Austrophyto noa, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo, 2017

Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo, 2017, Saying goodbye to monotypy in the poorly known genus Austrophyto Lopes, 1989 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): new diagnosis and description of two new species, Zootaxa 4268 (1), pp. 88-100 : 95-98

Austrophyto noa sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3, 6, 9 , 19–26 , 29–32 , 35 )

Diagnosis. Parafacial and lower half of fronto-orbital plate with golden microtomentum, upper half of frontoorbital plate with silvery microtomentum; postgena with pale setae on posterior part; dorsocentrals 4 + 4 (the posteriormost two larger); notopleuron with silvery-grey microtomentum; T5 with lateral spots of silvery microtomentum; T3 with a pair of median marginal setae; ST2–ST4 with short setulosity; syntergosternite 7+8 reddish-orange; cercal base with a rounded protuberance; cercus with rounded apex in dorsal view; vesica folded upward, with a microserrated surface.

Description. Male. Body length 9.33–10.30 mm (n = 6).

Head. Head length at antennal base 1.11–0.99x (n = 6) head length at level of vibrissa; frons at its narrowest point 0.19–0.24x (n = 6) head width. Parafacial and lower half of fronto-orbital plate with golden microtomentum, upper half of fronto-orbital plate with silvery microtomentum; postocular area with silvery microtomentum; postcranium with silvery-grey microtomentum; frontal vitta blackish; ocellar triangle black, with silvery microtomentum; genal groove and genal dilation with golden microtomentum; postgena face and facial ridge with silvery microtomentum; antenna brown, first flagellomere with grey microtomentum, 0.25–0.30x (n = 6) head height; arista short plumose on basal 0.5, the longest rays longer (2.00–3.60x) than maximum width of arista; palpus brown. Parafacial plate with a row of setulae close to eye, stronger in lower part; fronto-orbital plate with sparse setulae; postcranium with black setae on upper part and a few pale setae on lower part; eyes bare; 9–11 frontal setae, the rows of frontal setae diverging strongly anteriorly at level of pedicel; 1 reclinate orbital seta; inner vertical seta strong and reclinate, outer vertical setae 0.30–0.25x (n = 6) the inner verticals and divergent; ocellar triangle with 1 pair of divergent and proclinate ocellar setae and supplementary setulae; postocellar and paravertical setae present; gena with black setae, postgena with pale setae on posterior part; facial ridge with setae close to vibrissa and setulae on lower half; 10–12 subvibrissal setae; palpus with black setae on the apical 2/3.

Thorax. Black, with silvery-grey microtomentum; prescutum and scutum with dorsal and lateral stripes of silvery-grey microtomentum and three black stripes; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, katepisternum and anepimeron with spots of silvery-grey microtomentum; anepisternum with dense golden microtomentum; proepisternum silvery, bare. Chaetotaxy: 1 strong proepisternal seta plus one weaker and shorter supplementary seta; 1 proepimeral seta plus one or two weaker and shorter supplementary setae; katepisternals 3; postalar wall setulose; acrostichals 0 + 1 (prescutellar pair well developed), dorsocentrals 4 + 4 (the posteriormost two larger), intra-alars 1–2 + 2, supra-alars 2 + 3 (the middle one stronger), anterior postpronotals 1, basal postpronotals 2, postalars 2, notopleurals 4 (two larger and two smaller). Scutellum with 2 pairs of lateral setae, 1 pair of crossed apical setae and 1 pair of weak discal setae. Wing hyaline, tegula pale brown, basicosta whitish and veins brown; vein R1 bare; vein R4+5 setulose in proximal 0.4–0.5 of distance to crossvein R-M; costal spine differentiated; third costal sector without ventral setae; cell r4+5 open; lower calypter whitish. Legs: coxae, trochanters and femora with silvery-grey microtomentum, tibiae somewhat reddish; mid femur without a posteroventral ctenidium in its apical portion, with 4 anterior setae and 3–5 anteroventral setae; mid tibia with 1 anteroventral, 2 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal and 1 posterior setae; hind trochanter with a ventral pad of short and stout spines; hind femur with anterior, anterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral (in basal half) rows of setae; hind tibia with 1 anteroventral, 2–4 anterodorsal and 2 posterodorsal setae; mid and hind femora and hind tibia with long setulae; tarsi brown.

Abdomen. Dark brown; sternites exposed; syntergite 1+2 to T5 each with dorsal and lateral spots of silvery microtomentum; syntergite 1+2 and T3 each with a pair of lateral marginal setae; T3 with a pair of median marginal setae; T4 and T5 with a complete row of marginal setae; T5 with long setulosity on posteroventral margin; ST2–ST4 with short setulosity and marginal setae.

