Pseudogaurax primavera Carvalho-Filho, Cruz & Monteiro, 2024

Carvalho-Filho, Fernando S., Cruz, Vanessa C., Monteiro, Nilton J. S. & Kloss, Thiago G., 2024, Description of new species of Pseudogaurax Malloch (Diptera: Chloropidae) from Brazil, with notes on natural history, Zootaxa 5433 (2), pp. 207-230 : 219-222

Pseudogaurax primavera Carvalho-Filho, Cruz & Monteiro , sp. nov.

( Figs 10– 11 , 14E )

Material examined. Holotype male labelled as follow: Brasil PA [= Brazil, state of Pará] / Primavera [currently in municipality Quatipuru] / Boa Vista / Ilha [= Island] Arapiranga / 22 a [= to] 23.XI.1992 // Brasil PA / T. Pimentel [collector] // Armadilha / Malaise [= Malaise trap].

Paratypes. Brasil PA [= Brazil, state of Pará] / Maracanã / Ilha [= Island] do Marco / 11 a [= to] 13.I.1993 // Brasil PA / J. Dias [collector] // Armadilha / Malaise [= Malaise trap] (1 female, MPEG) . Brasil PA [= Brazil, state of Pará] / Primavera [currently in municipality Quatipuru]-B. [Boa] Vista / I. [= stream] Arapiranga / 22 a [= to] 23.XI.1992 // Brasil PA / T. Pimentel [collector] // Armadilha / Malaise [Malaise trap] . Brasil PA [= Brazil, state of Pará] / São João de Pirabas / Japerica [Island of Jeperica] / 20 a [= to] 22.XII.1992 // Brasil PA / J. Dias [= collector] // Armadilha / Malaise [= Malaise trap] (2 females, MPEG) . Brasil PA [= Brazil, state of Pará] / São João de Pirabas / Japerica / 16 a [= to] 18.XII.1992 // Brasil PA / J. Dias [collector] // Armadilha / Malaise [= Malaise trap] (3 females, MPEG) .

Diagnosis. Scutum with dark yellow longitudinal stripes and with a large dark brown mark in prescutellar area of acrostichal stripe ( Figs 10A , 14E ); scutellum slightly longer than wide, yellow with a median dark brown stripe ( Figs 10A , 14E ).

Description. Body length 1.9–2.3 mm; wing length 1.4–2.2 mm. Head ( Fig. 10C ). Pale yellow; ocellar triangle yellow, reaching to about ¾ of apex of frons; frons with yellow setae; fronto-orbital setae yellow; occiput entirely yellow; ocellar setae reclinate and convergent; postocellar as long as the outer vertical setae, cruciate; a row of interfrontal setulae curved inwards, yellow; gena yellowish with whitish microtomentum; vibrissa slightly distinct, yellow, as long as the genal pilosity; antenna yellow; postpedicel rounded; 1st aristomere yellow, remaining arista dark, with short and sparse pilosity; palpus yellow with yellow setulae; proboscis dark yellow with yellow setulae.

Thorax ( Figs 10A–B, 10E , 14E ). Scutum pale yellow covered with yellow to light brown setae, with distinct dark yellow longitudinal stripes, acrostichal stripe complete, as wide as half width of scutellum, mostly yellow with a dark brown mark in prescutellar area, dorsocentral stripe not divided by the transverse suture, intra-alar stripe present; postpronotum entirely yellow; scutellum slightly longer than wide, yellow with a median dark brown stripe, and covered with yellow setulae; subscutellum dark yellow; pleuron yellow; 1+2 notopleural setae; legs entirely yellow except dark brown distal portion of fore tibia and fore tarsus, distal ¾ of mid and hind tibia; tibial organ yellow, reaching half length of hind tibia. Wing. Hyaline; tegula with yellowish setulae; halter pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig 10D ). Syntergite 1+2 dark brown with a widened yellow median mark on the posterior margin; tergite 3 dark brown with a widened yellow median mark on the anterior margin; tergites 4 and 5 dark brown; sternites yellow. Male terminalia ( Figs 11A–C ). Epandrium rounded, wider than long posteriorly; cerci about twice as long as wide in dorsal view diverging apically and separated by deep V-shaped ventral cleft, each cercus with quadrate apex with many small setae dorsally; surstylus well-developed, almost as long as epandrium, elongate and narrowed, tapering distally, with rounded apex, with some small setae; hypandrium elongate and narrowed in lateral view; distiphallus long, membranous and striated; postgonite well-sclerotized, broad and rounded; phallapodeme elongate and entire apically. Female terminalia ( Figs 11D–E ). Yellow, except for dark brown or black cercus; segments 6 to 8 narrow; tergite 8 elongate, tapering anteriorly, with many long and fine setae on posterior and lateral margins; epiproct wider than long, with median portion of posterior margin projected, bare, with a pair of setae on distal half; sternite 8 pear-shaped with many long and fine setae; hypoproct wider than long, with median portion of posterior margin projected, a pair of longer setae and a row of long and fine setae on posterior margin, covered with many setulae; cercus elongate, with rounded posterior margin, bearing many elongate and fine setae.

Etymology. This species was named after the name of the place where the holotype was collected, Primavera, currently known as Quatipuru.

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL – Brazil (Pará).

Natural history. All the analysed specimens were obtained in the Atlantic coast of the Brazilian Amazon.

Remarks. This species is similar to Pseudogaurax signatus (Loew) ( USA and Cuba) in having scutum with dark yellow longitudinal and scutellum yellow with a median dark brown stripe, from which differs in having scutum with a large rounded dark brown mark in the prescutellar area of acrostichal stripe.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Pseudogaurax primavera sp. nov., holotype male. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Abdomen, dorsal view. E. Hind tibia, posterior view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 11. Pseudogaurax primavera sp. nov. A–C. Holotype male terminalia. A. Posterodorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D–E. Paratype female terminalia, terminal portion. D. Dorsal view. E. Ventral view. Abbreviations: cer = cercus; ep = epandrium; epi = epiproct; hyp = hypandrium; hypo = hypoproct; phal = phallus; phap = phallapodeme; pgt = postgonite; S = sternite; sur = surstylus; T = tergite. Scale bars: 100 µm.

FIGURE 14. Pseudogaurax species. A. Pseudogaurax flaviscutellatus Marques, Riccardi & Ale-Rocha, 2022, head, lateral view. B–F. Thorax, dorsal view. B. Pseudogaurax alvinae sp. nov. C. Pseudogaurax amazonica sp. nov. D. Pseudogaurax cyclosa sp. nov. and Pseudogaurax braoculatus sp. nov. E. Pseudogaurax primavera sp. nov. F. Pseudogaurax wheeleri sp. nov.