Cladochaeta arthrostyla Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999

Pirani, Gabriela & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2016, Going beyond the tip of the Drosophilidae iceberg: New Cladochaeta Coquillett, 1900 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4139 (3), pp. 301-344 : 315-323

Cladochaeta arthrostyla Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999

( Figs. 11 A–F; 12 A–E; 33 B; 35 F)

Cladochaeta arthrostyla Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999 : p. 171, figs. 94 (head and arista), 96 (female terminalia),98 (male terminalia). Type-locality: San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, Costa Rica. Holotype male, paratype female, both in AMNH. ( Figs. 7 A–F; 8A–E; 28E; 31D)

Material examined. 1 Ƌ (Left wing and head slide-mounted, terminalia in vial), BRAZIL, State of Ceará, Guaramiranga, 4º16’13”S 38º54’21”W, 880m, 10.v.2014, Malaise trap, Almeida, Lucena and Tavares cols. ( RPSP).

Comments. This species was previously known only from the type-locality and this is the first record outside Costa Rica. The original description is detailed, so we are adding photographs and illustrations of the male terminalia of the Brazilian specimen at slightly different angles. This record establishes that at least some species of Cladochaeta are not highly restricted in distribution.

Cladochaeta asapha nov. sp.

( Figs. 13 A–B; 14A–D; 33 C; 35 G)

Diagnosis. General body color dark brown, abdomen darker, with light bluish metallic reflections; wing membrane infuscate; legs pale brown; arista with 3 dorsal and 1 ventral branches; phallus conic, heavily sclerotized.

Material examined. Holotype Ƌ: (terminalia on vial), BRAZIL, State of Minas Gerais, Cabo Verde, Fazenda da Cata, 593 m, 21º27’8.46”S 46º26’52.8”W, Malaise trap, 14.vii.2011, Amorim & Oliveira cols. ( MZUSP).

Description. Head ( Figs. 13 A–B). Higher than wide. Eyes with pilosity between ommatidia, dark red. Pedicel brown, first flagellomere whitish; arista with three dorsal and 1 ventral branches; ventral branch midway between d-3 and apical fork. Frons brown, a whitish band on anterior half; ocellar triangle dark brown, concolor with frons. Fronto-orbital setae: anterior reclinate small, almost indistinguishable from fronto-orbital setulae, right posterior to proclinate fronto-orbital; posterior reclinate as proclinate and closer to it than to inner vertical. Face flat, pale brown; oral margin dark brown. Gena brown, with a large whitish horizontal band extending ventrally along entire area underneath eye; ventral margin of gena brown. Proboscis and palpus pale brown. Thorax. Entirely dark brown. Anterior dorsocentral ca. ½ length of posterior dorsocentral. Posterior dorsocentral midway between scutoscutellar suture and anterior dorsocentral. Acrostichals in 6 even rows. Scutellars broken. One postpronotal seta. Legs uniformly light brown; forefemur with 2 distinctively large posteroventral setae. Wing ( Fig. 35 G). Length: 1.45 mm. Membrane infuscate, no clouds of infuscation. R2+3 very slightly curved towards anterior wing margin. R4+5 and M parallel, both slightly curved towards posterior margin. Crossvein dm-cu slightly bent medially, perpendicular to CuA1. Wing tip slightly acute. Halter whitish. Abdomen. All tergites dark brown, with light bluish metallic reflections. Male terminalia ( Figs. 14 A–D). Epandrium with inverted U-shape, longer than wide, with a row of 6 long setae on ventrolateral halves; ventrolateral halves with a small projection near cercus, ventral portion of halves, thinner. Cercus without ventral lobes; ventrolateral edges acute. Phallus heavily sclerotized, conic, narrower dorsal portion, slender ventral portion, ventrally curved anteriorally. Surstylus bilobed. Hypandrium Yshaped, with a strongly sclerotized ventral keel.

Etymology. The specific epithet has the Greek root asaphes (for dim, obscure), in reference to the dark brown general body coloration—this is the darkest species of Cladochaeta described in this paper.

Comments. This species closely resembles C. fasciata Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999 and C. dolichofrons Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999 . It differs from C. fasciata by the sinuosity of the phallus and some characters of external morphology, e.g., the coloration pattern of the head and the number of rows of acrostichals (4 rows in C. fasciata and 6 rows in C. asapha , nov. sp.). From C. dolichofrons it differs by the absence of the trifurcate setulae on the surstylus. There are two structures of ambiguous controversial homology on the male terminalia of this species—a supposed bilobed surstylus and another structure tightly connected to the hypandrium.

