A new gall-midge species of Resseliella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) parasitic on Aspidistra flowers in southern China

During the study of pollination mutualisms between cecidomyiid flies and Aspidistra flowers in Guangxi, southern China, we discovered a new species of gall midge, the only known pollinator for Aspidistra saxicola. It is described as Resseliella saxicolae sp. nov., based on morphological comparison with known congeners and DNA barcoding sequencing data. The new species is distinguished by dense body setae (except the thorax), uniform flagellomeres in both sexes, longer marginal wing setae, an obvious transverse arcuate scutum (located in the posterior thorax) and curved claws longer than empodia. Its wings lack special spots or stripes, while the dense setae covering and prominent scutum ridge are unique among congeners. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequencing indicated that adults and larvae from A. saxicola flowers belong to the same species. Bayesian analysis showed that Resseliella saxicolae and the morphologically similar species R. kadsurae Yukawa, Sato and Xu (2011) were placed in one clade. The gall midge is diurnal and mates at nearby perch sites. In the life cycle of R. saxicolae, females oviposit in flower buds or flowers, with larvae feeding on pollen before pupating in soil.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:53EF132A-6929-40EF-BF0C-60E52B3D4697