A new species of Porricondyla (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from southwestern pennsylvania

2005·2.1 MB·

by  John D Plakidas

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PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH.
107(3), 2005, pp. 652-656
A NEW SPECIES OF PORRICONDYLA (DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE) FROM
SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
John D. Plakidas
111 Emerson Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15215, U.S.A. (e-mail: johnplakidas@comcast.
net)
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Abstract. A species new to science, Porricondyla recondita Plakidas (Diptera: Ceci-
domyiidae: Porricondylinae), is described and illustrated. The larva of this new species
is noteworthy in that it lacks a spatula but has an analogous structure on the dorsum of
the prothorax, a prothoracic collar, possibly used for tunneling through substrate. The
prothoracic collar is unique among Porricondylinae.
Key Words: Cecidomyiidae, Porricondyla, gall midges, prothoracic collar
Porricondylinae are a subfamily of gall Porricondyla recondita Plakidas,
midges whose larvae feed exclusively on new species
fungal mycelium (Mamaev and Krivoshei- (Figs. 1-13)
na 1965, Plakidas 1999). The decay habitats
Adult. Color: Eyes black; antenna
in which they live include soil, leaf litter,
slate gray; thorax and abdomen brown; legs
fallen trees, aborted flowerbuds, shelffungi
brown, covered with black setiform scales;
and any other long-lived decaying sub-
wings hyaline, fringed with black hairs.
strates where fungi can proliferate. Recent
Male: Head: Palpiger + 4-segmented
publications (Spungis 1981, 1985, 1987,
1989, 1992, 2002; Dallai et al. 1996; Gagne palpus (Fig. 1), labellum with setae distally,
eye bridge lacking, frons with 3-4 setae per
2004) are useful in understanding the biol-
ogy and systematics ofthe Porricondylinae. side (Fig. 1). Antenna: Scape, pedicel and
Larvae of the new species, Porricondyla 14-flagellomeres, circumfila on all flagel-
recondita Plakidas, were found feeding in lomeres consisting of a single loop (Fig. 2).
brown-rot decay beneath loose bark of a Thorax (Fig. 3): Dorsocentral and dorso-
fallen red maple tree. The causative agents lateral setae present. Katepistemum bare,
of brown-rot are fungi capable of utilizing anepisternum with one seta, anepimeron
cellulose and leaving behind lignin which with 2 or 3 setae. Legs: Tarsal claws on all
is brown in color (Pugh 1980, Richards legs with a basal tooth, empodium rudi-
1974). These larvae are believed to feed on mentary. Wing (Fig. 4): Length 2 mm,
the mycelial growth produced by the brown CuA2 vein to wing margin, CuAj vein ab-
rotting fungus growing on the decaying sent. Abdomen: Tergites 1-8 and sternites
wood. Fifteen larvae, presumed to be sib- 2—8 lightly sclerotized. Genitalia (Fig 5):
lings, were collected in all. Of these, three Cercus long, narrow, tapering to pointed
were slide mounted and the remainder were apex; gonocoxites and gonostyli covered
cultured in plastic petri dishes moistened with setae and setulae, apical inner margin
with paper towels. Three males and three of gonostyli with 5-7 sclerotized teeth.
females were reared and slide mounted in Gonocoxal apodemes extending to anterior
euparal. margin of ninth tergite. Aedeagus longer
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107, 3 653
Figs. 1-8. Porricondyla recondita. 1. Palpus. 2, Male 3''' flagellomere. 3, Male thorax, lateral. 4. Wing. 5,
Male genitalia. 6, Female 3'"' flagellomere. 7, Female thorax, lateral. 8, Female abdomen, segments 9-10.
than gonostyli; parameres lightly sclero- and sternites 2-6 lightly sclerotized; seg-
tized basally and fused apically forming a ments 7 and 8 membranous, protriisible.
shield (tegmen) ventrad to aedeagus. Ninth and 10"' abdominal segments (Fig. S):
Female: Head: Palpiger + 4-segmented 9"' tergite lightly sclerotized v\iih dorsal and
palpus, labellum with setae distally, eye lateral setae; 9"" sternite membranous with
bridge lacking, frons with 2-3 setae per setae posteriorly and densely co\ered with
side. Antenna: Scape, pedicel and 12-fla- setae situated at aiilcritir margin: cercus 2-
gellomeres, circumfila on all flagellomeres segmented, covered with setae and sctiilae,
consisting oftwo interconnected loops (Fig. first segment rectangular, second segment
6). Thorax (Fig. 7): Dorsolateral and dor- ovoid and shorter than lirsi: hypoproct
socentral setae present; anepisternum and ovoid, situated below cerci, co\ered with
katepisternum bare; anepimeron with a sin- setulae and with a few setae distall\. Sper-
gle seta. Legs: Tarsal claws on all legs with mathecac mcmbianotis. noi \isihlc on slide-
a basal tooth, empodium rudimentary. mounted cleared—or uncleared specimens.
