Revision of the genus Niphta (Diptera, Thaumaleidae) Theischinger of South America, with descriptions of nine new species and a new immature morphotype Author Pivar, Robert J. The University of Tennessee, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 2505 E. J. Chapman Drive, 370 Plant Biotechnology Building, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA Author Sinclair, Bradley J. Canadian National Collection of Insects and Canadian Food Inspection Agency, K. W. Neatby Building, C. E. F., 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K 1 A 0 C 6 Author Moulton, John K. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8760-3274 The University of Tennessee, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, 2505 E. J. Chapman Drive, 370 Plant Biotechnology Building, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996, USA johnkmoulton@gmail.com text ZooKeys 2021 2021-10-19 1063 49 104 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1063.71180 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1063.71180 1313-2970-1063-49 2792B13CD577416CB83D1C8043701C78 5298538BD85C59A69A5D81E54E499167 Niphta bifurcata Pivar and Moulton sp. nov. Figs 6A , 8A , 9A , 10A , 11A , 12A , 24B Type material. Holotype : ♂, glued to point with abdomen in glycerine microvial pinned beneath, labelled: "Chile: Region XIV (Los Rios )/ Antilhue, Rte. T-35, 9.xii.2016/ 39°49'09.8"S 72°56'22.6"W / elev. 40 m, roadside creek,/ J.K. Moulton & R.J. Pivar"; "HOLOTYPE/ Niphta / Niphta bifurcata / Pivar & Moulton [red label]" (CNC). Allotype : ♀*, same data as holotype (CNC). Paratypes : Chile: Region XIV (Los Rios ): same data as holotype (2♂). Recognition. This species is recognised by the bifurcate, posterior apex of the cheliform gonostylus and the bifurcate anterior projection of the gonocoxite. It is darker in colouration compared to the closely related N. courtneyi . Description. Male. n = 3. Length 1.7-1.9 mm. Colouration (Figs 9A , 10A ). Head dull, dark brown; pronotum and postpronotum dark brown; postpronotal lobe and lateral margins of prescutum light brown; scutum shiny with three distinct dark brown stripes, pleura light brown; postscutum brown; scutellum shiny, light brown; mediotergite shiny, anterior half light brown, posterior half brown; katepisternum mainly dark brown, light brown near coxa 1; paratergite brown; remaining pteropleuron mainly brown with dispersed light brown and black markings; base of halter pale brown, knob pale yellow; legs pale brown, apex of tarsi darker; abdomen brown; terminalia pale brown. Head . Eyes above antennae broadly joined, with small triangular frons visible above antennae; frons with two strong setae. Flagellomeres 1-3 subquadrate, 1 expanded, twice as wide as next segment, shorter in length than 2 and 3 combined; flagellomeres 4-10 cylindrical, becoming progressively thinner and elongate. Vertex with black setae of uniform length, with longer, black orbital setae. Thorax . Mesoscutum with prominent antealar ridge, bearing three setae, middle seta most pronounced. Scutum clothed dorsally in short, black setulae; notopleural, supra-alar and postsutural setae long, black. Pteropleuron bare. All legs with tarsi simple. Figure 9. Adult lateral habitus micrographs of the Niphta nudipennis group A N. bifurcata sp. nov. (♂) B N. brunnea sp. nov. (♂) C N. courtneyi sp. nov. (♀), abdomen dissected D N. daniellae sp. nov. (♂) E N. eurydactyla sp. nov. (♂) F N. bispinosa sp. nov. (♂), abdomen dissected G N. nudipennis (♂) H N. courtneyi sp. nov. (♂), inset with arrow indicating antealar ridge. Scale bars: 1.0 mm. Wing . Wing length: 2.1-2.4 mm. Infuscate throughout, apex somewhat narrowed; C fringed in small setulae, with widely spaced microtrichia; posterior wing margin with closely spaced fringe of microtrichia; Sc incomplete; R1 and R1(+R2+3) with three weakenings or depigmented gaps, first slightly beyond R2+3, second and third closely approximated, near C; microtrichia of R1(+R2+3) confined to base near humeral crossvein, remaining veins bare; R flexed into cell br; R2+3 distinct, situated in basal third of R1(+R2+3); bend in R4+5 strong; R4+5 and M1 running parallel toward margin; M1 straight; M2 with gentle bend in apical third; M4 with slight bend. Figure 10. Adult dorsal habitus micrographs of the Niphta nudipennis group A N. bifurcata sp. nov. (♂) B N. brunnea sp. nov. (♂) C N. courtneyi sp. nov. (♀), abdomen dissected D N. daniellae sp. nov. (♂) E N. eurydactyla sp. nov. (♂) F N. bispinosa sp. nov. (♂), abdomen dissected G N. nudipennis (♂) Scale bars: 1.0 mm. Abdomen . Abdominal sternite 1 narrow, spectacle-shaped; sternite 