Austroleptis camposgerais, Fachin & Santos & Amorim, 2020

Fachin, Diego Aguilar, Santos, Charles Morphy D. & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2020, Endemism within endemism: a new species of Austroleptis Hardy, 1920 (Diptera Austroleptidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest highlands, Zootaxa 4803 (3), pp. 483-494 : 485-489

Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov.

( Figs 1–20 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C040646B-9330-4668-9640-7C78C02E9718

Diagnosis (female). Ocellar tubercle projected dorsally ( Figs 4–5 ), frons with blackish brown maculae laterally to base of antenna ( Fig. 5 ); head almost as long as high ( Fig. 4 ); flagellomere 1 with strong setae basally, distal flagellomere wide on two basal-thirds, tapering and shorter than previous two ( Fig. 6 ); proboscis long ( Figs 3–5 ). Pattern over entire wing membrane, M 3 present as a short stump; r1 cell yellowish only medially, light brown distally, mostly dark brown ( Fig. 9 ).

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, ♀, BRAZIL, Paraná, Ponta Grossa, distrito de Itaiacoca, 25°07’05.4”S 49°56’27.7”W, 21.viii–26.ix.2018, Malaise trap, Almeida, M.C., Araújo, E. & Santos, M.H. cols ( MZUSP, MZ 052919) (left antenna and wing, terminalia, and spermathecae on a permanent slide mounting, kept with remainder of specimen).

Description. Female. Habitus, Figs 1–2 . Length: body, 6.5 mm; wing, 6.0 mm. Head ( Figs 3–5 ). Eyes dichoptic; head mostly yellowish, whitish microtrichia covering nearly entire surface; twice wider than long in dorsal view, roughly as high as long in lateral view. Occiput yellowish, with long dark brown setae; vertex and postocular region well developed, with long dark brown setae. Ocellar tubercle dark brown, contrasting with yellowish background, slightly prominent dorsally ( Figs 3–5 ). Frons short, more than twice wider than long, a dark brown macula between antenna and eye margin ( Fig. 5 ). Antenna inserted above mid of head, roughly longer than head laterally ( Figs 4–5 ). Scape and pedicel yellowish brown, scape approximately as long as pedicel. Five flagellomeres, laterally compressed; flagellomere 1 dark brown distally, wider and longer than remaining flagellomeres, with strong black setae on basal half dorsally; flagellomeres 2–4 dark brown, rectangular, short; terminal flagellomere dark brown, twice longer than flagellomere 4, tapering on distal third, with some few blackish setae at apex ( Fig. 6 ). Face well developed, prominent medially ( Fig. 5 ). Maxillary palpal segments subequal in length, basal segment cylindrical, distal segment widening distally and tapering towards apex ( Fig. 5 ). Proboscis (labrum and lacinia together) much longer than length of antenna or head ( Figs 3–5 ). Thorax ( Figs 7–8 ). Scutum mostly ochre-yellowish with a pair of smaller, dark brown pre-sutural marks external to dorsocentral line, a pair of post-sutural marks darker above wing external to dorsocentral line, connecting to each other medially anteriorly to scutellar suture; a long, slender dark brown line over acrostical line; a pair of dark marks above each wing and a pair of additional light brown post-alar maculae. Scutellum ochre-yellowish with a blackish brown band around ventro-posterior margin of scutellum; pleuron mostly dark brown, with yellow-ochre areas over antepronotum and proepisternum, dorso-posterior half of anepisternum, dorso-posterior corner of katepisternum, dorsal half of meron and a diffuse mark at post-alar wall. Legs mostly dark ochre-yellowish, except for dark brown mid and hind coxae, trochanters, tip of tibiae, distal two-thirds of first tarsomeres and distal four tarsomeres. Wing ( Fig. 9 ). Wing membrane with complex light ochrebrown/dark brown pattern, with some yellowish areas along anterior margin; only microtrichia over membrane, no setae except some on cell r2+3 anteriorly; dorsal setae on all veins. R 2+3 nearly straight on basal two-thirds, distal third strongly bent towards anterior margin. R 4+5 fork slightly basal to tip of R 1. R 4 nearly straight along distal 6/7 of its extension. R 5 roughly straight, reaching C beyond wing tip. M 1 with a gentle sinuosity on basal fifth, nearly straight on distal two-thirds. A short free M 3 stump between M 2 and M 4. CuA+CuP vein as long as m–cu. A 1 present, only slightly darker than membrane, hardly recognizable. Anal lobe well developed. Alula broad, upper calypter well developed. Halter stem basal two-thirds yellowish, distal third and knob brownish. Abdomen ( Fig. 1 ). Tergite 1 brownish, tergite 2 brownish with a brownish yellow medial band, tergites 3–5 with an ochre-yellowish transverse band on anterior three-fourth and a brown band across distal fourth, segments 6–7 brownish; blackish-brown pilosity on tergites. Segments 5–7 tapering, segments 7 and 8 slender, elongate, more than twice longer than wide. Intersegmental membrane between segments 5 to 8 well developed. Terminalia ( Figs 10–18 ). Three ovoid spermathecae ( Fig. 12 ). Spermathecal ducts mostly slender, widened at base of genital fork and with striation, at least twice longer than terminalia length. Tergite 8 rectangular, twice as long as wide. Sternite 8 elongate, more than twice as long as wide, subdivided into an anterior longer and a posterior shorter (at area of gonapophysis) sclerite, not separate from each other; distal sclerite trapezoid, distal margin rounded, more slender than anterior margin. Sternite 9 (genital fork) anterior end slender and elongate, widening on distal two-thirds; postero-lateral process mostly slender, pointed apically, roughly straight at base, bending posteriorly on distal two-thirds. Tergite 9 subrectangular, much wider than long, with a wide unsclerotized area on anterior three-fourth medially. Sternite 10 wide on anterior half, tapering towards apex, almost entirely underneath cercal segments. Tergite 10 reduced. Cercus one-segmented.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet, camposgerais , refers to the collecting site of the holotype of the new species, the Parque Nacional dos Campos Gerais, in the state of Paraná, a highly threatened area of the Atlantic Forest.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality, District of Itaiacoca, Ponta Grossa, state of Paraná, southern Brazil ( Fig. 19 ).

