Mohelia amorimi, Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira, 2015

Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira, 2015, On Afrotropical Mohelia Matile (Diptera, Mycetophilidae): new species and phylogenetic comments, Zootaxa 3947 (2), pp. 251-263 : 256-258

Mohelia amorimi sp.n.

( Figures 3 , 9 , 12 , 15–16 )

Differential diagnosis. Brown and yellow abdominal tergites. Dorsal projection of gonostylus well sclerotized, square at apex, bare, ventral projection elongate at apex, with a line of setae on surface and a line of short and weakly sclerotized spines on the inner margin. This species is very similar to M. nigricauda in general body coloration. M. nigricauda has tergites 1–2 yellowish, T3 with posterior brown maculae, T4 with large posterior brown maculae, sternites 1–4 brown on their posterior margin. The main difference in the male terminalia is the well sclerotized dorsal projection of the gonostylus ( Fig. 12 ).

Material examined. Holotype, adult male. SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu Natal, Louwsburg, Sanyati Farm, 27°34’S 31°17,9’E, 1090 m, 1–24.iii.2006, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski coll. NMSA-DIP 57723 (in alcohol, NMSA). Paratypes: same data as holotype (2♂ in alcohol, MZUSP; 3♂ in alcohol, NMSA); same data as holotype except NMSA-DIP 57724 (2♂ 1♀ on slide and alcohol, MZUSP); same data as holotype except NMSA-DIP 57725 (2♂ in alcohol, MZUSP; 7♂ in alcohol, NMSA).

Additional material examined (not included in paratypes due to poor quality of material). SOUTH AFRICA, KwaZulu Natal, Louwsburg, Sanyati Farm, 27°34’S 31°17,9’E, 1090 m, 1–24.iii.2006, Malaise trap, M. Mostovski coll. NMSA-DIP 57723 (2♂ on slide, NMSA); same data except NMSA-DIP 57725 (3♂ in alcohol, NMSA).

Description. Male ( Fig. 3 ). Total length 2.9 mm (n=7).

Head ( Fig. 3 ). Head brown, triangular. Vertex with scattered setae. Three ocelli forming a straight line, median ocellus smaller, lateral ocelli more than twice their diameter from the eye margin. Frons covered with setulae. Face bare, narrowly rectangular, larger than clypeus; clypeus bare, almost triangular, not protruding below the ventral margin of the head; labrum triangular, elongated, almost twice length of clypeus. Labellum yellowish, elongate, almost the same as head height. Maxillary palp with four segments, fourth segment yellowish, almost twice the length of the third, first and second segments shorter and rounded, strongly fused. Scape shorter than pedicel, rounded; scape and pedicel yellowish, with dense setae on their apicodorsal margin; antennal flagellomeres petiolate, yellowish, longer than broad, covered with setulae. Thorax ( Fig. 3 ). Thorax light brown, legs yellow. Pronotum yellowish, two strong setae dorsally. Scutum covered with short scattered setae and bearing supra-alar bristles. Scutellum with four bristles. Proepisternum yellowish, setose at margins; proepimeron yellowish, bare. Propleuron yellowish, meso- and metapleuron light-brown at their margins and yellowish medially, entirely bare, except the laterotergite bearing some setae on its posterior margin. Haltere whitish, setose. Foreleg smaller than mid- and hind legs. Tibiae notably enlarged at apex. Tibial bristles arranged in regular longitudinal rows on mid- and hind tibia, hind tibia with a posterior line of spines, spurs 1:2:2, almost twice length of tibial diameter at apex. Hind tibia apex bearing many regularly arranged setae. Wing. Length: 2 mm, width: 1 mm. Membrane without macrotrichia, hyaline; sc-r absent; C extending well beyond apex of R5, almost reaching wing tip; Sc short, free, inclined toward R. R1 as long as r-m, reaching C at medial third of wing; Rs perpendicular to R5; R5 reaching C well before wing tip, almost straight; r-m transverse, about five times length of base of Rs. M1+2 almost 3.5 times longer than r-m, as long as the medial fork; M1 and M2 parallel; cubital fork almost as long as basal segment of CuA; A1 inconspicuous. M1, M2, M4, and apical third of second sector of CuA with macrotrichia apically. Abdomen ( Fig. 3 ). Tergites 1–3 yellow with triangular brown maculae at their bases, T4 brown at its basal region and yellow distally, T5–6 brown, and T7 yellowish; sternites 1–3 yellow, S4 yellow with a brown maculae posteriorly, S5–6 brown, and S7 yellowish. Terminalia ( Fig. 12 ). Terminalia brown. Tergite 9 broader than long setose, with long and well sclerotized bristles at its lateral margins, connected laterally with the gonocoxite by a lateral projection, bare; gonocoxite with extensions posterodorsal to the base of the gonostylus, rounded distally, setose; gonostyle with two main projections, dorsal projection well sclerotized, square at apex, bare, ventral projection elongate at apex, with a line of setae on surface and a line of short and weakly sclerotized spines on the inner margin; ejaculatory apodeme rounded at apex and bifid at base; parameres well developed, enclosing the aedeagus; cercus rounded, covered with setulae.

Female. As males, except as follows. Head. Antennal flagellomeres smaller, shorter than the males. Wing ( Fig. 9 ). Length: 2.1 mm, width: 1 mm. Terminalia ( Fig. 15 ). Terminalia yellowish, covered with scattered setae. Posterior margin of sternite 8 rounded, with three apical bristles, anterior margin depressed; S8 almost as long as the cercus; first cercus elongate, longer than the rounded second cercus.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 16 ). South Africa (KwaZulu Natal).

Etymology. The species name is a masculine genitive, named after the great Brazilian dipterist Dalton de Souza Amorim (Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil). He has long studied the Mycetophilidae fauna in the Neotropical region, and taught me the idiosyncrasies and curiosities of taxonomy.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Mohelia amorimi sp. n., ♂ paratype, terminalia. A. Tergite 9 and cerci, dorsal view. B. Dorsal view, T 9 and cerci removed. C. Gonostylus, dorsal view. D. Lateral view. Abbreviations: ce, cercus; ej ap, ejaculatory apodeme; gc ap, gonocoxal apodeme; gcx, gonocoxite; gs, gonostyle; par, parameres; T, tergite; T 9 proj, T 9 projection.

FIGURE 16. Distributional map of Mohelia in Afrotropical region.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Mohelia habitus, lateral view. 1. M. nigricauda, ♂ holotype. 2. M. matilei sp. n., ♂ paratype. 3. M. amorimi sp. n., ♂ paratype. 4. M. chandleri sp. n., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 9 – 10. Mohelia wings. 9. M. amorimi sp. n., ♀ paratype. 10. M. chandleri sp. n., ♂ paratype.

FIGURES 14 – 15. Mohelia paratypes, ♀ terminalia, lateral view. 14. Mohelia matilei sp. n. 15. Mohelia amorimi sp. n. Abbreviations: ce 1, first cercus of female terminalia; ce 2, second cercus of female terminalia; S, sternite; T, tergite.