Eudexia lopesi, Santis, 2021

Santis, Marcelo Domingos De, 2021, The Neotropical genus Eudexia Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 (Tachinidae: Dexiinae: Dexiini): lectotype fixation for the type species, synonymy and a new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 5004 (4), pp. 538-550 : 547-549

Eudexia lopesi sp. nov.

( Fig. 5 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: “Petrópolis, Tq./ E. do Rio, Brasil / 25.i.70/ H. S. Lopes ” “MNRJ-ENT1-5449” “Holotipo” [red label] ( MNRJ).

PARATYPES. Brazil: 1 male (dissected), Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis , 1200m, 12.i.1972, Hebert col ( MNRJ) , 1 male, São Paulo, Angatuba , xii.1917, Azevedo Marques col. ( MNRJ) .

Type locality. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Petrópolis .

Distribution. Brazil (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states).

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Hugo de Souza Lopes (1909–1991), for his great contributions to the study, teaching and collecting of Diptera in Brazil; in addition, he was the collector of the holotype. Dr. Lopes was one of the greatest specialists in the taxonomy and morphology of Sarcophagidae , not only in Brazil but also worldwide ( Verves 1989). He was initially a member of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/FIOCRUZ from 1938 to 1970 ( Oliveira 1989), when he was forced to leave the institute in April along with nine other researchers, and had his political rights suspended by the military government, an episode that became known as the “Manguinhos Massacre” ( Lent 2019). During this time, Dr. Lopes managed to take refuge at MNRJ, where he brought his collection of Sarcophagidae so that he could continue his research. In August 1986, he returned to his former home, the Oswaldo Cruz Institute/FIOCRUZ, staying there until his death in 1991.

Diagnosis. Prementum short, about 0.5x length of head. Postpedicel orange. Fronto-orbital plate with setulae throughout its extension, terminating at the base of the postpedicel. Fronto-orbital plate grayish-pruinose, parafacial silvery-pruinose. Upper and lower calypters dark brown. Abdomen yellowish-orange with an inconspicuous and discontinuous brownish-black median vitta, interrupted from syntergite 1+2 to tergite 4, with whitish pruinosity dorsally on all tergites.

Description. Holotype male. Body length: 13.2 mm.

Coloration ( Fig. 5A, C ). Occiput whitish, with long and silver setulae. Head with dark silver pruinosity, except gena with brownish pruinosity. Scape light brown, pedicel and postpedicel dark orange. Arista light brown, but proximal 1/3 dark brown. Palpus tawny yellow. Labellum tawny yellow, prementum shiny black. Scutum brownish-black to light brown, with silver pruinosity on presutural region and anterior portion of postsutural region, fading to light brown posteriorly; presutural region with five brownish-black vittae, the three central ones narrow and the two peripheral ones broad. Scutellum light brown. Wing smoky and darkened in proximal area along the veins. Tegula light brown, basicosta dark brown. Halter yellowish-brown. Posterior spiracle yellowish-brown. Legs brownish-black, but anterior and posterior surfaces of fore, mid, and hind tibiae light brown. Pulvilli yellow; claws light brown with darker tip. Upper and lower calypters dark brown. Abdomen yellowish-orange an inconspicuous and discontinuous brownish black median vitta, interrupted from syntergite 1+2 to tergite 4, with whitish pruinosity dorsally on all tergites.

Head ( Fig. 5A–C ). Ocellar setae long and divergent. Inner vertical seta decussate and long, outer vertical seta absent. Width of parafacial, measured between inner margin of eye and antennal insertion, 2x height of gena. Arista long-plumose. Fronto-orbital plate with lowermost frontal seta not reaching antennal insertion. Postpedicel about 1.5x combined length of scape and pedicel. Mid-facial elevation present. Fronto-orbital plate with setulae throughout its extension, parafacial bare. Frontal vitta narrowed dorsally. Lower facial margin not protruding, invisible in profile. Vibrissa arising above lower facial margin. Gena about 2.5x eye height. Prementum about 0.4x head height. Labellum developed, about 0.1x as long as prementum.

