Amblypsilopus spiniscapus Grichanov 2022, sp. nov.

Amblypsilopus spiniscapus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B28B1FEE-1946-4418-AB40-AEBFA8DAABC6

Fig. 1

Diagnosis

Amblypsilopus spiniscapus sp. nov. together with A. gabonensis sp. nov. belong to the A. abruptus species group, differing from all other species of the group in the presence of dorsal bristles on the antennal scape. The male cercus of the new species is bilobate, whereas other Afrotropical species of the group have a simple cercus, either short or long and filiform, at least 2 times as long as epandrium. The new species is very close to A. gabonensis sp. nov. in habitus, differing distinctly by its fore basitarsus bearing a posteroventral row of erect hooked hairs (Fig. 1C) and male cercus with differently shaped lobes (Fig. 1E). The male of Amblypsilopus gabonensis sp. nov. has simple hairs on the fore basitarsus (Fig. 2D).

Etymology

The Latin name of the species refers to the ‘spiny scape’ of the antenna.

Material examined

Holotype IVORY COAST • ♂ (dried from ethanol and mounted on pin); C.I. [= Côte d’Ivoire], 15 km N of Man, Cascades; 7°30ʹ N, 8°30ʹ W; alt. 300 m; 20 Feb. 1998; Kassebeer and Hilger leg.; ZMUK.

Description

Male (Fig. 1A)

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 4.2 mm; antenna length 1.2 mm; wing length 3.7 mm; wing width 1.3 mm.

HEAD. Frons shining greenish violet; 3–4 fine vertical setae and 1 strong postvertical bristle (broken); upper postocular setae black; lateral postocular setae white, uniserial; ventral postcranium covered with irregular white hairs; face shining greenish violet, broad, bulging under antennae, about as high as wide under antennae, at clypeus 2.5 times as wide as postpedicel; clypeus densely covered with short white hairs, large, as high as wide, separated from eyes; antenna (Fig. 1B) black, 1.2 times as long as height of head; scape slightly widened, vase-like, with 2 strong dorsal bristles, as long as scape; pedicel with ring of short bristles; postpedicel conoid, slightly longer than high (13/10), with short hairs; arista-like stylus middorsal, with 2 segments, microscopically haired; length (mm) of scape, pedicel, postpedicel, stylus (segments 1 and 2), 0.13/0.08/0.13/0.06/0.96; palpus brown, with 2 black bristles; proboscis orange with white hairs.

THORAX. Mesonotum and scutellum metallic blue-green, pleura blue-black, weakly grey pollinose; 2 strong dorsocentral bristles behind suture (broken) and 3 hair-like dorsocentrals anteriorly; 3 pairs of acrostichals; scutellum with 2 strong bristles (broken).

LEGS (somewhat discolored). With coxae and femora black, tibiae and basitarsi light brown; fore and mid coxae with white hairs and 2–4 white subapical bristles; hind coxa with 3 white setae of different length; all femora with double row of white ventral setae on basal half, at most as long as diameter of femur; mid femur with 3 posteroventral subapical setae; fore tibia without distinct setae; fore tarsomeres 1–2 with complete posterior row of setae, hooked on basitarsus, as long as diameter of segment, with ventral pad of white hairs along entire length (Fig. 1C); mid and hind tibiae with several short dorsal and ventral setae; hind tarsomeres 3–5 distinctly thickened, with ventral pad of microscopic hairs (Fig. 1D); femur, tibia and tarsomere (from first to fifth) length ratio (mm): fore leg: 0.84/0.97/0.88/0.24/0.13/0.09 /0.11, mid leg: 1.11/1.55/1.16/0.37/0.28/0.13/0.09, hind leg: 1.41/1.94/0.88/0.33/0.18/0.16/0.11.

WING (Fig. 1A). Widest at middle, greyish, veins brown; costa with simple setulae; R 4+5 gently curved to M 1 in apical third; M 1+2 almost straight; M 1 with strong elbow, forming nearly right angle with M 1+2; ratio of parts of costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 to those between R 4+5 and M 1, 2.5/1; crossvein dm-m straight; ratio of crossvein dm-m to apical part of M 1+2 (fork-handle) to apical part of M 4, 0.51/0.58/0.25; anal vein weak; anal lobe and alula well developed; anal angle acute; lower calypter blackish, with black cilia; halter dirty yellow.

ABDOMEN. Thin, shining blue-black, with black cilia and marginal setae; unmodified segments combined 1.7 times as long as thorax; segment 7 short, with black setae; hypopygium (Fig. 1E) brown-black, with blackish appendages; cercus as long as epandrium, bifurcated at middle, with unequal lobes, densely covered with light hairs; surstylus flattened, projected, with few short setae at apex; epandrial lobe small, with 1 long and 1 short apical setae; 1 short epandrial seta.

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

Two Amblypsilopus females were collected during the same expedition from the Zogouale locality (7°25ʹ N, 7°34ʹ W), close to the A. spiniscapus sp. nov. type locality. They also have remarkable dorsal setae on the antennal scape, but cannot be associated with the new species, because those females bear dorsoapical stylus on the postpedicel, distinctly yellow fore coxa on distal half and yellow femora. They may belong to a different undescribed species.