Cladochaeta chauliodactyla nov. sp.

( Figs. 15 A–F; 16 A–F; 17 A; 33 D; 35 H)

Diagnosis. General body color light yellow; wing membrane lightly infuscate, almost hyaline. Legs pale yellow to whitish; arista with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral branches; ventral branch between d-3 and d-4, almost opposite to d-4; phallus conic, surstylus bilobed, with an anterodorsal, finger-shaped, upward projection on distal lobe.

Material examined. Holotype Ƌ: (Left wing and antenna slide-mounted; terminalia on vial), BRAZIL, State of São Paulo, Gália, E.E. Caetetus, 22º17’29”S 49º33’10”W, 21.ix.2009, sweeping, N.W. Perioto and team colls. ( MZUSP).

Description. Head ( Figs. 15 A–C). Higher than wide. Eyes bare, pale brown. Pedicel yellow, first flagellomere whitish; arista with 4 dorsal and 1 ventral branches; ventral branch between d-3 and d-4, almost opposite to d-4 (17 A). Frons pale yellow, somewhat darker on posterodorsal half; ocellar triangle and frontoorbital plate slightly darker than frons. Fronto-orbital setae: anterior reclinate very short, barely distinguishable from other fronto-orbitals; posterior reclinate as long as proclinate and closer to it than to inner vertical. Face flat, light yellow. Slender gena, pale yellow. Proboscis and palpus whitish. Thorax ( Figs 15 D–E). Pale yellow. Anterior dorsocentral ca. ½ length of posterior dorsocentral. Posterior dorsocentral midway between anterior dorsocentral and scutoscutellar suture. Acrostichals in 6 even rows, only median two reaching posterior portion of scutum. Basal scutellars divergent; apical scutellars broken. Three postpronotal setae, median one longer than other two. Legs uniformly pale yellow. Wing ( Fig. 35 H). Length: 1.8 mm. Membrane very lightly infuscate, almost hyaline. Tip of R2+3 only slightly curved towards wing margin. R4+5 and M parallel, tips slightly divergent. Crossvein dm-cu slightly sinuous, perpendicular to CuA1. Wing tip slightly acute. Halter whitish. Abdomen ( Fig. 15 F). All tergites pale yellow. Male terminalia ( Figs. 16 A–F). Epandrium inverted U-shaped, with about 5 long setae on ventrolateral half, microtrichia densely spread; ventrolateral halves of epandrium with a median broader extension, ventral tip of ventral halves gradually tapering and curved inwards distally. Cercus with rounded ventrolateral edges, not extended. Phallus conic, broader dorsally, gradually tapering ventrally, dorsal and ventral portions curved medially towards phallapodeme. Phallapodeme thin, sinuous, poorly sclerotized. Surstylus bilobed, with an antero-dorsal finger-shape upward projection on distal lobe, with a set of setae distally; setae present on entire dorsal and dorsolateral surfaces of surstylus. Hypandrium Y-shaped, ventral keel present.

Etymology. The specific epithet of the species name is composed of the Greek roots chaulios (outstanding, prominent) and daktylos (finger), in reference to the antero-dorsal finger-shaped projection on the distal lobe of the surstylus.

Comments. C. chauliodactyla nov. sp. presents a very distinctive surstylus in comparison with other Brazilian species of the genus. A bilobed surtylus can be seen in several species of different groups of Cladochaeta . The combination of the bilobed surstylus and the finger shaped projection on the distal lobe, however, seems to be unique for this species. A similar projection of the surstylus can be seen in several species of the dikra species group, but they lack the bilobed surstylus (except from C. erecta Grimaldi & Nguyen, 1999 which has a small ventral lobe on it).

Cladochaeta conicophallus nov. sp. ( Figs. 18 A–E; 19 A–F; 33 E; 35 I)

Diagnosis. General body color dark brown, abdomen darker, with light bluish metallic reflections; wing membrane infuscate; legs pale brown; arista with 3 dorsal and 1 ventral branches; phallus conic, heavily sclerotized.

