Ceratopogon azari Dominiak, Alwin & Giłka, 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Dominiak, Patrycja
name: Alwin, Alicja
name: Giłka, Wojciech
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
Ceratopogon
Ceratopogon azari

description: Ceratopogon azari sp. nov.
(Figures 3–6)
Type material. Holotype: adult male. LEBANON, Anti-Lebanon Mts., Maaraboun village near Baalbek (in the locality named Sheaibe), N 33˚ 55.376 E 36˚15.490, altitude 1781 m, stream and helocrene, 5.V.2012, net, leg. P. Dominiak (UG). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 2 males, 3 females (LU, UG).
Diagnosis. Males of Ceratopogon azari differ from all other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: apicolateral processes of tergite 9 elongate, each bearing two setae: 1 apical and 1 subapical; parameres fused on proximal 1/3, distal 2/3 divided, each half elongate, slender, apical portion long, harpoonshaped. Aedeagus with seed-like medial prongs, lateral prongs lightly sclerotized with setose apices.
Description. Male. Coloration. Body dark brown, tarsomeres 1–3 of all legs paler (Fig. 3 b–d).
Head. Eyes pubescent, widely separated. Antenna with 13 flagellomeres, total length 0.83–0.91 mm, AR 0.63– 0.67 (n=2), plume well developed (Fig. 3 a). Flagellomere 1 with two whorls of long setae and small sensilla coeloconica. Clypeus with two rows of setae in lateral position, each row with 2–4 setae. Third palpal segment slender, apical portion bearing a few small, shallow sensory pits; 62–81 Μm long, PR 2.00–2.89 (n=3).
Thorax. Transverse suture on scutum well visible; 1 anterior and 6–8 posterior supraalar setae present. Scutellum with about 5 large and few small marginal setae arranged in single row. Wing transparent, 1.71–1.92 mm long, CR 0.59–0.61 (n=2). Two nearly equal-sized radial cells present; wing membrane completely devoid of macrotrichia, small sparse macrotrichia present only on subcosta. Femora and tibiae of all legs slender (Fig. 3 b–d). Hind tibial comb with 8 large setae, spur absent (Fig. 3 e). Basitarsus with a few ventral spine-like setae, tarsomeres 2–4 bearing only 2 apical spines (Fig. 3 b–d) and fine sensilla capitata. Hind basitarsus with one row of palisade setae on proximal half (Fig. 3 e) and single stout basal spine (not visible on Fig. 3 d, e). Tarsomeres 4 cordiform, bearing 1–3 apical long, sinuous sensilla capitata (Fig. 3 f). Tarsomeres 5 slender; claws small, equal-sized with single basal seta, bifid apices and slender empodia. Fore, mid and hind tarsal ratios: TR I 1.8–2.0 (n=3), TR II 2.0–2.1 (n=2), TR III 1.7 (n=2).
Genitalia (Fig. 4 a) about 2.5 times broader than segment 9. Tergite 9 tapering slightly distally from base, lateral margins parallel or nearly so, slightly constricted below U-shaped apex; apicolateral processes greatly elongate, moderately divergent distally, each bearing 2 long setae: 1 apical and 1 subapical (Fig. 4 b); cerci elongate, cylindrical, setose. Sternite 9 moderately short, about 2.5 times longer than broad; anterior margin straight; posterior margin with broad, shallow excavation. Gonocoxite very long, about 2.5 times longer than broad, slightly curved; proximal half moderately slender with small mesobasal spur, distal half swollen. Gonostylus 0.25–0.28 mm long (n=3), greatly curved on proximal and distal 1/4 portion, mid portion nearly straight; apex slightly tapered, tip rounded with three small teeth. Parameres much longer than aedeagus; proximal 1/3 fused, distal 2/3 divided, each half elongate, slender, apical portion long, harpoon-shaped (Fig. 4 b, c). Aedeagus slightly broader than long; basal arms, arch and margins of medial prongs heavily sclerotized; medial prongs seed-like in shape; lateral prongs elongate, stout, lightly sclerotized, apices truncate, setose (Fig. 4 b, d).
Female. Coloration. As in male, including legs (Fig. 5 b–d).
Head. Eyes pubescent, narrowly separate. Antennal flagellum (Fig. 5 a) with 13 separate cylindrical flagellomeres, flagellomeres 2–8 slightly longer than broad, 9–13 distinctly longer than broad, 13 longest; flagellomere 1 with 3–5 sensilla coeloconica on distal half. Total flagellum length 0.56–0.62 mm, AR 0.88–0.99 (n=3). Clypeus with two rows of setae in lateral position, each row with 2–3 setae. Third palpal segment with a few shallow sensory pits usually only on distal half; length 63–65 Μm, PR 2.03–2.13 (n=3). Mandible armed with 12 large coarse teeth decreasing in size towards base.
Thorax. Transverse suture on scutum well developed; 1 anterior and 7–8 posterior supraalar setae present. Scutellum with about 5 large and a few small marginal setae in single row. Wing transparent, 1.86–1.88 mm long, CR 0.64–0.65 (n=3). Two nearly equal-sized radial cells present, wing membrane devoid of macrotrichia. Fore femur moderately swollen, mid and hind femora more slender; fore tibia slightly swollen, mid and hind tibiae more slender (Fig. 5 b–d). Hind tibial comb with 8–10 large setae, lacking apical spur. Palisade setae of hind basitarsus, shape of tarsomeres 4 and apical sensilla capitata similar to those found in male (Fig. 5 d, e). Tarsomeres 5 slender, claws moderately large, nearly equal-sized on all legs, each talon with basal inner tooth (Fig. 5 f). Fore, mid and hind tarsal ratios: TR I 1.8 (n=3), TR II 1.9–2.1 (n=3), TR III 1.8–1.9 (n=3).
Genitalia (Fig. 6 a). Sternite 8 entire, moderately sclerotized, posterior margin with shallow excavation. Sternite 9 divided into two halves (Fig. 6 c, d); anterior arm long, slender, sharply pointed; posterior arm stout, with heavily sclerotized spot on distal part. Three ovoid seminal capsules present (Fig. 6 b), each with short neck; two larger, similar in size (60–72 Μm long, n=3), one markedly smaller (43–48 Μm, n=2).
Immatures. Unknown.
Derivation of the name. The species is named in honor of Dany Azar, for his great assistance with collecting materials throughout Lebanon.
Remarks. The structure of the aedeagus in Ceratopogon azari resembles the aedeagus of C. grandiforceps (Kieffer, 1913) and C. niveipennis Meigen, 1818 (figs. 7D–G and 7A–C respectively in Borkent & Grogan 1995). However, this new species can be readily distinguished from those two species by its long, cylindrical apicolateral processes of tergite 9, which bear only two setae, and the shape of the parameres that are fused on proximal 1/3. Unfortunately, unique diagnostic features could not be discovered for adult female of C. azari. Female of C. azari resembles females of several other Palaearctic species of Ceratopogon, but its fore femur is moderately swollen.
Both sexes of C. azari were co-associated as they were collected together from same site in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, at a small stream and an adjacent helocrene spring. This is the first record of Ceratopogon from the Middle East and the southernmost site for this genus in the Western Palaearctic (cf. Yu et al. 2005, Grogan & Wirth 1980).
description: Published as part of Dominiak, Patrycja, Alwin, Alicja & Giłka, Wojciech, 2014, New records of predaceous midges from the Middle East, with the description of two new species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), pp. 133-145 in Zootaxa 3753 (2) on pages 138-143, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3753.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/227557