Opeatocerata melanderi, Câmara & Rafael, 2011

Câmara, J. T. & Rafael, J. A., 2011, Two new species of Opeatocerata Melander (Diptera, Empididae, Empidinae) from the Brazilian Amazon Basin, Zootaxa 3062 (1), pp. 37-45 : 38-40

Opeatocerata melanderi sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–20 )

Diagnosis. Abdomen predominantly yellow except lateral margins of tergites 1–7 brown ( Figs. 3, 5 ). Anterior cercus with dorsal subrectangular projection ( Fig. 9 ) directed anteriorly ( Fig. 8 ). Posterior cercus with rounded apex and small ventral protuberance ( Fig. 8 ). Phallus subcylindrical, wider medially, longer than hypandrium ( Fig. 13 ), and with subapical lobes and four denticles on apex, both best seen in ventral view ( Fig. 14 ).

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 3 ). Head: Holoptic, upper ommatidia larger delineated from lower ommatidia. Face parallel-sided, dark brown with grey pruinescence in ventral view, about 3X longer than upper width. Ocellar tubercle protuberant, brown with brown pruinescence, 2 pairs of divergent bristles, anterior pair longest. Ocelli brown. Postocular bristles black, distinct, arranged in complete uniseriate row, progressively longer ventrally. Postcranium brown with grey pruinescence, denser ventrally. Postgena with long yellow bristles. Antenna inserted below middle of head; scape and pedicel yellow with short black bristles; first flagellomere dark brown, about 2X longer than pedicel; stylus aristiform, about 2X longer than first flagellomere. Proboscis shorter than head height, yellow with yellow bristles apically and ventrally on labellum.

Thorax ( Fig. 3 ): Yellow, shiny. Pronotum with transverse row of yellow bristles on anterior margin. Thoracic chaetotaxy: 1 acrostichal bristle placed posteriorly, near scutellum and between last and stronger dc; dorsocentral row of uniseriate, slender yellow setulae, interrupted on posterior descendant region and posteriorly with longer bristles; 3 postpronotal setae; 2 robust notopleurals with several smaller setae in front; several supra-alar setae; 2 postalar bristles, posterior stronger; 1 pair of parallel scutellar bristles; laterotergite with 8 long yellow bristles.

Legs ( Fig. 3 ): yellow, except apex of trochanter black ventrally, fore tarsomeres 3–5 and mid and hind tarsomeres 4–5 dark brown to black. Hind femur and tibia with black ring on apex. All legs with distinct bristles; hind tibia and tarsus with antero- and posterodorsal rows of long bristles; hind tibia with larger number of bristles.

Wing ( Fig. 4 ): Hyaline with conspicuous brown pterostigma, 2.5X as long as deep; M 1 and M 2 slightly upward curved. Halter yellow with brown patch on stem and knob.

Abdomen ( Figs. 3, 5 ): Predominantly yellow, except lateral margins of tergites 1–7 brown ( Fig. 3 ). Bristles yellow, longest on all segments laterally and on segments 6-8 posteriorly. Tergite 8 shorter than tergite 7, divided in two subtriangular plates ( Fig. 6 ). Sternite 8 larger than sternite 7, divided in two subtriangular plates ( Fig. 7 ).

Terminalia (paratype): Anterior cercus with dorsal subrectangular projection ( Fig. 9 ) directed anteriorly ( Fig. 8 ), with distal medial V-shaped sulcus posteriorly in dorsal view ( Fig. 9 ); descendant plate of anterior cercus subrectangular with concave ventral margin in posterior view ( Fig. 10 ). Posterior cercus with rounded apex and small ventral protuberance in lateral view ( Fig. 8 ), with triangular dorsal projection ( Fig. 9 ). Hypoproct with long bristles, subcircular in lateral view ( Fig. 8 ), comma-shaped in posteroventral view ( Fig. 10 ). Epandrium wide, membranous anteriorly, with elongated epandrial lobe acuminate at apex, with longer bristles apically ( Fig. 11 ). Subepandrial sclerite and bacilliform sclerite U-shaped, latter with distinct fold. Subepandrial sclerite rather narrow in dorsal view ( Fig. 12 ). Hypandrium rather membranous, with small setae, longer than wide with posterior margin rounded, enclosing phallus. Phallus longer than hypandrium, subcylindrical, wider medially ( Figs. 13, 14 ), with dorsal subapical appendix, best seen in lateral view ( Fig. 13 ) and with lateral subapical lobes and four denticles on apex, both best seen in ventral view ( Fig. 14 ). Ejaculatory apodeme tetralamellar ( Figs. 8 , 13, 14 ).

