Кавказский энтомол. бюллетень 11(2): 411– © CAUCASIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL BULL. 2015


A new species of the genus Geranomyia Haliday, 1833 (Diptera: Limoniidae) from Transcaucasia

Новый вид рода Geranomyia Haliday, 1833 (Diptera: Limoniidae) из Закавказья

V.I. Lantsov В.И. Ланцов

Laboratory of Ecology of Species and Communities of Invertebrates, Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories of Russian Academy of Sciences, Innesa Armand str., 37a, Nalchik 360051 Russia. E-mail: lantsov@megalog.ru

Лаборатория экологии видов и сообществ беспозвоночных животных, Институт экологии горных территорий им. А.К. Темботова РАН, ул. Инессы Арманд, 37а, Нальчик 360051 Россия

Key words: Diptera, Limoniidae, Geranomyia, new species, Transcaucasia.

Ключевые слова: Diptera, Limoniidae, Geranomyia, новый вид, Закавказье.

Abstract. The description of a new species, Geranomyia eugeniana Lantsov, sp. n. from Transcaucasia (Georgia; Russia: Khosta) is given. The new species is compared with the very similar Western Palaearctic species Geranomyia caloptera from which it differs in the longer proboscis and the localization of spots on wings. Distribution of the genus Geranomyia in the Caucasus is confirmed.

Резюме. Приводится описание нового для науки вида Geranomyia eugeniana Lantsov, sp. n. из Закавказья (Грузия; Россия: Хоста). Новый вид отличается от близкого к нему Geranomyia caloptera длиной хоботка и расположением пигментных пятен на крыльях. Подтверждено распространение на Кавказе рода Geranomyia.

The genus Geranomyia Haliday, 1833 is a typical representative of the tropical biota where most (309 or 91.5%) of currently known 341 species of the genus are found. One hundred sixty six species (49%) of Geranomia occur in the Neotropical Region, 40 species (12%) occur in Australia and Oceania, 69 species (20%) occur in the Oriental Region and 34 species (10%) occur in the Afrotropical Region. The genus Geranomyia is presented in Palaearctic by 13 species, which are confined mainly to the western territories and 10 species to the eastern [Oosterbroek, 2015]. There are no widespread Palaearctic species extending from West to East. The faunas of the genus Geranomyia in Eastern and Western Palaearctic are disconnected and probably have different origins.

So far 2 species are known in Russia: Geranomyia avocetta Alexander, 1913 from Kuril Islands, South Sakhalin (the species is listed also for Central Japan) [Alexander, 1913; Savchenko, Krivolutskaya, 1976; Savchenko, 1989; Oosterbroek, 2015] and Geranomyia gifuensis Alexander, 1921 from the south of Khabarovsk Region, southern Primorye, southern Kuril Islands (Kunashir, Shikotan) (the species is known also from Central Japan and North Korea)

[Alexander, 1921, 1954; Savchenko, Krivolutskaya, 1976;

Savchenko, 1989; Oosterbroek, 2015].

The collection of the Zoological Museum of National Museum of Natural History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NMNH NASU, Kiev, Ukraine) contains 3 males of Geranomyia from Georgia collected by E.N. Savchenko and V.M. Ermolenko and labeled by

E.N. Savchenko as a new to science [Savchenko, 1989: 323]. This material remained unexplored until now. Recently the author collected a female of this species in Russia on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. After studying the available material, it was concluded that the Caucasian population deserves the status of a new species of Geranomyia. Description of this new species is presented below.

Geranomyia eugeniana Lantsov, sp. n.

(Figs 1–8)

Material. Holotype, : “Груз. ССР, Арсиан.[ский] хр. W скл. пер. Годердзи (115 км от Батуми) хвойный лес 17. VIII. [19]70 В. Ермоленко” (Georgian SSR, Arsianskiy Ridge, W slopes of Goderdzi Pass (115 km from Batumi), pine forest, 17.08.1970 V. Ermolenko). Paratypes: 1, “Аджарская АССР Кобулетский р-н, окр. п. Хина, замш. камни у потока в лесу, 830 м, 1. VI. [19]66, Е. Савченко” (Adzhar ASSR Kobuleti district, Hina vill. environs, moss-covered stones from the stream in the forest, 830 m, 1. VI. [19]66 E. Savchenko), dry preparation of genitalia glued to the rectangular plate of celluloid located below; 1, «Груз. ССР, подьём от Адигени к пер. Годердзи (132 км от Батуми) смеш. лес у ручья, 15. VIII. [19]70 Е. Савченко» (Georgian SSR, ascent from Adigeni to Goderdzi pass (132 km from Batumi) mixed forest near stream,

