Chaetostomella kitanea El Harym, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: A5E669C2-EB58-40E4-BCA8-23AFAC8A9A34

Figs 5d–e, 6a–g, 7a–h

Chaetostomella cylindrica: El Harym et al. 2020: 448, 2022: 364 (misidentification).

Material. Type. Holotype ♀ (pinned): Morocco: Tétouan Province: Rif, Douar Kitane, 52 m [N35°32.412’, W005°20.393’ (35.5402, 5.3399)], ex flower heads of Cynara scolymus, coll. 18 Jan. 2020, emerged 8 Feb. 2020 (El Harym leg.) (LESCB).

Paratypes: Morocco: Tétouan Province: Douar Kitane, same collection data as holotype, 1 ♂, emerged 17 Feb. 2020, 1 ♂, emerged 19 Feb. 2020, 1 ♂, emerged 22 Feb. 2020, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, emerged 24 Feb. 2020, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, emerged 25 Feb. 2020, 4 ♂♂, emerged 26 Feb. 2020, 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, emerged 2 Mar. 2020, 1 ♀, emerged 23 Mar. 2024 (El Harym leg.) (LESCB); Azilal Province: High Atlas, Ouaouizarght locality, Ouaouirorout site, 970 m [N32°09.882’, W006°21.492’ (32.1647, 6.3582)], 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 24 May 2022, swept from Cynara humilis. Ifrane province: Middle Atlas, Dayat Hachalf, 1671m [N33°32.593’, W004°59.984’ (33.5432, 4.9997)], 1♀, 06 Jul. 2025, swept from Carthamus pectinatus Desf., 1♀, emerged 22 Jul. 2020, from Carthamus pectinatus Desf. (El Harym leg.) (LESCB, AEUTM; YEH; NKMB, SIZK).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to the morphological ‘forms’ and host races here assigned to the cylindrica complex in having the katepisternal spot and mesonotal vittae black; anterior peristomal setae long and vibrissa-like; all setulae on frontal plates and most postocular setae black (but 2 dorsalmost white). It differs from them by the combination of the long ovipositor (≥ 8.5 × as long as wide; ≥ 1.9 mm long) and separated subapical and apical wing bands (some aberrant specimens of C. cylindrica in populations from the European core and especially the Asian group also have separated bands); larvae in flower heads of Cynara spp. (other local populations are not known to infest this plant). Only males reared from the host plant together with females can be identified.

Description. Head (Figs 6c, d) length: height: width ratio = 1.0: 1.2: 1.8; yellow or light reddish yellow; ocellar triangle subshining, bases of posterior ocelli dark brown; frons yellow; frontal plate with black setulae; frontal vitta matt, very sparsely whitish microtrichose; parafacial matt, whitish microtrichose; gena and facial ridge with black setulae and setae; 2–4 anterior setae on vibrissal angle long and black; postocular setae black, except 2 dorsalmost white; postocellar, paravertical and occipital setae white; other setae black. Compound eye 1.6 × as high as long and 3.4–3.8 × as gena; uniformly green without purple stripes in live specimens. Antenna orange yellow, white microtrichose; pedicel and scapus black setulose; postpedicel 1.5–1.7 × as long as wide; arista 3-segmented; yellow in basal 0.3–0.4, black apically, short white microtrichose. Palp yellow, white microtrichose, with black and white setulae. Proboscis short capitate, white setulose.

Thorax (Figs 6a, b): yellow with black mesonotal vittae, spots on katepisternum, meron, anatergite, and katatergite, entirely black mesophragma, and scutellum with 3 black spots; sparsely whitish microtrichose, almost matt, whitish setulose and black setose. Presutural supra-alar and dorsocentral setae inserted in small brownish-black dots, often inconspicuous; prescutellar acrostichal seta with large shining black spot at base; scutellar setae inserted into yellow area. Anepisternum with scattered white setulae in its anterior part and 2 large setae, 5–7 shorter setae, and white setulae in its posterior part.

Legs yellow, black setose and setulose.

Wing (Fig 6g) 2.7 × as long as wide; pattern as in other species of the genus; subapical and apical bands separated along r 2+3.

Abdomen (Figs. 6a–b): yellow to greenish-yellow, with black spots at anterior margins of tergites 2–5(–6), arranged in 2 pairs of rows; tergite 2 with pale brown spots often lacking; male tergite 5 with posterolateral spots separated from anterolateral spots; tergites 2–6 and sternites 3–6 black setulose; tergite 1 entirely, and tergite 2 medially, white setulose.

Postabdomen. Male: Epandrium and phallus as on Fig. 7a. Phallus glans with short ligula. Female: oviscape reddish brown, sometimes with black spots latero-basally and darkened apex, black setulose. Aculeus as in Figs 5d–e, 7e, 12 –14 × as log as wide, with very narrow and pointed cercal unit, 3 × as long as its width at apices of ventral lobes; distance from proximal subapical seta to apex 3.8 × as long as distance between these setulae. Two spermathecae as on Fig. 7h.

Measurements [mean, (min–max), mm]: Body length ♂ = 5.68 (5.30–6.07), wing length ♂ = 4.77 (4.54–5.00); body length ♀ = 7.08 (5.41–8.75), wing length ♀ = 5.40 (4.25–6.56), oviscape length, dorsally = 1.56 (1.29–1.84), oviscape length, ventrally (OLV) = 1.75 (1.66–1.84), aculeus length (AL) = 2.34 (2.24–2.45); aculeus width = 0.33 (0.32–0.35).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Kitane town. This locality is the place where the specimens were first reared and collected and the birthplace of the first author.

Distribution. Morocco.

Host plants. Cynara scolymus L. (= Cynara cardunculu s subsp. scolymus (L.) Hegi.) (Figs. 16a–b) and Carthamus pectinatus Desf. (Fig. 13e)

Remarks. Chaetostomella kitanea superficially resembles Tephritis algira Macquart 1843 (see below), a species possessing separated apical and subapical wing bands.