Neoplasta longicornis, Câmara & Rafael, 2016

Câmara, Josenir T. & Rafael, José A., 2016, Neoplasta Coquillett (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) from Brazil: new species and male description of N. fortiseta Smith, Zootaxa 4084 (2) : -

Neoplasta longicornis sp. nov.

( Figs 16–22 )

Diagnosis. Postpedicel elongate ( Fig. 16 ); scutum mainly brown ( Fig. 16 ). Fore tibia flattened, with anteroventral brown spots ( Fig. 17 ); cercus wider basally, upcurved apically ( Fig. 19 ); surstylus with 2 curved, pointed internal projections ( Fig. 20 ); phallus clavate ( Fig. 21 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 16 ). Head ( Fig. 16 ): Dark brown to black, all setae yellowish. Ocellar triangle with 1 pair of divergent proclinate setae; anterior ocellus larger. Eye iridescent black, ommatidia enlarged anteriorly. Frons with 2 frontal setulae; 2–3 pairs of vertical setae contiguous with uniseriate row of postocular setae. Face narrowly separated, bearing fine reclinate setulae. Occiput bearing scattered fine hairs. Mouthparts yellow; proboscis slightly curved with yellow setae. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellowish, bearing distinct short dorsal setulae; postpedicel brown, about 3.0X as long as wide, stylus very short, about 0.1X as long as postpedicel. Thorax ( Fig. 16 ): Elongate, slightly arched ventrally; pronotum with anterior margin almost straight; scutum brownish except yellowish on postpronotal lobe area, anepisternum, ketepisternum and laterotergite; with yellow setae, very small and fine, except 1 notopleural, 1 postalar and 1 pair of scutellar setae. Legs ( Fig. 17 ): Yellow except fore tibia with rounded, brown anteroventral spot on apical third and fore tarsus brownish. Fore coxa as long as distance between fore- and mid coxae, 2X as long as wide with a few setae dorsally on apex. Fore femur ~ 1.4X longer than fore coxa, with row of 7 anteroventral and 23 posteroventral denticles, anteroventral row on apical third. Fore tibia wide, flattened, ~ 0.8X as long as fore femur. Mid femur with 4 strong posteroventral setae. Hind tibia with concave area on apical third, covered by small spine-like setae. All legs slender and with fine setae. Wing ( Fig. 16 ): Membrane faintly yellow, veins brownish; R2+3 short, not strongly curved towards C apically, joining C ~ 0.3X of distance between end of R1 and R4; R4+5 fork angle acute (~ 60°); cell bm+dm very long, ~ 2X as long as cell br. Halter yellowish. Abdomen ( Fig. 16 ): Brown. Tergite 8 shorter than sternite 8. Terminalia Brown. Cercus wider basally, upcurved at apex ( Fig. 19 ); left and right cerci closely approximated anterodorsally, with scattered setae on outer face ( Fig. 18 ). Epandrium wide, with rounded apex and scattered setae on outer face ( Fig. 19 ). Surstylus with 2 curved, pointed, internal projections and 2 strong and long setae apically ( Figs 19, 20 ). Hypandrium subrectangular, with distinct setae ( Fig. 22 ); gonocoxal apodeme projecting as narrow process just beyond anterior margin of hypandrium. Subepandrial sclerite almost straight on anterior margin; hypoproct bilobate ( Fig. 20 ). Phallus clavate, extending beyond hypandrium apex ( Fig. 21 ). Ejaculatory apodeme unilamellar, very short. Specimen length: 2.8 mm; wing length: 2.9 mm. Female. Unknown.

Geographic distribution. Brazil (São Paulo state).

Type Material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “[ BRAZIL] S.[ão] Paulo. Boracéa [ Boracéia ]. xi.[19]47, Rabelo- Travassos.” ( MZUSP).

Holotype condition. Terminalia in microtube with glycerin.

Etymology. From the Latin longi (long) and cornis (antenna), referring to the elongate postpedicel. Remarks. Neoplasta longicornis sp. nov. differs from other Neotropical species by the cercus abruptly upcurved at apex and subepandrial sclerite with 2 curved internal projections. In other species, the cercus is not upcurved at the apex or, if upcurved then not abruptly and subepandrial sclerite without projections, or only one projection.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 22. Neoplasta longicornis sp. nov., holotype ♂. 16, Habitus, lateral view; 17, Fore leg, ventral view; 18, Cercus anD epanDrium, Dorsal view; 19, Cercus, epanDrium anD surstylus, lateral view; 20, SubepanDrial sclerite anD surstylus, ventral view; 21, Phallus anD hypanDrium, lateral view; 22, HypanDrium, ventral view.