Dexosarcophaga phoenix, Santos & Pape & Mello-Patiu, 2022

Santos, Josenilson Rodrigues dos, Pape, Thomas & Mello-Patiu, Cátia Antunes de, 2022, Eight new species of Dexosarcophaga Townsend, 1917 (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) from the Neotropical Region, European Journal of Taxonomy 828, pp. 109-137 : 112-115

Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6E136889-13B8-4421-90AA-7667462CE4B1

Figs 1–2 , 3A–B

Diagnosis

Vein R 1 bare. Male: scutellum without apical setae; vesica funnel-shaped in ventral view ( Fig. 1E ); juxta like a cap or flat helmet, spread evenly across the paraphallus ( Fig. 1D ). Female: the two halves of T8 separated by less than the width of the cercus, each half of T8 with a deep anteromedian incision ( Fig. 2A–B ).

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ phoenix ’ should be treated as a noun in apposition. The ‘Phoenix’ is a mythological, resilient bird that arises from the ashes after having burned itself to death. This characteristic could symbolize a new beginning, like the start over of the Entomological Collection of Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, after the tragic fire on 2 Sep. 2018 that destroyed most of its Entomological Collection, including all Sarcophagidae specimens. The new species is named in honor of the entire community of the Museu Nacional, for staying resilient after this tragic fire.

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL • ♂; Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia, Lagoa Azul ; 26 Sep. 1954; Albuquerque and Barros leg.; MNRJ [lost].

Paratypes BRAZIL • 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀; Minas Gerais, Nova Lima, Lagoa Grande ; 22 Feb. 1970; H.S. Lopes leg.; MNRJ [lost] • 1 ♂; Brasília , Distrito Federal; Nov. 1960; A.B. Guimarães leg.; MNRJ [lost] .

Description

Male (n=3)

Length: 6–8 mm.

HEAD. Parafacial, fronto-orbital plate and postocular orbits dark brown, with intense golden pollinosity ( Fig. 3A ); setae present on lower half of facial ridge; parafacial with row of setulae close to eye, lowermost 1–2 similar in size to subvibrissal setae; frons about 0.20 × head width at level of ocellar triangle; frontal vitta blackish; 8–11 well-developed frontal setae reaching level of apex of pedicel; rows of frontal setae parallel; reclinate orbital seta present, proclinate orbital setae absent; ocellar setae as developed as upper frontals; outer vertical seta undifferentiated from postocular setae; gena and genal groove with golden pollinosity ( Fig. 3A ); black setae on gena; postgena with silvery-gray pollinosity, black setae, and white setae restricted to posteriormost part ( Fig. 3A ); antenna dark brown ( Fig. 3A ); first flagellomere approximately 3× as long as pedicel; arista long plumose on basal ¾; palpus blackish ( Fig. 3A ).

THORAX. Dark brown with silvery-gray pollinosity ( Fig. 3A ); chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0–1 +1, dorsocentrals 3 (the anteriormost shorter) + 4 (two minor anterior), intra-alars 2+3, supra-alars 2 (the anterior one shorter) +3, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 4; postalar wall setulose; postalar callus with 2 setae; scutellum with one pair of basal and one pair of subapical setae, pair of preapical discal setae, apical setae absent; katepisternum with 3 setae almost in straight line; meral setae 8–10; proepisternum bare; prosternum setulose.

WING. Hyaline, veins dark brown; tegula dark brown; basicosta yellowish; vein R 4+5 setulose dorsally on ⅔ of distance to crossvein r-m; vein R 1 bare; cell r 4+5 open at wing margin; costal spine not differentiated; third costal sector bare ventrally.

LEGS. Blackish-brown, pulvilli yellowish-brown ( Fig. 3A ); mid femur with 2 median anterior setae, row of anteroventral setae, 2 preapical posterior setae, row of posteroventral setae and ctenidium of round spines posteroventrally; mid tibia with 1 median anterior seta, 1 basal posterior seta and 2 posterior setae in apical third; hind trochanter with normal anteromedian setae.

ABDOMEN. Dark brown, with silvery-gray pollinosity ( Fig. 3A ); T4 with 1 pair of longer median marginal setae and 1 pair of lateral marginal setae; row of about 14 marginal setae on T5; marginal setae of ST2–4 not differentiated from discal setae; ST5 deeply cleft to mid length, like inverted V; arms divergent, with sparse setae; pair of small setulose lobes almost meeting in midline; window absent ( Fig. 1A ).