Specimen length: 3.1 mm; wing length: 3.1 mm.

Female ( Fig. 15 ): Similar to male, except dichoptic with subequal ommatidia; frons black and shiny. Wing hyaline, slightly infuscated between pterostigma and vein R 5; M 1 and M 2 evanescent near wing margin ( Fig. 16 ). Terminalia: Tergite 8 subrectangular ( Figs. 17, 18, 19 ). Sternite 8 wider at base, anterior margin with V-shaped sulcus occupying more than half of sternite ( Figs. 18, 19 ). Genital fork wider at base and arms shorter than base ( Figs. 18, 19 ). Tergite 10 shorter than half of tergite 8, undivided, with anterior margin concave ( Fig. 17 ). Sternite 10 slightly concave basally and distally. Cercus longer than segment 10, with long bristles at apex ( Fig. 19 ). Receptacle of spermatheca spherical ( Fig. 20 ).

Specimen length: 2.8 mm; wing length: 3.1 mm.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: BRASIL, AM [azonas], Manaus , Rod [ovia] AM 010 , Km 50, ZF2, Km 14, próximo à torre [near tower], 02 ° 35'21''S; 60 ° 05'55''W / 4.iii.2011. 00–03:00h. Arm [adilha] luz móvel. J.A. Rafael & R. F. Silva leg ( INPA) . PARATYPES: same as holotype (75 ♂, 89 ♀, INPA) . idem, 4.iii.2011. 03–06:00h. Arm. luz móvel. J.A. Rafael & R. F.Silva (14 ♂, 5 ♀, MZUSP) ; idem, 3–4.iii.2011, 21–00:00h (4 ♂, 7 ♀, UFPR) ; idem, 6.iii.2011. 00–03:00h. Arm. luz móvel. J.A. Rafael, J. T. Câmara & P.Dias leg (10 ♂, 10 ♀, USNM; 10 ♂, 10 ♀, BMNH; 10 ♂, 10 ♀, CNC; 10 ♂, 10 ♀, CZMA; 10 ♂, 10 ♀, INBio; 22 ♂, 16 ♀, INPA) ; idem, 6.iii.2011. 03– 06:00h (28 ♂, 35 ♀, MPEG) .

Holotype condition. Good, not dissected.

Etymology. The name melanderi is dedicated to A.L. Melander, author of the Opeatocerata .

Remarks. Opeatocerata melanderi differs from all other known species by having the lateral margin of tergites 1–7 brown and distinctive genitalia, especially the phallus which has denticles at the apex.

Variation. Male and female specimens with body length from 2.7–3.3 mm. Pterostigma from 2–2.5 times as long as deep. Some paratypes with 2 pairs of scutellar bristles.

Figures

FIGURES 3–12. Opeatocerata melanderi sp. nov., paratype ♂. 3, habitus, lateral view. 4, wing. 5, abdomen and terminalia, lateral view. 6, tergites 3–8, dorsal view. 7, sternites 5–8, ventral view. 8, terminalia, lateral view. 9, lobes of the cerci, dorsal view. 10, descendant plate of anterior cercus. 11, epandrium, lateral view. 12, subepandrial sclerite and bacilliform sclerite, dorsal view.

FIGURES 13–20. Opeatocerata melanderi sp. nov., 13–14, paratype ♂. 13, hypandrium, phallus and ejaculatory apodeme, lateral view. 14, phallus and ejaculatory apodeme, ventral view. 15–20, paratype female. 15, habitus, lateral view. 16, wing. 17, abdomen from tergite 3 until terminalia, dorsal view. 18, abdomen from tergite 2 until terminalia, lateral view. 19, terminalia, tergites 8 and 10 in dorsal view, sternites 8, 10, genital fork and cerci in ventral view. 20, receptacle of spermatheca.