Docosia babale, Kurina & Burdíková & Ševčík, 2025

Docosia babale sp. nov.

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Figs 2 B, D View FIGURE 2 ; 3 A–D View FIGURE 3 ; 4 A–F View FIGURE 4

Holotype. Male. GEORGIA, Mtskheta , former anti-air base near Dighomi, 750 m, 41.7825°N 44.6941°E, 22. April 2023, Light trap, A. Pototski & R. Haverinen leg. (double-pinned, with terminalia in glycerine, IZBE0228888 View Materials ; one hind leg used for DNA sequencing, for GenBank accession numbers see Table 1). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. By structure of the male terminalia, D. babale sp. nov. belongs to a group of species characterised by the posteroventral margin of the gonocoxites bearing medial and lateral processes, and the gonostylus being bilobed. Within this group, D. babale sp. nov. is most similar to D. pannonica Laštovka & Ševčík, 2006 , as both species possess an elongated tergite IX that widens posteriorly. However, D. babale sp. nov. differs by having a campanula-shaped medial process on the posteroventral margin of the gonocoxites (stepped and medially elongated in D. pannonica ) and the gonostylus with two-pronged ventral lobe (one-pronged in D. pannonica ).

Description. Male (n = 1). Length of wing 3.6 mm.

Head black 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, basal segment somewhat darker. Scape dark brown, pedicel dark yellow, flagellomeres brown, lighter than scape.All flagellomeres cylindrical, fourth flagellomere about 1.5 times as long as broad.

All parts of thorax blackish brown, with light setae. Scutellum with numerous setae and two pairs of submarginal pale bristles which are somewhat longer than scutellum. Antepronotum and proepisternum with pale bristles and short darker setae. Laterotergite and other pleural parts bare. Haltere yellow.

Legs. All coxae yellow, with basal fifth of fore and mid coxae, and basal third of hind coxa blackish brown. Trochanters brown. All femora and tibiae yellow, except fore femur ventrally brownish and hind tibia slightly darkened at apical fifth. Tarsi brownish, except fore basitarsus entirely and basal half of second fore tarsal segment yellowish. Fore tibia apicomedially with semicircular tibial organ (anteroapical depressed area), densely covered with yellow setae ( Fig. 2 D View FIGURE 2 ).

Wings hyaline, unmarked. Radial veins and r-m dark brown, other veins paler, m-stem faint, almost not traceable. Rs, m-stem, bm-m and basal one third of cu-stem asetose, the other veins setose. Right wing Sc with 3 setae, left wing Sc asetose. Costa reaches to about a third of the distance between R 4+5 and M 1. Sc ends in R well before the level of beginning of m-stem. Posterior fork begins before anterior fork, approximately at the level of the middle of m-stem.

Abdomen all blackish with pale setae. Terminalia ( Figs 3 A–D View FIGURE 3 , 4 A–F View FIGURE 4 ) dark brown, with gonostyli slightly lighter. Tergite IX widening posteriorly, medially somewhat constricted, about 1.4 times as long as broad medially, posteriorly with a row of stronger submarginal setae deviating from other setosity, posterior margin with U-shaped, small medial cleft. Posteroventral margin of gonocoxites with broad, blunt lateral lobes, covered with dense aggregation of strong setae. Internal flange of posteroventral margin of gonocoxite drawn medially out to a large process, having campanula-shaped posterior part, with ventrolateral aggregations of ramified setae. Gonostylus consists of two lobes: (1) large crescent-shaped dorsal lobe that is medially curved and apically widened, with group of lateromedial setae and large aggregation of small setulae on apicoventral surface, and (2) ventral lobe that is split into two prongs, one medially curved and tapering more dorsal prong and posteriorly directed and tapering more ventral prong with black apical spine. Parameral apodeme posteriorly rectangular. Aedeagus with hook-like apical part in lateral view and with V-shaped apical cleft in ventral view. Cercus tapering, with 14 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. Babale is an alternative spelling of Barbale, the goddess of the sun, fertility, and harvest.