Syneches moraballi Smith

Menezes, Isis Sá & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2016, Revision of the Amazonian species of Syneches Walker (Diptera, Hybotidae, Hybotinae), Zootaxa 4103 (5), pp. 401-442 : 424-426

Syneches moraballi Smith

( Figs 73–79 , 112 , 121)

Syneches moraballi Smith, 1963: 155 ; 1967: 167 (catalog); Yang et al., 2007: 311 (catalog); Ale-Rocha & Vieira, 2008: 118 (record).

Diagnosis. Lower facets larger around the buccal opening; antenna with scape and pedicel yellow, postpedicel ovate and light brown; stylus about three times length of antenna, bare on distal 1/4; palpus short, yellow, with three long setae. Thorax light brown with scutellum brown; prescutellar disc covered with dense silvery pruinescence; scutum high and rounded; seven to eight pairs of scutellar setae; prosternum narrow. Legs slender, yellow, except mid femur dark yellow, hind tibia dark yellow with light brown median ring, hind tarsomere 1 brown on basal half and all tarsomeres 5 dark yellow. Wing hyaline, pterostigma inconspicuous.

Re-description. Holotype ♂. Body: 3.0 mm. Wing: 3.0 mm. Head. Lower facets larger around buccal opening. Ocellar triangle protuberant, with pale golden pruinescence. Face dark brown to black, with sparse grey pruinescence. Antenna with yellow scape and pedicel, light brown postpedicel; pedicel with brown marginal elongate setae, reaching middle of postpedicel; postpedicel ovate, 1.2 times longer than wide, small, slightly longer than length of scape and pedicel combined, with short golden brown setulae, 1 dorsal sub-basal seta same length as postpedicel; stylus about three times length of antenna, bare on distal 1/4. Proboscis dark yellow; palpus yellow, about 1/3 length of proboscis, with short golden setulae; 1 apical, 1 median long and 1 sub-basal smaller ventral seta. Thorax. Prosternum narrow. Pronotum light brown with marginal setae short and slender, uniserial, sparse and brown. Scutum high, same height of mesopleuron and rounded; brown, with postpronotal lobe and postalar callus light brown, brown pruinescence except prescutellar disc covered with dense silvery pruinescence; setae brown, short, sparse, longer on prescutellar disc, 6 series of acrostichal setae and 1 dorsocentral; scutellum brown with brown pruinescence. Pleura light brown with pale golden pruinescence. Chaetotaxy: 2 long acr, posterior longer, strong and convergent, and 2 long dc, posterior one longer and robust on prescutellar disc; 3 long and robust npl; 1 pal; scutellum with long setae, 1 robust and convergent subapical pair, 1 weak apical pair, about 2/3 length of subapical pair and five weak lateral pairs subequal in length to apical pair. Legs. Slender, elongate, hind femur slender. Yellow, except mid femur dark yellow, dark yellow hind tibia with light brown median ring, hind tarsomere 1 brown on basal half and all tarsomeres 5 dark yellow. Mid tibia with 1 long AD seta at basal 1/3, almost reaching apex of tibia; 1 preapical AV; 1 preapical PV, same length as tarsomere 1. Hind femur with slender AV setae, one longer and robust on distal 1/3. Hind tibia with 1 AD seta at basal 1/3 and 1 preapical AD; 1 preapical D; 1A and 1 apical AV, all setae moderately long. Wing ( Fig. 112 ). Hyaline, inconspicuous pterostigma at the apex of R1. Abdomen. About three times length of thorax. Dark brown with reddish brown pruinescence; setae brown, with lateral setae longer. Tergite 8 short, 1.8 times wider than long ( Fig. 76 ); sternite 8 trapezoidal, with long and strong apical setae ( Fig. 77 ). Terminalia ( Figs 73–75 ): elongate; hypandrium two times longer than wide, distal margin with deep median cleft forming two big lobes, 1 long and strong apical seta on each lobe inserted in small tubercle, same length as visible portion of phallus; epandrial lamella wide, with sharpened apex and moderately long setae; phallus long, with rounded apex, bearing developed and sclerotized lateral protuberance; postgonite simple, slender, as long as phallus. Female. As in male, except for darker general coloration. Terminalia ( Figs 78, 79 ): sternite 8 elongate, narrowed at basal half, produced anteriorly as paired lobes, with short apical setae; tergite 8 rectangular, slightly shorter than sternite 8; cercus long and slender, same length as tergite 10.

Examined type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( BMNH): BRITISH GUIANA [ Guyana], Essequibo, R., Moraballi Creek, 27.ix.1929, Oxf[ord] Univ[ersity] Exped[ition], BM 1929-485. Conditions of the holotype: terminalia dissected, affixed on coverslip with balsam; right wing mounted between coverslips.

