Gauromydas papaveroi Calhau, Lamas & Nihei

Calhau, Julia, Lamas, Carlos José Einicker & Nihei, Silvio Shigueo, 2015, Review of the Gauromydas giant flies (Insecta, Diptera, Mydidae), with descriptions of two new species from Central and South America, Zootaxa 4048 (3), pp. 392-411 : 404-409

Gauromydas papaveroi Calhau, Lamas & Nihei sp. nov.

( Figs 3 A–F, 4G–I, 5D–F, 6)

Mydas mystaceus Wiedemann : d’Andretta, 1951: 24, 32, 35, 39, 41, 45, figs 96, 118, 138, 158 (misident.); Papavero & Artigas, 2009: 36, fig. 149 (misident.)

Diagnosis. Antenna about as long as head width, mostly dark brown; proximal portion of postpedicel slightly longer than distal portion; distal portion of postpedicel 5.3 times longer than wide. Scutum black with light gray pruinescence, denser on lateral margins (especially in a distinct spot around transverse suture), on the anterior third of dorsocentral region and acrostichal stripes. Wing membrane orange to brown or all dark brown, opaque proximally, on anterior margin and along veins. Hind tibia with well-developed ventral keel, apical spur very welldeveloped and curved, shorter on female; hind tarsomere 1 about 3.4 times longer than wide, and 1.5 longer than tarsomere 5. Abdominal tergites dark brown to black, with or without blue or green metallic reflection, with yellow, copper or black setulae. Male epandrial lamellae trapezoidal with external posterior extremity prolonged as a short spine; phallic crest entire; lateral projections reduced. Anterior margin of female S8 convex; female S10 with a narrow membranous medial region; furca well sclerotized; sclerite at base of spermathecal ducts slightly narrower than cercus.

Description. Male. Total length of holotype, excluding antennae, 42.8 mm ( Fig. 3 A). Head ( Fig. 3 B): black; setulae white or black on vertex (white in the holotype), black on lower frons; pruinescence light gray; 6.8 mm high in lateral view, 9.6 mm wide in anterior view (holotype). Facial gibbosity higher than wide; mystax dense, black with few white medial setulae (holotype) or white laterally and black centrally. Mouthparts: proboscis black. Antennae ( Fig. 3 C): mostly dark brown, with orange spot at base of outer surface of distal postpedicel; setulae of scape and pedicel all black. Measures in holotype: scape 0.53 mm long; pedicel 0.45 mm long; proximal postpedicel 5.29 mm long; distal postpedicel 4.8 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, broader at about two-thirds of length; distal postpedicel sensory area rounded, restricted to apex on inner surface of antenna. Thorax ( Fig. 3 A): mostly black; postpronotal lobe black, reddish-brown on posterior surface. Scutum black, with black setulae on dorsocentral area, lateral margins, postalar callus and posteriorly close to scutellum; pruinescence light gray, denser on lateral margins (especially in distinct spot around transverse suture), on anterior third of dorsocentral region and acrostichal stripes. Pleuron black; gray pruinose. Anepisternum black setulose on dorsal margin. Anepimeron, metepimeron metakatepisternum and mesosternum long white setulose. Prosternum and proepisternum long black setulose. Scutellum white to black setulose (white in holotype), scarcely pruinose. Mediotergite with medial white setulae, gray pruinose. Legs ( Fig. 3 D): dark brown to black. Setulae mostly short, black; coxae with long black and white setulae. Hind femur 3.56 mm long, 3.42 mm wide (holotype), with 25 black spiniform macrosetae distributed into anteroventral and anterodorsal rows, and scarce long erect dorsal and posteroventral setulae. Fore and mid tibiae densely setulose; hind tibia 15.06 mm long, 1.78 mm wide (holotype); ventral keel developed; apical spur well-developed, curved, 1.78 mm long (holotype); strong anteroventral setulae at base of spine. Measures of hind tarsus in holotype: tarsomere 1 3.3 mm long, 0.98 mm wide; tarsomere 2 1.42 mm long; tarsomere 3 1.33 mm long; tarsomere 4 1.16 mm long; tarsomere 5 2.23 mm long. Pulvillus pale brown, shorter than fore, mid and hind tarsomere 5; claws reddish brown, tip black. Wing ( Fig. 3 A): 37.67 mm long, 3.97 mm wide; alula 3.69 mm long, 3.97 mm wide (holotype). Membrane orange to brown or all dark brown (orange to brown in holotype); transparent on posterior margin, sometimes with violet iridescence (not seen in holotype); opaque proximally, on anterior margin and along veins; microtrichiae absent. Veins orange to brown or all black (orange to brown in holotype); C with short black setulae on anterior wing margin and very short yellow to brown microtrichia on posterior wing margin; Sc ending in C, reaching about half length of cell r4; R3 ('stump vein') emerging from R4, well after its base; cell r4 closed (R5 terminating in R1); CuA1+M3 present. Upper calypter pale brown, broader medially; marginal squamous setulae yellow. Halter yellowish brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 3 A): tergites and sternites dark brown to black, with or without blue or green metallic reflection (holotype green metallic). S2–7 with reddish brown posterior margin. Anterior portion of T1 cone-shaped, pointed, with white setulae close to base of halter; posterior portion with dense long erect pale yellow, copper or black setulae (pale yellow in holotype). T2–T7 short golden or black setulose (golden in holotype). Sternites short black setulose. T1–4 pruinose, dull; T5–7 pruinose or shinny (holotype). Bulla pale brown, about 4x as long as wide. Male terminalia ( Figs 4 G–I): epandrial lamella trapezoidal with external posterior extremity prolonged as a short spine. Phallus with a flattened dorsal structure (phallic crest); lateral projections reduced. Female. Total length, excluding antennae, 39 mm ( Fig. 3 F). Very similar to male, but with shorter apical spur on hind tibia. Femur with 17–18 spines on hind tibia, mystax all black. Female terminalia ( Figs 5 D–F): anterior margin of S8 convex; furca well sclerotized ( Fig. 5 D); S10 with a narrow membranous medial region ( Figs 5 E–F); sclerite at base of spermathecal ducts slightly narrower than cercus ( Figs 5 E–F).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Nelson Papavero for his great contribution on Diptera taxonomy and for the development of Brazilian dipterology.

