Mumetopia interfeles Rohacek 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Roháček, Jindřich
name: Tóthová, Andrea
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Anthomyzidae
Mumetopia
Mumetopia interfeles

description: Mumetopia interfeles Roháček sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6843969E-C0DB-46A3-9503-17FA25555D55
Figs 1–28
Differential diagnosis
Owing to its bicoloured (blackish brown and yellow)body,normal wings and a solid silvery microtomentose occipital (supracervical) patch, M. interfeles sp. nov. most closely resembles M. occipitalis Melander, 1913. However, it differs from the latter species by a shorter frontal triangle with strongly acuteangled anterior corner (ending at most in the anterior fourth of frons), ocellar triangle with the same sparse microtomentum as on the frontal triangle (densely grey microtomentose and contrasting with glabrous frontal triangle in M. occipitalis), strong anterior ors, very shortly ciliate (not pectinate) arista and dorsomedially broadly yellow female preadominal terga. There are also distinct dissimilarities in some structures of the male genitalia (gonostylus more slender; medandrium with dorsolateral corners slightly projecting; aedeagal part of folding apparatus with tuberculiform excrescences finer; filum bare and with shorter, curved and pointed projection in distal fourth) and in the female postabdomen (T7 dorsomedially widely divided; S7 pale-pigmented and elongate; posterior pair of internal sclerites in female genital chamber markedly shorter). The other two species of Mumetopia (s. str.), viz., M. messor and M. taeniata, are yet more different from M. interfeles sp. nov., not only in having strongly shortened and narrowed wings, reduced halteres and narrowed thorax (see Roháček & Barber 2009: figs 17– 18, 20–21) but also the head almost entirely brown, occiput with silvery patch absent and uniformly dark brown, preabdominal sterna in both male and female brown and male and female terminalia more resembling those of M. occipitalis.
Etymology
The name ʻinterfelesʼ (= ʻamong catsʼ in Latin) refers to the discovery of the new species in an urban grassy habitat much favoured by cats (see Fig. 31).
Material examined
Holotype CHILE • 1 ♂; labeled “ CHILE: Valparaíso city: Cerro O’Higgins, Avenida George Washington 1260D, 33°03′22.7″ S, 71°35′45.5″ W, M. von Tschirnhaus leg.”, “Cl 2230, 109 m, 27.ii.2018, swept from grass in courtyard at house of Jakob von Tschirnhaus ”, “Holotypus ♂ Mumetopia interfeles sp. n., J. Roháček det. 2020 [red label]”; SMOC MIT001. The specimen is intact, in good condition (see Fig. 1).
Paratypes CHILE • 197 ♂♂, 151 ♀♀; same data and locality labels as for holotype, but with “Paratypus ♂ [or ♀] Mumetopia interfeles sp. n., J. Roháček det. 2020 [yellow label]”. Specimen identifiers: 74 ♂♂ MIT002 – MIT075 and 75 ♀♀ MIT076 – MIT150; SMOC; 10 ♂♂ MIT151 – MIT160 and 10 ♀♀ MIT161 – MIT170; CNCI; 50 ♂♂ MIT171 – MIT220 and 30 ♀♀ MIT221 – MIT250; SDEI; 63 ♂♂ MIT251 – MIT313 and 36 ♀♀ MIT314 – MIT349; ZSMC.
Other material (excluded from type series)
CHILE • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; same data and locality labels as for holotype (used for molecular work, with remnants preserved in ethanol or glycerine). Specimen identifiers: 2 ♂♂ MIX001, MIX002; 2 ♀♀ MIX003, MIX004; SMOC.
CHILE • 3 ♀♀; same data and locality labels as for holotype (specimens without head or abdomen). Specimen identifiers: 3 ♀♀ MIX005 – MIX007; SMOC.
Description
Male (n = 200)
TOTAL BODY LENGTH. 1.59–2.06 mm.
COLOURATION. Body distinctly bicolourous (Fig. 1), ventrally yellow, dorsally largely brown to blackish brown and relatively shiny, particularly on mesonotum and sides of preabdominal terga.
