Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) irwini Evenhuis & Gharali, 2022

Empidideicus (Anomaloptilus) irwini Evenhuis & Gharali , n. sp.

( Figs 9 View FIGURES 5–10 , 18 View FIGURES 17–19 , 21 View FIGURES 20–22 , 30, 31 View FIGURES 25–33 , 43 View FIGURES 40–47 , 55, 56 View FIGURES 50–58 , 69, 70 View FIGURES 69–70 )

Types. Holotype ♂ and 2♂, 2♀ paratypes from MADAGASCAR: Toliara Province: Ifaty , 22 km N Toliara, 23°11.5′S, 43°37′E, 18 Apr 1998, hand netted, spiny forest, M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger ( CAS) GoogleMaps . Holotype in CAS . Paratypes in CAS and BPBM .

Diagnosis. Most similar to E. ( A.) contrasticus n. sp. by the short mouthparts, the proboscis not exceeding the oral margin, but can be easily separated from it by yellow scutellum (black in E. ( A.) contrasticus n. sp.) and the eyes holoptic or nearly so below the antennae (clearly dichoptic in E. ( A.) contrasticus n. sp.).

Description:

Male ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 5–10 ). Lengths: 0.98–1.20 mm. Wing: 1.00– 1.10 mm. Head ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 20–22 ): globular, wider than long; eyes dichoptic above antennae separated at vertex by 1.5× distance between lateral ocelli, but holoptic or nearly so below level of antennae, separated by width of one ommatidium; occiput and postgena black; frons slightly depressed medially, with small black spot medially; face white, tip of oral margin white; antennae with scape yellow, short, subtrapezoidal; pedicel yellow, subconical, wider than long; first flagellomere black, lanceolate, length 2.5× width; second flagellomere black, three-fourths length of first flagellomere, with minute transparent apical style; mentum white; clypeus white, minute; proboscis dark slightly exerted beyond oral margin; labrum sclerotized, stiff, pointed apically, length subequal to proboscis; palpus not evident.

Thorax ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 25–33 ). Mesonotum matte black with white markings in following areas: dorsolaterally from humeral callus to postalar callus, interrupted above wing base, interhumeral mark not coalesced with mark on humeral callus; scutellum yellow; mesonotal disc and dorsum of scutellum with short fine brown hairs; pleura bare; pleura black with white on following: posterodorsal corner of anepisternum and anepimeron, upper half of meron and metepisternum; halter stem grayish brown, knob white.

Legs. Coxae and femora yellow, mid femur with some brown on basodorsal half; rest of legs white except tarsal segments 3–5 brown.

Wing ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 40–47 ). Elongate, length 2.5× width; subhyaline; veins brown; costa ends slightly beyond end of R 4+5; vein Sc incomplete; Rs faded at connection with R 1; R 4+5 slightly curved, ending in wing margin beyond level of end of M 2; vein M 1 curved to wing margin; M 2 straight; cell dm closed by apical crossvein, width one-half that of crossvein r-m; A 1 very thin, straight to wing margin; anal cell broadly open at wing margin; fringe of hair on posterior margin of wing well shortest at wing tip becoming longer and more sparse toward base.

Abdomen ( Fig. 55 View FIGURES 50–58 ). Dorsum black, with thin white band posteriorly; tergites with sparsely scattered minute black hairs; sternites brown medially, white laterally.

Genitalia ( Fig. 69 View FIGURES 69–70 ). Hypopygium shiny brown. In ventral view with gonocoxites rounded, rectangular, small cleft medially bearing paired trident-shaped process, paired pegs medially on basal portion of gonocoxite lobes, with thin dark sclerotization basally and large seta medially on each lobe ( Fig. 69A View FIGURES 69–70 ); gonostylus subtriangular with long medial process; lateral arms of parameral sheath apodemes extending well below gonocoxa, foliate apically; aedeagal bulb large, rounded; aedeagal apodeme extending slightly beyond lateral arms of parameral sheath, with broad lanceolate lateral rami; upper portion of parameral sheath with bulbous apex in ventral view ( Fig. 69C View FIGURES 69–70 ); epandrium subrectangular with large rounded, sclerotized apicoventral processes; cerci large, not exerted ( Fig. 69B View FIGURES 69–70 ).

Female: As in male except eyes more dichoptic ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 17–19 ); thorax subshiny ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 25–33 ); tergal pattern of abdomen ( Fig. 56 View FIGURES 50–58 ) similar to that in E. ( A.) hauseri n. sp. ( Fig. 54 View FIGURES 50–58 ) but dark areas more pronounced. Genitalia ( Fig. 70 View FIGURES 69–70 ): genital fork U-shaped, with two inwardly-directed process on lateral arms, median portion of “U” membranous, evanescent laterally, spermatheca spheroid-ellipsoid, sclerotized brown, longer than wide, small invagination apically with numerous glandular trichomes, with striations on basal three fourths; apical spermathecal duct subequal to length of spermatheca, thin, transparent; sperm pump minute, slightly sclerotized, without evident apical or basal valves; basal duct 1.5× length of apical duct, corrugated, slightly wider than apical duct; common duct absent.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the collector, Michael E. Irwin and for his continued support of taxonomic research on Malagasy Diptera .