The genus Aphaniosoma Becker, 1903 (Diptera: Chyromyidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, with descriptions of new species Author Ebejer, Martin J. FE96EFD5-EF08-4092-A98D-C362890585CC Honorary Research Fellow, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF 10 3 NP, UK. martin.ebejer@btinternet.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2023 2023-06-08 872 1 161 http://zoobank.org/05098e38-ab11-486e-8f28-8567de6bc19c journal article 10.5852/ejt.2023.872.2131 31ad2cf7-cce8-4202-9a46-d81b0073d561 2118-9773 8018303 05098E38-AB11-486E-8F28-8567DE6BC19C Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 3857614B-5E83-430B-BDB7-80FD7E32ADC4 Figs 48–49 Diagnosis A black species with dense greyish microtomentum giving it an overall grey appearance; with margins of pleural sclerites and hind margins of abdominal tergites yellow ( Fig. 48A ); apex of scutellum yellow; basal flagellomere yellow in male, dark brown in female; 2 distinct fronto-orbital setae. Male densely microtomentose on tergite 6 and on dorsal part of epandrium, leaving two small shining brown patches dorsally on epandrium ( Fig. 48B ). There are four species similar to A. kravchenkoi sp. nov. in external characters and in the structures of the male hypopygium. Aphaniosoma bartaki Ebejer, 1998 , described from Uzbekistan , has a broader and bilobed medial extension of the ventro-lateral margin of tergite 6 and a differently shaped pregenital sternite, which is more transverse and has two short and broad posteriorly directed lobes; the surstylus and postgonite are dark sclerotized. Aphaniosoma hamatum Ebejer, 2007 and A. similis Ebejer, 2007 , both described from Mongolia , have a narrower curved ventral lobe to tergite 6, a bilobed pale surstylus and pale pregonite. Aphaniosoma subtilis Ebejer, 2007 , described from Kyrgizstan, is most similar to the new species in external features, and hypopygial structures must be examined for differentiation: the postero-ventral lobe of tergite 6 is narrower and longer with the apex broad and round in the new species ( Fig. 49A ); the surstylus is dark, curved and pointed in A. subtilis whereas in A. kravchenkoi it is translucent (in macerated specimens) and curved only slightly at the tip; the pregonite is large, broad and strongly curved downwards in A. kravchenkoi but narrow and almost straight in A. subtilis ; the postgonite in both species is translucent, but that of A. kravchenkoi is shorter. Etymology The species is named after V. Kravchenko who collected many specimens of Aphaniosoma in Israel . Material examined Holotype ISRAEL • ♂ ; ‘ Iddan ; 19 Mar. 1995 ; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU 405825 . Paratypes ISRAEL • 3 ♂♂ , 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for holotype; SMNHTAU • 3 ♂♂ , 1 ♀ ; ‘ Enot Zuqim ; 11 Oct. 1994 ; F. Kaplan and A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ ; ‘ Enot Zuqim ; 30 Mar. 1999 ; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ ; same collection data as for preceding; 28 Apr. 1999 ; SMNHTAU • 5 ♀♀ ; ‘ Enot Samar ; 3 Mar. 1999 ; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 5 ♂♂ ; same collection data as for preceding; 30 Mar. 1999 ; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂ ; same collection data as for preceding; 24 Nov. 1999 ; SMNHTAU • 2 ♂♂ ; same collection data as for preceding; 12 Apr. 2000 ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ ; Ma‘agan Mikha ‘El ; 15 May 2000 ; N. Meltzer and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ ; Nahal Neqarot , N of Sappir ; 4 Mar. 1998 ; I. Yarom and V. Kravchenko leg.; on Tamarix nilotica ; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ ; same collection data as for preceding; Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 4 ♂♂ ; ‘ Iddan ; 20 Jun. 1995 ; I. Yarom leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ ; ‘ En Iddan ; 20 Jun. 1995 ; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ ; ‘ En Gedi ; 19 Mar. 1995 ; A. Freidberg leg.; SMNHTAU • 6 ♂♂ ; ‘ En Gedi ( Nahal David ); 5 Jun. 1995 ; I. Yarom leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; SMNHTAU • 11 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ ; ‘ En Gedi / N Arugot ; 31 May 2000 ; B. Merz leg.; MHNG • 2 ♂♂ , 1 ♀ ; N. Arava valley ; 30°46ʹ N , 35°14ʹ E ; 25 Mar. 2000 ; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix and chenopods; MJE • 3 ♂♂ ; Dead Sea , Zomet Zohar ; 31°08ʹ N , 35°21ʹ E ; alt. - 338 m ; 25 Mar. 2000 ; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; MJE • 17 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ ; Dead Sea , ‘ Enot Zuqim ; 31°43ʹ N , 35°27ʹ E ; alt. - 400 m ; 25 Mar. 2000 ; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix sp. ; MJE • 1 ♀ ; Jericho , route 90 ; 31°48ʹ N , 35°29ʹ E ; 25 Mar. 2000 ; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on roadside vegetation; MJE . Fig. 48. Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov. , ♂, holotype (SMNHTAU 405825). A . Habitus, lateral view. B . Hypopygium in situ, posterior view. Other material ISRAEL • 1 ♂ , preserved in alcohol; N. Arava valley ; 30°46ʹ N , 35°14ʹ E ; 25 Mar. 2000 ; M.J. Ebejer leg.; on Tamarix and chenopods; MJE • 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 . JORDAN • 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ , preserved in alcohol; Wadi Rum , “Sietental” [valley]; 29°34ʹ29ʹʹ N , 35°24ʹ25ʹʹ E ; 14 Oct. 2011 ; J.-H. Stuke leg.; 1580; J-HS . Description MEASUREMENTS . Body length: male 1.1 mm , female 1.3 mm . Wing length: male 1.2 mm , female 1.3 mm . Male, holotype HEAD . Yellow on frons and anterior part of gena, otherwise, ocellar triangle, entire occiput and posterior margin of gena black; gena about ½ × as high as eye at middle and with scattered pale yellow setulae; one vibrissal setae but with 2 as strong setae close to it, one on buccal margin and the other on gena lateral to vibrissa; frons narrow at anterior margin about 0.5 × as wide as at level of anterior ocellus; ocellar setae as strong as posterior fronto-orbital, 2 distinct but not especially strong fronto-orbital setae and 3 short setulae anterior to these; about 8 short setulae on frons with a distinctly longer pair in front of the anterior ocellus; inner and outer vertical well-developed; paravertical setae short and convergent, postocular setae short and in one row; face short, poorly sclerotized and depressed; median carina low and not reaching clypeus; antenna yellow, pedicel paler than basal flagellomere and with distinct short seta dorsally; basal flagellomere with fine pubescence along anterior margin; basal 1 / 5 of arista yellow contrasting with black distal portion. Fig. 49. Aphaniosoma kravchenkoi sp. nov. , ♂, paratype (SMNHTAU). A . Hypopygium, lateral view. B . Sternite 6, ventral view. Abbreviations: See Material and methods. THORAX . Black and almost uniformly greyish microtomentose, leaving only postpronotal lobe and notopleuron bright yellow, postalar calli dusky yellowish; scutellum grey with yellowish apex; pleura grey with narrow yellow margins to sclerites; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal, 1 presutural, 1 short incurved intra-postpronotal, 2 notopleurals, 0+4 intra-alars, 1 postalar, 2+6 dorsocentrals with only the posterior one strong, 1+4 acrostichals with no prescutellars, 4 scutellars, anepisternal damaged by pin in holotype , present in paratypes , 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner and 4 fine setae scattered on disc. WING . Veins all brown; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.7 × that between R 4+5 and M 1 ; distance between crossveins about 1.3 × as long as posterior crossvein, which is about 0.4 × as long as apical section of M 4. Haltere pale yellow. LEGS . Yellow; numerous pale setulae scattered on legs, fore femur with additional long setulae on posteriorly; apico-ventral seta on mid tibia present; claws black, pulvilli normal; tarsomeres yellow; hind trochanter not modified. ABDOMEN . Tergites black with yellow hind margins, bearing short pale setulae almost exclusively on the hind margins; tergite 6 densely grey microtomentose ( Fig. 48B ); sternite 6 modified, having the lateral borders extended into triangular lobes, and the posterior margin bearing two short and narrow projections ( Fig. 49B ). HYPOPYGIUM ( Figs 48B , 49A ). Epandrium, on each side, with yellow anterior half and brown posterior half; densely microtomentose dorsally above a small shining brown spot; surstylus narrow elongate; pregonite large and curved; aedeagus brown (not distended and cannot be assessed further); epiphallus shining brown and apically pointed; postgonite pale narrow, rod-like. cerci fused, pale yellow and with long apical setae. Female Similar to male, but with basal flagellomere dark brown and a broad dark brown band across the middle of the frons. Variation There is some chromatic variation in this species where a few specimens have the grey scutum breaking up into vittae over the posterior half, and the pleural sclerites have broader yellow margins. Distribution Israel , Jordan .