HEAD (Figs 1, 3). Slightly higher than long, also bicolourous, yellow and blackish brown. Frons largely dull yellow, with only frontal triangle and posterior marginal part at occiput dark brown and shiny. Frontal triangle relatively large, well delimited (Fig. 3) and with acute anterior corner reaching to anterior fourth of frons, very sparsely greyish-brown microtomentose including ocellar triangle and hence shining; ocellar triangle very slightly elevated; ocelli rather small and oc inserted somewhat outside margin of ocellar triangle. Frontal lunule small, reduced and depressed, darker yellow than adjacent frons. Orbital plate relatively broad, pale yellow and well delimited due to silvery white microtomentum up to posterior ors; more posteriorly it is narrowed, gradually darkened and with microtomentum reduced, becoming brown to dark brown and somewhat shining in front of vti and vte. Occiput concave, entirely blackish brown, mostly very sparsely dark-grey microtomentose and hence shining, except for distinctive, densely silvery-white microtomentose and glittering medial patch (somewhat higher than broad) between pvt and foramen (Fig. 3). Face narrow and slightly depressed, dull yellow to ochreous yellow and on sides bordered by very fine darker ochreous stripe. Parafacialia and anterior half of gena pale yellow and silvery-white microtomentose; posterior half of gena and postgena yellow, with microtomentum reduced, particularly ventrally; gena and postgena ventrally narrowly ochreous-brown margined. Mouthparts yellow to pale ochreous, palpus pale yellow. Cephalic chaetotaxy (Figs 1, 3): all macrosetae relatively strong but pvt small and weak, strongly convergent, sometimes with apices meeting medially; vte, vti, oc and posterior ors usually subequal, long (longest of cephalic setae) and rather robust or vti slightly longer and / or posterior ors slightly shorter; oc dorsoproclinate and slightly divergent; 2 strong ors (aberrantly 3 ors on one side of frons, cf. Fig. 14) but anterior shorter than (twothirds to three-fourths length of) posterior; 1 or 2 microsetulae in front of anterior ors; usually 2 pairs of minute medial microsetulae just in front of anterior corner of frontal triangle; vi long but shorter than posterior ors and usually longer than anterior ors; subvibrissa well developed, up to two-thirds of vi length but markedly weaker; 3 or 4 short peristomal setulae; postgena with a few small dark setulae and 2 short pale setae in posteroventral corner; postocular microsetulae minute, sparse, in single row; 1 inclinate setula behind bases of vte and vti also present. Eye with very short and very sparse pilosity (visible in ventral half of eye), ellipsoid to suboval; its longest (oblique) diameter about 1.5–1.6 times as long as shortest diameter; gena short, its shortest height 0.09–0.11 times as long as shortest eye diameter. Palpus with a few setulae in addition to dark, relatively long and anteroventrally to ventrally directed preapical seta (Fig. 1). Antenna strongly geniculate, entirely yellow (Figs 1, 3), at most 1 st flagellomere somewhat (narrowly) darkened around base of arista; 1 st flagellomere laterally compressed; its anteroventral margin with cilia (darker dorsally, pale to whitish ventrally) almost twice as long as those of arista. Arista about 2.1 times as long as antenna, dark brown with ochreous to brown basal segment, and very short dark ciliate.