Terminalia. ST5 V-shaped, reddish ( Fig. 24 ); arms of ST5 with rounded basal lobes, covered with pale micropubescence (velvet-like) on their inner surface; ventral surface of ST5 with setulae, with larger setae towards apex ( Fig. 24 ); syntergosternite 7+8 reddish-orange, with intense golden microtomentum and with a marginal row of weak setae not differentiated from the few other setae present on its dorsal surface; epandrium reddish-orange, with long, hair-like setae; cercus short, with a long seta on cercal base; cercal base with a rounded protuberance in profile ( Figs 20–21 ); cercal base 2.2–2.4x (n = 2) as long as cercal prong ( Fig. 19 ); surstylus elongated, with a rounded tip ( Fig. 21 ); pregonite curved ( Figs 1 , 23 ); postgonite curved distally, with 2 strong setae ( Fig. 1 ); vesica ( Figs 6, 9 , 23, 25 ) short and poorly sclerotized, folded upward and with a microserrated surface; harpes ( Figs 3, 6 , 22, 26 ) heavily sclerotized, with projections visible in lateral view; juxta with membranous apico-lateral lobes; medial juxtal sclerite elongated and deeply hidden between juxtal lobes ( Figs 3, 9 ); lateral styli and median stylus tubular and ventrally curved ( Fig. 9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( IFML): “R. A. Catamarca / 6 km N. Belén / 1240 m [white label, printed]”; “ Willink, Terán / Stange (Malaise) / 1-15.II.1969 ” [white label, printed]; “ Entomofauna / Subandina ” [blue label with black frame, printed] “ Holotype [printed] ♂ / Austrophyto noa sp. nov. / Mulieri det. 2015” [red label, handwritten] . Holotype in good condition, with terminalia detached and glued to a piece of card pinned together with the rest of the specimen. Paratypes: 5 ♂♂, same data as holotype (1 in IFML, 4 in MACN) ; 1 ♂, Argentina, Tucumán, Burruyacú, La Mesada , 2.x.1947, Ares leg. ( MACN) ; 2 ♂♂, Argentina, Salta, Departamento San Martín , 500–800 m, P. Wygodzinsky leg. ( MNRJ) .

Distribution. Argentina (Catamarca, Salta, Tucumán) ( Fig. 35 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the Spanish acronym used to designate the Argentinean region (“ NOA = Noroeste argentino”) where the species was discovered.

Remarks. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. resembles A. cordobensis in some features of the terminalia, such as the shape of the cercal prong and vesica. However, these species can be easily separated by external characters given in the key.

Figures

FIGURE 35. Map showing the known distributions of Austrophyto species.

FIGURES 1 – 9. Male terminalia of Austrophyto spp. 1. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of gonites, left lateral view. 2. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in apico-dorsal view; arrow showing incomplete dorsal hinge between basi- and distiphallus. 3. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in apical view; arrow showing partially broken left harpes. 4. Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes (specimen from Córdoba, MACN), phallus in latero-ventral view. 5. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in lateroventral view. 6. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in latero-ventral view. 7. Austrophyto cordobensis (specimen from Córdoba, MACN), phallus in apical view. 8. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in apical view. 9. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in apical view. Scale bars: 200 µm (Figs 1 – 4, 6 – 7, 9); 100 µm (Fig. 5, 8). Abbreviations: h, harpes; jl, juxtal lobe; ls, lateral stylus; mjs, medial juxtal sclerite; ms, median stylus; po, postgonite; pr, pregonite; v, vesica.

FIGURES 19 – 26. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. 19. Cerci, dorsal view (paratype, MNRJ). 20. Terminalia, lateral view (paratype, MACN); arrow showing rounded protuberance on cercal base. 21. Cercus and surstylus, lateral view (paratype, MNRJ). 22. Phallus and gonites, lateral view (paratype, MNRJ). 23. SEM image of phallus and gonites, lateral view (paratype, MACN); arrow showing the swollen, desclerotized ventral area. 24. Sternite 5, ventral view (paratype, MACN). 25. SEM image showing detail of vesica, left lateral view (paratype, MACN). 26. SEM image showing detail of harpes, left lateral view (paratype, MACN). Scale bars: 200 µm (Figs 19 – 24); 50 µm (Figs 25 – 26). For abbreviations, see Figs 1 – 9 and 10 – 13.

FIGURES 27 – 34. Austrophyto spp. 27 – 28. Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes (specimen from Córdoba, MACN). 27. Head in left lateral view. 28. Detail of arista, lateral view. 29 – 30. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN). 29. Detail of arista, lateral view. 30. Head in left lateral view. 31 – 32. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MNRJ). 31. Head in frontal view. 32. Left lateral habitus. 33 – 34. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN). 33. Tip of abdomen in posterior view. 34. Left lateral habitus. Scale bars: 1 mm (Figs 27, 31 – 34); 200 µm (Figs 28 – 29); 500 µm (Fig. 30). For abbreviations, see Figs 10 – 13.