Wing: As in male. Abdomen: Tergites 1-6 Larva (Fig. 9). Length 3 nun. tawny or-
654 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
11
\^
"^>
thoracic
spiracle
spiracle
/
12 sclerotizedsetae rowsof
^^r sclerotized
teeth
Figs. 9-13. Porricondyla recondita. 9, Larva, dorsal. 10, Head capsule, dorsal. 11, Prothoracic collar. 12,
8* & 9* abdominal segments, dorsal. 13, Pupa, ventrolateral.
ange, cylindrical. Head (Fig. 10): Dark with a short seta. Spinule fields situated on
brown with elongate posterior apodemes, dorsal and ventral anterior margin ofmeso-
antenna longer than wide, with a minute pa- and metathorax and all abdominal seg-
pilla situated distally and with sclerotized ments. Anterior ventral papillae on the first
basal collar; spatula absent. Thorax: Seg- 7 abdominal segments situated inside spi-
ments ventrally with 4 groups of 3 lateral nule fields near posterior margin. Spiracles
papillae, 1 of each group with seta and 2 on 8'*" abdominal segment situated near dor-
without setae. Sclerotized collar (Fig. 11) sal posterior margin and elevated above
situated on dorsal surface of prothorax be- body wall (Fig. 12). Four setiform dorsal
tween and extending laterally just beyond papillae situated between spiracles. Termi-
thoracic spiracles comprising 5 centrally lo- nal segment shorter than 8^; 3 simple anal
cated tooth-like processes. Six dorsal papil- papillae situated on either side ofanal pore;
lae present, each with a coniform seta an- dorsal surface with 8 terminal papillae, 3
terior to collar and at least 2 pleural coni- pair setiform, 1 pair large, pigmented, con-
form setae situated at each posterior edge iform, hooklike (Fi—g. 12).
of prothorax. Abdomen: Segments 1-7 Pupa (Fig. 13). Illustrated from a fe-
with 6 dorsal and 2 pleural papillae each male pupal skin. Head with sclerotized an-
VOLUME NUMBER
107, 3 655
tennal horns situated on apical innermargin recondita larvae lack a spatula and have 4
ofantennal sheaths; face with 2 pairs ofmi- setiform papillae between the spiracles, the
nute setiform papillae anterior to clypeal latter being a subfamily characteristic.
sheath; thoracic spiracle elongate, blunt; ab-
domen 9-segmented; cuticle covered with Acknowledgments
spicules; spiracles situated on lateral mar- I am grateful to Dr. R. J. Gagne Research
gins of segments 2-7; a single row of scler- Entomologist, Emeritus, Systematic Ento-
otized teeth situated on dorsal anterior mar- mology Laboratory, USDA, for his helpful
gin of se—gments 2-8; last segment bilobate. comments which improved the quality of
AllTyepgehse.ny HCool.o,typ1e5, kmamle,NEPenPnistytlsvbaunrigah,, gtihsi.s pFaapceurl.tyI aolfsothtehaDnekpDarr.tVmoelndteomfarZsooSlpougny-
emerged 15 May 2000; allotype female and and Animal Ecology, University of Latvia,
pupal skin, same data as holotype; paratype who reviewed and made helpful comments
larva same pertinent data as holotype. All on the first draft of this paper.
deposited in the National Museum of Nat-
ural History, Smithsonian Institution, Literature Cited
Washington, DC. Other specimens: 2 lar- Dallai, R., P. Lupetti, E Frati, B. M. Mamaev. and B.
vae, 2 males and 1 female all slide mount- A. Afzelius. 1996. Characteristics of sperm ultra-
ed, in the auth—or's collection. structure in the gall midges Porricondylinae (In-
Etymology. The specific name, recon- secta, Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), with phylogenetic
dita, means hidden, and refers to the cryptic considerations on the subfamily. Zoomorphology
116: 85-94.
life of the larv—a. Gagne, R. J. 1985. Descriptions of new Nearctic Ce-
Discussion. Using the key from Parnell cidomyiidae (Diptera) that live in xylem vessels
(1971) males key to couplet 4 and superfi- of fresh-cut wood, and a review of Ledomyia
cially resemble P. unidentata, but with (s.str). Proceedings of the Entomological Society
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tera) ofthe World. Memoirs ofthe Entomological
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sent, and the apical margin of the gonostyli Larew, H. G., R. J. Gagne, and A. Y. Rossman. 1987.
has 5-7 teeth, whereas P. unidentata has Fungal gall caused by a new species ofLedomyia
heavily pigmented parameres, has the (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Xylaria enterogena
(Ascomycetes: Xylariaceae). Annals of the Ento-
CUAi vein present, and the apical margin
mological Society of America 80: 502-507.
of the gonostyli has 2-3 teeth. Females of Mamaev, B. M. and N. P. Krivosheina. 1965. The Lar-
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mtheerceesaeallunwpiithgmecinrtceudm.filTaheandlatrhvea,spwehrimcah- ParnelBlr.oo.k1.fiRe.ld,19V71e.rmoAntr.e)vision of the Nearctic Porri-
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