Dicranomyia (Dicranomyia) affinis Schummel 1829
Creators: name: Starý, Jaroslav
name: Stubbs, Alan E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Limoniidae
Dicranomyia
Dicranomyia affinis

description: Dicranomyia (Dicranomyia) affinis (Schummel, 1829)
Figs 2, 7, 12, 17
Limnobia affinis Schummel 1829: 127 (description).
Limonia (Dicranomyia) mitis var. affinis: Edwards 1938: 36 (diagnosis), Plate 2, Fig. 19 (wing). Dicranomyia affinis: Stubbs 1998a: 22 (key), Fig. (male terminalia).
Diagnosis. Medium-sized species. Body colouration dark brownish-grey to bluish-grey, variegated with obscure yellow. Wing pattern with pterostigma dark brown, fairly conspicuous; other markings little-distinct. Sc1 with row of macrotrichia posteroventrally. Two last male tarsomeres long, parallel-sided; male tarsal claws moderately long, with two teeth fairly distinct. Male terminalia with rostral prolongation of ventral gonostylus slightly produced beyond medial spine; rostral spines almost straight, separated at base by less than their own breadth. Female terminalia with cercus subequal in length to tergite 10; space between cerci wide, subequal in width to cercus breadth at base. Wing length 6.1–8.5 mm.
Redescription. Male. Head with dark grey pruinosity on frons and vertex, rostrum brown. Antenna dark brown, reaching to about anterior margin of prescutum. Flagellomeres ovoid, gradually narrowed towards apex of antenna, with verticils shorter than respective segments. Palpus dark brown.
Thorax generally dark brownish-grey to bluish-grey, restrictedly yellowed. Pronotum dark greyish-brown, more shiny medially. Prescutum almost black with heavy dark brownish-grey to bluish-grey pruinosity and with shiny, dust-free, black median stripe; sometimes short lateral stripes apparent; other dorsal parts of thorax much as prescutum, dark brownish-grey to bluish-grey; scutellum somewhat brownish. Pleuron mostly concolorous with prescutum, yellowed on dorsopleural membrane. Wing with pterostigma dark brown, fairly conspicuous, other markings little-distinct and less extensive than in D. (D.) mitis (Fig. 17). Sc1 with row of macrotrichia posteroventrally. Halter with knob infuscated. Legs with coxae and trochanters obscure yellow. Femora obscure yellow at base, more darkened distally, with vaguely defined subapical ring. Tibiae obscure yellow merging into darker apex. Tarsi dark brown. Two last tarsomeres long, subequal in length, straight, parallel-sided, rod-like, both with longitudinal row of stiff, short suberect setae ventrally; setae indistinctly hooked at tip. Tarsal claws moderately long, slightly less than one third length of tarsomere 5, with well-developed tooth at mid-length, this tooth somewhat truncate at apex, and another one still fairly distinct. Other teeth little-distinct (Fig. 2).
Abdomen dark brown dorsally, paler ventrally. Male terminalia (Fig. 7): Tergite 9 rather long but slightly shorter than that in D. (D.) mitis, more than twice as broad as long, with shallow, often V-shaped emargination at posterior margin and incomplete median suture. Gonocoxite mostly darker than that in D. (D.) mitis, moderately long, about half length of ventral gonostylus. The latter long-ovoid, about twice as long as broad. Rostral prolongation of ventral gonostylus slightly produced beyond medial spine. Rostral spines almost straight, positioned close beside or even behind one another, sometimes equidistant from apex of rostrum, separated at base by less than their own breadth.
Female. Resembling male in general appearance, including structure of tarsi and tarsal claws. Female terminalia (Fig. 12): Cercus gently upturned, subequal in length to tergite 10. Space between cerci wide, subequal in width to cercus breadth at base, but longer than that in D. (D.) mitis. Genital fork (vaginal apodeme) triangular, extending to posterior margin of tergite 10. Sternum 9 long, more than half length of tergite 10.