15. VIII. [19]70 E. Savchenko), red-white label pinned below without text,

“1) Geranomyia sp. n.” (hand written by E. Savchenko); micro tube with genitalia in glycerin on a separate pin with the same geographical label; 1, “Россия, Краснодарский край, Хоста, Кавказский гоcударственный биосферный заповедник – «Тисосамшитовая роща», N 43°32127, E 39°52549, 19.05.2013. leg В. Ланцов” (Russia, Krasnodar Region, Khosta, Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve, “Tiso-samshitovaya roshchya” N 43° 32’127’’ E 39° 52’ 549’’, 19.05.2013. leg V. Lantsov), “Тисо-самшитовый лес, боковое влажное ущелье, примыкающее к туристической тропе

«Большое кольцо», 81 м. над ур. м.” (yew and boxwood grove, side wet canyon, adjacent to the tourist trail “Bolshoe kol’tso”, 81 m above sea level). The holotype and paratypes are stored in (NMNH NASU) (box No. 132).

Remarks. The holotype is partly damaged, one halter and all legs are absent, except coxae, trochanters and one femur of hind left leg. The male from Adzharia is damaged,

412 V.I. Lantsov


image

Figs 1–9. Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. and its habitat.

1 – male, paratype, lateral view (Georgia: Adzharia, Hina vill. env.); 2 – male, holotype, lateral view (Arsianskiy Ridge, western slopes of Goderdzi Pass); 3 – distal part of paraglossae, male, holotype, dorsal view (Georgia); 4–5 – scutum, dorsal view: 4 – male (Georgia), 5 – female (Russia: Khosta); 6–7 – male genitalia, paratype (Georgia): 6 – dorsal view, 7 – ventral view; 8 – female, paratype, lateral view (Russia: Hosta); 9 – subtropical yew-box forest, the habitat of Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. (Russia: Khosta).

Рис. 1–9. Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. и его местообитание.

1 – самец, паратип, вид сбоку (Грузия: Аджария, окр. пос. Хина); 2 – самец, голотип, вид сбоку (Арсианский хр., западный склон перевала Годердзи); 3 – вершина нижнегубного щупика самца, голотип, вид сверху (Грузия); 4–5 – среднеспинка, вид сверху: 4 – самец (Грузия), 5 – самка (Россия: Хоста); 6–7 – половой аппарат самца, паратип (Грузия): 6 – вид сверху, 7 – вид снизу; 8 – самка, паратип, вид сбоку (Россия: Хоста); 9 – субтропический тисо-самшитовый лес, местообитание Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. (Россия: Хоста).

A new species of the genus Geranomyia Haliday, 1833 (Diptera: Limoniidae) from Transcaucasia 413


one leg and labial palpi or paraglossae (terminology according to Alexander [1919: 846–847]) are absent. The second male is damaged, missing head and legs except for coxae and trochanters and femur, tibia and 1st tarsal segment of hind right leg.

Description. Male (Figs 1, 2). Head grey, pruinose. Antennae

14-segmented, length of scape 0.25 mm, pedicel globular 0.075 mm in diameter. Segments of flagellum grey, pruinose, with bristles not exceeding length of respective segments. 1st flagellomere slightly longer. Proboscis brown to black, normal for the genus, covered dorsally by microscopic spines. Base of proboscis with short bristle-like hairs. Tips of labial palps (paraglossae) twisted in a spiral (Fig. 3). Eyes without significant characters.

Thorax brownish yellow, mesothorax with 3 thin longitudinal brown stripes, one median and two lateral (Fig. 4), which, however, visible only from a certain angle. Pleura yellowish brown. Stem of halters yellow-grey, knob brown.

Wings (Figs 1, 2) moderately wide with 6 good visible pigment spots near front edge. From base of wing, spots are as follows: first approximately in middle of vein Sc; second at base of vein Rs; third at branching of Sc; fourth at tip of R1 (it covers divergence of vein R1 and Rq); fifth at tip of R2+3. Sometimes sixth spot may be at the branch of Rs as well as at the tip of vein R4+5. Size and shape of spots vary. In addition, weak spots may be on the cord or on crossveins at the distal edge of the discal cell. Vein Sc long, tip of Sc1 at 2/3 length of Rs, vein Sc2 at tip of Sc1, vein Rq under obtuse angle to R1, vein M-Cu at forking of vein M or little bit proximal to it. Cell M1 absent.

Coxae, trochanters, femora and tibiae grey-yellow with

brown small bristles. Middle and hind coxae are close together. Tips of femora slightly thickened and flattened (Fig. 1). Tibiae without spurs. Tarsi dichromatic, 1st, 2nd and proximal part of 3rd segments grayish-yellow, tip of 3rd segment, 4th and 5th segments brown. Inner surface of paired claws on 5th tarsal segment smooth, without spines. Abdomen brownish yellow. Sternites yellow, tergites brownish.

