Orthonevra neotropica (Shannon, 1925)

Chrysogaster neotropica Shannon 1925: 107 . Type-locality: Paraguay, San Bernardino (HT female USNM). Fluke 1957: 50 (catalog citation).

Orthonevra neotropica . Thompson 2006: 121 (catalog citation), 22 (key reference); Thompson et al. 1976: 91 (catalog citation).

Figs 25 and 26. Map: Fig. 40

Redescription. MALE. Head (Fig. 25d–f): metallic blue, face with slight convexity in profile and ventral ¼ slightly produced anteriorly as a convexity, strongly regulose except for smooth area between the oral margin and dorsal convexity, shiny, with sparse white pile and not scale-like; with white microtrichose subtriangular patches laterally, positioned immediately ventral to antennal base and separated from it. Antenna yellow, except post-pedicel dark with pale base; pedicel almost twice the length of the scape, postpedicel oval elongated, 1.5 × the length of the pedicel. Mala slightly produced apico-ventrally, smooth. Gena shiny, smooth, and with white pile. Frontal triangle shiny, regulose, bare except for distinct erect pile anterior to eye contiguity and following eye margin, with median longitudinal groove not reaching the lunule. Vertical triangle isosceles-triangle-shaped, 3 × the length of the eye contiguity, black metallic, with erect white pile; ocellar triangle black, bare. Occiput not visible laterally on dorsal 1/3, ventral 2/3 homogeneously covered in white microtrichia, with short black pile on dorsal 1/3, with sparse pile on ventral ¼. Eyes holoptic; with strongly sinuous sub-anterior and middle vittae, and a medial fascia interrupted anterior to the sub-anterior vitta and posterior to the middle vitta, eyes darker on anterior and postero-ventral margins.

Thorax (Fig. 25d, e): metallic blue, uniformly covered with short, erect, black pile; scutum with four complete dark matte vittae, medial pair tapering anteriorly, sub-medial pair slightly diverging anterior to transverse sulcus, with a short narrow lateral vittate macula posterior to transverse sulcus; notopleuron metallic blue; scutellum metallic blue with medial darker rectangular area, not reaching the apex, covered with pale pile on small tubercles. Pleuron metallic blue with sparse microtrichia, with short white pile on antepronotum, proepisternum, posterior anepisternum, anteriorly on anepimeron and dorsal and ventral patches on katepisternum and katatergum. Dorsal lobe of calypter white with white marginal pile, ventral lobe white and with longer white marginal pile. Plumule white. Halter yellowish.

Legs (Fig. 25e): metallic blue, except trochanters, apex of all femora, base of all tibiae pale brown, tarsomeres dark, except all tarsomeres 1–2 yellow. Legs covered with short yellow pile, apex of mesotibia and mesotarsomeres with ventral black setulae, metafemur with antero-ventral row and ventral surface with short, black setae.

Wing (Fig. 25d, e): grayish, with dark vittae sub-apically (from end of R2+3 until posterior end of M1), sub-apically on r1, faintly on dm-m, and with dark apex, with one weak fasciate macula in cells r2+3 and dm and two in r4+5; stem vein and vein C pale until crossvein h, mostly microtrichose except for bare area basally on cell cua, posterior to pseudovein; basicosta with dense appressed dark pile, with two more prominent black setae apically. Alula large, 2 × the width of the cell c.

Abdomen (Fig. 25d, e): metallic blue, terga matte black microtrichose in large medial rectangular area, only tergum 5 with posterior margin still metallic, pile sockets as small protuberances, pile white, erect and short; sterna metallic blue, with white pile, sternum 4 with right side slightly produced.

Genitalia (Fig. 26c–i): surstylus gently curving, with a weak sub-apical notch, narrowing at apex (in dorsal/ ventral view), slightly directed ventrally like a dens, with short pile sparsely distributed; cercus sub-triangular, with straight dorsal margin, with short pile (Fig. 26c, d). Hypandrium compressed submedially, with anterior ventral notch V-shaped through ½ the length of the hypandrium, notch with apical triangular lamina on each side; postgonites oval but with dorsal surface slightly folding towards middle, with dense pile on apical and ventro-lateral surfaces; phallus long, slightly concave ventrally and ventral surface open, with wider area sub-apically (Fig. 26e) [possibly an issue of preparation due to the open nature of the ventral surface (Fig. 26i)], and apex slightly more sclerotized, three-pronged medio-ventrally, apical prongs with rounded apex and one longer basal prong with truncate apex, basal tubular process as a long heavily sclerotized tube, hook-shaped, directed apically and ending ventral to basal prong of the phallus (Fig. 26e).

