Timia fallax Morgulis and Freidberg, n. sp.
Creators: name: Morgulis, E.
name: Freidberg, A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ulidiidae
Timia
Timia fallax

description: Timia fallax Morgulis and Freidberg n. sp.
(Figs. 10, 17, 42, 43, 50, 64, 73, 88)
Material examined. ISRAEL: Type Material: Holotype ♀: Central Negev: 'Avedat [Avdat], 19.iv.1975, A. Freidberg; Paratypes: 'Arava Valley: Hazeva, 10.iv.1972, A. Freidberg (2♂, 1♀); 'En Yahav, Makhteshim, En Shahak; 2.5 km w. hwy 90 at Km 150, - 60 m, 30º42.85'N 35º 11.12E, 25.iii.1995, M. E. Irwin (1♀)(TAUI). The holotype is pinned directly and deposited in TAUI.
Description. Head (Figs. 10, 17): Structure: 1.27–1.35 times as high as long. Frons posteriorly 1.07–1.13 times as wide as long and at lunule level 1.5–1.6 times as wide as long, slightly strigose. Eye 1.27–1.46 times as high as long. Gena 0.31–0.34 times as high as eye, corrugated. Fronto-orbital plate at antenna insertion level 0.30– 0.36 times as long as eye. Color and vestiture: occiput black, dorsally and laterally silvery microtrichose. Vertex reddish-brown to black laterally, orange-yellow medially. Ocellar triangle black. Frons brown posterolaterally, orange to yellow medially and anteriorly, white microtrichose, punctate at setae and setulae bases. Parafacial orange-brown, white microtrichose, punctate at setae and setulae bases. Face mostly shiny yellow to orange; antennal groove black, slightly gray microtrichose. Pedicel brown; first flagellomere black, silvery microtrichose; arista yellow, with microscopic rays. Gena and postgena brown; gena dorsally white microtrichose, punctate at setae and setulae bases. Palpus black, slightly gray microtrichose. Setae and setulae: all setae and setulae (except setulae on labellum) black. Medial vertical seta 1.09–1.16 times as long as lateral vertical seta; ocellar and postocellar setae each 0.20–0.28 times as long as medial vertical seta. Frons, parafacial and gena short setulose, setulae about 0.5 times as long as ocellar seta. Postgena long setulose. Palpus with long black setulae; labellum with whitish setulae.
Thorax: Color and vestiture: black. Scutum mostly silvery microtrichose except subshiny non microtrichose spots at setae and setulae bases. Scutellum shiny reddish-black. Anatergite slightly silvery microtrichose. Remaining parts shiny, non-microtrichose. Setae and setulae: all setae and setulae black. 1 supra-alar, 2–3 anepisternal, 1 acrostichal, 1–2 katepisternal and 2 scutellar setae present. Proepimeron, anepisternum and katepisternum long setulose, setulae 0.8–0.9 times as long as major setae; postpronotal lobe and scutum short setulose, setulae 0.25–0.30 times as long as major setae; scutellum mostly short setulose and with 2–3 setulae 0.6– 0.7 times as long as major setae.
Legs (Figs. 42, 43): In male, foretibia with subapical medioventral thickening, and apicoventral setulose projection with 3–4 dorsolateral thick setae; foretarsus with 2 basal tarsomeres flattened. In both sexes, coxae and trochanters blackish- brown, forecoxa slightly gray microtrichose; femora mostly blackish-brown except yellow at articulation with tibiae; foretibia blackish-brown, mid and hindtibia mostly yellow except apical 0.16–0.25 blackish; foretarsus brown, mid and hind tarsi with 1–2 basal tarsomere yellow and 3–4 distal tarsomeres black.
Wing (as in Fig. 32): Hyaline, no pattern present; pterostigma mat yellow. Venation: Veins yellow. Crossvein R-M aligned with apex of vein R1. Ratios: Cell r4+5 0.31–0.36; vein Cu2 1.33–1.45. Calypteres white. Halter base orange to brown, stem and knob yellow.
Abdomen: Tergites 1–6 shiny black and setulose, tergite 5 slightly shagreened in both sexes.
Male terminalia: Epandrium (Fig. 50) as high as wide; cerci small, nearly conjoint; lateral surstylus apically bent and medially inclined. Caecum at midpoint of phallus small, microtrichose. Phallus (Fig. 64) with medial, slightly apical to caecum, row of several strong spines; phallus apically slightly sclerotized. Glans (Fig. 73) bilobed, with sclerotized apices.
Female terminalia: Cercal unit (Fig. 88) triangular, apically pointed. Sensilla: BV basal to BD. Several short setulae present on cercal unit basal to SABP. Spermathecae globulose (as in Fig. 103) with smooth surface.
Measurements (mm): Body length 3.7–7.9, wing length 3.04–5.25.
Distribution. Endemic to Israel (Central Negev and ‘Arava Valley).
Adult activity in Israel: April.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the elusiveness of this species. Elusive is fallax in Latin; it is a noun in apposition.
Diagnosis. This species belongs to the T. hirtipes group by bearing an apical tibial spine on the foreleg of the male. It differs from all other species of this group by its black scutellum (which is yellow in all other species).
Comment. There are only five specimens known, all collected in a rather restricted area. Recently special attempts have been made to collect additional specimens of this species but without success. Considering climate change and desertification, it is possible that this species might have already become extinct from this area.
description: Published as part of Morgulis, E. & Freidberg, A., 2014, The Ulidiini (Diptera: Tephritoidea: Ulidiidae) of Israel, with a key to the world species of Ulidia and description of five new species, pp. 201-247 in Zootaxa 3780 (2) on pages 215-216, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3780.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/228269