Penthetria claripennis Theobald 1937, comb.n.
Creators: name: Skartveit, John
name: Nel, André
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Bibionidae
Penthetria
Penthetria claripennis

description: Penthetria claripennis (Théobald, 1937) comb.n.
(Figs. 1 – 5, 72 – 77)
Plecia claripennis Théobald, 1937: 228. (Basel) Plecia variegata Théobald, 1937: 234. Syn.n. Plecia varia Théobald, 1937: 234. Syn.n.
Plecia difficilis Théobald, 1937: 234 – 235. Syn.n. Plecia graciosa Théobald, 1937: 235. Syn.n.
Material examined. Holotype (female) of Plecia claripennis NMB F1382, (fig. 1). Holotype (male) of Plecia variegata NMB F1405, (fig. 2). Paratype (male) of Plecia variegata NMB F1406. Holotype (male) of Plecia varia NMB F1407, (fig. 3). Paratypes (males) of Plecia varia NMB F455, F1417/1, 1418. Holotype (male) of Plecia difficilis NMB F1408, (fig. 4). Paratypes (6 males) of Plecia difficilis NMB F1420/1, F1421/1-5. Holotype (male) of Plecia graciosa NMB F1409, (fig. 5) (part and counterpart), paratypes (3 males) of Plecia graciosa NMB F1423, F1424, F1425/1, F1425/2.
Additional material (10 males): NHB F1416/2-6, F1419/1-4, (2 females) NMB F1415/1, F1416/1.
Localities. Kleinkembs.
Diagnosis. A smallish Penthetria (7–9.5 mm). Male wing light brownish fumose, vein R2+3 slightly curved, basal part of Rs forming approximately 45° angles with R1 and M. Male epandrium trapezoidal, gonostylus basally robust, distally slender and sharp. Female wing hyaline.
Redescription. Male (fig. 77): Total length 7.7 – 9.5 mm (N=28).
Head: Length 0.9 – 1.5 mm (N=23), width 0.9 – 1.2 mm (N=6). Ocellar tubercle tall and prominent. Compound eye without conspicuous pile. Antenna relatively short, flagellum 8-segmented? Palp rather long and slender.
Thorax: Length 1.8 – 2.7 mm (N= 28), width 1.7 – 2.0 mm (N=5). Black, convex, rather short and wide, sulci prominent. Haltere light brown.
Wing (fig. 72): Length 6.3 – 8.8 mm (N=22), width 2.0 – 2.9 mm (N=11). Yellowish brown fumose, veins light brown, pterostigma indistinct. Costa extends slightly beyond apex of R4+5. Humeral vein present, fine and oblique. Subcosta long and distinctive. R2+3 straight with a slight bend in middle. Pterostigma light brownish, ill-defined. Basal section of Rs steep, forming a 45°angle with R1. Crossvein R-M oblique. Fork of M relatively short, not much longer than stem beyond R-M crossvein. Wing vein measurements in Table 1.
Legs: Brown, rather long and slender, femorae slightly clavate. Fore femur 2.1 – 2.7 mm (N=8), fore tibia 2.1 – 3.1 mm (N=7), hind femur 2.6 – 3.4 mm (N=18), hind tibia 2.2 – 3.4 mm (N=14).
Abdomen: Length 4.9 – 7.2 mm (N=27), width 0.8 – 1.6 mm (N=11), yellowish-brown, cylindrical, moderately long. Pile not conspicuous.
Terminalia (figs. 73–75): Width of hypopygium 0.83 – 1.03 mm (N=14). Epandrium trapezoidal, mesally slightly incurved. Gonostylus length 0.32 – 0.55 mm (N=14), curved, basally robust, apically sharply pointed.
Female: Total length 7.0 – 11.0 mm (N=3).
Head length 0.9 – 1.2 mm (N=2), not well preserved. Ocellar tubercle prominent.
Thorax: Length 2.0 – 2.5 mm (N=3), width 1.6 mm (N=1). Black, convex.
Wing (fig. 76): Length 8.0 – 8.8 mm (N=3), width 2.9 mm (N=1), almost devoid of pigment in specimens at hand. R-veins distinctive, venation approximately as in male. Wing vein measurements in Table 1.
Legs: Brown, relatively long and slender. Femorae a little clavate.
Abdomen: Length 4.5 – 7.0 mm (N=2), width 1.8 – 2.3 mm (N=2), dark brown, cylindrical, rather short and stocky.
Terminalia: Cercus rather slender and pointed.
Fig. 73. Male, terminalia, ventral. NMB F1416/3. Fig. 74. Male, terminalia, dorsal. NMB F1416/6.
Fig. 75. Male, terminalia, lateral. NMB F1419/4. F ig. 76. Female, wing. NMB F1382.
Fig. 77. Male, habitus: NMB F1418/1.
Remark. The abdomen appears to be shrunk in one of the female specimens, bloated in another, which explains the apparently large variation in total and abdomen lengths.
description: Published as part of Skartveit, John & Nel, André, 2017, Revision of fossil Bibionidae (Insecta: Diptera) from French Oligocene deposits, pp. 1-83 in Zootaxa 4225 (1) on pages 9-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.259087