Tonnoira acantha, 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 : 7

Tonnoira acantha sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2–3 )

Differential diagnosis

Tonnoira acantha sp. nov. is morphologically similar to T. cavernicola . Still, they can be differentiated by the number of parameres, two in T. acantha (only 1 paramere in T. cavernicola ). Likewise, T. acantha is similar to T. distincta but can be easily differentiated by the following characters: hypandrium band-like without median projection in T. acantha sp. nov. (hypandrium narrow and with median projection in T. distincta ), gonostyli divergent (outcurved, as in Fig. 2D , 3 ) with rounded apex in T. acantha sp. nov. (gonostyli convergent with pointed apex in T. distincta ), aedeagus longer than parameres in T. acantha sp. nov. (aedeagus and parameres about the same length in T. distincta ), epandrial appendage with one spiniform tenaculum placed at mid and one with broad-rounded apex placed at apex in T. acantha (epandrial appendage both mid and apical tenacula with broad-rounded apex in T. distincta ).

Etymology. The species name acantha is derived from the Greek word akantha (ἄκΑΝΘΑ, feminine), meaning spine, referring to the spiniform mid-tenaculum. To be treated as a noun in apposition.

Examined material.

Type. Ecuador — Napo • 1 ♂; Tena, Grand Selva Lodge , rivers bed; -1.0929, -77.5570; 369 masl; 13–16 Aug 2022; Mengual, Ximo leg.; Malaise trap; slide mounted in Euparal; INABIO [ZFMK-DIP-00102048] .

Paratype. Ecuador — Napo • 1 ♂; same data as holotype except: ZFMK [ZFMK-DIP-001080900] .

Description. Measurements given in millimeters (mm), (N = 1). Wing length: 2.45, width: 1.20. Head length and width not available. Antennal segments: scape: 0.13; pedicel: 0.08; flagellomere 1: 0.27, flagellomere 2: 0.22, flagellomere 3: 0.22, flagellomeres 4–8: 0.20, remaining flagellomeres absent. Palpal segment 1: 0.12; palpal segment 2: 0.21; palpal segment 3: 0.21; palpal segment 4: 0.20.

Male. Head is positioned latero-frontal ( Fig. 2A ), presumably spherical; eye bridge appears joined along its entire length, with four rows of facets; interocular suture not observed; the frontal patch of alveoli is undivided. Antennal scape cylindrical, longer than the pedicel; pedicel spherical; flagellomeres fusiform, gradually becoming smaller, 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: 1.0:1.7:1.7:1.6; labium without any strong sclerites; labella bulbous with scattered setae on the surface.

Thorax ( Fig. 2B ). Wing ( Fig. 2C ) about 2.0 times longer than its width; wing membrane brown infuscated with light spots between vein apices, from R 1 to CuA, very faint around R 5. Light area also present along CuA, except for its apex; 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; R 5 ending at the wing apex; apex of CuA ending at wing margin.

Terminalia ( Figs. 2D , 3 ). Hypandrium band-like on ventral view, joining the base of the gonocoxites; gonocoxites cylindrical; gonostyli digitiform and divergent (outcurved) with rounded apex (as in Fig. 3 ), slightly longer than the gonocoxites; aedeagus digitiform on ventral view, slightly sinuous, tapering towards the apex, longer than parameres ( Fig. 3 ); two digitiform parameres, one paramere curved (broken on the examined material), the other straight; ejaculatory apodeme shorter than the aedeagus, with basal margin rounded on ventral view; gonocoxal apodemes plate-like, joining at mid forming a V-shaped sclerotized section (keel); epandrium rectangular, more than three times wider than its length, distal margin concave ( Fig. 3 ); hypoproct tongue-shaped and covered in setulae, epiproct not observed; epandrial appendages ( Figs. 2D , 3 ) cylindrical, prolonged and tapering distally, covered with setae, with one spiniform tenaculum inserted at mid, and one apical tenaculum, both tenacula separated by about 1.5 times the length of apical tenaculum.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Genetics. The holotype was successfully sequenced. GenBank accession number: PQ884226.

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. 2. Tonnoira acantha sp. nov. A–D ♂, holotype (ZFMK-DIP-00102048) A. head. B. thorax. 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.3.Tonnoira acanthasp.nov. ♂,holotype(ZFMK-DIP-00102048)line drawingof thegenitalia (ventral view).Abbreviations: aed = aedeagus; eja = ejaculatory apodeme; ep ap = epandrial appendage; gon ap = gonocoxal apodemes; gns = gonostylus; gnx = gonocoxite; hyp = hypandrium; par = paramere(parameres); ten = tenaculum(tenacula).All scales are in millimeters (mm).