Additional material examined. BRASIL. Roraima, Rio Uraricoara, Ilha de Maracá, 19–24.vii.1987, J.A. Rafael & L.S. Aquino, Armadilha de Malaise (2 ♀, INPA); Amazonas, Barcelos, Serrinha, 0°25′05″ N-63°23′ 05″W, vii–viii.2007, Malaise em floresta, A.S. Filho & T. Krolow, (1 ♂, INPA); Manaus, F[azenda] Esteio BR-174, km 41, 17–21.xii.1993, F.F. Xavier (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA); idem F[azenda] Porto Alegre (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA); Manaos , vi.1931, R.C. Shannon (1 ♀, USNM); Res[erva] Ducke, Igarapé Barro Branco, Armadilha Malaise 4, 13– 23.ix.2004, A. Henriques leg. (1 ♂, INPA); C[ampus] Universitário, iii.1979, J.A. Rafael, Armadilha Malaise, Comparado com tipo, Syneches moraballi, Det. Ale-Rocha (1 ♂, INPA); Puraquequara, 16.x.1994, Varredura J. Vidal (1 ♂, INPA); Coari, Rio Urucu, Petrobrás, RUC-30, 27.x.–1.xi.1994, L.E.F. Rocha & Silva, Arm[adilha] de malaise (1 ♀, INPA); Tabatinga, 13–17.i.1992, Socorro & Vidal, Varredura (2 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA); Tefé, 15.vii.1991 (1 ♀, INPA); Pará, Santarém, vi.1931, R.C. Shannon (1 ♀, USNM); Serra Norte, N-1 Canga, 20–26.x.1984, Armadilha Suspensa 1.6 m, Comparado com o tipo H[olótipo] Syneches moraballi, Det. Ale-Rocha (1 ♂, MPEG); Apeú, B. Vista, 19.vii.1974, I.S. Gorayeb (1 ♂, MPEG); Marabá, S. Norte, ix.1982, M. Miles (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA); Óbidos, Sítio Curió, 01°47'03''S 55°07'05''W, 29.viii.–8.ix.2001, Malaise, J.A. Rafael & J. Vidal (2 ♀, INPA); Santarém, Vila Inanú, 28.xii.1994, L.S. Aquino, Arm[adilha] Malaise (1 ♀, INPA); Amapá, Rio Felício, 24.vi.53, J. Lane col. (2 ♀, MZUSP); Rondônia, Guajará-Mirim, Rio Pacaás Novos, 11°11′13″ S 64°51′ 21″W, 7–11.ix.1999, J. Vidal, Malaise, Igarapé (2 ♂, 2 ♀, INPA); Nova Mamoré, Parque Estadual de Guajará-Mirim, Rio Formoso, 10°19′26″ S 64°33′ 88″W, 23.x.1995, J. Vidal, Varredura (3 ♂, INPA); Maranhão, Carolina, Fazenda Marajá , 07°15′40″ S 47°22′ 48″W, 13.xii.2001, F.L. Oliveira & J. Vidal, Armadilah Malaise (1 ♀, INPA); Mato- Grosso,C[hapada] dos Guimarães, Malaise, 23–30.xi.1983, Bindá (1 ♂, INPA); Pantanal, Arm[adilha] Cola, 14– 17.vi.1991, J.A. Rafael & J. Vidal (1 ♀, INPA); Goiás, Araquacema, Rio Araguaia, CDC Trap, 25.xi.1982, Eq. J. Arias (1 ♀, INPA); Paraná, Curitiba, Malaise-Iapar, 30.xii.–27.i.1979, A. Yamamoto (1 ♀, INPA); Rio Grande do Sul, Canelas, i.1984, M. Hoffmann (1 ♀, INPA). GUYANA, Kaieteur Falls, 5°10.7'N- 59°29.2'W, 7.iv.1994, W. Mathis (1 ♀, USNM). PERU. Monson-Valley, Tingo-Maria, 23.ix.1954, E.I. Schlinger & E.S. Ross collectors (1 ♂, CAS). VENEZUELA. Surukura, xii.1941, P. Anduze Colr. (1 ♂, 4 ♀, USNM); Lara, Parque Nacional Yacambu, 6–8.iv.1981, A.S. Menke & L. Hollenberg Collectors (1 ♂, USNM); T.F. Amaz., Cerro de la Neblina Basecamp, 140 m, 0°51′N- 66°10′W, 10–20.ii.1985, Malaise trap in rainforest, P.J. & P.M. Spangler, R.A. Faitoute & W.E. Steiner cols. (1 ♂, USNM).

Geographical distribution. Brazil (Amazonas, Roraima*, Rondônia*, Pará*, Mato Grosso*, Maranhão*, Goiás*, Paraná*, Rio Grande do Sul*), Guyana, Peru * and Venezuela * ( Fig. 121).

Comments. Some specimens are slightly darker, with postpedicel, scutum, apex of hind femur and tarsomeres 3–5 brown. Scutellum with six lateral pairs of setae. Similar to the condition found in S. sp. 1 and S. tenebricus sp. nov., the scutum of S. moraballi is high and globose, the legs are slender and yellow, the fore femur is slightly enlarged, and the differentiated setae are long, but weak. S. moraballi can be distinguished from those two species by the brown thorax with dense silvery pruinescence on the entire prescutellar disc, an outstanding characteristic of the species, and also by the hind femur with apical 1/4 brown and the hind tibia with median brown ring.

This is one of the most frequently collected species, being very common in Brazilian collections ( Ale-Rocha & Vieira 2008). It is widely distributed in South America and is probably one of the most widely distributed Neotropical species.

Figures

FIGURES 73 – 79. Syneches moraballi Smith, 1963. Male terminalia: 73, epandrium, cerci and hypoproct (dorsal view); 74, hypandrium, postgonite and phallus (ventral view); 75, right epandrial lamella (lateral view); 76, tergite 8; 77, sternite 8. Female terminalia: 78, dorsal view; 79, ventral view. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 103 – 117. Wings of Amazonian species of Syneches: 103, S. amazonicus sp. nov.; 104, S. angulatus sp. nov.; 105, S. applanatus sp. nov.; 106, S. bilobatus sp. nov.; 107, S. curvipes; 108, S. equatoriensis sp. nov.; 109, S. exilis sp. nov.; 110, S. maculosum sp. nov.; 111, S. manaos; 112, S. moraballi; 113, S. striatus sp. nov.; 114, S. tenebricus sp. nov.; 115, S. walkeri; 116, S. sp. 1; 117, S. sp. 2. Scale = 0.5 mm.