THORAX. Distinctly narrower than head. Mesonotum largely blackish brown but laterally (above notopleural area and wing) brown; humeral callus (= postpronotum) yellow to ochreous (Fig. 3), rarely brownish darkened (see Fig. 1, holotype); notopleural area usually darker, ochreous to brown. Mesonotum shining but with very sparse greyish microtomentum. Pleural part of thorax largely yellow, only dorsally with brownish (often interrupted) stripe running from neck to base of abdomen (Fig. 1, cf. also Fig. 14); pleuron with microtomentum denser and hence subshiny. Thoracic chaetotaxy (Figs 1, 3): 1 short and weak hu (as long as or shorter than posterior npl) and 2 microsetae on humeral callus; 2 npl, anterior long, twice as long as posterior npl; prs small, yet shorter and weaker than hu; 1 short sa (as long as posterior npl) and 1 distinctly longer pa; 2 strong and very long postsutural dc; anterior dc inserted just behind suture (thus very anteriorly) and only slightly shorter than posterior dc; posterior dc and apical sc longest of thoracic setae; only 2 or 3 dc microsetae in front of anterior dc but that closest to latter often enlarged (sometimes longer than prs); ac microsetae few in number, in only 2 medial short rows, never reaching level of posterior dc; 2 sc, basal very short and weak, apical sc very long, as long as posterior dc; ppl reduced to minute (often hardly visible) microseta; 2 stpl, both relatively long although posterior longer and thicker; 1 (rarely 2) microseta in front of anterior stpl and 3–5 below them; 2 or 3 longer dark setulae also in ventral corner of sternopleuron. Scutellum medium long, rounded triangular, with distinctly convex disc; postscutellum well developed, strongly convex (Fig. 1).
LEGS. Yellow with coxae, bases of femora and knees usually paler; only terminal segment of all tarsi partly or entirely pale-brown darkened. f 1 with ctenidial spine rather variable in length (as long as to distinctly longer than maximum width of t 1) and inserted near (anteroventral to) longest seta of posteroventral row of setae (cf. Figs 1, 14, 22); fore basitarsus with 3 (rarely 4) longer but relatively fine setulae ventrobasally. t 2 with relatively short but distinct ventroapical seta (Fig. 26). f 3 with 5 or (less often) 6 thickened and shortened setae in distal half of posteroventral row (Fig. 28); hind basitarsus with 2 or 3 thickened ventrobasal setulae (Fig. 27).
WING (Fig. 2). Not very long compared to body length. Wing membrane pale brownish-ochreous, veins pale brown. C reaching to apex of M, in sector Cs 2 (between apices of R 1 and R 2+3) with sparse but distinct spinulae in addition to usual setulae. R 1 robust and short, with preapical kink (fusion of Sc and R 1) well developed. R 2+3 long, proximally bent along C, distally upcurved to it, thus somewhat sinuate. R 4+5 slightly to indistinctly bent (recurved) and ending close to apex of wing. M slightly bent to straight, very slightly divergent from R 4+5 and ending far from apex of wing. Cross-vein r-m situated slightly to distinctly in front of middle of dm cell. Cross-vein dm-cu much shorter than terminal part of CuA 1. Basal and posterior cubital cells distinct but narrow. CuA 1 almost reaching to wing margin, A 1 short and ending far from it. Anal lobe and alula well developed, the latter not narrowed. Wing measurements: length 1.55–1.95 mm, maximum width 0.52–0.70 mm; Cs 3: Cs 4 = 1.09–1.35; r-m \dm-cu: dm-cu = 2.64–3.42. Haltere with yellow to ochreous stem and almost white knob (Fig. 3).
ABDOMEN. In dorsal view about as wide as thorax. Preabdominal terga brown to blackish brown, T2–T5 relatively large and broad, bent far onto lateral sides of abdomen (Fig. 1), with short and relatively strong but sparse setae. Basal terga usually medially pale brown (T2) to ochreous (T1), also T3 and T4 somewhat lighter dorsomedially (i.e., brown) than laterally (blackish brown). Lateral parts of T2–T5 sparsely microtomentose and more shining than dorsal surface of terga. T1 shortest and narrowest preabdominal tergum, dorsally distinctly separate from T2 which is only slightly longer but wider than T1. T1 and T2 together distinctly longer than T3; T3–T5 subequal in length or T5 somewhat longer (longest abdominal tergum) but always narrower than T3 or T4. Preabdominal sterna very pale ochreous-yellow, relatively small and narrow, becoming wider posteriorly (S5 widest); S1 short, slightly transverse and hairless, with darker stripe along posterior margin; S2 about as long as broad and slightly darkened anteriorly; S3 and S4 as long as broad or slightly longer than broad; S5 largest, somewhat wider than long and trapezoidal (posteriorly wider). S2–S5 finely setose.