Material examined (28 ♂, 21 ♀). Great Britain: England: Hertfordshire, Knebworth, vi.1922, 1 ♂ (F.W. Edwards leg.); Herefordshire, Cusop Dingle (Herefordshire/ Wales boundary), 3. vi.1899, 1 ♀ (J.H. Wood leg.); Hampshire, Lyndhurst (New Forest), 9. vi.1885, 1 ♀, 10. vi.1885, 1 ♀ (G.H. Verrall leg.); Hampshire, Lyndhurst (New Forest), 18. iv.1894, 1 ♀ (J.W. Yerbury leg.); New Forest, 16. v.1899, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (F.C. Adams leg.) (all BMNH). Scotland: Isle of Rhum (West Scotland), stream below Halival, 24. v.1960, 1 ♂ (A. Brindle leg.); Aviemore, 7. vii.1903, 1 ♀; Argyll, Ardentinny, 13. vi.1903, 1 ♀ (all J.J.F.X. King leg.); Isle of Arran, Catacoul, 29.–30. v.1919, 3 ♂; Isle of Arran, Brodrick, 22.–25. v.1919, 2 ♂; Isle of Arran, Sannox, 26.–28. v.1919, 1 ♀ (all F.W. Edwards leg.) (all BMNH). Italy: Sardinia: Monti 3 km SE, road 389 (maquis) (550 m), 40°48'N 9°21'E, 7. v.2014, 2 ♀; Monti 8.1 km S, Rio de s’Éleme, road bridge (riverside vegetation) (465 m), 40°44'N 9°22'E, 10. v.2014, 1 ♀; Mazzinaiu nr. Alà dei Sardi, 3.5 km NE (maquis) (504 m), 40°44'N 9°24'E, 7. v.2014, 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (all J. Starý leg., JSO). Morocco: Rif Mts: Jbel Bouhachem, Daya Mtahen, marsh, 27. iv.2012, 4 ♂, 1 ♀; Jbel Bouhachem, Oued Asmlil, 27. iv.2012, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jbel Bouhachem, Oued Tkaraâ, 10. iii.2011, 1 ♂; Jbel Khizana, Azghar, brook, 27. iv.2013, 1 ♂, 27. iv.2014, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Jbel Khizana, Oued near Ain Ima Bared, 6. v.2014, 1 ♂; Jbel Zem Zem, marsh, 25. iv.2014, 1 ♂; Ain Sibi Brahim Ben Arrif, 17. iv.2013, 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 25. iv.2014, 2 ♂, 3 ♀; Parc National Talassemtane, 17. v.2014, 1 ♂; Daya Tazia, marsh, 25. iv.2014, 4 ♂, 1 ♀ (all B. Belqat & O. Driauach leg., partly in ethanol, JSO, UAEM).
Discussion. Although the two species, D. (D.) affinis and D. (D.) mitis, are very different in general appearance, they are most similar structurally, and closely related to each other. The differences are specified in Discussion of D. (D.) mitis. In females of D. (D.) affinis, the two parts of the infra-anal plate may not be as angled as in Fig. 12.
FIGURES 16–20. Wing. 16— D. (D.) mitis. 17— D. (D.) affinis. 18— D. (D.) quadra. 19— D. (D.) lutea. 20.— D. (D.) imbecilla (photo by J. Roháček). Scale bar 1.0 mm.
Ecology. In Great Britain, the species is found most commonly on acid soils, especially in damp places and high rainfall situations. This results in a patchy distribution in much of England, but with more widespread habitat in the north and west of Britain. On heathland and moorland, D. (D.) affinis can occur among heather and at scrub edges or in the shelter of rocks, ravines, and tree-lined streams. In woodland, it is most frequent in open-structured canopy where damp spots are situated, or it is to be found along rides. Apart from sand, gravel and other typically acid rocks, some clay soils provide acid conditions. In the south, where drought conditions can be intense, there can be a strong affinity with bush-shaded ditches. The flight period can begin early, in April, and extends into early summer (July) (AS).
Distribution. Great Britain, Ireland, Poland; Morocco (Oosterbroek 2014). In fact, no primary data from Morocco were published (see Driauach et al. 2013, Oosterbroek 2014). First record for Italy (Sardinia).
description: Published as part of Starý, Jaroslav & Stubbs, Alan E., 2015, Five species under Dicranomyia (Dicranomyia) mitis (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera, Limoniidae), pp. 321-334 in Zootaxa 3964 (3) on pages 326-329, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3964.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/242873