Additions to the Estonian fauna of mycophagous Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), with a description of Unicornella estonensis gen. et sp. nov.
Author
Sikora, Tomáš
0000-0001-7043-3053
Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic. & sikothomas @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7043 - 3053
sikothomas@gmail.com
Author
Jaschhof, Mathias
0000-0003-3447-1620
Station Linné, Ölands Skogsby 161, SE- 38693 Färjestaden, Sweden. & mjaschhof @ yahoo. de; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 3447 - 1620
mjaschhof@yahoo.de
Author
Kurina, Olavi
0000-0002-4858-4629
Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5 D, 51006 Tartu, Estonia. Corresponding author & olavi. kurina @ emu. ee; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 4858 - 4629
olavi.kurina@emu.ee
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-09-10
4851
2
349
363
journal article
8534
10.11646/zootaxa.4851.2.8
2ac5bb58-f2f4-4461-b30e-85e8d755246d
1175-5326
4407774
5AE8133C-72EA-4069-B300-174F18F2A0E4
Unicornella
Jaschhof & Sikora
gen. nov.
Type
species,
Unicornella estonensis
Jaschhof & Sikora
sp. nov.
, described below.
This new genus is introduced here for a new species of
Porricondylini
from
Estonia
, described below as
Unicornella estonensis
(but see below). The species is represented in our material only by two males, meaning female characters of
Unicornella
remain unknown for the time being.
Diagnosis.
Unicornella
comprises small, delicate
Porricondylini
with basitarsal spines (
Fig. 3D
) and
10 male
flagellomeres, characters placing it in group Bb by
Jaschhof & Jaschhof (2013: 166)
. The morphology of males is partially atrophied, recognizable by the small size of the body, the eye bridge lacking dorsal ommatidia, and the wings lacking both branches of the media (
Fig. 3B
).
Cryptoneurus
Mamaev
, another genus of group Bb and largely similar to
Unicornella
, differs in having
11 male
flagellomeres.
Unicornella
is unique among
Porricondylini
, both within and outside group Bb, in the structure of the male genitalia (
Fig. 3A
), as follows. The gonocoxal synsclerite has only one process medioposteriorly (as opposed to two or no processes in other
Porricondylini
), which is moderately sized and sclerotized; the gonostylus is bilobed, the ventral lobe bearing a toothed, basomedial process and the dorsal lobe bearing normal setae; the parameres are present as small sclerotized tusks whose apices are bent ventrad, and whose bases are apparently linked with each other and with the ventral gonocoxal wall; and the aedeagal apodeme has an angular extension of considerable size apically.
FIGURE 3:
Morphology of
Unicornella estonensis
, male, holotype.
A
: Genitalia, ventral.
B
: Wing, dorsal, setae omitted.
C
: Fourth flagellomere, lateral.
D
: Basitarsus of foreleg, lateral. Scales for
A
,
C
,
D
, 0.05 mm; for
B
, 0.5 mm.
Other male characters. Head.
Postcranial setae sparse. Postfrons non-setose. Scape slightly larger than pedicel, both slightly lighter than flagellum. Circumfila sinuous, present on all flagellomeres; neck of fourth flagellomere longer than node (
Fig. 3C
). Palpus slightly shorter than head height, 4 setose, subcylindrical segments, apical segment longest of all.
Thorax.
Scutum with brown stripes dorsally and dorsolaterally; setae sparse. Pronotum and anepisternum non-setose; anepimeron with 3–4 setae.
Wing
(
Fig. 3B
). Length/width ratio 2.9. Membrane fully setose. Costal cell narrow, slightly reinforced. Radial cell conspicuously large. Costal break distinct. Rs oblique, indistinct. CuA short, running close to posterior wing edge.
Legs
densely covered with pointed scales. Foreleg: femur and tibia about same length, tibia longer than T
2
. Acropod: claws slightly bent, 1 large tooth basally; empodia one third as long as claws.
Abdomen.
Sclerites faintly contrasting with surrounding membrane, sparsely setose. Pleural membrane setose.
Genitalia
(
Fig. 3A
). Ninth tergite (not illustrated) short, subtrapezoid, poorly sclerotized, 2–3 setae at posterior edge. Gonocoxal synsclerite with long setae; a pair of setose protuberances near gonostylar bases; medial bridges not bulging towards aedeagus; ventroposterior portions subtriangular, slightly projecting beyond dorsoposterior portions; dorsal apodemes conspicuously broad. Gonostylus with moderately long setae; basolateral apophysis small. Aedeagal apodeme slightly shorter than gonocoxae; rod-shaped portion thin, slightly longer than apical extension. Hypoproct (not illustrated) markedly smaller than cerci, bilobed apically, lobes rounded, each with 1 apical seta. Cerci (not illustrated) bilobed apically, lobes blunt-ended, each with 2–3 apical setae.
Etymology.
The name is derived from the Latin word for unicorn, with
unus
meaning one and
cornu
meaning horn, in reference to the single gonocoxal process found in this genus. The suffix -
ella
is a diminutive and refers to
Dallaiella
, a genus supposed to be closely related. The name’s gender is feminine.
Phylogeny.
Characters of the wing, male antenna and genitalia suggest that
Unicornella
is most closely related to
Coccopsilis
Harris,
Cryptoneurus
(both with basitarsal spines), and
Dallaiella
Mamaev
(without basitarsal spines). All these genera have fewer than
14 male
flagellomeres, the wing venation is reduced to only three longitudinal veins (R
1
, R
5
, and CuA), the gonocoxal synsclerite is clearly broader than long, and the gonocoxal emargination is wide and shallow. Among those genera,
Unicornella
resembles, on the one hand,
Cryptoneurus
in that the posterior portion of the gonostylus is strongly enlarged (extended in
Unicornella
, inflated in
Cryptoneurus
) and, on the other hand,
Dallaiella
in that the parameres are tusk-shaped. We deem it possible that these four genera are a monophyletic subgroup of the
Porricondylini
(including
Holoneurini
, see
Jaschhof & Jaschhof (2013: 164))
.