Tonnoiriella italiae, Wagner & Withers, 2020

Wagner, Rüdiger & Withers, Phil, 2020, The West-Palearctic species of the genus Tonnoiriella Vaillant, 1971 (Diptera: Psychodidae, Psychodinae), Zootaxa 4728 (2), pp. 183-210 : 194-195

Tonnoiriella italiae sp. nov.

( Figs. 17–21 )

Material: holotype, 1♂, Italy: Province Cuneo, Valle Maira , (44°30’N / 7°10’E), 800 m a.s.l., 08 August 2002, leg. Malicky ; 1♂ Italy: Sicily, SE Castelbuono (37°54’N / 14°07’E), 300 m a.s.l., 19 May 1981, leg. Malicky ; 2♂ Italy: Sicily, Villa doso, T. Mandic, o. Mons Picilino , 800 m a.s.l., 18 February 1989, UTM VB 362 738, leg. Usso & Gerecke (all in coll RW).

Description: Head round, eyebridge of 3 facet rows; distance between the eyes 3.5 facet diameters; a single row of 5–6 postocular bristles. Antenna with scape, pedicel and 12 flagellomeres, apical segments missing.Absolute length of antennomeres: 0.040-0.056-0.046-0.050-0.054-0.048-0.048-0.050-0.050-0.048-0.046-0.042-0.036-0.036- mm; relative length 20-28-23-25-27-24-24-25-25-24-23-21-18-18-. Flagellomeres 5–11 with a pair of digitiform curved ascoids in the distal third. Palpus segments: absolute length 0.064-0.090- 0.104-0.170 mm; relative length 32-45-52-85.

Wing 2.68 times longer than wide; length 2.09 mm, width 0.78 mm.

Male terminalia ( Figs 17, 18 ) with hypandrium broadened over 1/3 of its length with distal edge curved. Gonocoxites approximately 2.5 x longer than wide slightly bent; inner side with basal hook-shaped broadening with a group of 4–6 setae, at about middle with a single seta longer than gonocoxite; gonostylus curved, as long as gonocoxite.

Parameres with a broad ventral bridge, lobes almost reach the middle of the gonocoxite; in the midst is a racketshaped brownish area on the aedeagus sheath; above a pair of broad bilobed inner processes that do not meet in the middle; further dorsal with large rhomboid condyles that form the median keel above the basiphallus.

Basiphallus bilobed, ventral lobe bifid, shorter part connected to the distiphallus, longer part slightly bent with blunt tip; distiphallus sclerite with both ends round, the broader end with a basal triangular projection. The dorsal basiphallus lobe distally connected with the anchor-shaped distiphallus, both sides of approximately similar length.

Epandrium rhomboid, epandrial processes almost straight, apically with 10–12 feathered tenacula.

Distribution: Italy, from north (province Cueno) to south (Sicily).

Etymology: The name is derived from the country of Italy where the species occurs.

Remarks: The new species is distinguished by the roundish middle extension of the hypandrium, the larger ventral lobes of the parameres, and the apically rounded ventral distiphallus from other species of the T. sieberti - group. Comparison of the holotype from northern Italy with specimens from Sicily indicates minor differences in the shape of the hypandrium (wider in the holotype) and the ventral distiphallus ( Figs. 19–21 ), however, not sufficient to distinguish different species.

Figures

FIGURES 15–25: 15 T. sieberti genitalia ventral view; 16 T. ikariae genitalia ventral view; 17–21 T. italiae, genitalia ventral view of specimen from northern Italy (17), Sicily (18), aedeagus of specimen from N Italy (19), Sicily, Villa doso (20) and Sicily Castelbuono (21); 22 T. turcica genitalia ventral view; 23 T. rhodesica genitalia ventral view; 24 T syriensis genitalia ventral view, 25 T. syriensis epandrium and epandrial processes oblique view.