Nyia, Márquez-Acero & Lambkin & Lamas, 2021

Márquez-Acero, Ángela Sabrina, Lambkin, Christine L. & Lamas, Carlos José Einicker, 2021, Cladistic analysis of Ligyra sensu lato (Diptera: Bombyliidae), with description of a new genus, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191 : -

NYIA GEN. NOV.

( Fig. 3A–J)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3648896A-F65A-4B47-886F-EDABBDD0C59B .

Type species: Anthrax proserpina Wiedemann, 1828: 257 , here designated.

Diagnosis

Scales dorsally on head, thorax and abdomen, scutum, scutellum and abdominal vestiture not reflective ( Fig. 3A, E, F); deep foveal depression behind ocellar triangle( Fig.3A);midstylemacrochaetaeformingacollar surrounding head, on anepisternum, laterotergite and laterally on abdominal tergite 1 long hindtibial scales absent, mid and hind pulvilli small, rounded setose ( Fig.3C); cross-veinsi-r 1 andi–r 2 formingfoursubmarginals cells ( Fig.3D); epandrial medial flange present, basiphallus expanded, rounded or spherical ( Fig.3G, H). Female tergite 8 slightly or not divided medially, basal endplate with thick processes; short sperm pump; spermathecae with round basal bulb ( Fig. 3I, J) except in Ny. trifigurata .

Description

Head: Face conically produced; face, frons and gena with short scales; frons with horizontal depression; deep foveal depression, length of proboscis slightly greater than the oral cavity. Antennae with conical

postpedicel, long and narrow basal stylomere and tiny apical stylomere.

Thorax: Midstyle macrochaetae forming a collar surrounding head, on anterior edge of scutum, postpronotal lobe and proepimeron, on anepisternum and laterotergite; well-developed black bristles on thorax, with hairs upon prealar, anepisternum, anepimeron, katepisternum and mediotergite. Wing long, narrow; with hyaline and brown areas forming variable patterns; patagium of dense scales at base of costal vein; dense scales overlapping at edge of anal cell, squama and alula; venation with short i–r 1 and i–r 2 veins forming four submarginal cells. Forelegs reduced; forefemur with some long hairs and without spines; foretarsus with microchaetae apically bent or bulbous, foreclaw reduced; midfemur with some long spines and some long hairs, except in Ny. alacer (Painter, 1969) ; midtibia without spicules; mid and hind pulvilli small rounded setose; hindfemur with some long spines and without long hairs; long hindtibial scales absent.

Abdomen: Scales not reflective; vestiture and integument forming variable patterns; macrochaetae laterally on abdominal tergite 1 with midstyle.

Male genitalia: Epandrium with long spines and setae grouped in dense lateroapical tufts, without apical flange; epandrial lateral flange distinct and measuring up to a quarter of the length of the base, except in Ny. fenestella (Wiedemann, 1828) , Ny. klugii (Wiedemann, 1830) and Ny. proserpina (Wiedemann) , where the flange is slight but still recognizable; basolateral flange long and broad, at least half the length of the epandrial base; long gonocoxae, apically-rounded with midventral indentation; gonocoxal apodemes small and short; gonostylus with basal projection slightly projected and apically bifld; large recurved ramus; large epiphallus with lateroapical lobes projecting laterally, with deep ventral notch and medioventral projection above aedeagus; basiphallus swollen, spherical in most, rounded in Ny. trifigurata, Ny. harpyia (Wiedemann, 1828) and Ny. maracaensis (Lamas & Couri, 1995) ; lateral aedeagal apodemes spoon-shaped; anterior arms of aedeagal sheath reaching the lower margin of gonocoxa, except in Ny. bizona (Walker, 1950) , Ny. dido (Osten Sacken, 1886) and Ny. fenestralis (Wiedemann, 1830) , which have it shorter; long ejaculatory apodeme racquet-shaped.

Female genitalia: Five to seven acanthophorite spines; apical edge of tergite 8 with many long hairs; tergite 8 with rectangular apodeme and long, linear internal structure; U-shaped furca; sperm pump with basal sclerotized endplate with thick processes; short sperm pump with apical dense short processes and medial, long, pigmented papillae, except in Ny. trifigurata ; sperm pump with apical endplate with simple, thin processes, except in Ny. dido, Ny. fenestralis and Ny. gazophylax (Loew, 1869) , with thick processes; Ny. orcus (Walker, 1849) and Ny. stymphalis (Wiedemann, 1828) with double apical endplate; spermathecal basal bulb round, absent in Ny. trifigurata ; spermathecal reservoir round [oval in Ny. hela (Erichson, 1848) ], with thick sclerotized and pigmented walls.

Etymology: The name Nyia (gold), to be treated as feminine, originates from the muysccubun language of the indigenous Muisca people, who inhabited the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. The Muiscas were great goldsmiths and their mystical tribal chiefs, called zipa, were richly decorated in gold and fine cloth, which in turn gave rise to the famous legend of ‘El Dorado’. We chose to name this genus for nyia in reference to the different tonalities of yellow, gold, silver and copper present in the body integument and vestiture of the members of this genus.

The Nearctic and Neotropical species of Ligyra included in this study and hereby transferred to the new genus Nyia are: Nyia alacer (Painter, 1969) comb. nov.; Nyia bizona (Walker, 1850) comb. nov.; Nyia cerberus (Fabricius, 1794) comb. nov.; Nyia trifigurata (Walker, 1860) comb. nov. et stat. rev.; Nyia dido (Osten Sacken, 1886) comb. nov.; Nyia evansi (Painter, 1969) comb. nov.; Nyia fenestella (Wiedemann, 1828) comb. nov.; Nyia fenestralis (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov.; Nyia gazophylax (Loew, 1869) comb. nov.; Nyia guerinii (Macquart, 1846) comb. nov.; Nyia harpyia (Wiedemann, 1828) comb. nov.; Nyia hela (Erichson, 1848) comb. nov.; Nyia klugii (Wiedemann, 1830) ; Nyia latreillii (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov.; Nyia maracaensis Lamas & Couri, 1995 comb. nov.; Nyia orcus (Walker, 1849) comb. nov.; Nyia pilatei (Macquart, 1846) comb. nov.; Nyia proserpina (Wiedemann, 1828) comb. nov.; Nyia stymphalis (Wiedemann, 1828) comb. nov.