Tonnoira asymmetrica, Jaume-Schinkel, 2025

Jaume-Schinkel, Santiago, 2025, Morpho-Molecular species delimitation within Tonnoira Enderlein (Diptera, Psychodidae): Updates on COI barcode data and the description of five new species, Zootaxa 5673 (1), pp. 1-26 : 11

Tonnoira asymmetrica sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 4–5 )

Differential diagnosis

Tonnoira asymmetrica sp. nov. can be differentiated from all other species within Tonnoira by the asymmetrical gonostyli.

Etymology. The species name asymmetrica is derived from the Greek word συμμετρικός (symetrikós) with the Greek prefix ἀ- (without), and the termination -a to make feminine. The name refers to the asymmetrical gonostyli. To be treated as an adjective.

Examined material.

Type. Venezuela — Aragua • 1 ♂; Maracay, Henri Pittier National Park ; 10.3733, -67.6333; 1100 masl; 13–18 Jun 2001; L.W. Quate, H.R. Bhat leg.; Malaise Trap; slide mounted; LACM [ LACM ENT 280515 ] .

Paratypes Venezuela — Aragua • 2 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; LACM [ LACM ENT 280617 ; LACM ENT 280618 ] • 1 ♂; same data as for preceding except CDC trap; LACM [ LACM ENT 280616 ] .

Description. Measurements given in millimeters (mm), (N = 2). Wing length: 2.00 (2.00–2.00), width: 0.93 (0.90–0.96). Head length: 0.42 (0.40–0.45), width: 0.42 (0.40–0.44). Antennal segments: scape: 0.12 (0.11–0.13); pedicel: 0.06 (0.05–0.06); flagellomeres 1: 0.17 (0.17–0.18), flagellomeres 2: 0.19 (0.19–0.20), flagellomere 3: 0.19 (0.19–0.19), flagellomeres 4–6: 0.17 (0.16–0.18), flagellomeres 7–9: 0.16 (0.16-0.17), flagellomere 10–12: 0.15 (0.14-0.16), flagellomere 13: 0.14 (0.14-0.14), flagellomere 14 absent. Palpal segment 1: 0.04 (0.03–0.04); palpal segment 2: 0.11 (0.11–0.12); palpal segment 3: 0.13 (0.13–0.13); palpal segment 4: 0.14 (0.14–0.14).

Male. Head spherical, about the same length as its width ( Fig. 4A ); eye bridge separated by less than 0.5 facet diameter, with four rows of facets; interocular suture as an inverted and wide “u”; the frontal patch of alveoli is undivided, but strongly concave on apical margin appearing almost divided at mid. Antennal scape cylindricalquadrate, longer than the pedicel; pedicel spherical; flagellomeres fusiform, gradually becoming shorter, with scattered setae on the surface; ascoids absent. Palpal segments are cylindrical, the first palpal segment is about half the length of the second, and the last palpal segment is not corrugated, palpal proportions: 1.0:2.4:3.0:3.2; labium without any strong sclerites; labella bulbous with scattered setae on the surface.

Thorax ( Fig. 4B ). Wing ( Fig. 4C ) about 2.2 times longer than its width; wing membrane hyaline; Sc vein short, ending before the origin of R 1; radial fork basad to medial fork; stem of R 2+3 short and not joining R 4; base of R 3 with a concentrated cluster of black short, thick setae that resemble granules; R 5 ending at the wing apex; M fork incomplete; apex of CuA ending at wing margin.

Terminalia ( Figs. 4D , 5 ). Hypandrium band-like on ventral view, joining the base of the gonocoxites; ejaculatory apodeme square-shaped, anterior margin straight, about the same length as the aedeagus; gonocoxites cylindrical, almost rectangular; gonostyli asymmetrical, one gonostylus is twisted to abruptly tapering towards the apex ( Figs. 4D , 5A–C ), longer than the gonocoxite, the other gonostylus is bifid, with two hooked branches, one branch being about half the length of the other, both curved with pointed apex (as in Figs. 4D , 5A–C ), shorter than gonocoxite, the divided gonostyli is on the right side on the holotype and paratype LACM ENT 280617 ( Fig. 5C ), and on the left side on paratypes LACM ENT 280618 and LACM ETN 280616 ( Fig. 5 B ); aedeagus digitiform and slightly sinuous on ventral view ( Fig. 5A ); strongly curved paramere as an inverted “J”, tapering towards the apex; gonocoxal apodemes plate-like, joining at mid extending dorsally towards the aedeagus; epandrium rectangular, about two times wider than long, distal margin truncate ( Fig. 5A ), basal margin irregular; hypoproct trilobed, covered in setulae, epiproct rectangular; epandrial appendages ( Figs. 4D , 5A ) cylindrical, prolonged and tapering distally, outcurved and covered with setae, with one apical tenaculum.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Genetics. No specimens were available for DNA extraction.

Figures

FIG. 1. Maximum Likelihood tree, based on CO1 barcode data (reconstructed with IQ Tree). Ultrafast bootstrap values are shown on the nodes. The clusters of the species delimitation analyses are shown to the right, Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) 1st and 2nd partition, Bayesian Poisson Tree Process (bPTP) with Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Species Identifier (spID) with a threshold of 3%. Black bars indicate congruence and red bars indicate incongruence with our morphological delimitation. GenBank accession numbers are given as branch labels.

FIG. 4. Tonnoira asymmetrica sp. nov. A–D ♂, holotype (LACM ENT 280615) A. head, frontal view. B. thorax, lateral view. C. wing. D. genitalia (ventral view). Abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; eja = ejaculatory apodeme; ep ap = epandrial appendage; gns = gonostylus; gnx = gonocoxite; hyp = hypandrium; par = paramere(parameres); ten = tenaculum(tenacula). All scales are in millimeters (mm).

FIG. 5. Tonnoira asymmetrica sp. nov. A. ♂, holotype (LACM ENT 280615) line drawing of the genitalia (ventral view). B. ♂, paratype (LACM ENT 280616), gonocoxites and gonostyli C. ♂, paratype (LACM ENT 280617), gonocoxites and gonostyli. Abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; eja = ejaculatory apodeme; ep ap = epandrial appendage; gon ap = gonocoxal apodemes; gns = gonostylus; gnx = gonocoxite; hpo = hypoproct; hyp = hypandrium; par = paramere(parameres); ten = tenaculum(tenacula). All scales are in millimeters (mm).