Male genitalia (Figs 6, 7) typical for genus. Gonostylus large (0.6 mm), width : length ratio is 1 : 2. Rostral projection with 2 large spines, very close together, appearing as 1 spine (Fig. 6).

Body length of male 5.5 mm, head + thorax 1.9 mm, wing length 6.5–7.4 mm, proboscis length (including length of paraglossae) 2.6 mm.

Female (Figs 5, 8). Similar to male except for following: tips of paraglossae not in a spiral. Ovipositor with elongated and upcurved cerci, tips of hypovalves pointed. Since there was only 1 female specimen, it was decided not to do the preparation of ovipositor. The female is well defined by the location and form of pigment spots on the wing and the length of the proboscis.

Body length of female 6.6 mm, head + thorax 2 mm, wing length 7.6 mm, length of ovipositor 1.3 mm, length of proboscis

2.2 mm.

Diagnosis. The new species is close to Geranomyia caloptera Mik, 1867, a western European species found in Central and Southern Europe, Northern Africa (Morocco), in the Asian part of Turkey and in Israel [Lackschewitz,1928; Podenas et al., 2006; Stary, Freidberg, 2007; Oosterbroek, 2015]. Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. differs from G. caloptera by having a longer proboscis, and in the male, the paraglossal tips are spiraled but straight in

G. caloptera. They differ as well in the location and form of pigment spots on the wings.

Length of the proboscis of G. caloptera (Fig. 10) is “subequal” to the total length of the head and the thorax [Stary, Freidberg, 2007]. Male and female proboscis length of G. eugeniana sp. n. exceeds the aggregate length of head and thorax and is 48% of the male body length (Fig. 2), and third of the female body length (Fig. 8). There is sexual


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Figs. 10–12. Geranomyia caloptera Mik, 1867.

10 – proboscis, ventral view; 11–12 – wing. Figs 10, 12 after Vaillant

[1952], Fig. 11 after Geiger [1986].

Рис. 10, 11, 12 Geranomyia caloptera Mik, 1867.

10 –хоботок, вид снизу; 11–12 – крыло. Рис. 10, 12 – по Vaillant

[1952], рис. 11 – по Geiger[1986].


dimorphism in the paraglossae in G. eugeniana sp. n., males of this species have tips in spiral (Fig. 3). Paraglossae of females G. eugeniana sp. n. and both sexes of G. caloptera are straight (Fig. 10) [Vaillant, 1952].

On the wings of G. caloptera 7 good visible pigmentary spots are located, three of which are triangular, elongated towards the middle of the wing (Fig. 11) [Geiger, 1986; Podenas et al., 2006], or, if somewhat irregular in shape, sufficiently large (Fig. 12) [Vaillant, 1952]. Wings of

G. eugeniana sp. n. are with 6 good visible spots (Figs 1, 2, 8), most of them are irregular in shape; the size of the spots is varies. The difference is in their arrangement. Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. has the 1st proximal spot in the middle of the length of vein Sc whereas the most proximal spot in

G. caloptera is located almost at the base of Sc.

The differences between 2 species are summarized in Table 1.

Bionomics. Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. has been collected on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Georgia (at altitudes of up to 830 m above sea level). It is found in humid hydrophytic habitat. In Khosta it occurs in a wet canyon in the Tertiary relict Colchidian subtropical forest with Taxus baccata L. and Buxus colchica Pojark (Fig. 9). The habitat of the species in Georgia is near water communities. The species belongs to the group “faune hygropétrique” [Vaillant, 1952].

Etymology. The new species is named after the outstanding entomologist, researcher of Tipuloidea

E.N. Savchenko.

Acknowledgements

The author expresses deep gratitude to the head of the museum E.M. Pisanets and curator of collections

V.V. Barabanova (NMNH NASU) for the opportunity to

414 V.I. Lantsov


Table 1. The differences between Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. and Geranomyia caloptera. Таблица 1. Различия между Geranomyia eugeniana sp. n. и Geranomyia caloptera.


image

Note. * – this character hardly can be consider as taxonomic one as it can be connected with physiological state of the specimen.

Примечание. * – природа этого признака требует проверки, т.к. если он связан с физиологическим состоянием особей, тогда вряд ли может рассматриваться как таксономически значимый.


work with material from the Museum’s collection. The author is grateful to the directorate of the Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories of RAS (Nalchik, Russia) for their assistance in organizing and holding the expeditions. The author sincerely thanks Fenja Brodo (Canada) for valuable advice and assistance in the revision of the English text. The author thanks Yu.G. Arzanov (Institute of Arid Zones of RAS, Rostov- on-Don, Russia), R.Kh. Pshegusov and M.Kh. Karmokov (Tembotov Institute of Ecology of Mountain Territories of RAS, Nalchik, Russia) for the assistance in preparing of some figures.

References

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