Leptomorphus ornatus Brunetti

25. Leptomorphus ornatus Brunetti

(Figures 30, 67, 137, 150, 152)

Leptomorphus ornatus Brunetti, 1912: 85. Plate II.

Leptomorphus (Gymnoscutum) ornatus: Matile, 1977: 145.

References: Edwards 1933a: 229–30 (comparison to L. chaseni); Colless & Liepa 1973: 454 (catalogue); Matile 1977: 141,145 (subgeneric placement); Papp & Ševčík 2011: 139 (notes on identity).

DIAGNOSIS: The only extant species of Leptomorphus with the following combination of characters: laterotergite and anepisternum brown; wing with pale brown apical wing spot reaching to wing tip, pale medial wing spot absent (Fig. 67); male genitalia presumably different from other species with these characters (male unknown).

This species can be distinguished from most other Oriental and eastern Palaearctic species (including those in Papp & Ševčík 2011) based on the yellow katepisternum and metepisternum (Fig. 30, both brown in all other species in these regions except L. babai, and L. titiwangsensis). It can be distinguished from L. babai by its yellow scutellum (brown in L. babai) and from L. titiwangsensis by L. ornatus’ occurrence only in Nepal and India and presumably different male genitalic morphology.

DESCRIPTION: Female. (Fig. 30) Head: yellow, circular in anterior view. Antenna with basal flagellomeres lighter brown, darkening apically; scape yellow, with brown setae in single apical row extending from dorsum laterally into thick patch covering apicoventral process, basal third and entire medial surface bare, anterobasal patch of setulae present; pedicel yellow, with 1–2 large bristles, few setae on apicodorsal margin, none ventrally; flagellomere 1 with tapered base yellow remainder either light brown or brown; flagellomere 6 1.1X as long as broad. Clypeus yellow, dorsoventrally elongate oval; bristles on clypeus yellow, 6–8 strong bristles on ventral margin directed ventrally, remaining setae directed medioventrally, clypeus 1.5X as long as face. Face yellow; shape a just longer than wide triangle, with few bristles ventrolaterally. Frons yellow; with few bristles medioventrally, frontal furrow running 3/4 distance from dorsal margin towards ventral margin, frontal cleft just anterior of median ocellus. Palpus yellow; segment 1 hidden behind eye, segments increasing in length, segment 5 2X length of segment 4 with central half thinner than base and apex, segment 3 appears to have apicolateral patch of fine yellow setae weakly encircled by strong dark setae (difficult to see in specimens). Labellum yellow. Eye with very few, short inter-ommatidial setulae scattered on surface. Occiput yellow with appressed, anteriorly directed setae. Ocelli in a straight line, space between ocelli less than diameter of laterals, lateral ocelli 2X their own diameter from eye margin, ocellar triangle dark brown/black with electric blue green specks. Thorax: Length 1.31 mm (1.27–1.35 mm, n = 3). Mostly brown, with anterolateral area yellow. Scutum dark brown with blue-green specks; surface of scutum bare; acrostichal setae absent; dorsocentral setae present as fine setae on posterior two thirds; two thirds row of lateral setae present; patch of setae on scutum at wing base present. Scutellum yellow; with 6 large bristles and many small bristles. Prescutum brown. Mediotergite dark brown with 4 bristles on posterolateral corners, absent. Laterotergite brown; anterior margin of laterotergite abutting katepisternum. Anepimeron brown with posterodorsal corner yellow. Anepisternum brown. Katepisternum yellow. Antepronotum and proepisternum yellow. Margin of anterior and posterior spiracles yellow with yellow trichia. Metepisternum yellow. Anapleural suture with anterior portion slightly curved dorsally. Halter stem yellow, knob light brown. Legs: principally yellow; hind coxa with brown spot along length of anterior surface; hind femur with apex and basal 1/3 light brown; extreme anteroapical corner yellow on forefemur, on other femora dark brown; midfemur without apical spine-like process. Tibia with covering of brown macrotrichia, foretibia without comb of short setae along length of anteroventral surface, tibial spurs brown, foretibial spur length 2X apical thickness of foretibia, midtibia with faint, dorsal, bare patch of even thickness for 3/4 of its length, placed basally, shortest midtibial spur 0.5X length of longest, longest midtibial spur 5X apical thickness of midtibia, shortest hind tibial spur subequal to length of longest, longest hind tibial spur 3X apical thickness of hind tibia. Foreleg first tarsomere 1.4X length of foretibia. Wing (Fig. 67): Length 5.5 mm (5.0– 5.7 mm, n = 3). Hyaline; apical macula light, beginning at apex of R 1 and M 4 and reaching wing tip; medial macula absent. Macrotrichia in all cells. Setae on basal posterior margin of wing (along base of cell a) alternating long, short. Calypter with a few short setae. Vein sc-r absent, faint, or present, when present joining R at 2–3X its own length prior to origin of Rs. R 4 absent. R 5 straight, slight posterior turn near tip. M 1 reaching apex before R 5, apices of M veins thinning towards wing margin. M 4 -CuA fork arising apically of origin of r-m. A 2 absent. Abdomen: Tergites 3–5 and sometime 6 with anterior 1/3 yellow, T7 light to dark brown, remainder dark brown/black. Cercus yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Immatures. Unknown.

BIOLOGY: Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION: Bangladesh, India (Assam) and Nepal (Fig. 137), 30–2070 masl.

DISCUSSION: The holotype is in the collection of the Zoological Survey of India (NZSI), though I was unable to borrow the specimen. The type location given for the female holotype is “[Bangladesh] Sylhet, 3.ii.[19]05 (Hall). [30m elevation]” The specimen is labelled as TYPE, FEMALE, and has three legs and one wing damaged (A. Chattopadhyay, (NZSI) pers. comm.). This species was previously known only from the female holotype. I assigned three female specimens to this species as they were collected close to the type locality and agreed closely with the original description. The only differences noted were: tergite 7 lighter brown in the Nepalese specimens; one Nepalese specimen with a slightly darker head; one Nepalese and the Indian specimen with vein sc-r absent (presence of this wing vein seems to be variable in the Oriental region, see L. titiwangsensis). It is possible that these females are actually different species, as females are typically very similar between related species. However, I refrained from naming them, as male specimens are needed to confirm genitalic differences.

As discussed below in the phylogeny section, the placement of Leptomorphus species in subgenera (Matile 1977) is not supported by our phylogenetic results. This species is therefore removed from the subgenus Gymnoscutum and placed solely in the genus Leptomorphus.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: INDIA, Assam, Above Tura, Garo hills, vii.1917, S. Kemp. (1♀, BMNH); NEPAL, Kathmandu, Godavaril [= Godawari?], 21.vii.1967, Can. Exp. (1♀, CNC); Pulchauki, 14.vii.1967, Can. Exp. (1♀, CNC).