Mapinguari politus (Wiedemann)

(Figs 1 A–G, 3A–G, 4)

Midas politus Wiedemann, 1828: 240 . Type-locality: “unknown” [probably Suriname]. Distr. - Suriname, Brazil (Amazonas, Pará).

Mapinguari politus: Papavero & Wilcox, 1974: 54 (redescription, new combination); Wilcox et al., 1989: 111, figs 21–23 (male genitalia); Artigas & Papavero, 1990: figs 50–52 (spermathecae); Papavero & Artigas, 1990: 122 (catalogue); Papavero et al., 2002: 3 (catalogue); Papavero, 2009: 11 (catalogue); Papavero & Artigas, 2009: 5 (Manual Neotropical Diptera). Holotype ♀, RMNH.

Midas (or Mydas) politus: Wiedemann, 1831: 43, pl. 53, fig. 7 (habitus) - Brief description; locality unknown; Westwood, 1841: 51 (brief note); Walker, 1854: 370 (brief note); Gerstaecker, 1868: 94 (brief note); Wulp, 1896: 99 (type compared to M. fruhstorferi Wulp); Kertész, 1909: 40 (cat.).

Messiasia polita: d'Andretta, 1951: 64, misidentification.

Diagnosis. Scutellum black setulose. Anepimeron long black setulose. Legs reddish brown. Fore femur with short dorsal black setulae; mid femur all black setulose. Fore tibia black setulose with dense copper setulae on dorsal surface and few on posterior surface. Hind leg copper setulose with black setulae on tarsus. Tergites and sternites largely coppery red; T1 long black setulose; S2 black setulose; remaining tergites and sternites copper setulose. Bulla about 4x longer than wide. Male genitalia: epandrial lamellae long setulose, united at base, with lateral projection inwardly curved at apex; gonocoxite-hypandrial complex long setulose, with posterior process laterally compressed, apically expanded, well sclerotized; phallus long and thick, dorsal crest well-developed, triangular in dorsal view. Female terminalia: sternite 8 with convex lateral margins, apically with well-defined lateral and medial lobes; lateral lobe with oval sclerotized area; T9+10 with medial pointed protuberance on posterior margin; lateral margin of T9+10 convex, narrowing smoothly posteriorly; capsule of medial spermatheca strongly curved, hook-shaped.

Redescription. Total length: 29–32 mm.

Head (Figs 1 A, D–G). Black, setulae mixed black and golden. Facial gibbosity higher than wide; mystax dense, mixed black and golden. Pruinescence white, denser on face outside gibbosity, and on compound eye margin. Mouthparts. Dark reddish brown. Antenna. Black. Scape and pedicel black setulose. Distal postpedicel not distinctly inflated, broader at about three-quarters of its length, with rounded sensory area on inner surface of apex.

Thorax (Figs 1 A, B, D–G). Black. Scutum mostly shiny with black and golden setulae on anterior dorsocentral area, lateral margins, postalar callus and close to scutellum; pruinescence white, scarce, present laterally and on anterior dorsocentral area. Scutellum golden setulose with bare ventral margin, scarcely white pruinose. Mediotergite white pruinose. Pleuron white pruinose, more distinctly on anepimeron. Anepimeron long golden setulose.

Legs (Figs 1 B, E, G). Coppery red. Fore femur with short dorsal golden setulae and longer, denser, recumbent, black anterior setulae; mid femur with long coppery setulae. Distal half of fore and mid tibiae, and all tarsi densely setulose; fore tibia black setulose with dense copper setulae on anterodorsal and posterior surfaces; mid tibia black setulose with dense copper setulae on posterior surface. Hind leg entirely copper setulose. Hind femur with 15–16 reddish brown spiniform macrosetae distributed onto anteroventral and anterodorsal rows. Hind tibia with developed ventral keel, apical spur acute. Hind tarsomere 1 slightly longer than wide; hind tarsomere 5 almost twice longer than hind tarsomere 1 and about as long as hind tarsomeres 2 and 3 combined. Pulvillus yellow, shorter than fore, mid and hind tarsomeres 5. Claw reddish brown, tip black.

Wing (Figs 1 A, D, F). Membrane brown with bluish reflections, with cells r5 and m1+2 mostly hyaline; cells m3, cua1, and d hyaline on male (Fig. 1 F); microtrichia absent. Veins brown. Costa with short black setulae on anterior wing margin and very short brown microtrichia on posterior wing margin. Sc ending in C, reaching about half length of cell r4; R3 ('stump vein') emerging from R4, a little after its base; cell r4 closed (R5 terminating in R1); cell r5 open (M1+2 terminating in C); CuA1+M3 present. Upper calypter dark brown, broader medially; marginal squamose setulae yellowish brown. Halter yellowish brown.

Abdomen (Figs 1 A, B, D–G). Tergites and sternites largely coppery orange or red, mostly copper setulose. T1 long golden setulose, with few black setulae; cone-shaped elevation of anterior portion of T1 white pruinose with shiny apex. S2 copper setulose. Tergites posterior to T1 and all sternites apruinose. Bulla black, about 5x longer than wide. Female terminalia (Figs 3A–C). Sternite 8 with convex lateral margins, apically with well-defined lateral and medial lobes; lateral lobe with oval sclerotized area. T9+10 with medial pointed protuberance on posterior margin; lateral margin convex, narrowing smoothly posteriorly. Capsule of medial spermatheca strongly curved, hook-shaped. Male genitalia (Figs 3 D–G). Epandrial lamellae long setulose, united at base, with lateral projection inwardly curved at apex; gonocoxite-hypandrial complex long setulose, with posterior process laterally compressed, apically expanded, well sclerotized; phallus long and thick, dorsal crest well-developed, triangular in dorsal view.

Distribution (Fig. 4). Suriname (see Remarks section), Brazil (Amazonas, Pará).

Bionomics. This species inhabits Amazonian forested areas, with flight activity both at low (1.6 m, possibly lower) and high altitudes (20 m, possibly higher) above the ground.

Examined material. BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus, AM 010 km 54, 02°45′33″S, 59°51′03″W, B 1–2, 12– 22.v.1997, Suspended Trap 15 m, R.L.M. Ferreira, A.L. Henriques & J.F. Vidal colls, AAM-001479 (INPA, 1♀) ; same data, 19–29.v.1997, AAM-001480 (INPA, 1♀); same data, 01–10.vi.1998, AAM-007650 (INPA, 1♂) . Pará: Óbidos, Colônia Rio Branco [1°52′0.12″, 55°30′W], x.1953, J. Brazilino (MZUSP, 1♀) ; Parauapebas, Serra Norte, Igarapé Fofoca [6°5′16.00″, 50°10′30.00″], 17–20.viii.1984, Suspended Trap 1.6 m (MPEG, 1♂) ; same data, 19– 23.ix.1985, Suspended trap 20 m (MPEG, 1♀) .

Remarks. This species was redescribed by Papavero & Wilcox (1974) based on the female holotype (RMNH) and a female specimen deposited at MZUSP. These authors presented arguments to suppose that the type-locality of M. politus was probably ‘Surinam’. The first male specimen known, deposited at MPEG, had its genitalia described by Wilcox et al. (1989).