Thorax ( Fig. 5A, C ). Acrostichal setae 5+3. Dorsocentral setae 3+4. Intra-alar setae 2+4. Intra-postalar seta absent. Supra-alar setae 2+4. Postpronotal lobe with six setae. Notopleuron with 2 equal-sized setae. Postalar callus with 3 setae, the outer one weak. Propleuron and prosternum bare. Anepimerum with setae of various lengths. Katerpisternal setae 3+1. Scutellum with two pairs of basal, two pairs of long and divergent subapical, and one pair of strong, straight apical setae; with numerous erect discal setae. Postmetacoxal area membranous. Anatergite bare. Posterior spiracle with posterior lappet larger than anterior. Katepimeron setulose. Wing. Costal spine undeveloped. Vein R 4+5 with setulae ventrally and dorsally at base; with numerous erect setae. Legs. Fore femur with posterodorsal and posteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with 7 median anterodorsal, 1 anterior, 2 submedian posteroventral, 3 preapical, 2 anterodorsal, and 1 posteroventral setae. Mid femur with 4 to 6 anteroventral setae and 2 anterior setae on median third; mid tibia with 1 median anteroventral, 1 posterodorsal, 1 submedian anteroventral, 6 preapical, 2 posterodorsal, 1 anteroventral, 1 posteroventral, and 2 anterior setae. Hind femur with posterodorsal and posteroventral rows of setae. Hind tibia with rows of 3 anterodorsal and 3 posterodorsal setae, 2 submedian posteroventral, 5 preapical, 2 anterodorsal, 2 posteroventral, and 1 anteroventral setae. Claws straight, with curved tip.

Abdomen ( Fig. 5A, C ). Syntergite 1+2 with mid-dorsal longitudinal depression extending to posterior margin. Syntergite 1+2 with at least 3 pairs of lateral marginal setae; tergite 3 with discal setae covering all of tergite 3 except for small anterolateral region overlapped by wing, tergite 4 with discal setae arranged in at least three transverse rows and tergite 5 entirely covered with spine-like setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 5D–G ). Tergite 6 undivided, about 1/6 length of syntergosternite 7+8. Syntergosternite 7+8 broad. Sternite 6 asymmetrical. Sternite 5 with welldeveloped lobules, setulose. Ejaculatory apodeme subrectangular, with narrow apex. Epandrium broad in posterior view, setulose, and closed dorsally. Anterior epandrial process poorly developed. Hypandrial arm short, hypandrial apodeme clearly distinguishable, with narrow central plate. Cerci not fused, broad, and distally slightly tapered in posterior view. Surstylus broad, not fused with epandrium, convex, and setulose in frontal view; distally tapered in lateral view. Bacilliform sclerite rod-like. Epiphallus present, distally narrow, and fused with basiphallus. Pregonite and postgonite fused, with a visible seam, appearing as a curved, elongate structure; pregonite connected basally to hypandrium by a sclerotized seam. Basiphallus subrectangular, as long as postgonite. Extension of dorsal sclerite of distiphallus long; dorsal sclerite ventrally serrulated; granular zone present, about half the length of dorsal sclerite.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Note. Unfortunately, most of MNRJ’s entomological collection was destroyed by the fire of September 2, 2018. However, the specimens of Eudexia lopesi sp. nov. were loaned to me beforehand, in November 2017, through the kindness of curator Márcia Couri. This new species is further dedicated to all the scientists and students who have lost the invaluable biological material, including the entire Lopes collection, deposited at MNRJ.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Eudexia lopesi sp. nov., holotype male (MNRJ). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Head, frontal view. C. Lateral habitus. D–F. Terminalia. D. Hypandrium, phallapodeme, basiphallus, epiphallus, distiphallus, pregonite and postgonite, lateral view. E. Sternite 5, tergite 6 and syntergosternite 7+8, posterior view. F. Epandrium, cercus and surstylus, lateral view. G. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, posterior view. Abbreviations: basph = basiphallus; cerc = cercus; distph = distiphallus; epand = epandrium; epiph = epiphallus; hypd = hypandrium; pgt = postgonite; phapod = phallapodeme; pregt = pregonite; st = sternite; sur = surstylus; syntgst = syntergosternite; tg = tergite.