Variation. Vertical triangle might have mostly black pile. Eye sometimes with a sub-posterior straight vitta (sometimes only visible on dorsal portion). Scutum vittae might be connected by a narrow fascia posteriorly, pile might be white. Cell cua sometimes with a narrow bare area (posterior to the pseudovein). Surstylus might be wider and sub-apical notch more distinct (Fig. 26f). Phallus not widened sub-apically (possibly because it did not collapse as in other O. neotropica specimens (Fig. 26h, i)).

FEMALE (Figs 25a–c, 26a, b). Like male except: frons metallic blue, wide, strongly regulose, with a medial longitudinal groove extending from ocellar triangle through the basal 2/3 of the frons; ocellar triangle with a few short pale hairs; basal ½ of pro- and mesofemur and basal 1/3 of metafemur yellow. Genitalia: Tergum 7 as lightly sclerotized rectangular areas, sparsely pilose. Sternum 7 rectangular and narrow, with sparse pile on apical margin. Tergum 8 rectangular, bare. Sternum 8 large, with an apical margin shallowly concave, pilose but bare on posterior margin. Sternum 9 as circular, sclerotized and distinct plate, genital opening more apically placed. Epiproct sub-rectangular, convex apical margin, with two very short baso-lateral apodemes, pilose on apical ½. Cercus sub-oval, with obliquely truncate basal margin, mostly pilose, positioned apically to epiproct. Hypoproct as membranous area with some pigmentation medially, mostly pilose.

Length. Body 4.48–4.90mm (n=4), wing 3.8–4.06mm (n=3); female 4.53–4.95mm (n=4), wing 3.75–4.69mm (n=4).

Distribution. Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina and São Paulo) and Paraguay (Fig. 40).

Altitudinal range. 150–1000m.

Comments. Some specimens with a sub-posterior vitta on the eye could be confused with O. nitidula, but O. neotropica specimens have an interrupted middle eye fascia, lack the scutum sub-lateral vitta of O. nitidula, and have a vittate macula on r1.

Type material examined: PARAGUAY. Cordillera, S[an] Bernardino [ca 25°15’54.9”S 57°18’55.5”W], ??.??.???, K. Fiebrig (female holotype neotropica USNM, USNMENT 01492700) .

Additional material examined: BRAZIL. Paraná, Castro, Parque Est. Guartelá 24°33’45’’S 50°15’32’’W, 1000 m, 10.xi.2007, J.A. Rafael & P. Grossi, Arm. Malaise (INPA, INPA-DIP002439) ; Santa Catarina, Nova Teutônia, 27°11’S 52°23’’W, ??. ix.1952, ??. xi.1952 and ??. xi.1964, Plaumann F. (1 male CNC, CNC _ Diptera 171384, 1 male USNM, USNMENT00028641, and 1 female MZUSP, USNMENT01492692) ; São Paulo, Barueri [ca 23°29’35.14”S, 46° 54’ 28.84”W], 17.viii.1957 and 28.xi.1958, K. Lenko (2 females MZUSP, USNMENT01492693 & USNMENT01492694) ; …, São Luiz do Paraitinga, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Santa Virgínia, Arm. Suspensa septo amarelo [= canopy trap, yellow internal division], 988m alt, 23.319125°S 45.084042°W, 25.v–02.vii.2023, A.M. Pes, C.F. Doto, G. C. Mendes, J.O. Silva & R. Pinedo-Garcia (3 males and 1 female INPA, MMMS0075–78) . PARAGUAY. Guairá, Villarica [ca 25°45’31.4”S 56°25’23.7”W], ??.?.????, F. Schade (1 male CNC, CNC _ Diptera 171382) .