Material examined. Holotype Ƌ: (Left wing and head slide-mounted, terminalia on vial), BRAZIL, State of São Paulo, Ribeirão Grande, P.E. Intervales 24º16’27,7”S 48º25’19.3”W, Malaise 3, 22.ix.2010, N.W. Perioto & eq. cols.

Description. Head ( Figs. 18 A–C). Higher than wide. Eyes bare or with pilosity between ommatidia, light red. Pedicel brown, first flagellomere whitish; arista with three dorsal and 1 ventral branches; ventral branch midway between d-3 and apical fork. Frons brown, slightly lighter anteriorly; ocellar triangle concolor with frons. Frontoorbital setae: anterior reclinate small, almost indistinguishable from fronto-orbital setulae, right posterior to proclinate fronto-orbital; posterior reclinate as long as proclinate and closer to it than to inner vertical. Face flat, pale brown, broad whitish band ventrally, extending to gena. Proboscis and palpus pale brown. Thorax ( Fig 18 D– E). Entirely dark brown. Anterior dorsocentral ca. ½ length of posterior dorsocentral. Posterior dorsocentral midway between scutoscutellar suture and anterior dorsocentral. Acrostichals in 6 even rows. Basal scutellars divergent or parallel; apical scutellars convergent. One or two postpronotal setae. Legs uniformly light brown; forefemur with 2 or 3 distinctively large posteroventral setae. Wing ( Fig. 35 I). Length: 1.45mm. Membrane infuscate, no clouds of infuscation. R2+3 slightly curved towards anterior wing margin. R4+5 and M parallel, both slightly curved towards posterior margin. Crossvein dm-cu slightly bent medially, perpendicular to CuA1. Wing tip slightly acute. Halter whitish. Abdomen. All tergites dark brown, opaque or with very light bluish metallic reflections. Male terminalia ( Figs. 19 A–F). Epandrium inverted U-shape, longer than wide, with a row of 6 long setae on ventrolateral halves; ventrolateral halves with a small projection near cercus, ventral portion of halves, thinner. Cercus without ventral lobes; ventrolateral edges acute. Phallus heavily sclerotized, conic, narrower dorsal portion, slender ventral portion, ventrally curved anteriorally. Surstylus clavate. Hypandrium Y-shaped, with a strongly sclerotized ventral keel.

Etymology. The species epithet of the name of this species is composed by the Greek roots konikos (conelike) and phallos (penis), in reference to the conical shape of the phallus.

Comments. The morphology of the phallus of this species resembles C. chauliodactyla nov. sp. but it lacks the very distinctive condition of the surstylus of that species (see the ahead comments under C. chauliodactyla nov. sp.).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Cladochaeta paraitinga nov. sp., holotype. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Thorax, lateral view. E. Thorax, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 11. Cladochaeta arthrostyla A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Thorax, lateral view. E. Thorax, dorsal view. F. Abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 13. Cladochaeta asapha nov. sp., holotype. A. Head, frontal view. B. Head, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Cladochaeta asapha nov. sp., holotype, male terminalia. A. Terminal view. B. Ventral view of hypandrium and gonopods. C. Surstylus. D. Lateral view of the aedeagus phallapodeme.

FIGURE 15. Cladochaeta chauliodactyla nov. sp., holotype. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Thorax, lateral view. E. Thorax, dorsal view. F. Dorsal view of Abdomen. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Cladochaeta chauliodactyla nov. sp., holotype, male terminalia. A, D. Terminal view. B, E. Terminal oblique view. C, F. Lateral view.

FIGURE 18. Cladochaeta conicophallus nov. sp., holotype. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Thorax, lateral view. E. Thorax, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 19. Cladochaeta conicophallus nov. sp., holotype, male terminalia. A, D. Terminal view. B, E. Terminal oblique view. C, F. Lateral view.

FIGURE 35. Wings of Cladochaeta species. A. C. armata. B. C. armatopsis nov. sp. (holotype). C. C. balbiae nov. sp. (holotype). D. C. paraitinga nov. sp. (holotype). E. C. bomplandi. F. C. arthrostyla. G. C. asapha nov. sp. (holotype). H. C. chauliodactyla nov. sp. (holotype). I. C. conicophallus nov. sp. (holotype). J. C. dicrophallus nov. sp. (holotype). K. C. grimaldii nov. sp. (holotype). L. C. atlantica nov. sp. (holotype). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.