Malaisinia tenebrosa Maneesh & Hancock, 2025

Malaisinia tenebrosa Maneesh & Hancock , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 & 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Diagnosis: A medium sized ( 5.14 mm) species characterized by 3 frontal setae, 2 orbital setae, proboscis with elongate black setae, scutum largely greyish black with yellowish setulae except in scapular region, wings largely black with hyaline indentations, setulae on dorsal side of vein R 1 with a gap below Sc break, cell r 1 with one small circular hyaline indentation just below Sc break and two larger hyaline indentations basally connected to smaller hyaline indentations in cell r 2+3 forming almost triangular indentations. Abdomen dark greyish with broad black bands. Posterior lobe of lateral surstylus longer and broader than anterior lobe and glans with serrated sclerites on preputium.

Malaisinia tenebrosa Maneesh & Hancock , sp. nov. is similar to M. biseta (Wang) and M. variegata (Radhakrishnan) but it can be differentiated from M. variegata by three frontal setae, two hyaline indentations in cells sc and r 1, dark grayish abdomen with broad black bands and shape of epandrium; whereas M. variegata has four frontal setae, a single hyaline indentation in cell sc, at least 3 in cell r 1, almost keel-shaped hyaline indentations confluent with each other in cell m, a polished dark brown abdomen without black bands and narrower posterior lobe of lateral surstylus. Wing pattern is variable in M. variegata but differences discussed here are consistent in all the variable type specimens ( cf. Radhakrishnan 1984, figs 1, 3, 4, 5 & 11).

From M. biseta it can be differentiated by wing cell r 2+3 with hyaline extension of outer indentation in cell r 1 broad, as wide as the posterior part of the latter; cell m with 3 large hyaline marginal indentations plus a smaller subapical marginal spot and 2 partially joined spots above medial indentation; anal cell with 4 marginal and 2 medial spots.

Head: Head brownish fulvous, 1.05 mm high, front yellowish with light greyish areas laterally and a lighter fulvous line in middle and wider ( 1.03 mm) than long ( 0.61 mm). Ocellar triangle black. Scape and pedicel brownish fulvous, scape with yellowish setulae dorsally and pedicel with black setulae. Flagellum yellowish brown, apically pubescent and arista lightly plumose basally.Antennae ( 0.47 mm) shorter than face, latter yellowish. Lateral margins of face with 12–15 black setulae. Proboscis capitate with elongate black setae (fig. 1D), palpi with 5–6 black setulae on anterior end and rest with long yellowish setae (fig. 1D). Compound eyes slightly higher ( 0.88 mm) than broad ( 0.74 mm). All setae black or yellowish brown except postocellar and postoculars stubby white and scale-like: 3 frontal, 2 orbital, 1 ocellar, 3 postocellar (medial longer), 2 vertical (inner longer), 9–10 postocular (alternately black and stubby white with white setae longer), 1 black genal seta surrounded by 4–5 yellow setae. Postgena with dense yellow setae ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ).

Thorax: Scutum largely greyish black covered with short, yellowish, scale-like setae except stubby whitish and longer in scapular region. Postpronotal lobe yellowish brown, notopleuron posteriorly yellowish, suture slightly yellowish brown. Postalar calli and scutellum yellowish brown. Pleuron largely yellowish brown except katatergite and anatergite basal 20 % darker. Subscutellum and mediotergite black. Full complement of yellowish brown thoracic setae except apical scutellar setae absent: 1 postpronotal, 2 notopleural, 1 presutural supra-alar, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 dorscocentral, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 1 prescutellar acrostichal, 1 basal scutellar, 2 anepisternal, 1 anepimeral and 1 katepisternal.

All legs yellowish fulvous, fore femora with 3 rows of setae, 2 lateral and 1 ventrolateral, 6–8 longer setae on ventrolateral row; mid femora with 3–4 setulae in row at apex and mid tibiae with an apical black spine; hind tibiae with 3–5 black setulae in row on dorsolateral side.

Wings 4.41 mm long, largely black with hyaline indentations and 2 setae at Sc break. Vein R 1 lacks setulae on dorsal side just below the Sc break (fig 2B). Basal portion of wing including cells bc, bm and bcu hyaline. Cell c hyaline with anterior half of humeral vein black, an indistinct black patch below costal break and a narrow black band distal of midline and separated from apex by a quadrate hyaline area. Hyaline line at Sc break, pterostigma black with two circular hyaline indentations, one near apex of Sc break and another near vein R 1. Cell r 1 black with one small circular hyaline indentation just below Sc break and two larger hyaline indentations basally connected to smaller spots in cell r 2+3 forming almost triangular indentations; cell r 2+3 with 2 isolated additional spots below vein R 2+3 (fig. 2C), cell br with 1 circular hyaline spotin middle almost confluent with vein M, two hyaline spots in cell r 4+5, the larger just above dm-cu crossvein and the smaller in middle. Three hyaline spots in cell dm, 1 isolated and circular and 2 irregularly-shaped and confluent with hyaline indentations in cell cu 1 below vein Cu 1. Cell m with 4 hyaline spots and 4 marginal indentations, 3 large and 1 smaller just below apex of vein M, the 3 basal spots/ indentations distinctly angled, the 2 medial spots pear-shaped and partially united. Cell cu 1 with 7–8 hyaline spots and indentations, 5–6 in middle of cell almost connected with each other and surrounded by a greyer area except for an elongate black spot between the anterior medial pair, 1 irregularly-shaped basal spot and 1 circular marginal indentation near apex of vein Cu 1. Anal lobe hyaline basally, the rest greyish with 4 hyaline indentations and 2 smaller circular spots medially. Alula greyish at apex.

Abdomen: Largely setose with shiny yellowish setulae, dark grayish in colour (fig. 2A) with broad black bands on tergites almost making abdomen appear black except tergite I with narrower black band. Tergite V longer than IV and with longer setae on margins. Sternite V rectangular with shallow posterior emargination and posterior margin with 7–8 black setae.

Genitalia: Epandrium densely setose, the setulae almost arranged in spiral pattern (see Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ), quadrate in posterior view and higher than proctiger, the latter also setose ( Figs 2D & E View FIGURE 2 ). Lateral surstylus ( 0.39 mm) slightly longer than medial surstylus ( 0.33 mm). Posterior lobe of lateral surstylus longer and broader than anterior lobe and margins of both with long setae. Medial surstylus ends in two brownish prensisetae, inner one stouter than outer. Aedeagus 3.08 mm long excluding glans ( 0.15 mm), the latter with broad oval acrophallus in middle and broad preputium ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ). Sclerites on lateral side of preputium with serrations ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ).

Type Material: Holotype ♂, on Artemisia sp. , INDIA, Himachal Pradesh, Solan, Nauni, 30°51’47” N 77°10’7” E. 10.v.2024, Maneesh Leg. at Zoological Survey of India ( High Altitude Regional Centre ( HARC), Solan , Himachal Pradesh). GoogleMaps

Etymology: Specific epithet derived from Latin ‘ Tenebris ’ due to the darker abdomen.