Paraclius plumitarsis (Parent, 1931) comb. nov.

(Figs 1, 15)

Hercostomus plumitarsis Parent, 1931: 12, figs 36–38. Type locality: Sarampioni, Mapiri, Bolivia.

Diagnosis (based on original description and photographs of male holotype). Face wider than ocellar tubercle (Fig. 1C). Antenna yellow, except apical 3/4 of postpedicel brownish. Legs: mostly yellow, except basal half of lateral surface of coxae II and III, last tarsomere of tarsus I and II and entire tarsus III brownish (Fig. 1A). Coxa II with remarkable long and curved setae at apical edge (Fig. 1A). Tarsus I: It 1 with 1 short basiventral seta, It 2 with ventral row of conspicuous setae (Fig. 1E). Tarsus II with IIt 5 dorsoventrally flattened, with lateral fringe of hairs on each side. Wing brownish, R 4 +5 slightly curved posteriorly near apex, M 1 gently bent anteriorly distal to crossvein dm-m (Fig. 1F). Abdominal tergite 6 longer than wide, dark brown and bare (Fig. 1B); hypopygium distinctly shorter than abdomen, with cercus yellow, oval, with dark margins and long and black setae.

Examined type material. HOLOTYPE ♁ (based on photographs) (Fig. 1) labelled as: “Bolivia-Mapiri [ca 15°18′14.2″S 68°13′20.2″W] | 9.iii.03 | Sarampioni 700m ” [green label]; “Typus | Hercostomus | plumitarsis | Par. [handwritten]” [red label] (MTD).

Remarks. Paraclius plumitarsis comb. nov. is clearly part of a large lineage of Paraclius including P. venustus Aldrich and P. ovatus Van Duzee, discussed by Brooks (2005), and recognized by males with ring-shaped sclerite surrounding the base of the phallus. Several described and undescribed species in this group share the distinctive dorsoventrally flattened IIt 5 with similar setation as in Paraclius plumitarsis comb. nov. (see Parent 1931, fig. 37), such as P. kovascii Parent (Bolivia) and P. opulentus Van Duzee (Chile) . We found at least three different species from Santa Cruz, south Bolivia (CNC and INPA) with such a modified tarsus II and also conspicuously long setae at apical edge of coxa II. According to the original description, H. plumitarsis has a remarkable dorsal “apophysis” on tarsus I, but examination of available photographs of the male holotype do not show any visible enlargement (Fig. 1E). However, due to the poor state of conservation (male terminalia and tarsus II lost) it was not possible to associate H. plumitarsis with any of the species mentioned above.

Distribution. Bolivia (Fig. 15).