Aphaniosoma curvistylus Ebejer 2023, sp. nov.

Aphaniosoma curvistylus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9CF6D443-9441-43CA-BAF5-371A9F3440D5

Figs 19–20, 89

Diagnosis

A pale yellow species with pale brown vittae on scutum; pale yellow shiny epandrium and entirely pale aedeagus; the curved postgonite clearly visible in most male specimens; 4 short fronto-orbital setulae and no long frontal setae in front of the ocellar triangle. Similar species: in the Middle East A. curvistylus sp. nov. shares with A. meltseri sp. nov. (see below) a pale mediotergite and an absence of longer setae in front of the anterior ocellus, but the hypopygium differs in structure. A. nudum Ebejer, 2007 from Mongolia is similar to A. curvistylus in the appearance of the mediotergite and the pattern of setulae on the frons, but the structure of the hypopygium also differs.

Etymology

The species epithet is a combination of the Latin ‘ curvus’ and ‘ stylus’, and refers to the postgonite.

Material examined

Holotype

ISRAEL • ♂; ‘ En Zin; 15 Dec. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis; SMNHTAU 405821.

Paratypes

ISRAEL • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 19 Mar. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 25 Aug. 1995; SMNHTAU • 4 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 30 Mar. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; on Tamarix sp.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 25 Jul. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 11 Oct. 1994; F. Kaplan and A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Nahal Zin; 6 Apr. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Ne’ot haKikkar; 29 Mar. 1996; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Dead Sea, ‘ Enot Zuqim; 31°43ʹ N, 35°27ʹ E; alt. - 400 m; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp.; MJE.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: male 0.9 mm, female 1.3 mm. Wing length: male 1 mm, female 1 mm.

Male (holotype)

HEAD. Yellow including ocellar triangle and entire occiput; at vertex, frons narrowed anteriorly, at level of antennae about 0.5 × as wide as at level of anterior ocellus; gena narrow in front, deeper behind, below middle of eye, about 0.5 × as high as short oval eye, with numerous white setulae; occiput in profile narrowly visible behind eye, with pale postocular setulae in one row; 3 vibrissal setae differentiated from buccal row of setulae; face short and narrow, depressed and poorly sclerotized; median carina not seen; antenna yellow, pedicel with short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with very fine short and dense pubescence along anterior margin, shorter than diameter of basal segment of arista; basal ⅓ of arista pale, with fine pubescence; chaetotaxy: 4 short fronto-orbitals, posterior 2 a little longer; ocellars short, paraverticals short and convergent; 1 inner and 1 outer vertical; frons with about 14 scattered silvery white setae and no longer pair in front of anterior ocellus.

THORAX. Yellow with yellow microtomentum; scutum with pale brown vittae; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal, 1 short inconspicuous intra-postpronotal setula, 1 presutural, 2 notopleurals, 0+3 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 2+5 dorsocentrals, only hindmost seta strong, 0+4 acrostichals with prescutellars not developed, 4 scutellars, 1 anepisternal at upper posterior margin and 2 weaker setae at middle of sclerite, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner and 2 weaker setae at middle of sclerite.

WING. Veins yellow; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.4 × that between R 4+5 and M 1; distance between cross veins about 1.2 × as long as posterior crossvein, which lies slightly oblique and is about 0.5 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere creamy white.

LEGS. Yellow with numerous pale setulae scattered on all legs, with setulae on fore femur longer; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black in apical half, pulvilli normal; hind trochanter not modified.

ABDOMEN. Tergites yellow with pale brown bands on basal ⅓ of tergites; sparsely setulose with marginal setae of tergites 5 and 6 distinct and long; sternite 6 strongly modified (Fig. 20B).

HYPOPYGIUM (Figs 19B, 20A). Epandrium small, pale shiny yellow, bearing narrow curved surstylus; pregonite long and narrow; postgonite translucent, strongly curved; aedeagus pale yellow and mostly translucent; distiphallus with multiple lobes; cercus pale with short fine setulae.

Female

S imilar to male but without the secondary sexual characters.

Variation

Some specimens have no pale brownish vittae on scutum.

Distribution

Israel.