Micropeza chiroptera, Soares & Barros & Ale-Rocha, 2020

Soares, Matheus M. M., Barros, Luana M. & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2020, A remarkable new species of Micropeza Meigen (Diptera: Micropezidae) from Caatinga biome, Brazil, Zootaxa 4890 (3), pp. 439-445 : 440-444

Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov.

( Figs 1–13 )

Diagnosis. Thorax black, except pronotum, proepisternum, posterior margin of anepisternum, almost all the katepisternum, laterotergite and rectangular macule on notopleuron yellow to whitish yellow ( Figs 1 , 7 ). Femora yellow, except apical half of fore femur and two dorsal dark irregular spots on mid and hind femora ( Figs 1 , 8 ). Wing: costal vein with a bilobed finger-shaped projection on basal third; r 1 with longitudinal macula underlying costal vein; r 4+5 closed near wing apex, forming a petiole ( Figs 2–3 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body length [holotype]: 7.6 mm; wing 5.3 mm.

Head. Dorsal view ( Fig. 4 ): mesofrons black, distinctly striated, strongly excavated on frontal vitta; anterior part of mesofrons and parafrons orangish yellow, parafrons covered with dense silvery pruinosity; epicephalon and ocellar tubercle shinning black and covered by weak silvery pruinosity. Frontal view ( Fig. 5 ): parafacial and face orangish yellow, parafacial with several pale setulae, covered with dense silvery pruinosity. Lateral view ( Fig. 6 ): gena and postgena orangish yellow, with short sparse black setae, and covered by weak silvery pruinosity; occiput black; mouthparts brownish. Antenna orangish brown, pedicel with crown of setae, one longer than postpedicel length on ventral margin, arista brown, short pubescent on basal fourth; inner and outer-vertical bristles, and postocellar bristles black, well developed and subequal in length.

Thorax ( Fig. 7 ). Black, except pronotum, proepisternum, posterior margin of anepisternum, almost all the katepisternum, laterotergite and rectangular macule on notopleuron yellow to whitish yellow ( Fig. 1 ). Chaetotaxy: 1 notopleural, 1 supra-alar, 1 postalar, 2 scutellar apical and 1 katepisternal bristles all long and black.

Legs ( Figs 1 , 8 ). Fore leg dark brown, except apical half of coxa, trochanter and basal half of femur yellow; mid leg yellow, except two dorsal irregular spots on femur (one at mid-length and one pre-apical) and apex, apex of tibia and tarsus dark brown; hind leg yellow, except two dorsal irregular spots on apical half of femur and apex, apex of tibia and tarsus dark brown. Chaetotaxy: fore tibia with 2 short dorsal setae at basal 1/3; mid femur with antero- to posteroventral long and fine setae at basal 3/4, antero- and posteroventral rows of spiniform setae on apical half ( Fig. 8 ); mid tibia with dorsal and posterodorsal rows of short setae; hind tibia with two dorsal rows of short setae.

Wing ( Figs 2–3 ). Membrane hyaline, veins pale brown: costal vein densely setose, ending at petiole formed by the veins R 4+5 and M 1; costal vein with a bilobed finger-shaped projection on basal third, each lobe with short spiniform setae ( Fig. 3 ); R 1 with slender and sparse setae on dorsal view; r 1 with longitudinal macula underlying costal vein; r 4+5 closed near wing apex, forming a petiole; M 4 very short, about 1/6 of length of dm-m; CuA+CuP not reaching the wing margin.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1 ). Tergites dark brown, except proximal portion of syntergite 1+2 and distal portion of tergites 3–6 and all tergite 7 pale, covered with short black setae; sternites dark brown with lateral margins pale yellow, and covered with long pale setae. Terminalia ( Figs 9–12 ). Sternite 5 with one pair of claspers, with setose margin and strong black bristles at apex, each clasper with a finger-shaped short projection next to the base ( Figs 9, 12 ). Epandrial capsule black dorsally, pale laterally and ventrally, covered with long pale setae. Left surstylus pale with dark apex, wide, with two projections, one anterior long with rounded apex and one apical short with pointed apex ( Fig. 10 ). Right surstylus U-shaped, pale, except apex of posterior branch dark; anterior branch with bifid apex and one short pre-apical protuberance, posterior branch slightly longer than anterior and apex rounded ( Fig. 11 ).

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Mid and hind femora with only a slightly pre-apical infuscation; M 4 present only as a weak fold in the wing.

Type material. HOLOTYPE Ƌ ( CZMA) labelled: “ Brasil ( CE) [state of Ceará], Ubajara / Parque Nac. de Ubajara [ National Park of Ubajara ] / Cachoeira do Cafundó / 03º50′13″S 40º54′35″W ” “Armadilha Malaise / 01–14.ii.2013, J. / A. Rafael, F. Limeira- / de-Oliveira, cols” “ Holotype / Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov. / Soares, Barros & Ale-Rocha [red label]” . Holotype conditions: postpedicel, right mid tarsus, left hind tarsus broken off, left hind femur glued on carton, terminalia not dissected. PARATYPES. Same data as holotype (1 ³, INPA) . Brasil ( PI) [state of Piauí], Piracuruca, P. N. de Sete cidades [National Park of Sete Cidades], Posto do ICMBio, 04º05′57″S 41º42′34″W, Armadilha luminosa [Illuminated sheet], 08–10.iii.2013, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira, T . T . A. Silva, cols. (1 ³, CZMA [terminalia dissected]) .

Distribution. Brazil (States of Ceará and Piauí) ( Fig. 13 ). Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov. is currently know only from Caatinga biome.

Etymology. From Greek cheir = hand and pteron = wing, in reference to the finger-shaped projection on costal vein, which resembles the thumb of a bat (Order Chiroptera ).

Remarks. The new species is probably closely related to M. dactyloptera by the color pattern and finger-shaped projection on costal vein, but can be separated by the characters given in the key. So far, they are the only known species in the genus with finger-shaped projection on costal vein. Extreme wing margin ornamentations of unknown function are also known in Micropeza armipennis (Bezzi) , in which three large setae arise from the costal vein, but these transformations are apparently not related.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Distribution of Micropeza Meigen species with finger-shaped projection on costal vein (males).

FIGURES 1–3. Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov., holotype ³. 1. Lateral habitus; 2. Wing, dorsal view; 3. Finger-shaped projection on costal vein.Abbreviations: C = costal vein; M1 = first branch of media; M4 = fourth branch of media; R2+3= second branch of radius; R4+5 = third branch of radius.

FIGURES 4–8. Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov., holotype ³. 4–6. Head; 4. Dorsal view; 5. Frontal view; 6. Lateral view; 7. Thorax, dorsal view; 8. Mid femur, anterior view.

FIGURES 9–12. Micropeza chiroptera sp. nov., paratype ³. 9. Abdomen and terminalia, lateral view; 10. Left surstylus, lateral view; 11. Right surstylus, lateral view; 12. Claspers, ventral view.