Comments. Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov. is closer to A. longirostris and to A. papaveroi than to the Chilean or the Australian species of the genus. This is indicated by shared derived features in A. camposgerais and A. longirostris , as the presence of an oval ocellar tubercle ( Fig. 3 ), the pair of dark brown lateral marks laterally to the antennae on the frons ( Fig. 5 ), the flagellomere 1 with strong setae ( Fig. 6 ), the head almost as long as high, and the elongate proboscis ( Fig. 4 ). A. camposgerais differs from A. longirostris on the first flagellomere with a straight distal margin, terminal flagellomere wider at basal two-thirds, shorter than the previous two flagellomeres, tapering towards the distal end ( Fig. 6 ), the presence of a short stump of M 3, and r 1 cell mostly dark brown, yellowish only medially and light brown distally ( Fig. 9 ).

The holotype of Austroleptis camposgerais was collected using a Malaise trap within the limits of the National Park of Campos Gerais (25°03’29”S 49°57’00”W) ( Fig. 19 ). This park, with an area of 21,298.00 ha (212.99 km 2), was created in 2006 and it has been under the administration of the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio). It is probably the most important park in Brazil protecting a remnant of primary forest with endemic Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, 1898 . This park of the Atlantic Forest has an overlap between southern temperate endemic elements of the flora and the fauna with typically tropical elements.

