Allometopon asylum Lonsdale, 2016, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Owen Lonsdale
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Clusiidae
Allometopon
Allometopon asylum

description: Allometopon asylum spec. nov.
Figs 14–18, 332
Description. General: (Figs 14, 15) Body length 3.3mm. Arista short plumose. M1+2 ratio 3.0. First flagellomere slightly enlarged with anterodorsal margin slightly more prominent.
Chaetotaxy: Three fronto-orbital setae (anterior seta slightly shorter). Ocellar seta thin, approximately 1.5 times length of ocellar tubercle. Postvertical seta very thin, slightly shorter than ocellar tubercle. Interfrontal seta absent. First flagellomere with marginal hairs (except near base) longer than width of base of arista. Anterior dorsocentral seta half length of posterior dorsocentral (close together). Acrostichal seta present. One lateral scutellar seta.
Colour—Male: Setae yellow. Posterolateral corner of frons around base of vertical setae brown; ocellar tubercle brown; first flagellomere white; back of head with venter white and with one pair of dark stripes broadly joined above foramen; gena and postgena light yellow and silvery tomentose. Notum brown with short light yellow posteromedial stripe continuing to apex of scutellum; lateral margin of postpronotum and notopleuron light yellow. Pleuron and legs light yellow with dorsocentral spot on anepisternum. Wing clear, sometimes lightly clouded along anterodistal margin. Halter white. Abdomen brown with tergite 1, cercus and surstylus yellow.
Colour—Female: Female as described for male except as follows: dorsal 2/5 of first flagellomere brown; ocellar spot slightly elongate and triangular; scutum with complete central yellow stripe; lateral yellow stripe on postpronotum and notopleuron sometimes wider; tergite 8 yellow with lateral brown spots; terminalia yellow.
Male terminalia: (Figs 16–18) Annulus developed with seventh spiracle enclosed in sclerite. Epandrium wide, broadly rounded. Cerci projecting and triangular. Surstylus broad, narrowest at base, tuberculate on inner-distal margin. Ventral lobe of hypandrium broad, truncated, projecting, and with two minute posterior-marginal setulae. Phallapodeme rod-like. Basiphallus and epiphallus well-developed. Pregonite large and ovate with several minute setulae. Postgonite small and lobate. Distiphallus half length of phallapodeme. Paraphallus well-developed, base relatively broad, curved, tapered and dorsally spinulose on apical half.
Female terminalia: (Fig. 332) Tergite 6 with thick sclerotized band (medial on dorsal surface, and posterior on lateral margin). Sternite 6 somewhat ovate, with dense central cluster of setae. Sternite 7 longer than wide. Spermatheca dark, elongate oval, and with pale raised spots around base. Spermathecal duct twice as long as sternite 6.
Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Greek for "safe", in reference to the type collection locality within the Udawattekele sanctuary.
Distribution: Sri Lanka.
Holotype: SRI LANKA. Ceylon, Kandy distr., Udawattekele sanctuary, 23.ii.1974, BMNH 1974, A.E. Stubbs & P.J. Chandler (1♂, BMNH).
Paratype: SRI LANKA. Same data as holotype (1♂, BMNH).
Additional material examined: SRI LANKA. Luduganga, on window, 20.ii.1920, R. Senior White, B.M. 1924-100 (4♀♀, BMNH).
Comments: Allometopon asylum is externally similar to a number of other species with a single lateral scutellar seta and a yellow medial notal stripe such as the southeast Asian species A. plicatum (Figs 224) and A. malayensis (Figs 173, 174, 177), but in this Sri Lankan species the yellow notal stripe is sometimes reduced anteriorly on the scutum, the surstylus is broad with a narrow base, and the ventral lobe of the hypandrium is enlarged with several minute setae (similar to some Sobarocephala).
Females of Allometopon asylum are only tentatively included to this species, sharing with the male holotype many underlying colour pattern elements, seta length and distribution. Like many other Allometopon with a single lateral scutellar seta and a spot on the anepisternum, these females are darker, having an apically brown palpus and a dorsally brown first flagellomere, but the complete central yellow stripe on the scutum is somewhat unusual, introducing some doubt as to their identity. The females also have a longer, pointed ocellar spot, similar to A. malayensis, but this Indonesian species has additional yellow vittae, at least presuturally.
description: Published as part of Owen Lonsdale, 2016, Revision of the genus Allometopon Kertész (Diptera: Clusiidae), pp. 1-127 in Zootaxa 4106 (1) on pages 15-16, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4106.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/258766