Docosia dali, Kurina & Burdíková & Ševčík, 2025

Docosia dali sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Figs 2 A, C View FIGURE 2 ; 5 A–D View FIGURE 5 ; 6 A–F View FIGURE 6

Holotype. Male. GEORGIA: Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region, Tbilisi N.P., 1275 m., 41.881160°N 45.020803°E, 27.May– 01.Jun.2022, Malaise trap, Leg. X. Mengual, B. Müller (mounted from ethyl alcohol, with terminalia in glycerine, ZFMK-DIP-00112444; one fore leg used for DNA sequencing, for GenBank accession numbers see Table 1). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Based on the structure of the male terminalia, D. dali sp. nov. belongs to the same group of Palaearctic species as defined for D. babale sp. nov. Among these species, D. dali sp. nov. is most similar to D. landrocki Laštovka & Ševčík, 2006 and D. caucasica Kurina & Kirik, 2021 due to the outline of the medial process on the posteroventral margin of the gonocoxite and the shape of tergite IX, which is short and only slightly longer than wide. Docosia dali sp. nov. is distinguished by the presence of a bifurcate lateral process on the posteroventral margin of the gonocoxite (one-lobed in other species) and one-pronged ventral lobe of the gonostylus (two- or threepronged in other species).

Description. Male (n = 1). Length of wing 2.5 mm.

Head blackish brown with numerous pale setae. Three ocelli, the lateral ones almost touching compound eyes, separated from the eye margins by less than half of their own diameter. Mouthparts brownish. Palpus yellow, except basal segment brownish. Scape, pedicel and all flagellomeres brown. All flagellomeres cylindrical, fourth flagellomere about 1.3 times as long as broad.

All parts of thorax blackish brown, with light setae. Scutellum with numerous setae and two pairs of submarginal bristles. Antepronotum and proepisternum with pale bristles and short darker setae. Laterotergite with 2–3 small setae at lower half of hind margin, other pleural parts bare. Haltere pale yellow.

Legs.All coxae yellow, with basal fifth of fore and mid coxae, and basal third of hind coxa brownish. Trochanters brown. All femora and tibiae yellow, except basal half of fore femur ventrally brownish. Fore tibia apicomedially with semicircular tibial organ (anteroapical depressed area), without strong setae, only densely covered with fine yellow setae. Tarsi seem brownish because of dense setae.

Wings hyaline, unmarked. Radial veins and r-m dark brown, other veins paler, m-stem and basal part of medial fork faint, almost not traceable. Sc, Rs, m-stem, bm-m and basal half of cu-stem asetose, the other veins setose. Costa reaches to about half of the distance between R 4+5 and M 1. Sc ends in R at the level of beginning of m-stem. Posterior fork begins at the level of anterior fork.

Abdomen all blackish with pale setae. Terminalia ( Figs 5 A–D View FIGURE 5 , 6 A–F View FIGURE 6 ) brown, with gonostyli slightly lighter. Tergite IX basally with small medial incision, apically blunt, longer than broad, posterior margin slightly convex, setose, with row of subapical stronger setae. Posteroventral margin of gonocoxites with bifurcate lateral lobes, consisting of more medial, setose, triangular lobe, and more lateral, bare, needle like lobe, which extending gonostylus medially. Internal flange of posteroventral margin of gonocoxite drawn medially out to an apically rounded large process, densely covered with apically ramified setae. Gonostylus consists of two lobes: (1) large crescent-shaped dorsal lobe that is medially curved and apically widened, with large aggregation of small setulae on apicoventral surface, and (2) ventral convoluted, subapically widened lobe that is apically resembling a spine (black and pointed). Parameral apodeme posteriorly broad and rounded. Aedeagus with hook-like apical part in lateral view and deeply bifurcated in ventral view. Cercus parallel-sided, with 11 combs of small spines (retinacula).

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name, used as a noun in apposition, is derived from ancient Georgian mythology. Dali is a goddess of nature, animals, and hunting. She was said to possess extraordinary beauty, with long, golden hair and radiant white skin. She resides high in the mountains, far from the reach of humans, where she watches over the herds of wild animals under her protection.