Himantigera amauroptera nov. sp.

(Figs 4, 20–21, 29–30, 36, 42, 52–53, 72–74, 78–79, 99, 110, 116, 123) http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ A8B3570A-BB14-4A32-AC38-12523D2F27FD

Diagnosis. Darkest species of this genus (Figs 110, 116, 123). Antenna completely dark brown in females (Fig. 21). Distal half of wing dark brown infuscated (Figs 29–30), especially in females (Fig. 30). R 2+3 originating well beyond r–m, at a distance two times greater than length of r–m (Fig. 36). Abdomen elongated, equally wide from second to fourth segments (Figs 52–53).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♂, COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, Las Alturas, 8.95°N 82.83°W, 11– 13.vi.1998, B. Brown, V. Berezovskiy, Malaise trap #2, 1500m (LACM). PARATYPES: 1 ♀, COLOMBIA, Magdalena, PNN [Parque Nacional Natural] Santa Marta, El Ramo, 10.80°N 73.65°W, 10–24.vi.2000, I. Uribe, 2500m, Malaise, CAP-203 (LACM) ; 1 ♀, 10°48’N 73°39’W, 2500 m, 15–30.ix.2000, M.629, J. Cantillo Leg. (LACM) . 1 ♂ (antennae and left wing slide-mounted), 4 ♀ (one from USNM with right antenna and wing slidemounted), COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, San Vito, Estación Biológica Las Alturas, 1500 meters, 8°57’N 82°50’W, vi.1992, Malaise trap, P. Hanson (1 ♂, USNM-USNMENT01447635; 3 ♀, USNM-USNMENT01447636, USNM- USNMENT01447637, USNM-USNMENT01447638; 1 ♀, MZUSP-MZ 052812) ; 1 ♀, San Vito, Estación Biológica Las Alturas, 1500 meters, 8°57’N 82°50’W, iv.1992, Malaise trap, P. Hanson (USNM- USNMENT01447639) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Las Alturas, 8.95°N 82.83°W, 11–13.vi.1998, B. Brown, V. Berezovskiy, Malaise trap #2, 1500m (1 ♂, 1 ♀, CSCA; 1 ♀, LACM) . 1 ♀, San José, 26 km N San Isidro, 9°30’N 83°43’W, 2100 m, ii–v.1992, Malaise trap, P. Hanson (USNM-USNMENT01447640) .

Additional material: 1 ♀, COSTA RICA, Puntarenas Prov. [Province], Monteverde, 1300 m, 17–20.v.1985, black light, J. Powell, F. Opler, J.A. Chemsak coll. (UCB) ; 1 ♀, 20–24.vi.1986, Nader Youssef (LACM) . 1 ♀, PANAMA, Chiriquí, 6 km NE Boquete, 14–17.vi.1996 (LACM) ; 1 ♀, 15–19.vi.1996 (LACM); 5 ♀, Cerro Punta, 17–18.vi.1996 (LACM) .

Description. Male. Length: body, 8.0–11.0; wing, 7.0–9.5. Head (Fig. 20). Upper frons narrower than widest margin of frontal callus. Frontal callus margin divergent towards face. Antenna red brown except pedicel dark brown; arista-like terminal flagellomere with four setae basally (Fig. 4). Thorax. Legs mostly yellow, except mid coxa proximally, hind coxa, at least apical half of fore femur dorsally, basal to apical two-thirds of mid and hind femora, apical third antero-ventrally of fore tibia, basal and apical third antero-dorsally of mid and hind tibiae dark brown. Wing (Fig. 29). Apical half of wing slightly infuscated dark brown. R 2+3 originating well beyond r–m, at a distance two times longer than r–m length (Fig. 36). Proximal branch of M 1+2 shorter than distal branch of M 1+2. Alula with microtrichia only along anterior half (Fig. 42). Abdomen (Fig. 52). Elongate, two times longer than wide, equally wide from second to fourth segments; entirely dark, metallic dark green mainly on tergites 1–2, copper reflections on sternites; long golden pilosity laterally on tergites 1–2; shorter on tergite 3 and sternites; mostly shorter black pilosity on 4–5 tergites. Terminalia (Figs 72–74, 99). Genital capsule as wide as high, its posterior margin rounded dorsally; medial process of synsternite weakly developed, its proximal portion triangularshaped (Fig. 99). Epandrium slightly wider than long (Fig. 72).

Female. As for males, except as follows. Length: body, 8.0–11.0 mm; wing, 7.0–10.0 mm. Head. (Fig. 21). Upper frons nearly as wide as widest margin of frontal callus; each side of its lateral area almost as wide as medial area; upper frons with conspicuous metallic blue color medially. Lower frons brown near antenna; face brown. Antenna entirely dark brown. Thorax. Legs much darker than in males, with fore and mid coxae, all tibiae anteroventrally and entire surface of all femora dark brown; brown pilosity on tarsomeres 1–4. Wing (Fig. 30). Clearly dark brown infuscated on apical half of wing, strongly contrasting basal half. Abdomen (Fig. 53). Tergites strongly metallic purple, mainly on tergites 1–2; white pilosity. Terminalia (Figs 78–79). Genital fork very wide (Fig. 79), with anterior two-thirds triangular, gradually narrowing towards anterior apex; distance between each projection wider than each projection itself; posterolateral process pointed apically.

Etymology. The specific epithet is feminine and derives from the Greek word amauros, meaning dark, obscure, and ptera, as a reference to the conspicuous dark brown color at the distal margin of wing, especially in the females of this species.

Geographic distribution. Costa Rica (Puntarenas, San José), Panama (Chiriquí), Colombia (Magdalena) (Fig. 130) .

Comments. The apical half of the wing is strongly dark brown infuscated in females (Fig. 30), readily differentiating it from congeneric females. Males are more difficult to diagnose, however, as the wing is not as strongly contrasting. Both sexes of H. amauroptera also differ in color intensity, in which males are less dark (mainly in the head and legs) than females and are more metallic dark green instead. They could be associated as conspecific, however, by having the same leg coloration pattern, i.e., all femora dark brown at least on their basal half and all tibiae antero-dorsally dark brown at least on its apical third, and by having the R 2+3 arising at the same position.

The coloration of the legs shows additional variation in females. The fore and mid coxae, all femora and tibiae can be almost entirely dark brown in the specimens here assigned as paratypes (some females were collected together with males). Other additional eight specimens (Costa Rica and Panama) are characterized by having fore and mid coxa yellow with only a small part proximally darkened, the femora yellow and only dark brown on apical half, and hind tibia can be nearly all white yellow or brown basally and apically on its antero-ventral side. Besides these color differences, we could not find any other significant characters which would indicate a different species, and we have no males associated with the paler females, therefore we decided to place these specimens in the same species, but not include them in the type series.