Peradon palpator Reemer

Reemer, Menno, Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Kelso, Scott, 2019, Revision of the Neotropical hoverfly genus Peradon Reemer (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae), ZooKeys 896, pp. 1-93 : 1

Peradon palpator Reemer sp. nov. Figs 9 , 136 , 137 , 232 , 234 , 276

Type material.

Holotype. Argentina • 1 ♂, holotype of Peradon palpator sp. nov.; Tucumán, Horco Molle, ca. 12 km W of Tucumán; 700 m a.s.l.; 17 Mar. 1974; C.R. Vardy leg.; NHMUK. Label 1: "Argentina: Tuc. / Horco Molle ca. 12 km. / W. of Tucuman. 700 m. / Malaise trap / 17.iii.1974. C.R. Vardy / B.M.1974-204".

Paratypes. Argentina • 1 ♂, paratype of Peradon palpator ; Tucumán, Horco Molle, ca. 12 km W of Tucumán; 700 m a.s.l.; 17 Mar. 1974; C.R. Vardy leg.; NHMUK • 5 ♂, paratypes of Peradon palpator ; Tucumán, Horco Molle, c. 12 km W of Tucumán; 700 m a.s.l.; 18-21 Mar. 1974; C.R. Vardy leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂, paratype of Peradon palpator sp. nov.; Tucumán, Horco Molle, ca. 12 km W of Tucumán; 700 m a.s.l.; 22-24 Mar. 1974; C.R. Vardy leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♀, paratype of Peradon palpator sp. nov.; Catamarca Co., Trampasacha, 8 km W of Chumbicha, 650 m; 28°49.97'S, 66°18.29'W; 25 Oct.-12 Nov. 2003; F.D. Parker & M.E. Irwin leg.; LACM.

Additional specimens.

Argentina • 1 ♂; Salta Rosario de Lerma; Dec. 1982; Fritz leg.; CAS • 3 ♂; Salta Rosario de Lerma, INESALT yard, Malaise; 16-28 Feb. 1992; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 1 ♂; Salta Rosario de Lerma, pasture edge; 1 Mar. 1992; S.A. Marshall leg.; DEBU • 1 ♂; Tucuman Prov., 25 km S Tafi del Valle; 1320 m a.s.l.; 27°01.04'S, 65°39.33'W.

Brazil • 1 ♂; Goias, R Saia Velha, 30 km S Brasilia, on Brazilia-B.H. highway; 1 Oct. 1974; L. Knutson leg.; USNM • 1 ♀; D.F. Brasilia, L. Paranoa; 4-5 Oct. 1974; L. Knutson leg.; USNM.

Description

(based on holotype). Adult male. Body size: 9 mm.

Head. Face occupying approximately 1/2 of head width in frontal view; black; with pale golden pilosity. Gena black; with white pilosity. Lateral oral margin weakly produced; black with white pilosity. Frons black and vertex black, with pale golden pilosity. Occiput black with whitish pilosity. Eye bare. Antennal fossa slightly wider than high. Antenna black, except scape brown. Ratio scape:basoflagellomere approximately 1:2.7. Basoflagellomere parallel-sided with rounded apex. Arista slender, ca. 1/2 of length of basoflagellomere.

Thorax. Mesoscutum dull black; short, appressed black pilose, except for fasciae of pale golden pile along anterior margin, transverse suture (medially interrupted), and posterior margin. Postpronotum and postalar callus brown; pale pile. Scutellum black; pale golden pilose; with two apical calcars of ca. 1/4 of length of scutellum, with mutual distance approx. the same as length of scutellum. Pleura black. Anterior and posterior part of anepisternum separated by deep sulcus; golden pilose anteriorly, whitish pilose posteriorly, with wide bare area in between. Anepimeron entirely whitish pilose. Katepisternum white pile dorsally, bare ventrally. Katatergum and anatergum dark microtrichose. Other pleurae bare. Calypter whitish. Halter dark yellow.

Wing. Hyaline, tinged yellow in costal and subcostal cells, and with yellow stripe over posterior half of br, ranging along vena spuria to apex of r4+5, posteriorly extending into dm. Wing microtrichose, except bare on posterobasal 2/5 of br, basal 3/4 of bm, anterobasal 1/4 of cup, and most of alula (only microtrichose along margins).

Legs. Black; silvery white pile, except tarsi ventrally pale golden pilose.

Abdomen. Elongate, widest at apex of tergite 2; black; mostly pale golden pilose but more silvery white laterally, with large triangular patches laterally on tergite 3. Sternites blackish brown; white pilose, except sternite 1 bare.

Female (based on 1 paratype from Argentina, Catamarca). As male, except for following differences. Body size: 9.5 mm. Ratio of scape:basoflagellomere apporximately 1:2. Mesoscutum with only very narrow fasciae of pale golden pile. Yellow wing markings more extensive, including basal parts of cells r1 and cup. Tergites mostly black pilose, except pale golden pilose on tergite 1, tergite 2 medially, lateral margins of tergites 3 and 4, and posterior triangular parts on tergites 3 and 4.

Diagnosis.

Body length: male 7-10 mm, female 9.5 mm. This is the only known Peradon species in which the basoflagellomere is more than twice as long as the scape. The body is entirely black and its pale golden and silvery white pilosity is not very conspicuous.

Notes.

The fascia of golden pile along the mesonotal transverse suture is either complete or medially interrupted. In the key, this species is included in the flavofascium species group, even though it lacks the conspicuous golden or silvery pile on tergite 4 characteristic of this group. Nevertheless, it is hypothesized to be related to this group because of similarities in the male genitalia, especially the shape of the surstylus.

Distribution.

The species is known from northwestern Argentina (provinces Catamarca, Salta, and Tucumán), and central Brazil (state of Goiás).

Etymology.

The specific epithet palpator (Latin: stroker, taster, feeler; noun in apposition) is inspired by the long antennae of this species.

Figures

Figures 9 - 12. 9, 10 Antennal length ratios: 9 Peradon palpator male, basoflagellomere more than twice as long as scape 10 P. bidens male, basoflagellomere less than twice as long as scape 11, 12 Tergites in lateral view: 11 with golden pilosity (Peradon aurigaster male) 12 with silvery white pilosity (P. flavofascium male).

Figures 136 - 142. Dorsal habitus of Peradon species (flavofascium group) 136 P. palpator ♂ holotype 137 P. palpator ♀ paratype 138 P. flavofascium ♂ Brazil MZUSP 139 P. surinamensis ♀ paratype 140 P. surinamensis ♂ holotype 141 P. chrysopygus ♂ Costa Rica LACM 142 P. chrysopygus ♀ Costa Rica LACM. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 232 - 234. 232 - 234 Peradon palpator male, holotype 232 habitus lateral 233 head frontal 234 head lateral 235 - 237 Peradon pompiloides male, holotype 235 habitus lateral 236 head frontal 237 head lateral 238 - 239 Peradon pompiloides female paratype 238 habitus lateral 239 head frontal.

Figures 274 - 279. Male genitalia of Peradon species 274 P. luridescens Suriname RMNH 275 P. angustiventris Suriname RMNH 276 P. palpator holotype 277 P. flavofascium holotype 278 P. surinamensis holotype 279 P. notialus holotype.