Trichoclinocera subelongata, Saigusa & Sinclair, 2025

Saigusa, Toyohei & Sinclair, Bradley J., 2025, Revision of the Trichoclinocera systenognatha species subgroup from eastern Asia (Diptera, Empididae, Clinocerinae), Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1), pp. 39-47 : 39-47

Trichoclinocera subelongata sp. nov.

Figs 8 , 11

Type material.

Holotype • ♂, labelled: “ (E. NEPAL) / Thudam (3500–3800 m) / 27°45'N, 87°31'E — / 27°46'N, 87°33'E ”; “ June 17, 1972 / J. Emoto leg. / Kyushu Univ. Col. ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Trichoclinocera / subelongata / Saigusa & Sinclair [red label] ” ( KUMF) . Paratype: Nepal : • same data as holotype (1 ♀, KUMF) .

Additional material.

The following specimens are probably conspecific, but an associated male specimen (i. e. same locality) is required for verification: Nepal: • Chiliwa (1350 m), 27°29'N, 87°47'E – Shibku (2100 m), 27°30'N, 87°41'E, 7. vi. 1972, J. Emoto; (1 ♀, KUMF) ; • same data except, H. Shima (1 ♀, KUMF) .

Etymology.

This species is named after its similarity to T. elongata sp. nov.

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished by two stout anterior subapical setae on the fore femur and males of this species are distinguished by their very long hypandrium (0.75 mm) (Figs 8 , 11 ) and presence of stout posteroventral setae on apical fourth of fore femur.

Description.

Wing length (n = 4): 3.9–4.6 mm. Male. Pale blue pruinescence laterally, with dark brown vertex of head, scutum and dorsum of abdomen. Head rounded; compound eyes large, rounded. Face convex, narrowest at middle, ca. 1.5 × width of antennal sockets, entirely clothed in bright whitish blue pruinescence; lower margin of face with slight cleft with small carina or swelling; gena one-fourth as wide as height of eye. Vertex and ocellar triangle dark brown, lower postocciput and gena lightly pruinescent. Ocellar setae longest among cranial setae; occiput with 1 pair of setae posterior to ocellar triangle; above ‘ neck’ row or crown of supracervical setae, setae in middle longest, decreasing in length laterally; postocular with row of short setae along margin of eye, upper 6 setae dark, stouter than lower setae. Arista stout, shorter than width of eye; slightly tapered apically. Palpus cylindrical, length less than one-third height of eye; labellum with ventral triangular projection.

Pleura and lateral margin of scutum, including postpronotal lobe, extending toward 1 st dc and notopleuron with pale blue pruinescence (viewed laterally); scutellum, postalar ridge and region medial to postalar light brown. Thoracic setae shorter than width of eye; several acr anterior to 1 st dc; 5 pairs dc; 1 slender short pprn, one-half length of dc; 1 slender presut spal; 2 npl; 2 psut spal; 1 pal; 1 pair sctl and several pale marginal setulae; several pale setulae on postpronotal lobe and notopleural depression. Laterotergite with patch of pale setae; prothoracic episternum, posteromedial margin of katepisternum and hind margin of metepisternum with long pale setulae.

Wing narrow, infuscate; narrow, faint, elliptical pterostigma present. One basal costal seta, two-thirds length of posterior dc. Row of setulae from base of R to just beyond origin of Rs, basal setulae not longer than apical setulae; cell dm produced apically; R 4 + 5 straight; R 4 and R 5 divergent throughout. Halter knob dark with base of shaft orange-brown.

Legs dark brown, except coxae with blue pruinescence concolourous with pleura. Coxae with long pale marginal setae; anterior face of fore coxae with pale setae, outer basal not longer than other setae. Fore femur with 2 stout, black anterior subapical setae, shorter than width of femur; anteroventral margin with row of 4 stout, black setae on apical third and row of 6 setae on basal half, separated by wide median gap; ca. one-fourth width of femur; posteroventral margin with row of setae, 3 setae on apical fourth similar to anteroventral setae, remaining setae slender, increasing in length basally to ca. two-thirds width of femur. Fore tibia with biserial row of short setae beneath, ca. one-third to one-half width of tibia. Foreleg tarsomeres lacking white ventral pubescence. Mid femur with long, erect anterior setae, slightly longer than width of femur. Mid and hind femora with 2–4 pairs of slender antero- and posteroventral preapical setae; antero- and posterodorsal bristles absent. Hind tibia generally lacking bristles except for several erect, stout dorsal and ventral setae on apical fourth. Tarsi much shorter than corresponding tibiae. Empodium pulvilliform, slightly shorter than claw, more than one-half length of tarsomere.

Hypandrium long and narrow, 0.75 mm, more than 2 × longer than epandrium (Figs 8 , 11 ); anterior margin with small apodeme. Phallus not extending beyond clasping cercus; sinuous, apex with small membranous sac; ejaculatory apodeme small relative to hypandrium, slightly arched anteriorly. Surstylus small, much shorter than clasping cercus with pair of 4 teeth-like projections on anterior margin. Clasping cercus finger-like, gradually tapered to rounded apex; anteroventral margin with several setae, longer than width of cercus; inner face with short peg-like setae; posterodorsal margin with fine setulae.

Female. Similar to male except as follows: chaetotaxy of fore femur very similar, except posteroventral setae reduced; fore tibia lacking modified setae beneath. Terminalia: undissected.

Distribution.

This species is known only from eastern Nepal (Fig. 14 ).

Figures

Figure 14. Known distribution of the Trichoclinocera systenognatha species subgroup.

Figures 7–9. Male terminalia of Trichoclinocera systenognatha species subgroup, lateral view. 7. T. elongata sp. nov.; 8. T. subelongata sp. nov.; 9. T. systenognatha sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cl cerc – clasping cercus; epand – epandrium; hypd – hypandrium; ph – phallus; sur – surstylus.

Figures 10, 11. Male terminalia of Trichoclinocera systenognatha species subgroup, lateral view. 10. T. elongata sp. nov.; 11. T. subelongata sp. nov. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.