Noctiliostrebla caissara, Alcantara & Graciolli & Nihei, 2019

Alcantara, Daniel Maximo Correa, Graciolli, Gustavo & Nihei, Silvio S., 2019, Revision of Noctiliostrebla (Diptera: Streblidae), parasites of bulldog bats (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae: Noctilio), Zootaxa 4560 (3), pp. 483-521 : 513-514

Noctiliostrebla caissara sp. n.

( Figs 14 , 17C )

Noctiliostrebla aitkeni: Graciolli & Carvalho (2001: 912, 929–930; fig. 13, diagnosis, catalog; part, misidentification) ; Moura et al. (2003: 811–815; part, host-parasite relationship, misidentification); Prevedello et al. (2005: 197, 202, 209; tab. 1; part, survey records, richness matrix, misidentification).

Diagnosis. This is the largest species of Noctiliostrebla and is very similar to N. aitkeni . The female can be easily distinguished by the presence of a single bare area on the median dorsal connexivum between spiracles V and VI. In addition, sternite VII is three times longer than the epiproct. The male is similar to the males of other species, but it can be recognized by apex of sternite VI at least twice as wide as cercus, and distal half of gonopod longer than in N. aitkeni .

Description. Measurements (mm, n = 20, 10 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀). HFL: ♂ 0.51 (0.49–0.53); ♀ 0.60 (0.55–0.62); SL: ♂ 0.57 (0.54–0.60); ♀ 0.63 (0.56–0.65); TL: ♂ 0.51 (0.50–0.52); ♀ 0.55 (0.53–0.57); WL: ♂ 0.33 (0.30–0.38); ♀ 0.35 (0.32–0.39); WW: ♂ 0.19 (0.18–0.20); ♀ 0.19 (0.18–0.21)

Thorax. Mesepimeron with 1–2 setae on each side. Wing with 0–3 setae on median vein. Metasternum ( Fig. 14B ) like in N. maai .

Female abdomen. Syntergite I+II ( Fig. 14A ) like in N. maai , except 26–40 setae on each plate of lateral lobe. Dorsal connexivum ( Fig. 14A ) like N. lamasi sp. n., except as follows: cluster of setae around spiracle III with longest setae half the length of longest setae on syntergite I+II; longitudinal sideband with longest setae half the length of longest setae on cluster of setae around spiracle III and 2–3 times longer than setae on median dorsal connexivum; rectangular bare area between spiracle V and VI on median dorsal connexivum; median pair of setae between each spiracle VI as long as setae on longitudinal sideband. Tergite VII ( Fig. 14A, C ) like N. lamasi sp. n.; at most three times as long and at least twice as wide as epiproct; inner lateral margin as long as lateral margin of epiproct; 6–10 setae on each plate. Sternite II ( Fig. 14B ) like in N. aitkeni . Sternite VII with 9–13 setae on each plate. Epiproct ( Fig. 14A, C ) like in N. maai .

Male abdomen. Syntergite I+II like in N. maai , except 30–45 setae on each plate of lateral lobe. Ventral connexivum like in N. dubia . Sternite II ( Fig. 14E ) like in N. lamasi sp. n. Hypopygium ( Fig. 14 D–E) resembling that of N. aitkeni , except as follows: setae on ventral margin shorter than setae around dorsal macrosetae of hypopygium but longer than half their length; sternite VI longer than cercus but not twice the length, apical margin twice as wide as cercus, strongly enlarged and moderately inclined at apex. Genitalia ( Fig. 14 F–H) like in N. aitkeni , except as follows: distal half of gonopod longer and narrower than in N. aitkeni , with distance between distal setae and apex more than 2.5 times distance between distal setae and dorsal margin.

Distribution. Brazil (Paraná, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul) ( Fig. 17C ). Type locality. Brazil, Paraná, Matinhos, Caiobá.

Host. Noctilio leporinus .

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀: Brazil: “ HOLOTYPE ♀ / Noctiliostrebla caissara / Alcantara, Nihei & Graciolli”, “DZUP / Host. N. leporinus Linnaeus / Brazil, state of Paraná, Matinhos, Caiobá / 17.vi.1998 / M.O. Bordignon leg. / Tombo426, DZUP055508” ( DZUP) . PARATYPES (129 ♂♂, 99 ♀♀): Brazil : 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Paraná, Guaraqueçaba , 17/vi/1998, M.O. Bordignon leg., on N. leporinus ( DZUP) ; 8 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, same data as holotype ( DZUP) ; 31 ♂♂, 24 ♀♀, Paraná, Matinhos, Caiobá , 12.ii.1998, M.O. Bordignon leg., on N. leporinus ( DZUP) ; 36 ♂♂, 22 ♀♀, same data as previous except 22.iv.1998 ( DZUP) ; 42 ♂♂, 36 ♀♀, same data as previous except 21.i.1999 ( DZUP) ; 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, same data as previous except 18.iii.1999 ( DZUP) ; 6 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, São Paulo, Cananéia , 23.vii.1997, M.O. Bordignon leg., on N. leporinus ( DZUP) ; 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Itapoá , 30.iii.2001, G. Graciolli leg., on N. leporinus ( DZUP) .

Etymology. A noun in apposition, the specific epithet is taken from the type locality. The name comes from the old Tupi language “ ka'aysara ” and is the denomination given to traditional inhabitants of the south-eastern and southern coasts of Brazil, where the species occurs.

Remarks. The material misidentified as N. aitkeni by Graciolli & Carvalho (2001), Moura et al. (2003) and Prevedello et al. (2005) was examined and most of the specimens were identified as N. caissara sp. n. and were included in the type series; no specimen was confirmed as N. aitkeni . Since N. caissara and N. aitkeni are very similar, the diagnosis of Graciolli & Carvalho (2001) understandably includes many features shared by both species. However, among those features the authors mention the presence of areas without setae on the female dorsal connexivum, which is a diagnostic character of females of N. caissara sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Noctiliostrebla caissara sp. n., holotype ♀ (DZUP) and ♂♂ paratypes (Brazil, Paraná, Caiobá, DZUP). A. Female abdomen in dorsal view. B. Detail of posterior portion of female thorax and abdomen in ventral view, showing metasternal lobe and sternite II. C. Female tergite VII (with setae insertions) and epiproct in dorsal view. D. Detail of male abdomen in ventrolateral view, showing hypopygium. E. Detail of posterior portion of male thorax and abdomen in ventral view, showing metasternal lobe, sternite II and hypopygium. F. Male genitalia in lateral view. G. Distal portion of gonopod in lateral view. H. Distal portion of aedeagus in lateral view.

FIGURE 17. Distributional maps of Noctiliostrebla species (continued). A. N. morena sp. n. B. N. pantaneira sp. n. C. N. caissara sp. n.