Aphaniosoma meltseri Ebejer 2023, sp. nov

Aphaniosoma meltseri sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5BB65B19-3C5F-4E02-97AF-D933BE1A770A Figs 57–59 Diagnosis A pale-yellow species (Fig. 57A), including the mediotergite, and with only slightly elongated head and eyes; in contrast to similar species, it has a small, pale epandrium. The pair of long frontal setae in front of the ocellar triangle are set close to the anterior ocellus; 2 short posterior fronto-orbital setae. The most easily appreciated character of this species is in the shape of the surstylus, which is broad at its base and curved with a setula at its apex. Similar species: A. nudum Ebejer, 2007 from Mongolia and A. curvistylus sp. nov. from Israel are similar in external characters, but all three species differ in details of the hypopygium (see above under A. curvistylus). Etymology The species is named in honour of N. Meltser, who collected a significant amount of specimens of Aphaniosoma from Israel during the Tamarisk trees survey. (His name on the data labels is spelled with a “z”.) Material examined Holotype ISRAEL • ♂; ‘ En Zin; 13 May 1999; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis; SMNHTAU 405828. Paratypes ISRAEL • 5 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; SMNHTAU • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; on Tamarix parviflora; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; 19 Oct. 1999; on Tamarix negevensis; SMNHTAU • 13 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 25 Jul. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; SMNHTAU • 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 25 Aug. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 22 Apr. 1998; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica; SMNHTAU • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; on Tamarix jordanis; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 12 Apr. 2000; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 30 Mar. 1995; I. Yarom leg.; on Tamarix sp.; SMNHTAU • 3 ♀♀; Ne’ot haKikkar; 25 Jul. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 29 Mar. 1996; SMNHTAU • 5 ♂♂; ‘ Enot Zuqim; 11 Oct. 1994; F. Kaplan and A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Elot; 18 Mar. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; on Tamarix sp.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Nahal Zin; 6 Apr. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix negevensis; SMNHTAU • 1 ♀; Nahal Zin; 8 Aug. 1998; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix sp.; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂; 5 Oct. 1999; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix jordanis; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; on Tamarix nilotica; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂; ‘ En Zin; 13 Nov. 1999; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix parviflora; SMNHTAU • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Nahal Neqarot; 10 May 1999; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix sp.; SMNHTAU • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as for preceding; on Tamarix parviflora; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂; Zomet Zohar; 19 Mar. 1995; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Dead Sea, Zomet Zohar; 31°08ʹ N, 35°21ʹ E; alt. - 338 m; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp.; MJE • 15 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Dead Sea, ‘ Enot Zuqim; 31°43ʹ N, 35°27ʹ E; alt. - 400 m; 25 Mar. 2000; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp.; MJE. Other material ISRAEL • 1 ♂, preserved in alcohol; Arava valley, Qetura [Ketura]; 50 km north of Eilat; 29°58ʹ07″ N, 35°03ʹ38″ E; alt. 126 m; 3–8 May 2013; Z.A. Yefremova leg.; Malaise trap; coll. code 140907; ZSM. Description MEASUREMENTS. Body length: male 0.8 mm, female 0.9 mm. Wing length: male 0.8 mm, female 0.9 mm. Male (holotype) HEAD. Yellow including ocellar triangle and entire occiput; frons longer than broad, narrowed anteriorly, at level of antennae about 0.5 × as wide as at level of anterior ocellus; gena narrow in front, deeper behind, in profile, below middle of eye, about 0.4 × as high as eye, with numerous white setulae; occiput in profile narrowly visible behind eye, with short, pale postocular setulae in one row; 1 vibrissal seta well differentiated from buccal row of setulae; face short and narrow, depressed and poorly sclerotized; median carina low and short; antenna yellow, pedicel with short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with fine pubescence along anterior margin shorter than diameter of basal segment of arista; basal ⅓ of arista pale, with fine pubescence; chaetotaxy: 2 posterior fronto-orbitals with 3 very short setulae anterior to them; ocellars a little longer than posterior fronto-orbital, paraverticals short and convergent; 1 medial vertical and 1 lateral vertical; frons with longer pair of setae in front of anterior ocellus and about 8 short pale setulae scattered across frons. THORAX. Yellow, covered with pale yellow microtomentum, especially on scutum; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal, 1 intra-postpronotal, 1 presutural, 2 notopleurals, 0+4 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 3+6 dorsocentrals, only prescutellars strong, 1+2 acrostichals with prescutellars not developed, 4 scutellars, 1 anepisternal, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner and with a vertical row of 3 fine setulae at middle. WING. Veins yellow; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.6 × that between R 4+5 and M 1; distance between cross veins about 1.3 × as long as posterior crossvein, which lies slightly oblique and is about 0.3 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere creamy white. LEGS. Yellow; numerous pale setulae scattered on all legs with longer setulae on fore femur; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black in apical half, short, about ½ × as long as tarsomere, pulvilli normal; hind trochanter not modified. ABDOMEN. Tergites yellow and sparsely setulose basally; setulae longer on margins of tergites 4–6; sternite 6 (Fig. 59B), in ventral view, of triangular shape with long extension anteriorly, seen shining in the midline of lower half of the hypopygium in Fig. 58A. HYPOPYGIUM (Figs 58, 59A). epandrium small, pale; surstylus, short, broad at base, curved almost through 90°, and setulose at tip; cercus very pale and long setulose; pregonite rounded at apex, with a row of short setulae, and setulose at apex; postgonite short, barely reaching beyond edge of epandrium, translucent and not easily seen; aedeagus all yellow and not properly characterized. Female Similar to male but without the secondary sexual characters. Variation Some specimens have pale brownish vittae along the dorsocentral and intra-alar lines (Fig. 57B) and pale brown bands on the basal half of the tergites. Distribution Israel.
Published as part of Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species, pp. 1-161 in European Journal of Taxonomy 872 on pages 104-108, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2023.872.2131, http://zenodo.org/record/8018303
{"references":["Ebejer M. J. 2007. New species of Aphaniosoma Becker (Diptera, Chyromyidae) from Central Asia. Studia dipterologica [2006] 10 (1): 249 - 296."]}