Cookiellocapsa, Ježek & Pont, 2016

Ježek, Jan & Pont, François Le, 2016, Psychodidae (Diptera) of New Caledonia: checklist and description of a new genus and species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 56 (2), pp. 813-826 : 814-815

Cookiellocapsa gen. nov.

Type species. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis. Cookiellocapsa gen. nov. is characterized by the following characters: ascoids of basal flagellomeres two-branched, anterior branch with two (or scarcely only one) minute triangular protuberances basally ( Fig. 3 ); basal wing cell not developed ( Fig. 10 ); sensory pocket of wing developed, bulging conspicuously on upper wing surface ( Figs 10 , 21 ), anchored on R 5 in the ending of the first third of wing and opened to C; wing membrane bare in distal half ( Fig. 10 ), with numerous scales on sensory pocket and in the near vicinity (anterior and posterior wing margin); medial wing fork quite missing ( Fig. 10 ), basal part of M 2 not developed; course of M 1 and M 2 conspicuously declined basally to sensory pocket ( Fig. 10 ) and arcuated; vein M 1 almost interrupted or weakened in the middle ( Fig. 10 ), hockey stick-shaped and strengthened in basal half of wing; oval strengthened patches of veins R 1, R 2, R 3, M 2 and CuA 1 developed at a distance from vein endings ( Fig. 10 ); position of end of R 1, radial fork and proximal point of basis of neala in one line, forming a 180° angle ( Fig. 10 ); stripe-shaped hypandrium in the middle with two triangular strengthenings ( Figs 5 , 17 ); ventral epandrial plate developed, with two boomerang-shaped protuberances proximally, medial block-shaped patch, conspicuously sclerotized and two divergent sessile spine-shaped projections with a globular basis, gradually tapering distally ( Fig. 7 ); hypoproct almost square-shaped ( Figs 7 , 13 , 20 ), epiproct stripe-shaped, with a semicircular lobulus ( Figs 7 , 13 ); aedeagal complex asymmetrical, with three digitiform projections of different lengths ( Figs 5 , 12 , 17, 18 ); parameres asymmetrical: left paramere ( Figs 5 , 18 ) consisting of a staff to one end of which is attached a not freely swinging stick ( Fig. 12 ), right paramere is twofold: spatula-shaped basally ( Figs 5 , 12 , 18 ) with a rugged blunt end distally ( Fig. 18 ) ‒ distal part of right paramere equipped with a very complicated semicircular swinging part, with many irregular protuberances, loops and spines ( Figs 5 , 12 , 18 in several views, a detail see in Fig. 6 ).

Differential diagnosis. Cookiellocapsa gen. nov. is similar to Feuerborniell a Vaillant, 1974, Threticus Eaton, 1904 and Nielseniella Vaillant, 1972 . Morphological differences are accounted in the Table 1 (19 characters are compared): number and modification of ascoid arms of basal flagellomeres; structure of basal wing cell; pilosity of wing membrane; wing index; structure of medial wing fork; course of veins M 1 and M 2; presence of sensory pocket of wing; likeness of vein M 1; presence of oval strengthenings of veins R 1, R 2, R 3, M 2 and CuA 1; angle of end of R1, radial fork and proximal point of basis of neala; shape of hypandrium; presence of epandrial aperture; presence and shape of ventral epandrial plate; shape of hypoproct and epiproct; number of retinaculi; shape of aedeagal complex and parameres. Nielseniella okinavensis (Tokunaga, 1959) was not explored here due to its inadequate original description and figures – see comments of VAILLANT (1972: 107).

Etymology. The genus is partly named in honour of captain James Cook, British explorer and navigator of 18th century whose achievements in the mapping of Australasia radically changed perceptions of world geography; capsa (lat.) = receptacle, sensory box of wing; gender is feminine.

Included species. Only Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis sp. nov. from New Caledonia is known.

Figures

Figs 1–7. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen.& sp. nov., male:1 – head, frontal view (antennae and supraocular lateral bristles omitted, only setae alveoli marked); 2 – detail of facets, frontal view; 3 – scape, pedicel and flagellomeres 1 and 2; 4 – claw of P1; 5 – aedeagal complex and gonopods, dorsal view; 6 – detail of distal part of right paramere and lateral part of hypandrium, diagonal view; 7 – epandrium and surstyli, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1, 3, 5, 7 = 0.2 mm; 2, 6 = 0.1 mm; 4 = 0.03 mm.

Figs 8–13. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male: 8 – terminal antennomeres; 9 – cibarium, epipharynx and labrum, dorsal view; 10 – wing; 11 – thoracic sclerites, lateral view; 12 – aedeagal complex and part of hypandrium, lateral view; 13 – left part of epandrium and surstylus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 10 = 1 mm; 11 = 0.2 mm; 8, 9, 12, 13 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 21–25. 21 – Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male, part of wing in profile. Scale bar: 0.7 mm. 22 – New Caledonia, Touaourou, secondary forest, a giant banian tree (Ficus benghalensis L.) growing on an old coral seashore reef (Touaourou cave) – type locality of Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen.& sp. nov.23 – New Caledonia, Provincial Park of the Blue River, White River environment, the vicinity of the Station Locomobile and „Pont des Candélabres“, with fully developed trees and a dense population of saplings and understory vegetation.24–25 – CDC miniature light trap in different views, used in New Caledonia. Photo 21 by R.Gabriš, 22–25 provided by F. Le Pont.

Figs 14–20. Cookiellocapsa caledoniensis gen. & sp. nov., male: 14 – maxilla and palpus maxillaris; 15 – terminal lobes of labium, dissected; 16 – haltere, lateral view; 17 – aedeagal complex and hypandrium, latero-diagonal view; 18 – aedeagal complex and parameres, dorso-diagonal view; 19 – gonocoxite and gonostyle, lateral view; 20 – epandrium and surstyli, lateral view. Scale bars: 14, 16–18, 20 = 0.2 mm; 15, 19 = 0.1 mm.