Iranotrichia insolita, Winterton, Shaun L. & Gharali, Babak, 2011

Winterton, Shaun L. & Gharali, Babak, 2011, Iranotrichia gen. n., a new genus of Scenopinidae (Diptera) from Iran, with a key to window fly genera of the world, ZooKeys 138, pp. 75-92 : 80-82

Iranotrichia insolita sp. n. Figs 14A, B5

Type material.

Holotype male, IRAN: Ghazvin province: 17 km NE Ghazvin, Abazar village road, rangeland, 36.2916°, 50.1583°, white pan trap, 19.vi.2010, B. Gharali (NMNH). (excellent condition).

Paratypes.

IRAN: 55 males, 9 females, Ghazvin province: 17 km NE Ghazvin, Abazar village road, rangeland, 36.2916°, 50.1583°, white pan trap, 19.vi.2010, B. Gharali (CSCA (3 males), CAS (10 males 2 females), NMNH (10 males, 2 females), IRIPP (10 males, 2 females), personal collection of BG (20 males, 3 females)).

Diagnosis.

Head, thorax, abdomen and legs with extensive areas of yellow and/or white; combined length of scape and pedicel equal to length of flagellum; scutellum white with yellow suffusion anteromedially; terminalia yellow; epandrium elongate and sub-triangular; distiphallus of male as long or longer than body when uncoiled; distiphallus arms without spinose process.

Description.

Body length:4.0-4.5 mm [male], 4.5-5.0 mm [female]. Head. Male frons glossy black, dark yellow around base of antennae; female frons white with broad dark brown stripe medially extending ventrally from ocellar tubercle, suffused near base of antennae; frons of both sexes with short setae, setae white near base of antennae; ocellar tubercle black, raised in male, flat in female; occiput glossy black (male) or white-yellow with black medially around occipital foramen (female); occiput with sparse, short yellowish setae; gena yellow, raised as ridge along eye margin, sparse short pale setae; parafacial white to yellow, oral cavity with dark yellow sclerotized plates either side of dark medial strip; mouthparts elongate, dark brown, labellum narrow, proboscis flattened laterally (in dried specimen); palpus dark brown, short; antenna slightly longer than head length, dark yellow basally, dark brown distally; short white setae on scape and pedicel; scape 2-3X pedicel length, combined scape and pedicel length equal to length of flagellum; flagellum truncated apically. Thorax. Scutum black, pale white to dark yellow areas marginally (i.e. postpronotal lobe and post-alar callus), more extensive in female and additionally with yellow on anterior part of scutum adjacent to postpronotum and medially on posterior part of scutum; scutal pile dense with three indistinct vittae anteriorly on prescutum formed by unidirectional parting of setae; scutellum matte white, yellow anteromedially, sparse pale setae covering marginally; pleuron black with white to dark yellow dorsally on anepisternum and katepisternum, and around base of wing (pale area more extensive in female); white setae on katepisternum; coxae black to brown; legs yellow, femora frequently with brown suffusion basally on posterior surface; short pile of white-yellow setae on legs, longer on posterior surface of femora; distal tarsomeres suffused with brown; haltere stem brownish, knob white; wing milky hyaline from sparse microtrichia; venation cream-white. Abdomen. Glossy black, each segment with dark yellow laterally and thick white band along posterior margin, segments 6-8 with dark yellow more extensive along posterior margin, replacing white band; white setae on all segments, longer laterally; terminalia dark yellow with long pale setae. Male genitalia (Fig. 4 A–B). Epandrium lobes elongate and sub-triangular, dark sclerotized margins around bases of cerci; subepandrial sclerite extending posteriorly beyond cerci, emarginate posteriorly; hypandrium lobes relatively small and paddle-like with posterior margin of setae; gonocoxite with dark sclerotized, dorsal process immediately ventral to subepandrial sclerite; gonocoxal apodeme broadly flattened, curved medially; ejaculatory apodeme relatively elongate, directed anteriorly; lateral aedeagal bulbs round; distiphallus extremely elongate, arms thick and separate basally, recurved dorsally, arms proximal before end of epandrium, distal portion greatly narrowed and highly coiled, easily longer than body length when uncoiled. Female genitalia (Fig. 5A). Sternite 8 with posterior edge broadly acuminate; spermathecal ducts with valves associated with large membranous sacs.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin, insolitus– unusual, strange, and refers to the unusual appearance of this species.

Comments.

Iranotrichia insolita sp. n. is a highly distinctive species with contrasting black and white-yellow markings; characteristics, which differentiate this species from Iranotrichia nigra sp. n., among others, include the extremely elongate distiphallus and lack of spinose processes at the base of the distiphallus. The antennae and mouthparts are the longest of any scenopinid and are presumably associated with feeding at flowers.