POSTABDOMEN. T6 bare, short, transverse, somewhat asymmetrical (tapered on left side), having medial quarter membranous and unpigmented (Fig. 4); its lateral parts brown and well sclerotized, with right part reaching farther ventrally (cf. Fig. 5). S6–S8 strongly asymmetrical, brown to dark brown, partly coalesced dorsally; S6 (Figs 5, 7) short and transverse, with strongly sclerotized and blackish brown anterior marginal ledge; S7 longer (Fig. 7) but also anteriorly (more narrowly) dark-margined; S6 and S7 with 2 setae each; S8 larger than S7, situated dorsally but less asymmetrical (Figs 4, 5), with sparse (7 or 8) setae, situated mainly posteriorly.
GENITALIA. Epandrium (Figs 6, 8) relatively small compared to internal genitalia, relatively broad, wider than high, with sparse setae, dorsolateral seta most robust and longest; dorsal margin of epandrium very slightly convex; anal fissure (Fig. 6) not large and rather narrow, subovoid (ventrally open). Cercus (Fig. 6, ce) small, wider anteriorly (internally) than posteriorly or laterally; its posterior side shortly and finely setose. Medandrium (Figs 6, 8, ma) with deep and narrow subrectangular ventromedial incision and with dorsolateral corners slightly projecting laterally. Gonostylus (Figs 6, 8–9) relatively short and broad, with anteroventral apex bent medially and convex both anteriorly and posteriorly (Fig. 9), micropubescence covering most of outer side except for narrow anterior margin and narrowed but rounded apex; setae on inner side longer but fine and relatively sparse. Internal genitalia comparatively large. Hypandrium (Fig. 10) relatively robust, very slightly sinuate in lateral view and more robust in posterior half; internal hypandrial lobes (Fig. 10, hl) distinct but submembranous and pale-pigmented. Transandrium relatively broad but slender (Fig. 11, ta), with medial caudal process forked, micropubescent but weakly sclerotized (Fig. 11, cp); basal membrane (Fig. 11, bm) with transverse spine-like tubercles arranged in two groups on arms of caudal fork. Pregonite (Fig. 10, prg) developed as distinctly separate lobe, posteroventrally somewhat projecting and carrying 9 or 10 setae (half of them internal and shorter). Postgonite (Fig. 10, pg) relatively large and of complex construction; its darker proximal part expanded ventrally and with 4 short setae on inner side of anterior margin; its distal part paler, projecting in two lobes: longer anterior lobe with rounded apex, 1 strong anterior seta and some sensilla on outer side, and shorter, bare posterior lobe, subtriangular in profile. Aedeagal complex (Fig. 13). Phallapodeme relatively strong, with deeply forked, almost symmetrical proximal end, rather simple apex and slender fulcrum (Fig. 13, fc). Aedeagal part of folding apparatus (Fig. 13, afa) well sclerotized and dark-pigmented (particularly dorsally); its external side with dark tuberculiform excrescences (largest anterodorsally); connecting sclerite paler, long and slender, with surface plain. Phallophore short, compact, slightly projecting posteroventrally (Fig. 13, pp) and with small anterior sclerite connecting it with base of phallapodeme. Basal part of distiphallus distinctly sclerotized both dorsally (base of saccus) and ventrally (base of filum). Saccus of distiphallus relatively large (Fig. 13, s), dorsally and laterobasally more or less sclerotized; membranous part of saccus dilated distally and provided with sparse hyaline tubercles, mainly anteriorly. Filum of distiphallus (Fig. 13, f) rather compact, long and well sclerotized, beginning just below phallophore, relatively slender, bent ventrally but bifid in distal fourth or fifth, thus with shorter hooked, apically acutely pointed projection and longer, thicker main branch with somewhat dilated, flattened and curved but hairless apex (Fig. 12). Ejacapodeme distinct, with digitiform projection distally (Fig. 13, ea).
Female (n = 156)
Similar to male unless mentioned otherwise.
TOTAL BODY LENGTH. 1.66–2.38 mm.