Remarks. Specimens of G. papaveroi sp. nov. exhibit a strong color variation, being more securely identified by features from male and female terminalia. Specimens from Costa Rica have scutellum black setulose, dark brown veins and membrane sometimes with violaceus iridescence, black setulae on T1 and T3–T7, T2 golden setulose, anterior portion of T1 with black setulae close to the base of halter, head almost all black setulose, mystax with white lateral and black medial setulae. The specimen from Argentina has a similar wing color to the holotype, but differs from that specimen by the black setulose scutellum, the black setulose T2–T7, tergites all dull, head almost all black setulose, mystax all black. Unlikely, the specimen from Santa Catarina has dark brown wing veins, anterior portion of T1 with black setulae close to the base of halter, mystax with mixed black and white setulae, T1 brown to copper setulose, T2–7 black setulose, tergites all dull, scutellum black setulose.

This species is similar to G. mystaceus by the very long and curved apical spur on male hind tibia (much shorter on female). One specimen of this new species deposited in MZUSP has been misidentified as G. mystaceus by d’Andretta (1951), as we were able to verify when examining images of the holotype of G. mystaceus deposited at ZMHB. The two species differ by the shorter antennae and dark brown postpedicel in G. papaveroi (often orange in G. mystaceus ), by the apical spur on hind tibia of female (shorter than width of hind tarsomere 1 in G. m ys t a ce u s) by characters in the male and female terminalia.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂. BRAZIL. Pará: Oriximiná, viii.1960, Dirings, AAM-001535 ( MZUSP). PARATYPES. ARGENTINA. Santiago del Estero, 1936, ER Wagner (1 ♂, MNHN). BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Joinvile, Bruckner col (1 ♂ MZUSP). Pará: Oriximiná, viii.1960, Dirings, AAM-001549 (1 ♀, MZUSP). Amazonas: Manaus, ORIS, Estr. Mau, km 3, 13.ix.1977, C. Comilo, AAM-001481, (1 ♀, INPA). COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: Santa Cruz, Tempisque, Diri, 19.xii. 2000, 970 m, 10.08, -85.38, Manual, INB0003114031 (1 ♂, INBIO); 15.i. 2001, 972 m, Red con Aguamiel, INB0003121410 (1 ♂, INBIO); 16.i. 2001, 972 m, Red con Aguamiel, INB0003121412 (1 ♂, INBIO); 17.i. 2001, 972 m, Red con Aguamiel, INB0003121470, INB0003121471 (2 ♂, INBIO); Santa Cecilia, P.N. Guanacaste, Orosilito, 21.iii.1989, 10.59, -85.25, 700 m, Gamboa R., Billen, INBIOCRI000091668 (1 ♂, INBIO).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Gauromydas papaveroi sp. nov. A – E: male holotype (MZUSP). A, dorsal habitus; B, head, frontal view; C, antennae, inner surface; D, hind leg; E, labels. F, female paratype, dorsal habitus (INPA). Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Male terminalia of Gauromydas. A – C: Gauromydas mateus sp. nov. (holotype, MNHN). D – F: Gauromydas mystaceus (MPEG). G – I: Gauromydas papaveroi sp nov. (holotype, MZUSP). A, D, G: epandrium and proctiger, dorsal view; B, E, H: gonocoxite-hypandrial complex and associate structures, dorsal view; C, F, I: gonocoxite-hypandrial complex and associate structures, lateral view; J, Gauromydas heros, phallus and associate structures, lateral view. Abbreviations: lph: phallic lateral projection; ph: phallus; phc: phallic crest; gxd: dorsal prolongation of the gonocoxite-hypandrial complex (Calhau et al. 2014). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 5. Female terminalia of Gauromydas. A – C: Gauromydas mateus sp. nov. (paratype, MZUSP). D – F: Gauromydas papaveroi sp. nov. (paratype, INPA); G, Gauromydas apicalis (MZUSP); H, Gauromydas autuorii (MZUSP); I, Gauromydas heros (MZUSP); J, Gauromydas mystaceus (MPEG); A, D: sternite 8. B, C, E – J: female terminalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: sps: sclerite of spermathecal ducts. cerc: cercus. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.