Cardiacephala aspera

Ferro, Gustavo Borges & Marshall, Stephen A., 2018, A revision of the Neotropical ant-like genus Cardiacephala Macquart, including Plocoscelus Enderlein syn. nov. (Diptera: Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), Zootaxa 4429 (3), pp. 401-458: 416-417

Cardiacephala aspera  Edit new species

( Figs. 16–19)

Description: Body length 8 mm, wing 5 mm. Palpus mostly black, white on outer face. Clypeus black with pale microsetulae. First flagellomere dark brown. Frontal vitta dark brown anteriorly. Fronto-orbital plates black and shiny. Postpronotal lobe black and shiny. Row of katepisternal setae brownish. Legs black. Hind femur narrowly white basally. Fore tarsus dark brown with gold/whitish pubescence ventrally at base of tarsomere one. Oviscape black and shiny, apex yellowish. Epandrium dark brown.

Head: Palpus broadened basally and gradually tapering to apex. Clypeus short, length less than half of width. First flagellomere covered by pale microsetulae. Two frontal setae. Paracephalon swollen and conical, extending beyond the vertex. Inner vertical setae inserted in strong tubercles. Vertex flattened. Supracervical line of setae black.

Thorax: Mesonotum with white pruinosity. Notopleural setae strong. Posterior notopleural seta insertion slightly protuberant. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora with sparse brownish setulae. Mid and hind tibia flattened, sulcus on outer face very pronounced and curved ( Fig. 18). Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex clear with a dark and narrow preapical pigmentation. Crossvein r-m clear. R4+5 and M1+2 ending separately in wing margin. A1+CuA2 as long as CuA2. Female cervical sclerite slightly swollen at posterior end.

Abdomen: Tergites with brownish setulae. Female abdomen: Oviscape with sparse pale microsetulae. Single spermathecal duct apically broad, ending in a cylindrical spermatheca (slightly damaged apically in Fig. 17). Paired spermathecal duct striate, delimited by a narrow basal half and a broader distal half with a ring-like swelling. Paired spermathecal duct stems thin and smooth, interrupted by a small rounded swelling and a small appendix. Paired spermathecae disc-shaped, flattened. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme bigger than epandrium and with a broad blade, wider than sperm pump. Phallapodeme extending to anterior limit of hypandrium. Distiphallus longer than epandrium but relatively short and thick, about three times as long as the phallic bulb ( Fig. 19). Distiphallus ending in a phallic bulb, phallic bulb subequal in length and width.

Type material: Holotype: ECUADOR. Orellano, Yasuni Natl. Pk. Yasuni Research Stn., 0º40’50” S 76º24’2”W, 250 m, 28.IV–8.V.2009, S. A. Marshall (1 ♀, QCAZ, sequence MYCRO 256–16). Paratypes: ECUADOR. Napo, Tiputini, Biodiversity Station, 216 m, 00º37’55” S 076º08’39” W, 7.II.1999, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♂, USNM 00054352); Prov. Orellano, Yasuni Natl. Pk. Yasuni Research Stn., 0º40’50” S 76º24’2”W, 250 m, 28.IV–8.V.2009, S. A. Marshall (1 ♀, 1 ♂, DEBU 01015594).

Other material examined: BOLIVIA. La Paz, San Antonio, ca. 8km S Mapiri, 15º20’56 S 68º13’31 W, 11.IV.2001, S. A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU 00150384); ECUADOR. Limoncocha, 250 m 0º24’ S 76º40’ W, 9– 16.III.1976, G. E. Shewell (1 ♂, CNC 503370); Pompeya, Napo R. Pastaza, 250 m, 14–22.IV.1965, L. Pena (1 ♂, CNC 503368); Napo, Jatun Sacha Biol. Res. 6 km E Misahualli, 1º4’ S 77º37’ W, 450 m, roadside sweeping, 29.IV–8.V.2002, J. Lapierre (1 ♂, DEBU); Napo, Jatun Sacha Biol. Res. 6 km E Misahualli, 1º4’ S 77º37’ W, 450 m, 30.IV–8.V.2002, S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU 00178803); Napo, Yasuní National Park, Yasuní Research station, 76º36’ W 00º38’ S, 3–20.XI.1998, T. Pape & B. Viklund (1 ♀, 2 ♂, ZMUC); GUIANA. Kabocalli, Iwokrama Forest Res., 60m, FIT, 3–5.VI.2001, Brooks & Fallin (1 ♀, DEBU 00256896); PERU. Loreto, Teniente Lopez, 1.5 km N, 230–305 m, FIT, 23.VII.1993, R. Leschen (2 ♀, DEBU 00138311, DEBU 00138312).

Distribution: Bolivia, Ecuador, Guiana, Peru.

Etymology: The name C. aspera  Edit refers to the sharp paracephalon of this species.

Comments: This Ecuadorian species is closely related to C. lobulosa  Edit , C. nigra  Edit and C. velutinosa  Edit , from which it differs by the swollen paracephalon and the disc-shaped, paired spermathecae.

Figures

FIGURES 16–19. Cardiacephala aspera. 16, male and female, dorsal view; 17, female genitalia, ventral view; 18, male and female, Ecuador, Yasuni; 19, male genitalia, lateral view.