Key for the Brazilian species of Austroleptis

1. Proboscis longer than antenna; frons yellowish with a pair of dark brown maculae laterally to antennal base; ocellar tubercle oval................................................................................................ 2

- Proboscis short, much shorter than antenna; frons brown, no blackish maculae laterally to antennal base; ocellar tubercle circular.................................................................. A. papaveroi Fachin, Santos & Amorim

2. Distal free spur M 3 entirely absent; first flagellomere with V-shaped distal margin; terminal flagellomere cylindrical, as long as previous two; r 1 cell mostly yellowish or light brown......................... A. longirostris Fachin, Santos & Amorim

- Short stump of M 3 present; first flagellomere with a straight distal margin; terminal flagellomere wide on basal two-thirds, tapering, shorter than previous two; r 1 cell mostly dark brown, yellowish only medially, light brown distally.............................................................................................. A. camposgerais sp. nov

Figures

FIGURE 9. Wing of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov., female, holotype. Scale bar, 1 mm. Abbreviations: A1, first branch of anal vein; al, alula; an lb, anal lobe; bm, basal medial cell; br, basal radial cell; c, costal cell; C, costal vein; Cu, cubital vein or cubitus; CuA, anterior branch of cubital vein; cua, anterior cubital cell; CuA+CuP, anterior branch of cubital vein + posterior branch of cubital vein; CuP, posterior branch of cubital vein; cup, posterior cubital cell; d, discal cell; h, humeral crossvein; M, medial vein or media; M1, first branch of media; m1, first medial cell; M1+2, fused first and second branch of media; M2, second branch of media; m2+3, fused second and third cell of media; M3, third branch of media; M3+4, fused third and fourth branch of media; M4, fourth branch of media; m4, fourth medial cell; m–cu, medial–cubital crossvein; m–m, medial crossvein; R1, anterior branch of radius; r1, first radial cell; R2+3, second branch of radius; r2+3, second + third radial cell; r4, fourth radial cell; R4, upper branch of third branch of radius; r5, fifth radial cell; R5, lower branch of third branch of radius; r–m, radial–medial crossvein; Rs, radial sector; sc, subcostal cell; Sc, subcostal vein; u calyp, upper calypter.

FIGURE 19. Geographic distribution of the Brazilian species of Austroleptis. A. Map of main Brazilian biomes. B. Position of the Parque Nacional dos Campos Gerais in the Atlantic Forest and the distribution of the three known species of Austroleptis. C. Delimitation of the Parque Nacional dos Campos Gerais—yellow square indicates where in the park was set the Malaise trap that collected the specimen of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov. D. Primary Malaise trap set up near the limit of the park, where it that yielded the specimen. Squares represent holotypes and circles paratypes.

FIGURES 1–2. Habitus of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov., female, holotype. 1. Dorsal view. 2. Lateral view. Scale bar, 1 mm.

FIGURES 3–8. Head and thorax of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov., female, holotype. 3. Head, dorsal view. 4. Head, lateral view. 5. Head, frontolateral view. 6. Antenna, lateral view (scale bar, 0.1 mm). 6. Thorax, dorsal view. 7. Thorax, lateral view. Scale bar, 0.5 mm.Abbreviations: clyp, clypeus; fc, face; flg, flagellum; flgm, flagellomere; fr, frons; gn, gena; lbl, labellum; oc tub, ocellar tubercle; ped, pedicel; plp, palpus; pocl reg, postocular region; scp, scape; vrt, vertex.

FIGURES 10–15. Terminalia of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov., female, holotype. 10. Abdomen, ventral view with spermathecae. 11. Abdomen, lateral view, position of spermathecae visible. 12. Spermathecae. 13. Terminalia, dorsal view. 14. Terminalia, lateral view. 15. Terminalia, ventral view. Scale bar, 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; spmth dt, spermathecal duct; spmth, spermatheca; st, sternite; tg, tergite.

FIGURES 16–18. Terminalia and reproductive tracts of Austroleptis camposgerais sp. nov., female, holotype. 16. Terminalia, dorsal view. 17. Terminalia, ventral view. 18. Genital fork, spermathecal ducts, and spermathecae. Scale bar, 0.1 mm.Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; gen fk, genital fork; pp, posterolateral process; spmth dt, spermathecal duct; spmth, spermatheca; st, sternite; tg, tergite.

FIGURE 20. Assumed relationship between the three species of Austroleptis, overlapped to the limits of the “Southern Atlantic Forest” area of endemism (Amorim & Santos 2017), based on species of different groups of Diptera.