Allohelea lurida Li & Wu, 2025

Lou, Jiawen, Wu, Xiaoxiang, Lin, Xiaodan & Li, Jiahui, 2025, Three new species of inflativena group of Allohelea Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Hainan Island, Zootaxa 5647 (6), pp. 558-570 : 566-569

Allohelea lurida Li & Wu , sp. nov.

Figs 1 (E–F), 2(E–F), 7, 8

Diagnosis. This new species can be easily distinguished from other species of the inflativena group by the following characters: dark patches of wing beneath vein M 1 inconspicuous; hind femur uniformly dark brown; the functional spermathecae of females with elongated and thin neck.

Description. Female. ( Fig. 1E ) Habitus 1.56–1.67 (1.62, n=2) mm in length.

Head brown, P/H 0.52. Eyes contiguous, bare. Antenna brown with scape and pedicel dark brown, flagellum 0.57 mm in length, AR 1.14, flagellomeres 9–13 significantly prolonged. Two bristles on the inner side of antennal sclerite. Palpus brown; the 3 rd segment 27 μm long, PR 1.15, stout, with a small rounded sensory pit at the proximal part. Mandible with 8 teeth. Thorax uniformly dark brown dorsally. Scutellum with 4 large bristles along the posterior margin. Wings ( Fig. 2E ) light brown, with 3 distinct anterior brown spots but posterior spots indistinct, dark area in cell m 1, m 2 and m 4 inconspicuous, blisterlike swelling at base of vein M brown; macrotrichia sparse, present along costal vein. Wing length 0.97 mm, width 0.38 mm, CR 0.76. Halter pale. Legs ( Fig. 7D–F ) with all coxae dark brown; foretrochanters brown, mid- and hind trochanters dark brown; fore- and midlegs with femora and tibiae brown except for midknee pale; hind leg with femur and tibia uniformly dark brown; all tarsi yellowish white. The thickest point of hind tibia is about 2.2 times as broad as the thickest point of midtibia. Tarsal spines: foretarsomere Ⅰ with 1 basal, 1 apical, II 1 apical, III 0 apical, IV 0 apical; midtarsomere Ⅰ with 11 spines, II 2 apical, III 2 apical, IV 0 apical; hind tarsomere ( Fig. 7B ) Ⅰ with 1 basal, 1 apical, II 1 apical, III 1 apical, IV 1 apical. Hind tibial comb with 8 spines. TR 1 2.38, TR 2 2.49, TR 3 2.49. Fore- and midclaws symmetrical, with small inner and outer teeth, hind claws single, long, with stout basal tooth. Abdomen ( Fig. 7A ) brown. Posterior margin of sternite 8 shallowly concave. Two subequal spermathecae, measuring 76 μm by 58 μm and 72 μm by 53 μm, with very elongated, thin necks, almost as long as the body of the spermatheca; small vestigial spermatheca present.

Male ( Fig. 1F ). Habitus 1.72–1.88 (1.82, n=3) mm in length. Generally similar to female, differs as follows: antenna flagellomeres 1–10 light brown, with yellowish-brown plumose hairs near the base, flagellomeres 11–13 obviously prolonged. Wing ( Fig. 2F ) length 0.87–0.93 (0.91, n=3) mm, width 0.3–0.32 (0.31, n=3) mm, CR 0.71– 0.72 (0.71, n=3). Midtarsomere Ⅰ with 9 spines; hind tarsomere ( Fig. 7C ) II with 2 apical, III and IV without apical spines. Hind tibial comb with 6 spines. Hind claws shorter than females. Genitalia as in fig. 8A. Tergite 9 ( Fig. 8B ) slightly convex of the posterior margin, with well-developed apicolateral projections. Gonocoxite short and stout. Gonostylus slender, about 0.7 times as long as gonocoxite bearing several minute setae. Aedeagus ( Fig. 8C ) broad at base, smoothly tapering, emarginated centrally towards dorsal side, bidivided apically and wrinkled inner side. Parameres ( Fig. 8D ) connected, with a narrow bridge near base, bidivided at 1/2 part from base.

Type materials. Holotype male. CHINA • Hainan Island: Lingshui County, Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve : 12 km into the protected area, alt. 686 m, 18°41.94'N, 109°52.71'E, 03. VII. 2020, Xiaoxiang Wu leg., by light trap, cer1027-2.

Paratypes (3 males, 1 female. CHINA • Hainan Island: 2 males, same data as the holotype, cer1027, cer1027-1; 1 female, Wuzhishan City , Shuiman town , Wuzhishan National Nature Reserve : near the Fairy Lake , alt. 743 m, 18°54.01'N, 109°41.01'E, 28. VII. 2020, Xiaoxiang Wu , Bin Deng & Zehua He leg., by light trap, cer1004; 1 male, Changjiang County, Qicha town , Bawangling National Nature Reserve : 1611 m near the protected area, alt. 415 m, 19°5.03'N, 109°7.02'E, 8. IV. 2024, Jiawen Lou, Zixuan Yang & Shiya Zheng leg., by light trap, cer2801.

Etymology. The word lurida means pallid, refers to the inconspicuous spots on the posterior margin of the wings.

Remarks. The wing’s color pattern, which is dark patches above vein M 1 comparably small and dark patches beneath vein M 1 inconspicuous, is unique in the inflativena group.

All specimens were collected from the rainforest of Hainan Island at altitudes of 415–743 m by light trap .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of the three new species A, B Allohelea hamata Li & Wu, sp. nov. C, D Allohelea forceps Li & Wu, sp. nov. E, F Allohelea lurida Li & Wu, sp. nov. (A, C, E for female; B, D, F for male).

FIGURE 2. Wings of the three new species A, B Allohelea hamata Li & Wu, sp. nov. C, D Allohelea forceps Li & Wu, sp. nov. E, F Allohelea lurida Li & Wu, sp. nov. (A, C, E for female; B, D, F for male).

FIGURE 7. Allohelea lurida Li & Wu, sp. nov. A Spermathecae B, C Hind tarsi D Foreleg E Midleg F Hind leg (A, B, D–F for female; C for male).

FIGURE 8. Allohelea lurida Li & Wu, sp. nov. A male genitalia, ventral view B male genitalia with parameres and aedeagus removed, ventral view C aedeagus, ventral view D parameres, ventral view.