Ulidia bartaki, Kameneva & I., 2019

Kameneva, Elena P. & I., Valery A. Korneyev I., 2019, New species and synonymies in the genus Ulidia (Diptera: Ulidiidae) from the Middle East, Israel Journal of Entomology (Oxford, England) 49 (2), pp. 243-266 : 253-258

Ulidia bartaki n. sp.

( Figs 13–30)

Ulidia sp. nr. melampodia : Kameneva 2002: 149 (material from Kyrghyzstan).

LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FECF6D93-D79A-4F15-8674-A3409A693F0C .

Etymology: The species is named in honor of Miroslav Barták, a Czech dipterist, the first collector of this species.

Diagnosis: This species can be easily recognized from all known species of Ulidia by the combination of entirely hyaline cells bc, c, and cup; brownish pterostigma, dark spot at wing apex, creamy haltere, shining occiput, matt, finely shagreened mesonotum, and prescutellar acrostichal seta lacking. In the key to the known Palaearctic species ( Morgulis & Freidberg 2014) it runs to the couplet 11. together with U. hirsuta Morgulis & Freidberg, 2014 , U. apicalis (Meigen, 1826) , and U. sp. nr. apicalis , differing from them by entirely black tarsi, and lack of the prescutellar acrostichal seta. It is similar to U. apicalis from Western Mediterranean region in having moderately large dark apical spot in cells r 1, r 2+3 and r 4+5, clearly differing from it by the almost round eye (length:height ratio = 1:1.1–1.23) and mostly matt, finely shagreened mesonotum (in U. apicalis , eye vertical oval, length: height ratio = 1:1.4–1.55, mesonotum polished black without sculpture). Similarly to U. hirsuta , it possesses moderately large dark apical spot in cells r 1, r 2+3 and r 4+5, almost round eye and head in profile, shagreened mesonotum, differing from it by moderately long (setulae at most ⅔× as long as orbital seta) setulose orbits, lack of prescutellar acrostichal setae, and male genitalia with surstylus covered by fine setulae (in U. hirsuta , vertical and orbital plates of frons long setulose, prescutellar acrostichal setae present, and male genitalia with surstylus covered by thickened prensisetae, as shown by Morgulis & Freidberg 2014: figs 23, 57). This species also somewhat reminds some specimens of variable U. ruficeps in wing pattern and head colouration, as well as entirely black tarsi, readily differing from that species by mesonotum matt, densely shagreened (glossy in U. ruficeps ) and palpus short and setulose throughout its length (long and wide, setulose only at base in U. ruficeps ). See also diagnosis of U. facialis below.

Description: Head ( Figs 14–16) black, with frons and facial yellowish brown to dark brown. Head ratio h:l:w=1:1–1.05:1.45–1.5. Frons 0.6–0.7× as long as wide, yellowish brown to dark brown medially, with orbits widely black, shining, laterally shallowly wrinkled, with small white microtrichose triangular spot at anterolateral margin, slightly convex, with numerous black setulae, 0.5–0.65× as long as orbital setae), inserted into shallow pits. Vertical plates and ocellar triangle shining black; 2 pairs of black orbital setae, posterior orbital seta 0.7–0.8× as long as medial and lateral vertical seta, anterior orbital seta short, hardly distinguishable from surrounding inclinate and lateroclinate setulae; ocellar setae lateroclinate, 0.2–0.3× as long as posterior orbital seta.

Face and lunule black, facial carina 1.6× as wide as antennal groove and as wide as high, subshining, finely shagreened; epistome black, finely shagreened; subgena moderately low. Antennal groove 1.5–1.6× as high as wide, deep, entirely black, white microtrichose except ventral surface shining brown to black. Eye 1.23× as high as long. Gena reddish yellow to brown, half as high as eye; parafacial matt brownish or reddish yellow to black, with very narrow white microtrichose stripe along eye; gena posteriorly separated with rather blunt genal ridge from entirely black postgena. Occiput entirely black, mostly subshining, rugulose, except smooth vertex, occipital sutures and anterior margin of postgena shining black. Ventral half of occiput conspicuously swollen. Medial vertical seta 0.25–0.45× as long as frons width, 1.1–1.2× as long as lateral vertical and 1.5–2.2× as long as ocellar, orbital, and postocellar setae. Antenna: scape black to brown, pedicel deeply incised, brown or sometimes apically yellow; flagellomere 1 short oval, 1.5× as long as wide, brownish yellow to black, white microtrichose; arista bare, brown. Clypeus black. Palp dark brown, gray microtrichose, with 8–9 black lateroventral setae. Mouthparts black.

Thorax ( Fig. 17). Scutum and scutellum black, finely rugulose, almost matt; posterior portion of postpronotal lobe, entire notopleural triangle, postalar lobe, anterior half of anepisternum and katepisternum, and whole anepimeron shining black; postscutellum black, subshining; posteroventral margin of scutellum without microtrichose area; anatergite, katatergite and lateroventral parts of mediotergite subshining black, finely rugulose. Scutum wide, 1.1–1.2× as long as wide, with irregular, moderately short setulae in intra-alar area and regular row of 12–16 dorsocentral setulae and 1 dorsocentral seta ( Fig. 17); acrostichal seta lacking, at most 4–6 setulae between dorsocentral rows; postpronotal lobe with 1 thin, unmodified seta and 2–3 setulae; proepisternal ridge poorly expressed, bearing numerous fine setulae; proepisternal seta short, not distinguished among setulae; other setae moderately long, black: 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 intra-alar and 1 postalar. Scutellum moderately long, 1.7× as wide as long, finely wrinkled, with 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing ( Fig. 18) hyaline, with dark spot at wing apex reaching from apex of cell r 1 to middle of cell r 4+5, cells bc and base of cell c yellowish, cell sc and veins brown; cell r 4+5 moderately narrowed at apex: section of costal vein between apices of R 4+5 and M 0.35–0.45× as long as crossvein DM–Cu. Postero-apical extension of cell cup 2× as long as transverse shoulder of vein Cu 2. Calypters with long white fringe. WL= 3.8–4.5 mm. Haltere with base brown, knob creamy.