HEAD. Antenna darker, orange-ochreous (Fig. 14), with 1 st flagellomere often narrowly brownish darkened on anterior margin (also on inner side). Also frons anteromedially often darker, orange. Peristomal setulae more numerous (up to 6) in large specimens.
THORAX. Thoracic pattern more variable: notopleural area sometimes partly or entirely yellow and dorsal brownish stripe on pleuron reduced to small spots or faded (Fig. 14), with propleuron completely yellow. Sternopleuron sometimes with more numerous microsetae.
LEGS.Ventroapical seta on t 2 often somewhat longer; f 3 lacking thickened shortened setae in posteroventral row, uniformly shortly setulose.
WING (Fig. 15). Larger than in male on average. Wing measurements: length 1.59–2.32 mm, width 0.55–0.81 mm; Cs 3: Cs 4 = 1.02–1.26; r-m\dm-cu: dm-cu = 2.33–3.31.
ABDOMEN. Wider (Figs 16–17) and, consequently, all preabdominal terga (T1–T5) wider and more transverse than in male. T1–T5 dorsomedially broadly pale ochreous to yellow (Fig. 16), only laterally to laterodorsally brown to dark brown, or with narrow medial brownish band in addition (see Fig. 17); T5 most variable in colouration, its mediodorsal surface ranging from largely ochreous-yellow to entirely brown (almost concolourous with sides, Fig. 14) but usually bicolourous (Fig. 16), with dark parts enlarged and broadly connected posteriorly (Fig. 17). T1 and T2 dorsally separate (Figs 16–17), only laterally coalesced. T1 smallest and shortest of preabdominal terga. T2 slightly narrower and shorter than T3; T3–T5 subequal in length or T5 somewhat longer, T3 and / or T4 widest, T5 distinctly narrower than T4 and more or less tapered posteriorly. Preabdominal sterna very pale (Fig. 14), whitish with ochreous tinge. S1 very similar to that of male. S2–S5 becoming only slightly wider posteriorly but subequal in length. S2 and S3 about as long as broad, S4 slightly wider than long, all suboblong. S5 more distinctly wider than long and with sides more rounded, thus resembling in shape and size S6. Setosity of preabdominal terga and sterna as in male.
POSTABDOMEN (Figs 23–25). T6 uniformly dark brown (see Fig. 24), transversely trapezoidal, tapered posteriorly and shortly setose in posterior two-thirds. S6 transversely suboblong with rounded corners, pale ochreous yellow, with rather sparse and long setae. T7 and S7 separate (Figs 23, 25). T7 blackish brown, darker than T6, dorsomedially broadly divided (see Fig. 24) and its lateral part on each side reaching far ventrally, having 7 th spiracle embedded in anteroventral corner (Fig. 25) and having setae in posterior half to two-thirds. S7 relatively large and long (Fig. 25), ochreous, elongately suboblong, with posterior half somewhat narrower, with fine long setae in posterior micropubescent half. Micropubescence in membrane between ventral margins of T7 and S7 more or less enlarged. T8 dark brown, subtriangular, with anterior corner acutely pointed (Fig. 24), entirely micropubescent and with a few fine setae posterolaterally. S8 short, medially divided (Fig. 25) and posteriorly bent dorsally, finely setose and micropubescent (see also Fig. 19). Internal sclerites of genital chamber (Figs 19–20) distinct but not heavily sclerotized, only pale brown, formed by a pair of complex posterior sclerites (obviously a fusion of 2 pairs of sclerites) and by 1 anterior, very slender (poorly visible because pale pigmented), transversely compressed and dorsolaterally bent annular sclerite. Ventral receptacle (Figs 19–20, vr) small, subspherical, rather weakly sclerotized and pale brown, set on short, bent, distally tapered membranous duct. Remnant of accessory gland small (Figs 19–20, ag), formed by tuft of minute digitiform processes with globulate apices on subterminally slightly dilated duct. Spermathecae (1 +1) shortly pyriform (Figs 18, 21), with small, short and pale duct cervix, and with dense robust dark spines on most of surface. T10 (Fig. 24) very short and transverse, relatively dark-pigmented, with 2 long, closely arising, posteromedial setae and very sparse fine micropubescence. S10 much larger than T10, roughly pentagonal but with distinctly emarginate anterior margin, rounded posteriomedial corner and micropubescent on most of its surface (Fig. 25). Cercus small, short (Figs 23–24, ce), with rich setae (apical, dorsopreapical and lateral setae rather subequal in length) and very fine micropubescence.
