Pseudacteon plowesi, Pereira, Thalles Platiny Lavinscky, Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles & Bravo, Freddy, 2015

Pereira, Thalles Platiny Lavinscky, Delabie, Jacques Hubert Charles & Bravo, Freddy, 2015, New species and records of Pseudacteon Coquillett, 1907 (Diptera, Phoridae), parasitoids of the fire ant Solenopsis geminata group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Zootaxa 4021 (4), pp. 585-590 : 588-590

Pseudacteon plowesi new spec.

( Figures 8–14 )

Diagnosis. Arched bilobed oviscape dark brown/black, with two plates, dorsal and ventral plates, anteriorly fused, dorsal plate (DP) projection exceeding the ventral plate (VP), VP with deep shagreen mostly along inner half and fine shagreen along anterior outer margin.

Material examined. Holotype ♀: BRAZIL: Bahia: Ilhéus (Farm Mãe da Mata, 14 ° 49 '59.89' 'S, 39 ° 5' 54.28 '' W), 0 1 / VI / 2013, TPL Pereira leg. ( MZFS). 3 paratypes ♀, the same locality and collector as holotype ( MZFS);

Description. Female. Body length 1.5–1.6 mm (n= 4). Head. Frons dark, one pair of supra–antennal setae proclinate, positioned in same horizontal line as the first two setae, with 2–4–4–4 setae, in row two, setae of center are smaller, also presence of micro setae on the frons. Antenna with flagellomere 1 flattened oval with arista larger than flagellomere 1 ( Fig. 8 ). Palpus yellow with one larger differentiated apical setae and another five smaller ( Fig. 11 ). Thorax. Scutellum with four setae, posterior twice length of anterior. Wing. Length 1.0– 1.5 mm, width 0.50–0.68 mm, costal vein 0.44–0.58 mm (n= 4) with 14 pairs of short setae length 0.02mm, vein A1 + CuA2 present, some very hyaline paratypes. Anterior basal region of wing with four setae ( Fig. 9 ). Abdomen. First abdominal segment shorter than others, tergite VI ( Fig. 12 ) with nine pairs of bristles in posterior region. Sternite VI sclerotized ( Fig. 14 ) having rounded base, with 11 pairs of bristles, the two central pairs longer than the others. Oviscape. Dark brown/black ranging from 0.42 to 0.51 mm long, outside width 0.23 to 0.30 mm and gap between the lobes ranging from 0.06 to 0.09 mm (n= 4). Bilobed and arched, with two plates, dorsal and ventral anteriorly fused. DP exceeding VP in lower end, inner margin curved. Tip rounded the DP, extending just beyond the VP (the same structure can be observed before mounted on a slide). Internal base with three pairs of setae. At top of arc, presence of two pairs of setae. Between the plates is an opening through which passes over the stylet ( Fig. 10, 13 ). VP with deep shagreen mostly along inner half and fine shagreen along anterior outer margin.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. Named for Dr. Rob Plowes, for his extensive studies on the taxonomy of genus Pseudacteon .

Distribution. BRAZIL: Bahia.

Remarks. This species is included in the species group proposed by Plowes et al. (2009), which aggregates species that have bilobed arched oviscapes. Larger species (1.5–1.6 mm body length). Within this group the new species is similar to Pseudacteon amuletum Plowes et al. 2009 , but P. plowesi differs with the dorsal plate exceeding ventral plate and with deep shagreen mostly along inner half and fine shagreen along anterior outer margin, which does not occur in P. amuletum .

Field observations. The specimens were found associated with Solenopsis geminata .

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. Pseudacteon plowesi new spec. 8. Head with emphasis on antennae and forehead. 9. Wing. 10. Ovipositor dorsal view (dashed long—stylet, dashed short—oviduct). 11. Palpus. 12. Tergite VI. 13. Sternite VI. 14. Ovipositor side view (DP dorsal plate, VP – ventral plate, dashed long—stylet); Scale bars equivalent to 0.1 mm.