Mavromoustaca Dlabola, 2025

Mavromoustaca Dlabola stat. nov.

Osbornellus (Mavromoustaca) Dlabola, 1967: 37–38 View in CoL . Type species: O. (M.) consanguineus Dlabola View in CoL (junior synonym of Circulifer macchiae Lindberg View in CoL ), synonymized by Kartal 1982: 27.

Remarks. This genus was originally placed as a subgenus of the New World genus Osbornellus Ball but based on the description of the latter given by Linnavuori (1959: 209), Mavromoustaca differs from Osbornellus in having the pygofer deeply incised dorsally and the anal tube sclerotized dorsally ( Fig. 27A View FIGURES 27 ). It also differs from Osbornellus s. str., in lacking a pair of transverse brown bands on the fore margin of the head and having the style apical process short and curved ( Figs 26C View FIGURES 26 , 27D View FIGURES 27 ). The genus is similar to Monobazus but in the latter genus the connective is generally shorter (except in M. dissimilis ) and the aedeagal processes usually arise ventrally and in some cases as ventro-medial process forked distally (except in M. dissimilis and M. angulatus ). The elevation of Mavromoustaca to the genus level results in the following new combinations: M. arboropicta ( Dlabola, 1984: 49–50, figs. 85–92, Iran), comb. nov. M. deviatica ( Dlabola, 1974: 68–69, figs, 93–96, Iran), comb. nov. and M. macchiae ( Lindberg, 1948: 160, figs. 49A–G, Cyprus) senior synonym of Osbonellus (Mavromoustaca) consanguineus Dlabola, 1967: 47 , figs 45–47, Cyprus, synonymized by Kartel, 1982: 27, comb. nov. Of these species, the record of M. macchiae from Pakistan ( Khatri & Webb 2010) represents a new species, not described here. In addition to these species, the following other species may also belong in Mavromoustaca : Osbornellus horvathi ( Matsumura, 1908:30) from Algeria (figured by Vilbaste, 1976: Fig. 6 View FIGURES 6 ) and Tbilisica cardirata ( Korolevskaya 1980: 806) from Tajikistan. Three new species are described from the Indian subcontinent.

Key to the species of Mavromoustaca from the Indian subcontinent (males)

1. Aedeagal shaft with processes as long or longer than shaft.................................................... 2

- Aedeagal shaft process much shorter than shaft ( Figs 25 View FIGURES 25 EF).................................. M. brevispina sp. nov.

2. Aedeagal shaft processes strongly curved laterally at apex in ventral and dorsal view ( Figs 26 View FIGURES 26 DE).................................................................................................. M. channabasavanna sp. nov.

- Aedeagal shaft process not strongly curved laterally at apex in ventral view and appressed to shaft in posterior view ( Fig. 27E View FIGURES 27 )................................................................................ M. opressa sp. nov.