Paratanytarsus curvispinu, Moubayed-Breil, Ashe & Langton, 2012

Paratanytarsus curvispinu s sp. nov.

(Figures 2, 5, 17, 21 30, 35-41)

Type material

Holotype. LEBANON: southern Lebanon , Awaly River, altitude 250-350 m, hyporhithral to epipotamal zones, 7.xi.1997 (1 pharate male), leg. J. Moubayed-Breil.

Holotype deposited in the collections of the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street , Dublin 2, Ireland.

Etymology

This species is named after the markedly curved spine-like scutal tubercle or hump (from the Latin: curvus meaning curved, spinus meaning spine) on the thoracic suture of the pupal exuviae. A scutal tubercle is also present on the scutum of the adult. The name curvispinus is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis

Paratanytarsus curvispinus sp. nov. is closely related to P. bituberculatus on the basis of both male imagines and pupal exuviae features. Distinguishing characters for the male are: AR = 1.2; hairs present on the anteromedian inner margin of the eyes; Palp 5-segmented, without sensilla clavata; 4 th palpomere with cordiform apex and lacking circular patch of microtrichia; thorax with a markedly distinct scutal tubercle mediodorsally; sternapodeme with a characteristic V-like base, bearing two pointed anterior horns; anal point wider at base and progressively narrowed distally, in lateral view crests include 2 sharp points medially, proximal one the smaller; posterior margin of superior volsella rounded; digitus swollen at base, not uniformly tapering apically; median volsella not flattened distally, bearing about five spatulate setae; inferior volsella with distal ¼ swollen and bearing a tuft of short dark setae on distal ¼ inner margin, ventral setiferous lobe with 3 straight stout setae bent downwards. Pupal exuviae characters key to those of P. bituberculatus except: pattern and granulation of thoracic suture and scutal hump (hump pointed and granulations extended anteriad and posteriad); shape of median patch on tergite VI only composed of short dark spines.

Description

Adult male (n = 1) ( Figures 35-41 View Figures 35-42 )

Large species. Total length 4.30 mm. Wing length 1. 55 mm. Head light brown with dark brown eyes, dark brown pedicel and brown flagellum. Thorax medium brown to brown with dark brown mesonotal stripes; mesosternum, scutellum and prosternum brown. Wing brownish. Legs light brown. Abdomen and anal segment brownish, except base of both sternapodeme and gonocoxite, which are dark brown.

Head. AR = 1.2. Antenna with 13 flagellomeres, 1.32 mm long, ultimate flagellomere 720 µm long, bearing one apical stout seta and 8-9 sensilla chaetica ( Figure 35 View Figures 35-42 ). Eyes with bare ommatidia; hairs present on anteromedian inner margin of eyes ( Figure 36 View Figures 35-42 ). Clypeus with 25 setae in 5 rows (9, 5, 5, 3, 3). Palp 5-segmented, without sensilla clavata; 4 th palpomere with cordiform apex and lacking circular patch of microtrichia ( Figure 37 View Figures 35-42 ); length (in µm) of segments: 57, 51, 147, 103, 151. Frontal tubercles well developed. Coronal triangle moderately marked bearing 4 small stout coronals. Temporal setae 12 including 3 inner and 9 outer verticals.

Thorax. Scutum bearing a distinct scutal tubercle mediodorsally. Thoracic setae: antepronotals absent; 21 biserial acrostichals; 10 uniserial dorsocentrals; 2 prealars; 7 scutellars.

Wing. Membrane covered with setae becoming progressively dense in distal ¼; all veins except M, with dense macrotrichia. Legs. Pulvilli well developed, a little longer than claw. Measurements (in µm) of legs are given below.

Hypopygium ( Figures 38-41 View Figures 35-42 ). Tergite IX subrectangular to subcircular, ending with a nearly straight apical margin, bearing 8 setae situated mediodorsally on two strongly projecting tubercles, 12 setae present distally. Anal tergite bands regularly thin from base to nearly posterior limit of anal tergite, abruptly bent outwards basally, straight and converged medially and weakly terminated in an outwards arc which ends abruptly close to the base of the anal point. Anal point ( Figure 38 View Figures 35-42 ) 33 µm long, maximum width 26 µm at base, wider at base and progressively narrowed distally, ending with a rounded apex; in lateral view ( Figure 39 View Figures 35-42 ) crests include 2 sharp points medially, proximal one the smaller; 12 setae present basally including 6 laterally (3 on each side) and 6 ventrally. Sternapodeme with a characteristic wide V-like base, bearing two pointed anterior horns. Gonocoxite moderately swollen at ventral inner base, which bears dense microtrichia; inner basal margin bearing 3 stout setae, distal one is stouter and longer than the preceding. Superior volsella ( Figures 38, 40 View Figures 35-42 ) subcircular to suboval bearing 8 setae including 4-5 on inner margin; digitus 41 µm long, swollen at base, not uniformly tapering distally and bearing a pointed apex. Median volsella ( Figures 38, 41 View Figures 35-42 ) 60 µm long, not flattened distally, covered with long bristle-like setae and about 5 spatulate setae apically. Inferior volsella ( Figure 38 View Figures 35-42 ) 135 µm long, nearly straight with distal ¼ swollen, bent and curved upwards; dorsally, a tuft of short dark setae on distal ¼ inner margin and bent inwards, about 18 curved stout setae are located apically; ventral setiferous lobe with 3 stout setae about 53-55 µm long, bent downwards. Gonostylus bearing two longitudinal rows of fine setae on inner margin (about 9 setae on each row).

Pupal exuviae (n = 1) (Figures 17, 21, 30)

Thoracic horn absent. The pupal exuviae of P. curvispinus sp.

nov. keys to P. bituberculatus as do those of P. corsicanus . Main distinguishing characters are: thoracic suture (Figure 17) densely covered with granulations on both anterior and posterior half, scutal hump granulate, bent downwards and pointed apically; pearl row on the wing sheath short, not reaching the nose, extending to end of the apical curvature of the wing sheath; postero-median patch of spines on tergite III bearing about 17 long spines on each side, longest spines are inserted in a short rounded row, D5 bristle-like; median patch on tergite VI (Figure 30) subcircular to suboval, bearing dark short spines. Anal lobe with rounded apical margin. Genital sac of male lacking granulations apically.

Female adult and larva: Unknown.

Remarks

P. curvispinus sp. nov. is closely related to P. bituberculatus on the basis of both male imagines and pupal exuviae. The following combination of distinguishing features for the male are: posterior margin of superior volsella rounded in P. curvispinus ( Figure 40 View Figures 35-42 ), straight in P. bituberculatus ; digitus swollen at base, not uniformly tapering distally; median volsella short and bearing more than 10 spatulate setae apically in P. bituberculatus , while in P. curvispinus it has only about 5; ventral setiferous lobe of inferior volsella with 3 stout setae instead of 4 in P. bituberculatus . Pupal exuviae of P. curvispinus sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from those of the bituberculatus- complex on the basis of the following characters: pattern and granulation of thoracic suture (Figure 17, granulations extended anterior and posterior, hump pointed); shape of the median patch on tergite VI (Figure 30).

Ecology and geographical distribution

Paratanytarsus curvispinus is only known from southern Lebanon where it inhabits both the hyporhithral and the epipotamal zones of the Awaly River Basin at an altitude of 250- 350 m. This species represents an additional faunal element for the Levantine subregion .