Anodontoceras harrisi, Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2009

Jaschhof, Mathias & Jaschhof, Catrin, 2009, First record of Anodontoceras (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Lestremiinae) from the Afrotropical Region, with a description of a new species, African Invertebrates 50 (1), pp. 117-122 : 118-120

Anodontoceras harrisi sp. n.

Figs 1, 2

Etymology: With this species name we honour Dr Keith M. Harris, Ripley, United Kingdom, a respected cecidomyiidologist who contributed more than anyone else in the second half of the 20 th century to increasing our knowledge of Afrotropical Cecidomyiidae .

Diagnosis:Among Micromyini , Anodontoceras is peculiar for the antennal flagellomeres of males, which have almost globular nodes, very strong and long hair-shaped translucent sensilla, and lack crenulate whorls of sensory hairs ( Fig. 2 ). The male gonocoxites lack a sclerotized ventrobasal bridge ( Fig. 1 ), which is another character state unknown from any other Micromyini . A unique feature of A. harrisi is the extremely long ejaculatory apodeme that is more than twice as long as the tegmen and extends anteriorly to the sixth abdominal segment ( Fig. 1 ). The apodeme has a large circular widening at its apex, which is more weakly sclerotized than the rod-like portion and is adorned with concentric circles, the latter possibly representing foldlines.The outline of the gonostyli, comma-shaped and lacking an apical spine ( Fig. 1 ), is more simple than that in the congeners.

Description:

Male.

Body size 0.9–1.1 mm. Most of the body vestiture, including wings, is broad scales.

Head: Postfrons setose. Postocular bristles in 2 long rows. Eye bridge 3 ommatidia long. Neck of fourth antennal flagellomere longer than node; node with 1 incomplete double whorl of short sub-basal setae, 1 double whorl of long mesal setae and typically 4 distal hair-shaped translucent sensilla, latter characteristically flexed sub-basally and often more than twice as long as flagellomere body ( Fig. 2 ).Apical flagellomere typically with 2 very fine, evenly curved hair-shaped translucent sensilla. Maxillary palpus 3- segmented; first and second segments with hair-shaped translucent sensilla; third segment pointed, usually longest of all.

Wing: R1 2.5 times as long as Rs.

Legs: Pretarsal claws of mid leg with fine teeth at midlength, otherwise toothless. Empodia half as long as claws.

Terminalia ( Fig. 1 ): Tergite 9 sclerotized throughout, i.e. also mesally. Ventrobasal bridge of gonocoxites membranous; dorsal transverse bridge extending far anteriorly. Gonostyli small, comma-shaped, with sparse setae including 2 or 3 short, thick setae near apex. Tegmen large, evenly tapered towards apex, broadly rounded apically. Ejaculatory apodeme unusually long, often twice as long as tegmen, extending far anteriorly into abdominal cavity, with large circular widening at apex. Sternite 10 (not pictured) twolobed, large, weakly membranous, pubescent. Cerci two-lobed, large, with ventral and distal setae.

Female and preimaginal stages. Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Royal Natal National Park, Gudu Forest , 28 ° 40.9'S: 28 ° 55.8'E, 1680–1730 m, mature indigenous forest, 28–29.xi.2005, aspirator, M. Jaschhof.

Paratypes: 4 ♂ same data as holotype; 3 ♂ same data but 29.xi.2005, sweepnet; 2 ♂ same data but 8.xii.2005; 4 ♂ same locality, 28.xi–13.xii.2005, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski, M. & C. Jaschhof; 2 ♂ Royal Natal National Park , Devil’s Hoek valley , 28 ° 42.7'S: 28 ° 55.3'E, 1650 m, indigenous forest, 11.xii.2005, sweepnet & aspirator, M. Jaschhof; 1 ♂ Cathedral Peak Nat. Res., Rainbow Gorge, 28 ° 57.6'S: 29 ° 13.6'E, 1500 m, mature indigenous forest, 4.xii.2005, sweepnet, M. Jaschhof .

Remarks on distribution: To our knowledge, the distribution of Anodontoceras harrisi is confined to the indigenous forests of the Drakensberg mountains. We have seen quite a number of Malaise samples from other parts of South Africa, but none of those contained specimens of Anodontoceras .

Figures

Figs 1–3. Morphology of Anodontoceras spp.: (1) A. harrisi sp. n., holotype, male terminalia and abdominal sternites 7 and 8, ventral view; (2) A. harrisi sp. n., male paratype, fourth flagellomere in ventrolateral view; (3) A. saigusai Yukawa, first and second flagellomeres of female, lateral view, Okinawa, Japan. Scale bar = 0.05 mm.