Bittacus cruzi Machado, 2018

Machado, Renato Jose Pires, Mendes, Diego Matheus De Mello & Rafael, José Albertino, 2018, The genus Bittacus Latreille (Insecta: Mecoptera) in Brazil: key to species, distribution maps, new synonym, and three new species, Zootaxa 4526 (3), pp. 303-330 : 307-308

Bittacus cruzi Machado sp. n.

( Figs. 8f , 9 a–f, 12b)

Diagnosis. Wing membrane maculated. One costal crossvein. Hind wing Rs 1+2 not forked. Male epandrium with one medial actiniform process.

Description. Forewing length 16.7–17.1 mm, hind wing length 13.8–14.2 mm.

Head ( Figs. 9c, d ) uniformly dark brown, except area behind ocellar triangle and distal palpomeres slightly paler; covered with yellowish pubescence. Three ocelli, lateral ocelli slightly larger. Antennae long, filiform, with yellowish pubescence; dark brown but lighter towards the apex. Number of flagellomeres undetermined but more than 15. Female frons and antennae pale brown.

Thorax ( Fig. 9d ) covered with yellowish pubescence. Pronotum brown with sparse dark spots. Antepronotum and postpronotum with one and two black setae on lateral margins respectively. Mesonotum and metanotum brown but darker laterally. Pleural region dark brown with scattered paler areas ( Fig. 9a ).

Legs ( Fig. 9a ) with coxa and trochanter dark brown, yellowish pubescence (slightly longer than on other segments). Femur and tibia with sparse short black setae. Fore and middle femur long and thin, mostly pale, but base laterally brown and apex dark brown. Hind femur broader and slightly darker than on other legs. Tibia pale with apex dark brown; longer than femur; with two long apical spurs; spurs on fore and middle legs about as long as half-length of basitarsus, but slightly shorter than basitarsus in hind leg. Fore and mid tarsi pale; basitarsi slightly shorter than tibial half-length, and longer than the remaining four tarsomeres combined; tarsomere III about as long as half-length of tarsomere II and slightly longer than tarsomere IV; tarsomere V about as long as tarsomere IV and prehensile. Hind tarsus shorter than half-length of hind tibia; tarsomeres IĪIV about the same length, basitarsus about twice longer than tarsomere II.

Wings ( Figs. 9a, b ) narrow with apices rounded. Membrane mostly light brown, but with dark marks around the main forks, apical crossveins, pterostigma, and areas between R and C and R and Rs 1+2; with large hyaline area before the beginning of the pterostigma, thyridium present; longitudinal veins pale and covered by short black setae. Forewing: one subapical costal crossvein; humeral crossvein present; Sc ending beyond first fork of Rs; Rs fork nearly forming a right angle; Rs 1+2 forking after the end of pterostigma; Rs 3+4 forking at the level of mid distance between Sc end and pterostigma; one pterostigmal crossvein; M origin basal to Rs origin; M and Rs first forks at the same level; Cu 1 ending at the level of Rs 3+4 fork; A 1 ending slightly basal to Rs first fork. Hind wing similar to forewing except by Rs 1+2 not forked.

Abdomen ( Fig. 9a ) mostly brown with dark spots, mainly in the posterior border of tergites.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 8f , 9e, f ) with epandrium pale brown, set with long yellowish setae; in dorsal view, both sides diverging posteriorly; apex slightly thinner than medial area; posterior margin rounded; internal margin set with short black setae (setae getting longer towards the apex); with a medial rectangular lobe at the base (lobe covered by short black spines); in lateral view, ending slightly after the end of basystilus; convex dorsally; posterior margin rounded. Cercus about as long as sternite IX, dark brown with yellowish setae. Basistylus set with long yellowish setae, particularly at the posterior margin; dark brown; ventrally convex in lateral view. Gonostylus short, dark brown, with apex rounded, set with yellowish setae. Penisfilum broad at base, abruptly narrowed medially, tapering towards the apex, curving backwards at the medial region.

Paratype female terminalia with cercus short, brown, set with yellowish setae. Subanal plate and tergite XI dark brown and set with short yellowish setae. Cercus, subanal plate, and tergite XI ending about at the same level. Gonocoxosternite dark brown, set with yellowish setae and longer black ones at the posterior margin; not fused ventrally.

Etymology. Named after Mr. Valdir Bernardo Cruz, who owns the property where the holotype was collected and has allowed our collection trips many times over the years.

Holotype male (present designation): INPA: BRASIL, Amazonas , Presidente Figueiredo, AM 240, Km 24, 2°00’55’’S– 59°49’40’’W, viii/2005, luz mista/mercurio, Xavier-Filho leg.

Holotype condition. Pinned; in relative good condition, but with some parts missing: left foretarsus, mid legs beyond femur base, left hind leg beyond apex of femur; terminalia in microvial.

Paratypes. Brazil, Amazonas : Presidente Figueiredo, AM 240, Km 24, 2°00’55’’S– 59°49’40’’W, 6–7.ix.2008, Malaise trap, F.F. Xavier F°, T.K. Krolow, G. Lourido (1♀ INPA) ; Manaus, AM 0 10, km 26, Reserva Ducke , 14.iii.1978, Malaise trap, Jorge Arias coll. (1♀ INPA) .

Comments. Based on its maculated wings, Bittacus cruzi sp. n. fits in the “group chilensis ” as proposed by Collucci & Amorim (2000). Within the group, it shares with B. ferreirai and B. maculosus the number of costal crossveins in the wings (one). However, the shape of the male epandrium suggests a closer relationship between Bittacus cruzi and B. boraceiensis ; both species present a medial actiniform process, but the subapical processes of B. boraceiensis are absent in the new species, easily separating them.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Brazilian Bittacus male epandria, dorsal view. a) B. angrensis; b) B. aripuanensis; c) B. blancheti; d) B. boraceiensis; e) B. brasiliensis; f) B. cruzi sp. n.; g) B. diversinervis; h) B. femoralis; i) B. ferreirai sp. n.; j) B. flavescens; k) B. froehlichi; l) B. genicutalus; m) B. latreillei; n) B. maculosus; o) B. omega; p) B. pintoi; q) B. varzeanus sp. n.

FIGURE 9. Bittacus cruzi sp. n. a) male holotype habitus; b) wings; c) head, frontal view; d) head and thorax, dorsal view; e) male terminalia, lateral view; f) male epandrium, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.