Topomyia (Miyagiella) discors Harbach & Culverwell, 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Harbach, Ralph E.
name: Culverwell, C. Lorna
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Culicidae
Topomyia
Topomyia discors

description: Topomyia (Miyagiella) discors Harbach, sp. nov.
Adult. Holotype male. Largely denuded, missing left foreleg, left mid- and hindtarsomeres 2–5, right midleg and right hindtarsus; left wing crumpled, right wing damaged apically; scutellum and adjacent areas of scutum, mesopostnotum and right wing obscured by fungal hyphae. Head: Vertex with broad decumbent silvery scales, erect scales apparently absent; pair of stout dark interocular setae present; compound eyes contiguous above antennal pedicels; antenna 1.76 mm, pedicel dark, bare, flagellum strongly verticillate, proximal flagellomeres without scales; proboscis and maxillary palpus entirely dark-scaled, proboscis 2.65 mm, slightly bent ventrad in distal 0.5; palpus very short, about 0.11 length of proboscis. Thorax: Integument brown; scutum largely denuded, few pale piliform scales remain on anterior promontory, prescutellar area and scutellum obscured by fungal hyphae, mesopostnotum partly covered by hyphae but apparently without scales and setae, paratergite apparently bare; ante- and postpronota denuded, postpronotum with row of setal alveoli on posterior margin; thoracic pleura largely denuded, alveoli of 4 prespiracular setae visible, patch of lower mesokatepisternal setae and silvery spatulate scales present; upper mesepimeral setae and silvery spatulate scales also present. Wing: Dark-scaled; cell R2 about 1.4 times length of vein R2+3; anal vein ends beyond base of mediocubital crossvein. Halter: Scabellum and pedicel pale; capitellum with dark scales. Legs: Fore- and midcoxae with silver scales, hindcoxa with setae only, rest of legs dark-scaled except fore- and midfemora narrowly pale-scaled ventrally, proximal 0.8 of anteroventral surface of hindfemur pale-scaled, rest of legs dark-scaled; foretarsomere 3 distinctly shorter than tarsomere 2, 0.6 as long; foreungues unequal, larger anterior unguis with post-basal tooth. Abdomen: Terga apparently dark-scaled with indications of pale-scaled lateral margins; sterna apparently pale-scaled. Genitalia (Figs 1, 2): As illustrated. Tergum IX (Figs 1A, 2A) broad, without setae; sternum IX (Fig. 2E) very large, posterior margin produced medially as a short somewhat bi-lobed projection with 2 caudally directed peg-like setae on either side, setae on caudal 0.5, no scales; gonocoxite short, obtuse, bulbous, setae on approximately distal 0.5 of dorsal and lateral surfaces, few inconspicuous narrow scales; mesal surface (Figs 1B, 2C) with a lumpy setose membranous tergomesal protuberance (=? ventro-medial lobe of Thurman, 1959; dorsomesal lobe of Miyagi et al., 2012) and a heavily sclerotised anvil-like sternomesal lobe (=? ventro-apical lobe of Thurman, 1959; apical lobe of Miyagi et al., 2012) bearing an apicolateral row of short sensilla basiconica; gonostylus (Figs 1, 2A–C) sicklelike, borne subapically, directed mesad, with line of setae on tergomesal margin and distally on ventral surface, gonostylar claw absent; claspette (ventral lobe) (Figs 1B, 2C) long, rod-like, borne tergomesally on gonocoxite at level of gonostylus, bearing 2 strong apical setae and a long lateral seta at mid-length, dorsal lobe absent; apex of gonocoxite with a very long, stout, sinuous, articulated spine (Figs 1, 2A–C); aedeagus (Figs 1A, 2A,D) very large, broad, width 0.8 length, widest at middle; composed of 2 complex lateral plates joined post-medially by transverse tergal bridge, caudal end of each plate with a flap-like apical tergal process and a sclerotised sternal crest, sternal surface of each plate with long submedian sternal arm that extends most of length of aedeagus, arms of opposite plates closely aligned and narrowly joined at mid-length, each joining thickened anterolateral margin of lateral plate; tergum X and paraprocts (Figs 1A, 2A) united with inner posterior margin of tergum IX, paraprocts short, stout, partially supporting basolateral margins of proctiger; proctiger large, membranous, cercal setae absent.
Female and immature stages. Unknown.
Etymology. The specific name is taken from the Latin single-termination third declension adjective discors (m, f, n; genitive discordis), meaning different or unlike, in reference to the unusual male genitalia.
Bionomics. The holotype was captured in a light trap at the edge of a stand of bamboo beside an agricultural field. As all species of Topomyia and other sabethine mosquitoes are associated with phytotelm habitats, it seems likely that the immature stages of To. discors may develop in bamboo internodes.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in northern Sabah, Malaysia.
Holotype. Male, with dissected genitalia on microscope slide (♂ G Prep. 13/28), MALAYSIA: Sabah, Kampung Paradason, 06˚ 46.135 N 116˚ 47.183 W, captured in non-baited CDC light trap hung 3.9 m above ground at edge of small stand of bamboo, 2.viii.2013 (S. Richi & F. Hawkes). The specimen is deposited in the National History Museum (NHM), London.
description: Published as part of Harbach, Ralph E. & Culverwell, C. Lorna, 2014, A new subgenus and species of Topomyia (Diptera: Culicidae: Sabethini) based on a remarkable male mosquito from Sabah, Malaysia, pp. 575-580 in Zootaxa 3794 (4) on pages 576-579, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3794.4.8, http://zenodo.org/record/4915014