Biology
The new species was found to be associated with a grass growing in a courtyard (shared backyard) between houses in the Cerro O’Higgins area of the city of Valparaíso (Fig. 30) in February. Subsequently, when plant specimens with mature inflorescences from this lawn were available for study, the grass was identified by Chilean botanists V.L. Finot Saldías and P.H. Peñailillo Brito as Hordeum murinum L. (Mouse Barley, Hare Barley, Wall Barley, etc.). This wild barley is native to the W Palaearctic (probably originally Mediterranean) but also grows as a naturalized alien species in many other parts of the world, including South America. It has been known to occur in Chile since 1854 (Ugarte et al. 2011) and is now common in central Chile (Navas 1966). Hordeum murinum is a common component of ruderal flora in urban and other anthropogenic habitats in Europe as well as in central Chile (Gärtner et al. 2015) where it can also occur in wetland habitats (cf. Del Campo et al. 2005).
A total of 356 specimens of M. interfeles sp. nov. was swept by M. von Tschirnhaus from this grassy habitat covering an area of ca 55 m 2, bordered by fencing and sidewalks (Fig. 31), and frequently visited by cats and dogs (cat and dog droppings present). This provides an estimate of density of 356 / 55 = 6.5 flies /m 2. However, the material he collected was obtained with only two sweep catches (each less than 5 minutes long and similarly numerous), so many more specimens (he estimated over 1000) occurred in the collecting spot (M. von Tschirnhaus, pers. com. 2018, 2020). Thus, the actual minimum density of the species was likely three times this estimate.
The total sample of insects swept by M. von Tschirnhaus from H. murinum in this locality comprised 1478 specimens (Diptera 1091, Hemiptera 288, Hymenoptera 66, Collembola 16, Coleoptera 9, Thysanopera 8). Diptera were dominated by Chloropidae (419), Anthomyzidae (356, M. interfeles sp. nov. only) and Drosophilidae (217, species of Scaptomyza only) while other families were represented by only a few specimens each (Sphaeroceridae 34, Lonchopteridae 13, Phoridae 11, Cecidomyiidae 10, Trixoscelididae 9, Chironomidae 7, Culicidae 4, Mycetophilidae 3, Scatopsidae 2, Lauxaniidae 2, Ephydridae 2, Ceratopogonidae 1, Tephritidae 1). Apart from M. interfeles sp. nov., only one other species occurred en masse in this growth of H. murinum, viz., the neotropical chloropid Ceratobarys sacculicornis (Enderlein, 1911), with 384 specimens (199 ♂♂, 185 ♀♀). Since most Chloropidae are phytophages as larvae, C. sacculicornis most likely develops on this grass. This would also position the Chloropidae as the most important component of the fly community associated with H. murinum here. Besides the above species, specimens of three more chloropid species were found, viz., Opetiophora sp. (14 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀), an unnamed oscinellid with unknown biology, Apallates convexus (Loew, 1866) (3 ♂♂) and Diplotoxa sp. (1 ♂). Interestingly, the genus Opetiophora has not been previously reported from South America (M. von Tschirnhaus, pers. com. 2020).
Distribution
Central Chile, commune of Valparaíso (Fig. 29, blue open square).
description: Published as part of Roháček, Jindřich & Tóthová, Andrea, 2021, Mumetopia interfeles sp. nov., a new species of Anthomyzidae (Diptera) occurring en masse in an urban grassy habitat in Chile: its taxonomy, phylogeny and biology, pp. 135-158 in European Journal of Taxonomy 731 on pages 140-152, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2021.731.1211, http://zenodo.org/record/4456389