Platyplastinx amazonensis, Lopes, Priscila Silva & Bravo, Freddy, 2015

Lopes, Priscila Silva & Bravo, Freddy, 2015, Review of Platyplastinx Enderlein, 1937 (Diptera, Psychodidae) with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 4048 (4), pp. 583-593 : 586-587

Platyplastinx amazonensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 1A–B ; 2A–C)

Type material. Holotype [adult male]: BRAZIL, Amazonas, Manaus, Rodovia Amazonas 0 10, Km 26, Reserva Ducke, IX.2001, J. F. Vidal ( MZFS).

Diagnosis. Adult: interocular suture inverted Y-shaped; R2+3 short, approximately 0.1 times the length of R2; Hypandrium bilobed, lobes with few bristles at apex; ejaculatory apodeme semicircular in dorsal view, slightly smaller than the length of aedeagus; parameres triangular, pointed at apex, longer than aedeagus; cercus with one apical feathered tenaculum and 6 to 7 short, rod-like accessory tenacula dispersed along the distal half of its ventral surface; presence of one isolated accessory tenaculum near the apical tenaculum; epiproct with elongated and globular apex.

Description. Adult Male: Eyes separated by approximately one facet diameter; interocular suture inverted Yshaped; eye bridge with 4 facet rows. Antenna incomplete in the specimen studied. Ratios of palpus segments 10:17:16:21. Wing membranes darkened except in small apical areas between wing veins, basal 1/3 between R1, and posterior margin of the wing; R2+3 short, approximately 0.1 times the length of R2; Hypandrium a slender band connecting the gonocoxites; gonocoxites 1/3 the length of gonostylus; gonostylus extending beyond tip of aedeagus, curved inwards, with rounded apex; ejaculatory apodeme semicircular in dorsal view, slightly less than the length of aedeagus; aedeagus long, 1.1 times the length of ejaculatory apodeme, ending in a pointed apex; paramere triangular, longer and wider than aedeagus, ending in a pointed apex; epandrium wider than long; cercus piriform, with one apical tenaculum with feathered tip; right cercus with 6, and left cercus with 7, short rod-like accessory tenacula inserted into a structure similar to a plate in the basal region; one isolated accessory tenaculum near the apical tenaculum; right cercus with one short, rod-like accessory tenaculum standing isolated in the median region; epiproct with elongated and globular apex; hypoproct with microtrichia and blunt apex.

Adult Female: Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the type locality.

Comments. P. amazonensis resembles P. apodastos and P. exiguus sp. nov. by the shapes of the aedeagus and parameres, and by the presence of one apical tenaculum with feathered apex in the cercus. However, the three species differ by the following set of characters: P. amazonensis has cerci with accessory tenacula, numbering 6 to 7, inserted in the basal plate of the cercus, and another isolated accessory tenaculum near the apical tenaculum; P. apodastos has 9 accessory tenacula, all inserted in the basal third of the cercus, without an isolated tenaculum near the apical tenaculum; P. exiguus has only 2 accessory tenacula inserted near the apical tenaculum.

Figures

FIGURE 1 A – B. Platyplastinx amazonensis sp. nov., male holotype: A. Head; B. Wing. Scale: 100 µm (fig. 1 A) and 500 µm (fig. 1 B).