TERMINALIA. Dark brown to black ( Fig. 3A–B ); cercus with numerous long setae in basal half and short and sparse setae in apical half; cercal prongs divergent and pointed ( Fig. 1B–C ); surstylus almost rectangular, with long apical setae ( Fig. 1B ); pregonite 2× as long as postgonite, curved like an ‘inverted C’ ( Fig. 1D ); postgonite with apex pointed and curved and a long seta inserted near middle of anterior margin ( Fig. 1D ); postgonal apodeme short and oval ( Fig. 1D ); basiphallus and distiphallus distinctly separated by dorsal membranous strip ( Fig. 1D ); vesica funnel-shaped in ventral view ( Fig. 1E ); juxta like cap or flat helmet ( Fig. 1D–E ); median stylus with enlarged base and apex narrow, slightly longer than lateral stylus, serrated laterally and with base curved towards ventral margin of paraphallus ( Fig. 1D–E ); lateral stylus narrow, with base slightly curved towards ventral margin of paraphallus and with apical spines ( Fig. 1D–E ).

Female (n =2)

Length: 6–8 mm. Differs from male as follows:

Frons about 0.30 × head width at level of ocellar triangle; 2 proclinate orbital setae similar to or slightly longer than reclinate orbital seta; outer vertical seta about ¾ length of inner vertical seta; mid femur without ctenidium; T5 with row of about 12 marginal setae; T6 undivided, broad posteriorly and with row of longer marginal setae at posterior margin ( Fig. 2A–B ); spiracle 6 in intersegmental membrane and spiracle 7 in tergal plate ( Fig. 2A–B ); T8 divided into two large and bare halves, separated by less than width of cercus, each half with deep anteromedian incision ( Fig. 2A–B ); marginal setae of ST2–4 slightly differentiated from discal setae ( Fig. 2A ); ST5 longer than wide ( Fig. 2A ); ST7–8 fused ( Fig. 2A–B ); ST6+ ST7 almost rectangular ( Fig. 2A–B ); numerous marginal setae on ST6 ( Fig. 2A–B ); ST7 as long as ST6, with numerous setae along posterior margin ( Fig. 2A–B ); ST8 short, almost as long as ST7 ( Fig. 2A–B ); epiproct membranous, with one pair of setae ( Fig. 2A–B ); hypoproct broad ( Fig. 2A–B ); cercus broad and rounded ( Fig. 2A–B ); vaginal plate membranous; spermathecae oval and striated ( Fig. 2C ).

Distribution

Brazil (Distrito Federal, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro).

Remarks

Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov. is morphologically similar to D. jandainae sp. nov. and D. angrensis (Lopes, 1975) . Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov. and D. jandainae sp. nov. can be differentiated from D. angrensis by the absence of setosity on vein R 1 and by the complete visibility of the juxta in lateral view ( Figs 1D , 4D ) as opposed to a setose vein R 1 and an indistinct juxta in D. angrensis (Silva & MelloPatiu 2010: figs 46–47). Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov. and D. jandainae sp. nov. share a helmetshaped juxta ( Figs 1D–E , 4D–E ), but they can be differentiated in particular by the shape of the vesica in ventral view, which is broadest proximally and looks like a funnel in D. phoenix sp. nov. ( Fig. 1E ), and is broadest distally and looks like an ‘X’ in D. jandainae sp. nov. ( Fig. 4E ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov., ♂, paratype (MNRJ [lost]), Brazil, Brasília, Distrito Federal. A. Sternite 5, ventral view. B. Syntergosternite 7+8, epandrium, cercus and surstylus, lateral view. C. Cerci, posterior view. D. Phallus and associated structures, lateral view. E. Distiphallus, ventral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars =0.1 mm.

Fig. 2. Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov., ♀, paratype (MNRJ [lost]), Brazil, Minas Gerais, Nova Lima, Lagoa Grande. A. Terminalia and abdominal sternites, ventral view. B. Terminalia, ventral view. C. Spermatheca, lateral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars=0.1 mm.

Fig. 3. Dexosarcophaga spp., male habitus and terminalia. A–B. Dexosarcophaga phoenix sp. nov., holotype (MNRJ [lost]). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Terminalia, lateral view. C–D. Dexosarcophaga jandainae sp. nov., ♂, paratype (MZUSP [lost]), Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães. C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Terminalia, lateral view. E. Dexosarcophaga patiuorum sp. nov., ♂, holotype (MNRJ [lost]), habitus, lateral view. F. Dexosarcophaga limon sp. nov., ♂, holotype (INBio [lost]), habitus, lateral view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 4. Dexosarcophaga jandainae sp. nov., ♂, holotype (MNRJ [lost]). A. Sternite 5, ventral view. B. Syntergosternite 7 +8, epandrium, cercus and surstylus, lateral view. C. Cerci, posterior view. D. Phallus and associated structures, lateral view. E. Distiphallus, ventral view. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bars =0.1 mm.