Cassidoides rainensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 261A047E-B4F8-4780-BD17-451BB5F40503

Fig. 15A‒B

Diagnosis

Morphology

Cassidoides rainensis sp. nov. differs from congeneric species in a combination of male terminalia characters, as follows (Fig. 15B). The aedeagal apodeme is markedly longer than the gonocoxae (↓ 1), the tegmen is inversely U- rather than V-shaped (↓ 2), and the long, apically hooked gonocoxal processes run parallel and in close proximity to the tegmen (↓ 3). Larvae and females of the new species are unknown.

DNA barcode

The CO1 sequence (654bp) of the holotype specimen is available in BIN BOLD:ACY6187. Search on BOLD’s BIN Database retrieved a further match for this BIN, as Diptera sp. from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany (accessed 26 Aug. 2023).

Differential diagnosis

Cassidoides rainensis sp. nov. resembles C. fulvus (Kieffer, 1896), a widespread Holarctic species, in the shape of the gonostylus and the length of the aedeagal apodeme. However, in C. fulvus the apex of the aedeagal apodeme is pointed, not spoon-shaped; the tegmen resembles an inverse V rather than U; and the gonocoxal processes, which are situated at some distance from the tegmen, are evenly bent dorsolaterad (Jaschhof & Jaschhof 2013: fig. 145b).

Etymology

The name is derived from the type locality, Rain, a small town in Lower Bavaria.

Type material

Holotype

GERMANY • ♂; Bavaria, Lower Bavaria, Rain; 48°64′61″ N, 11°01′89″ E; elev. 429 m; 15 Jul. 2019; LandKlif and J. Müller leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD GBDTA10247-21; ZSM-DIP-42306-G10.

Other characters

Male

BODY LENGTH. 1.8 mm.

HEAD. Eye bridge dorsally 1‒2 ommatidia long. Antenna as long as body; scape and pedicel brighter than flagellum; 12 flagellomeres; apical flagellomere long, composed of two nodes; circumfila present on all flagellomeres, irregularly sinuous; neck of fourth flagellomere 1.7× as long as node (Fig. 15A). Palpus 4-segmented, markedly shorter than head height.

WING. As long as body. Length /width ratio 2.6. M 4 missing, CuA ending well before wing margin.

LEGS. Acropods, to assess structure of claws and empodia, lost.

TERMINALIA (Fig. 15B). Gonocoxal synsclerite broader than long, with dense setae of very different lengths ventrally; ventral emargination faintly contoured, apparently U-shaped. Gonostylus upright, twice as long as thick; outside with numerous setae of various lengths; inside slightly excavated, sparsely setose incl. 2‒3 long subapical bristles; pectinate claw of moderate size. Apex of aedeagal apodeme membranous rather than sclerotized. Tegminal apex bent slightly dorsad, blunt-ended with minor indentation.