2 reduced to slender median sclerite, a few setae restricted to posterior third; sternites 3-7 rectangular, lightly sclerotised, setae restricted to posterior half; sternite 8 strongly reduced, anterior margin well sclerotised, arched slightly into preceding segment, a few setae restricted to laterad. Terminalia (Figs 6A , 8A ). Epandrium quadrate in ventral view, posterior margin rounded, with medial cleft; long, extended beyond gonostyli; without lobes or projections. Gonocoxites oblong, longer than wide; anterior margin rounded, somewhat expanded dorsally behind gonocoxal plate, not closely approximated; with two spine-like projections; anterior projection wide, bifurcate; posterior projection long, slender, slightly sinuous, tapered to single apex, nearly twice as long as anterior projection; inner margin with numerous long, thin setae. Gonostylus cheliform, dorsoventrally flattened anteriorly, swollen posteriorly; anterior apex with a few setae; posterior apex bifurcate, setose. Parameres medially fused, attached basally to arms of gonocoxal plate; divided distally into dorsal parameral apodeme and ventral arm; ventral arm projected anteroventrally toward gonocoxal plate, strongly curved anteriorly, sickle-shaped, surface textured with tiny bumps, except for smooth apex; ventral arm extends posteroventrally presumably to aid in copulation; when retracted, rests ventrally between dorsal arm of gonocoxal plate and dorsal to anterior gonocoxal projection. Gonocoxal plate broad, well sclerotised; anterior margin subquadrate, basal margin cleft; pair of dorsal arms connected to parameres; medial aedeagal guide projected ventrally between posterior margins of gonocoxites, well sclerotised, comprising two parts: anterior Y-shaped structure with five finger-like projections protruded from posterior margin and dorsal triangular plate. Cercus ovoid, only slightly visible in lateral view; projected anteroventrally; situated within epandrial indentation. Figure 11. Ventral views of female Niphta nudipennis group terminalia A N. bifurcata sp. nov. B N. courtneyi sp. nov. C N. bispinosa sp. nov. D N. nudipennis . Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; gen fk, genital fork; hyp pr, hypogynial protuberance; hyp vlv, hypogynial valve; hypct, hypoproct; lat arm crcl, lateral arm circle; lat arm cmplx, lateral arm complex; spthc p, spermathecal pump. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Figure 12. Lateral views of female Niphta nudipennis group terminalia A N. bifurcata sp. nov. B N. courtneyi sp. nov. C N. bispinosa sp. nov. D N. nudipennis . Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; gen fk, genital fork; hyp pr, hypogynial protuberance; hyp vlv, hypogynial valve; hypct, hypoproct; lat arm crcl, lateral arm circle; lat arm cmplx, lateral arm complex; S, sternite; spthc p, spermathecal pump; T, tergite. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Female. n = 1. Similar to male except as follows: Abdomen . Tergite 9 noticeably more sclerotised than preceding tergites; sternite 8 well sclerotised, with distinct blunt projection at base of hypogynial valve. Terminalia (Figs 11A , 12A ). Hypogynial valve not projected beyond tergite 9; posterior margin deeply cleft in ventral view, forming two triangular lobes; lobes densely setose, with both stout, thickened setae and thinner, long setae with slight apical bend; hypogynial protuberance between valves. Tergite 9 subquadrate in lateral view, 1.5 x as wide as tergite 8, lacking lateral projections. Sternite 9 (genital fork) slender, Y-shaped at both ends; lateral arms forming complex of highly modified structures: medial heavily sclerotised circular opening, dorsal to posterior cleft of hypogynial valve, with pair of lateral sclerotised triangular expansions; triangular expansions expanded dorsally into pair of circular plates, those further expanded anteriorly into pair of heavily sclerotised plates, strongly recurved posteroventrally toward circular opening, remaining dorsal to genital fork; dorsal surface of recurved plates with tiny grooves and indentations. Hypoproct lightly sclerotised, narrow. Cercus quadrate, projected posteroventrally; bearing numerous setae. Spermathecae not observed; two spermathecal ducts visible in centre of lateral arm circle. Immature stages. Unknown. Additional material examined. Known only from the type series. Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the Chilean Coastal Range (Fig. 24B ). Etymology. Niphta bifurcata is named in reference to the posterior apex of the gonostylus and the anterior projection of the gonocoxite, both of which are bifurcate.