Cardiacephala bulla, Ferro & Marshall, 2018

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 : 420-421

Cardiacephala bulla new species

( Figs. 24–27 )

Description: Body length 9 mm, wing 5 mm. Palpus brown. Clypeus rusty red or brown with pale microsetulae. First flagellomere black with pale microsetulae. Fronto-orbital plates dark brown. Row of katepisternal setae brownish. Hind femur narrowly white basally. Fore leg dark brown, femur yellow in ventral margin. Fore tarsomere one white, 2–5 dark brown. Oviscape yellow and shiny, apex dark brown. Epandrium yellow.

Head: Palpus broadened basally and gradually tapering to apex. Clypeus short, length less than half of width. Frontal vitta slightly depressed in the center, depressed area reaching ocellar triangle. Two frontal setae. Paracephalon swollen and conical, extending beyond the vertex. Inner vertical seta insertion flat, without tubercle. Vertex flattened. Black supracervical setae sparse, weak.

Thorax: Mesonotum golden pruinose with sparse pale setulae. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora with sparse black setulae. Mid and hind tibia flattened, but sulcus on outer face weak. Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex clear with a weak darkened and narrow preapical pigmentation. Crossvein r-m with small dark spot. R4+5 and M1+2 ending separately in wing margin. A1+CuA2 as long as CuA2. Female cervical sclerite smooth, without swelling.

Abdomen: Tergites with brownish setulae. Female abdomen: Single spermathecal duct apically broad, ending in a cylindrical spermatheca. Paired spermathecal duct striate, delimited by a narrow basal half and a broader distal half. Paired spermathecal duct stems with a small basal rounded swelling followed by a striate duct that reaches spermathecae ( Fig. 25 ). Paired spermathecae striate and sac-like, tapered basally and distally swollen. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme somewhat thin and bigger than epandrium, blade broad, wider than sperm pump. Phallapodeme extending to anterior limit of hypandrium. Distiphallus short, about same length as epandrium. Distiphallus ending in a phallic bulb, phallic bulb two times as long as wide ( Fig. 27 ).

Type material: Holotype: BOLIVIA. La Paz, Heath River Wildlife Centre, 12º40’ S 68º42’ W, 28.IV– 11.V.2007 (1 ♀ DEBU 01086331, CBFC, sequence MYCRO 253–16). Paratypes: BOLIVIA. La Paz, Heath River Wildlife Centre, 12º40’ S 68º42’ W, 28.IV–11.V.2007 (1 ♂, DEBU 01086332, CBFC, sequence MYCRO 254–16); Heath River, Wildlife Centre, yellow pans, 5.V.2000, Paiero & Kits (1 ♀, 1 ♂, DEBU); Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu, Lorena, 3º02’86” S 69º59’70” W, 210 m, 27.VIII.2001, M. Sharkley & D. Campos (1 ♀, USNM); ECUADOR. Napo, Yasuni National Park: PUCE Yasuni research station, malaise trap in rain forest, 76º36’ W 00º38’ S, 3–20.XI.1998, T. Tape & B. Viklund (1 ♀, ZMUC).

Other material examined: BRAZIL. Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul, Rio Moa, 073702S-724615W, 19–28.XI.1996, J. A. Rafael, J. Vidal & R. L. Menezes (1 ♀, INPA); Amazonas, Novo Airão, AM-352, malaise trap, 21–23.X.1994, J. Vidal & J. Brasil (1 ♀, INPA); Amazonas, Rio Jau, Meriti, Mun. Novo Airão, 4–10.VI.1994, J. A. Rafael (1 ♀, INPA); COLOMBIA. Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu Lorena, 3º2’86” S 69º59’70” W, 210 m, 27.VIII.2001, M. Sharkley & D. Campos (1 ♀, USNM); Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu Matamata, 3º23’ S 70º06’ W, 150 m, 2– 15.X.2001, malaise, M. 2239, D. Chota (1 ♀, IAVH); Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu Lago Tipisca, 3º5’ S 70º0’ W, 210 m, 31.VIII.2001, M. 2206, D. Campos (1 ♀, USNM); ECUADOR. Napo, Yasuni National Park: PUCE Yasuni research station, Malaise trap in rain forest, 76º36’ W 00º38’ S, 3–20.XI.1998, T. Tape & B. Viklund (1 ♂, ZMUC); PERU. Madre De Dios, Los Amigos Biol. Stn., 2–14.VI.2006, Paiero & Klymko (1 ♀, DEBU 00281502).

Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Etymology: The specific name of C. bulla (latin: “bubble”) refers to the shiny and bubble-shaped paracephalon of this species.

Comments: Although somewhat similar to C. conifera , C. bulla has a smooth and shiny epicephalon (in contrast with the irregular epicephalon and swollen inner vertical insertion of C. conifera ) and a white fore tarsomere one.

Figures

FIGURES 24–27. Cardiacephala bulla. 24, female, dorsal view; 25, female genitalia, ventral view; 26, male and female, Bolivia, heath river; 27, male genitalia, lateral view.