastern Morocco , 1♂, Bouanane , 797 m, 5.iv.2017, sweep net, leg. Fekrani ; terminalia illustrated by P. Grootaert, (5♂♂, 4♀♀ in University Abdelmalek Essaadi , Tétouan, 1♂ in RBINS) .

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is named moroccensis after the country of Morocco where it was found.

DIAGNOSIS. Very small species (1.25–1.5 mm) brownish black thorax in ground-colour. Wing with a brown patch anteriorly in middle of the wing. Costa black between tip of R 1 to a little beyond tip of R 2+3. Only fore leg with apical tarsomere contrastingly black. Mid femur in basal half with 4 long brown setae slightly longer than femur is wide with a very long black preapical anterior seta. Mid tibia over entire length with a row of long black anteroventral setae as long as tibia is wide; a single row of strong black ventral spinules present in apical half, the spinules are pale and weaker in posterior half. In male: right cercus with an apical fork bearing 2 stout setae. Left cercus shorter than right cercus bearing 4 strong setae.

DESCRIPTION. MALE. Length: body: 1.5–1.6 mm; wing: 1.3 mm ( Fig. 3A, B ).

Head black in ground colour. Occiput and vertex greyish, subshining, with dense pollinosity. A pair of black vertical bristles present. Eyes with ommatidia slightly enlarged below antennae. Frons narrow to fairly wide. Antenna placed in middle of head, with basal segments pale yellowish brown, postpedicel and stylus brown. Pedicel with a long, black apical, ventral seta (exceptionally 2 long setae). Palpus white with a long black apical seta as long as palpus.

Thorax black brownish in ground colour. Scutum tomentose. Humeri not differentiated, humeral bristles moderately long, acrostichal and dorsocentral bristles very small and arranged in 2 rows, longs postalar bristle and basal scutellar seta.

Wings broad ( Fig. 5A ), with a brown patch anteriorly in middle of wing. Veins brownish, pale near tip of wing. Costa darkened from about apex of R 1 to a little beyond tip of. Veins R4+5 and M running parallel and turning up before reaching wing tip. Halteres pale yellow.

Legs yellow, tarsomere 5 black on fore leg only. Fore femur very thickened, more than twice as wide as mid femur, with a row of pale brownish ventral setae over entire length, the setae at least half as long as femur is wide. Fore leg with apical tarsomere contrastingly black. Mid femur ( Fig. 5B ) in basal half with 4 long brown setae slightly longer than femur is wide, with a very long black preapical anterior seta. Mid tibia ( Fig. 5B ) over entire length with a row of long black anteroventral setae that are as long as tibia is wide; a single row of strong black ventral spinules present in apical half, the spinules are weaker in posterior half. Hind femur longer than mid femur, with 2 long and dark bristles on apical half. Hind tibia longer than mid tibia, with short hairs.

Abbreviations: a: anus; ej: ejaculatory apodeme; hyp: hypandrium; lc: left cercus; lel: left epandrial lamella; ls: left surstylus; rel: right epandrial lamella.

Abdomen with tergites and sternites brownish yellow, weakly sclerotized.

Terminalia ( Fig. 4 ). Right cercus with an apical fork bearing 2 stout setae (setae paler than the setae on the left cercus); at the right side of the cercus 3 setae: upper 2 long and fine while the most basal seta is a little stronger and inserted on a papilla.

Left cercus shorter than right cercus, bearing 4 setae. The left cercus is broadly forked with at its right fork 2 stout apical setae while at the tip of the left fork a longer, slenderer seta ( Fig. 4B ); at the ventral side of the left cercus there is a fourth strong black seta on a projection (only visible in lateral view, Fig. 4C ).

Right epandrial lamella ( Fig. 4A ) with a somewhat concave apical border, at the right side with 5 strong flattened setae, while at the left side with some fine hair-like setae. Left surstylus ( Fig.4B , inset), with a short rounded projection at the inside.

FEMALE. Length: body: 1.25 mm; wing: 1.25 mm ( Fig. 3C ).

Similar to male in most aspects. Mid tibia also with a row of long black anteroventral setae that are as long as tibia is wide, but ventral spinules are lacking, instead some pale short setae.

Figures

Fig. 3. Stilpon moroccensis Grootaert & Zouhair sp. nov. A, male, dorsal view. B, male, lateral view. C, female, lateral view. © I. Van de Velde.

Fig. 4. Stilpon moroccensis Grootaert & Zouhair, sp. nov., male paratype. A, right epandrial lamella with right cercus. B, epandrium dorsal view, inset tip of left surstylus in ventral view. C, ventral view on epandrium. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

Fig. 5. Stilpon moroccensis Grootaert & Zouhair, sp. nov. male paratype. A, wing. B, mid femur and tibia anterior view. Scale bar 0.1 mm.