Asphondylia litseae Felt

Kolesik, Peter & Gagné, Raymond J., 2020, A review of the gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of Indonesia: taxonomy, biology and adult key to genera, Zootaxa 4847 (1), pp. 1-82 : 16

Asphondylia litseae Felt

[ Fig. 6n ]

Asphondylia litseae Felt, 1921b: 149 .

Type series. Syntypes, female and 2 pupae, reared from stem galls on Litsea sp. ( Lauraceae ) collected in Ungaran Mts, Java, alt. 1400 m, 21-iv-1914, Felt #a3096). This series could not be found in the Felt slide collection.

Description based on Felt (1921b), some superficial characters omitted. Female. Length 2.5 mm. Flagellomeres 12 in number, fifth 2.5x longer than wide, terminal reduced, globose. Circumfila coarse, bowed, resembling Schizomyia . Palpus 2-segmented, first segment subquadrate, second broadly oval, acute apically. Tarsal claws stout, strongly curved, simple; empodia about 2/3 claw length. Pseudocerci at base of eversible part of ovipositor rudimentary.

Pupa (based on Felt (1921b)). Length 2.5 mm. Antennal horns unusually long, narrowly triangular [ Fig. 6n (from Felt 1921b, Fig. 5 )]. Prothoracic spiracle slender, strongly curved.

Male, larva unknown.

Remarks. Felt (1921b) only tentatively placed this species in Asphondylia and wrote that it might belong to Schizomyia due to the heavy [dense] and relatively high circumfila and the absence of well-developed lobes at the base of the ovipositor. Only further collecting can solve this problem.

Biology. This species was reared from a stem gall on Litsea sp. ( Lauraceae ) 21-iv-1914 by DvL (1921). He stated that the gall specimen became lost before it could be illustrated and described it only as a swelling at the top of the stem with several larval chambers.

Geographical distribution. This species is known only from the type locality in Ungaran Mts , Java, where it was collected at 1400 m altitude, 21-iv-1914 ( Felt 1921b; DvL 1921) .

Figures

FIGURES 5a–g. Asphondylia ixora: a: gall on Ixora timorensis (Fig. 1016 of DvLR & DvL (1926); arrows indicate gall (ga) and normally developed ovary (ov); b-g, female: b, palpus; c, antenna; d, first tarsal segment; e, last tarsal segment of foreleg with claw and empodium; f, same of midleg; g, same of hindleg.

FIGURES 6a–m. Asphondylia leeae: a, gall on Leea indica, two normal fruit on left, gall on right (Fig. 203 of DvLR & DvL 1914); b–f, male: b, first tarsal segment; c, last tarsal segment with claw and empodium; d, palpus; e, first three flagellomeres; f, gonostylus (posterior); g–i, female: g, posterior end of abdomen (ventral); h, end of needle-like protrusible part of ovipositor (ventral); i, antenna, 6th flagellomere shriveled; j–m, pupa: j, head (ventral); k, head (ventrolateral); l, last abdominal segments (ventrolateral); m, prothoracic spiracle. Fig. 6n. Asphondylia litseae: n, pupal antennal horns (dorsal, Fig. 5 of Felt 1921b).