Niphta bifurcata Pivar and Moulton, 2021

Pivar, Robert J., Sinclair, Bradley J. & Moulton, John K., 2021, Revision of the genus Niphta (Diptera, Thaumaleidae) Theischinger of South America, with descriptions of nine new species and a new immature morphotype, ZooKeys 1063, pp. 49-104 : 49

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1063.71180
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2792B13C-D577-416C-B83D-1C8043701C78
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2C174B79-C941-4878-9A41-AC43414033FC
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C174B79-C941-4878-9A41-AC43414033FC
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Niphta bifurcata Pivar and Moulton
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Niphta bifurcata Pivar and Moulton sp. nov.

Figs 6A View Figure 6 , 8A View Figure 8 , 9A View Figure 9 , 10A View Figure 10 , 11A View Figure 11 , 12A View Figure 12 , 24B View Figure 24

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, glued to point with abdomen in glycerine microvial pinned beneath, labelled: "Chile: Region XIV (Los Ríos)/ Antilhue, Rte. T-35, 9.xii.2016/ 39°49'09.8"S 72°56'22.6"W / elev. 40 m, roadside creek,/ J.K. Moulton & R.J. Pivar"; "HOLOTYPE/ Niphta / Niphta bifurcata / Pivar & Moulton [red label]" (CNC). Allotype: ♀*, same data as holotype (CNC). Paratypes: Chile: Region XIV (Los Ríos): same data as holotype (2♂).

Recognition.

This species is recognised by the bifurcate, posterior apex of the cheliform gonostylus and the bifurcate anterior projection of the gonocoxite. It is darker in colouration compared to the closely related N. courtneyi .

Description.

Male. n = 3.

Length 1.7-1.9 mm.

Colouration (Figs 9A View Figure 9 , 10A View Figure 10 ). Head dull, dark brown; pronotum and postpronotum dark brown; postpronotal lobe and lateral margins of prescutum light brown; scutum shiny with three distinct dark brown stripes, pleura light brown; postscutum brown; scutellum shiny, light brown; mediotergite shiny, anterior half light brown, posterior half brown; katepisternum mainly dark brown, light brown near coxa 1; paratergite brown; remaining pteropleuron mainly brown with dispersed light brown and black markings; base of halter pale brown, knob pale yellow; legs pale brown, apex of tarsi darker; abdomen brown; terminalia pale brown.

Head. Eyes above antennae broadly joined, with small triangular frons visible above antennae; frons with two strong setae. Flagellomeres 1-3 subquadrate, 1 expanded, twice as wide as next segment, shorter in length than 2 and 3 combined; flagellomeres 4-10 cylindrical, becoming progressively thinner and elongate. Vertex with black setae of uniform length, with longer, black orbital setae.

Thorax. Mesoscutum with prominent antealar ridge, bearing three setae, middle seta most pronounced. Scutum clothed dorsally in short, black setulae; notopleural, supra-alar and postsutural setae long, black. Pteropleuron bare. All legs with tarsi simple.

Wing. Wing length: 2.1-2.4 mm. Infuscate throughout, apex somewhat narrowed; C fringed in small setulae, with widely spaced microtrichia; posterior wing margin with closely spaced fringe of microtrichia; Sc incomplete; R1 and R1(+R2+3) with three weakenings or depigmented gaps, first slightly beyond R2+3, second and third closely approximated, near C; microtrichia of R1(+R2+3) confined to base near humeral crossvein, remaining veins bare; R flexed into cell br; R2+3 distinct, situated in basal third of R1(+R2+3); bend in R4+5 strong; R4+5 and M1 running parallel toward margin; M1 straight; M2 with gentle bend in apical third; M4 with slight bend.

Abdomen. Abdominal sternite 1 narrow, spectacle-shaped; sternite 2 reduced to slender median sclerite, a few setae restricted to posterior third; sternites 3-7 rectangular, lightly sclerotised, setae restricted to posterior half; sternite 8 strongly reduced, anterior margin well sclerotised, arched slightly into preceding segment, a few setae restricted to laterad.

Terminalia (Figs 6A View Figure 6 , 8A View Figure 8 ). Epandrium quadrate in ventral view, posterior margin rounded, with medial cleft; long, extended beyond gonostyli; without lobes or projections. Gonocoxites oblong, longer than wide; anterior margin rounded, somewhat expanded dorsally behind gonocoxal plate, not closely approximated; with two spine-like projections; anterior projection wide, bifurcate; posterior projection long, slender, slightly sinuous, tapered to single apex, nearly twice as long as anterior projection; inner margin with numerous long, thin setae. Gonostylus cheliform, dorsoventrally flattened anteriorly, swollen posteriorly; anterior apex with a few setae; posterior apex bifurcate, setose. Parameres medially fused, attached basally to arms of gonocoxal plate; divided distally into dorsal parameral apodeme and ventral arm; ventral arm projected anteroventrally toward gonocoxal plate, strongly curved anteriorly, sickle-shaped, surface textured with tiny bumps, except for smooth apex; ventral arm extends posteroventrally presumably to aid in copulation; when retracted, rests ventrally between dorsal arm of gonocoxal plate and dorsal to anterior gonocoxal projection. Gonocoxal plate broad, well sclerotised; anterior margin subquadrate, basal margin cleft; pair of dorsal arms connected to parameres; medial aedeagal guide projected ventrally between posterior margins of gonocoxites, well sclerotised, comprising two parts: anterior Y-shaped structure with five finger-like projections protruded from posterior margin and dorsal triangular plate. Cercus ovoid, only slightly visible in lateral view; projected anteroventrally; situated within epandrial indentation.

Female. n = 1.

Similar to male except as follows: Abdomen. Tergite 9 noticeably more sclerotised than preceding tergites; sternite 8 well sclerotised, with distinct blunt projection at base of hypogynial valve. Terminalia (Figs 11A View Figure 11 , 12A View Figure 12 ). Hypogynial valve not projected beyond tergite 9; posterior margin deeply cleft in ventral view, forming two triangular lobes; lobes densely setose, with both stout, thickened setae and thinner, long setae with slight apical bend; hypogynial protuberance between valves. Tergite 9 subquadrate in lateral view, 1.5 × as wide as tergite 8, lacking lateral projections. Sternite 9 (genital fork) slender, Y-shaped at both ends; lateral arms forming complex of highly modified structures: medial heavily sclerotised circular opening, dorsal to posterior cleft of hypogynial valve, with pair of lateral sclerotised triangular expansions; triangular expansions expanded dorsally into pair of circular plates, those further expanded anteriorly into pair of heavily sclerotised plates, strongly recurved posteroventrally toward circular opening, remaining dorsal to genital fork; dorsal surface of recurved plates with tiny grooves and indentations. Hypoproct lightly sclerotised, narrow. Cercus quadrate, projected posteroventrally; bearing numerous setae. Spermathecae not observed; two spermathecal ducts visible in centre of lateral arm circle.

Immature stages.

Unknown.

Additional material examined.

Known only from the type series.

Distribution.

Known only from the type locality in the Chilean Coastal Range (Fig. 24B View Figure 24 ).

Etymology.

Niphta bifurcata is named in reference to the posterior apex of the gonostylus and the anterior projection of the gonocoxite, both of which are bifurcate.