Legs entirely black; most setae and setulae black, except fore and hind basitarsi ventrally with brush of dark yellow setulae; fore femur moderately thickened, with fine, unmodified setae; mid femur narrow, with row of 8–10 moderately long and thin setae posteroventrally and shorter setulae on anterior surface; mid tibia apically with 1 long and 2 shorter apical setae; hind femur slightly thickened apically, with 2 strong preapical setae dorsally.

Abdomen entirely black, dorsally matt, finely shagreened, laterally subshining, with inconspicuous and sparse microtrichia only at sides of tergite 1; syntergite 1+2 anteriorly narrow, widened posteriorly, with short black setae laterodorsally, tergites 3–4 almost devoid of setae; tergite 5 of male and female conspicuously shagreened, with sparse and relatively long setae posteriorly; female abdominal tergite 2 without dimple-like structures; female tergite 6 transverse, entirely developed, but hidden underneath tergite 5, with 2 rows of setulae. Sternites wide in both sexes, separated by rather narrow, black membrane from tergites; sternite 1 wider than long; sternite 2 1.3× as long as wide, with desclerotized ʻwindowʼ in anterior ⅓; sternites 3–4 of male and 3–5 of female subquadrate, with few sparse setae (4–6 longest at posterior margins); tergite and sternite 6 of female conspicuously narrower than preceding tergites, as wide as and half as long as oviscape, both with 2 rows of setae, setae of posterior row moderately long. Sternites 4–6 of female without anteromedial apodemes.

Male postabdomen ( Figs 20–27) brown to black; pregenital sternites moderately long; sternite 8 with numerous subequal setulae. Epandrium as in Figs 20–22; cerci deeply separated, apically approximated and rounded ( Fig. 21); lateral surstylus simple, with one mesally directed lobe ( Fig. 21); medial surstylus entirely flat, forming no lobes, bearing 20–25 uniformly thin, moderately long setulae, and no prensisetae ( Fig. 20). Phallus 1.0 mm long, with stipe almost half as long as preglans (without glans); membranous inflatable valve as long as preglans, basally with caecum 2–3× as long as stipe width; preglans without spines; glans with wide transverse sclerite basally, one wide, moderately sclerotized, apically rounded claw-like lobe and two complex, strongly sclerotized inner structures bearing radiate sculpture ( Figs 24–27). Hypandrium ( Figs 22, 23) asymmetric, with strongly developed lateral sclerite (pregonite) at right side and pair of button-like sensory plates at both sides of basiphallus; phallapodeme dorsoventrally flattened, suboval. Ejaculatory apodeme fan-like.

Female terminalia: oviscape black, 0.95× as long as tergite 5, aculeus 0.85 mm long, 7–7.5× as long as wide, with long and thin setae on tergite and sternite 8 and cercal unit; 3 spherical spermathecae with smooth surface and inverted necks ( Figs 29–30).

Biology: Unknown.

Holotype: ♂ Uzbekistan: Aman-Kutan [pass], alpine meadow, 39.17°N 66.54°E, 1600 m, 23.v.1989, M. Barták ( SIZK).

Paratypes: Qazaqstan: 5♂ 6♀, Karatau Mts , Aktobe R. 15 km N Atabaj, 750–820 m, 8.v.1994 (2♂ [1 dissected], 1♂ ♀ in copula); 9.v.1994 (2♂), 10.v.1994 (5♀), Korneyev ; 1♂ (dissected), Jambyl Region ,

S slopes of Karatau Mts NE of Biblikol, 1100 m, 19.v.1988, Antropov; 1♀ Jambyl Region , S slopes of Karatau Mts NE of Biblikol, 700–1300m, 19.v.1998, Kireychuk; 20♂ (1 dissected) 11♀ 1♂ ♀ in copula, Karatau Mts, N Achisai 35 km NNE Kentau 1200–1700m, 12.v.1994, Korneyev ( SIZK, SMNHTAU, ZMHB) . Kyrghyzstan: 1♂ (dissected), Kara-Archa vill., SW Kyrghyz Alatau Mts ., 35 km ESE Jambyl [= Taraz ], 3.v.1994, Korneyev; 2♂ 1♀ , 10 km N Tash Kumyr 1500 m, 21.v.1994 (1♂), 22.v.1994 (1♂ 1♀), Korneyev; 1♂ 1♀, Chichkan R. 1000 m , 12 km N Toktogul, 23.v.1994, Korneyev; 1♀, Chon- Aryk prope Bishkek, 1200 m, 26.v.1994, Korneyev; 1♂ 1♀, same , 42°43.2'N 74°34.4'E, 1060–1100 m, 19.vi.1999, Korneyev & Kameneva; 3♀, Talas Region , 20 km ESE of Pokrovka (= 45 km ESE of Taraz ), 20–22.v.1988, Kireychuk; 1♂, Talas ridge, Chatkal flood plain, 76 km of Jangy-Bazar , 42°04.0'N 71°35.8'E, 2210 m, 29.vi.1998 Korneyev & Kameneva; 12♂ 9♀ Chatkal River valley , 15.3 km of Jangy-Bazar , 41°41.1'N 70°39.7'E, 1400–1700 m, 1.vii.1998 (7♂ 6♀), 2.vii.1998 (5♂ 3♀), Korneyev & Kameneva ( SIZK) . Uzbekistan: 24♂ 23♀, same data as holotype ( MBC, SIZK) .