Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth, 2019

Whitworth, Terry L. & Yusseff-Vanegas, Sohath, 2019, A revision of the genera and species of the Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 4659 (1), pp. 1-146 : 137-138

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4659.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:57309E14-0330-4ED7-BCDA-355EE6618215
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5587048
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DA87E6-0FB2-FF5C-FF19-BE3A3003FC88
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth , sp. nov.

( Figs 97–98 View FIGURES 93–98 , 187–188 View FIGURES 183–192 , 236 View FIGURES 236–238 , 279 View FIGURES 266–279 , 323 View FIGURES 318–323 , 367 View FIGURES 350–369 , 408 View FIGURES 401–410 , 452 View FIGURES 439–453 , 485 View FIGURES 484–487 )

Diagnosis. A large fly averaging 15.2 mm (14–16/5) in length. Stem vein bare; distal 2/3 of wing infuscated from costa to vein R 4+5 and also around vein M; dorsum of abdomen without pale tomentose pits; section IV of wing 0.63 of section III; supravibrissal setae bright orange and in a broad cluster ascending about 40% of distance to antennal base; all legs reddish; subcostal sclerite with long, pale setae. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli as in Figs 97–98 View FIGURES 93–98 . Female terminalia as in Fig. 323 View FIGURES 318–323 .

Description. Male. Head. Frons narrow, 0.018 (0.015 –0.020 /5) of head width at narrowest. Frons, parafacial, pedicel, first flagellomere and gena orange with pale whitish tomentum; frontal setae ascending about 40% of distance to vertex; frontal vitta obliterated at about 40% of distance to vertex; gena orange with pale tomentum and horizontal row of stout, dark setae at ventral edge, otherwise with few weak, reddish setae; postgena orange with fine golden setae; occiput with dense yellowish tomentum and pale setae; median occipital sclerite shiny dark orange; antenna entirely orange; palpus typical; eye with median facets about 2x size of lateral facets; ocellar triangle small, anterior ocellus about 2x size of posterior ocelli; supravibrissal setae bright orange, forming broad cluster over about 1/2 of distance to antennal base.

Thorax. Dorsum dark orange with four irregular pale tomentose stripes; pleura orange; chaetotaxy: ac 2:1, dc 2:3, ia 0 in most specimens, sometimes a small seta present, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 2:1, meron with long, slender orange setae in form of an inverted L, 1 pair converging ap, sa and lat absent, 1 stout bas, 1 weak pb, 1 disc; subscutellum moderately developed; spiracles large, pale yellow; legs entirely orange. Wing with dark infuscation from costa to vein R 4+5 and around vein M; subcostal sclerite setose; basicosta and tegula orange; section IV 0.63 of section III; discs of upper and lower calypters faintly orange; rim of upper calypter dark with short pale orange setae, rim of lower calypter pale with long pale orange setae.

Abdomen. T1+2 and anterior 2/3 of T3 yellow-orange with whitish tomentum, rear margin of T3 blue-black, dorsum of T4 blue-black, T4yellow orange laterally; T5 entirely blue-black; rear of T4 with row of stout marginal setae, posterior margin of T5 with row of short, fine setae; disc of T5 with dense, medium-long, fine setae only. Terminalia. Surstylus in lateral view with slight backward curve, cercus with apical hook ( Fig. 97 View FIGURES 93–98 ); in posterior view, bases of cerci broad, then gradually narrowing to tip ( Fig. 98 View FIGURES 93–98 ); phallus in lateral view as in Fig. 187 View FIGURES 183–192 ; in dorsal view, hypophallic lobes narrow ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 183–192 ); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite and ST6 as in Fig. 236 View FIGURES 236–238 ; ST2–5 broad, as in Fig. 279 View FIGURES 266–279 .

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.25 (0.24–0.26/5) of head width at narrowest. T6 of OV shape, posterior edge with an inverted V incision midway; T7 narrowed midway with suture; T8 as separate sclerites; epiproct divided ( Fig. 323 View FIGURES 318–323 ); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 367 View FIGURES 350–369 ; spermathecae filiform ( Fig. 408 View FIGURES 401–410 ); ST1–5 as in Fig. 452 View FIGURES 439–453 .

Type material. Venezuela, Lara. HOLOTYPE ♂* ( MJMO; Fig. 485 View FIGURES 484–487 ), labeled: VENEZUELA, Edo. Lara / PN Yacambú-El blanquito / 11-16/03/02 / Leg : -; HOLOTYPE / Mesembrinella / velasquezae / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀: Venezuela, Trujillo. P.N. Guaramacal, 09°19ʹ02ʺN 70°15ʹ48ʺW, 1480 m, 14–20.ii.2002, R. Briceñò, A. Chacán, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly, Proyecto S 1–2000000479 ( INBIO). GoogleMaps

PARATYPES: Venezuela, Lara. 1 ♂, PN Yacambu, El Blanquito , 11–16.iii.2002, R. Briceño, A. Chacón, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly, Proyecto S1–2000000479 ( MJMO) . Trujillo. 1 ♂*, 1 ♀ *, 1 ♀, P.N. Guaramacal, 09°19ʹ02ʺN 70°15ʹ48ʺW, 1480 m, 14–20.ii.2002, R. Briceño, A. Chacán, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly ( MJMO) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀ *, 1 ♀, P.N. Guaramacal , 15–20.x.2001, [no collector] ( MJMO) ; 2 ♂♂, Barinis, San Isidro , 14 km Sur La Soledad, 1500 m, 30–31.v.1975, R.E. Dietz ( MIZA) .

Distribution. Venezuela.

Remarks. Amplification of barcodes was attempted for six specimens, but failed for all.

Etymology. The species name velasquezae was chosen in honor of Yelitza Velásquez, a Venezuelan entomologist who provided much of the material from Venezuela examined for this project.