Drepanocnemis aurifrons, Gomes & Couri & Carvalho, 2018

Gomes, Lucas Roberto Pereira, Couri, Márcia Souto & Carvalho, Claudio José Barros de, 2018, A new species of Drepanocnemis (Diptera, Muscidae) from Andes in Peru, with an updated phylogenetic analysis of species, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 62 (1), pp. 51-56 : 52-54

Drepanocnemis aurifrons sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–13 )

Diagnosis: Eyes densely covered by short cilia. Frons and fronto-orbital plate with golden copper metallic reflex. Fore femur on anteroventral, ventral and posteroventral surfaces with a row of fine and long setae. Fore tibia with a long median anterodorsal seta; posterodorsal surface with a long median seta; dorsal surface with a row of short setae; posterior surface with a long and fine preapical seta, posteroventral surface with three median to submedian setae. Ventral to anteroventral surface of hind femur with a supra-median differentiated area, with a group of pale short setae.

Description. Male (holotype): length: body: 3.5 mm; wing: 3.6 mm. Male morphological variations: Body length: 3.0– 3.5 mm; wing length: 3.3–3.6 mm. Head with 6–7 frontal setae; row of 6–7 setae on anepisternum; acrostichals setae ranging from ¼ to half of the length of dorsocentral setae. General colouration: dark brown with grey pollinosity, frons and fronto-orbital plate with golden copper metallic reflex. Face dark brown with a lightly grey reflex. Antenna dark brown, pedicel with grey pollinosity. Palpus and legs brown, with grey and golden pollinosity. Thorax dark brown with grey reflex under certain lights. Calypter dark brown; halter yellow. Wings smoky, mainly on costal region. Abdomen uniformly dark brown.

Head: Dichoptic, eyes densely covered by short cilia, separated by a space measuring about one third of head width at vertex. Frontal setae with about six pairs of setae, the two upper ones longer, with about twice the length of the others. Ocelar setae long and fine. Outer vertical seta strong. Antenna long not reaching epistome; flagellum measuring about twice the length of the pedicel. Arista finely pubescent only on the base. Palpus a little enlarged to the tip. Gena almost linear. Vibrissa long and strong, with many sub-vibrissal strong setae, with half the length of the vibrissa ( Figs. 1 and 2 ).

Thorax: postpronotum hairy. Acrostichals 2 + 3 series, with misaligned pairs; postpronotal lobe covered with setulae; lower proepimeral seta directed upwards; dorsocentrals 1 + 3; two intralars postsutural; one supralar postsutural; prealar absent. Notopleuron with two setae of almost the same length. Scutellum with one long basal and one long apical pair of setae of similar length. Anepisternum covered by cilia, with a series of about six setae. Katepisternum setae 0 + 1 and covered by setae. Lower calypter about twice the length of the superior ( Figs. 3 and 4 ). Wing veins bare; R 4+5 and M parallel at apex. Fore femur bare on dorsal and anterodorsal surfaces; a row of fine and long setae on anteroventral, ventral and posteroventral surfaces. Fore tibia with numerous short setae on anterior surface; anteroventral surface bare; series of short and strong setae on dorsal surface; a long median seta on posterodorsal surface; a long and fine preapical seta on posterior surface; three fine median setae on ventral surface. Fore tarsomeres laterally flattened with a strong and short apical seta and a lateral pair weaker on each tarsomere, the three more apical are more flattened. Claws and pulvilli short ( Fig. 7 ). Mid femur with a series of long setae on basal half on anteroventral, ventral and posteroventral surface; two preapical setae on posterior surface. Mid tibia with a long posterior median seta. Hind femur on apical half with five long anteroventral to ventral setae; short close cilia on posteroventral and anteroventral surfaces; two strong basal setae on posteroventral surface; a median differentiated area with a group of short setae on ventral surface. Hind tibia with one median anterodorsal and one preapical dorsal setae.

Abdomen: covered by short cilia. Tergite 5 with two pairs of long setae. Sternite 5 with long setae on disc, except at middle and base ( Fig. 8 ). Terminalia: cercal plate longer than wide, about the same length of surstylus; presence of setae on inner and external surface of cercal plate; surstylus a little enlarged at apex with presence of few setae; ( Figs. 9 and 10 ). Phallic complex with long hypandrium ( Fig. 11 ).

Female: length. Body: 3.2–3.6 mm; wing: 3.4–3.6 mm. Similar to male, differing as follows: frons brown (sometimes lighter); wing not smoked on costal region; lower calypter light brown; katepisternal setae 1:1:1 disposed as an equilateral triangle; postpronotal lobe with two setae, the lower about twice the length of the upper one. Legs not modified, fore tibia and tarsomeres not broad, submedian posterodorsal seta shorter, about half length of male, submedian row of posteroventral setae absent, dorsal row of short and strong setae absent, tarsomeres without short and strong dorsal setae on apex; mid tibia with a long submedian anterodorsal seta, hind femur with two long anteroventral to ventral setae on apical half, posteroventral surface without strong basal setae and mid femur with a long median ventral seta ( Figs. 5 and 6 ). Ovipositor long with many dorsal and ventral microtrichia on both sides; tergites and sternites thin ( Figs. 12 and 13 ). Three round spermathecae.

Type material. Holotype. Male ( USNM), “ PERU: Cuzco, Est. Biol.\Wayqecha, jct.Trochas\Schefflera & Picaflor,\ Malaise trap, WP 583,\ 13.17385 S 71.58808 \W, 2905 m. 1–12 Jun\2012, A. L. Norrbom, B.\ D. Sutton, B. Luz Puma \& C. Quispe. ”

Paratypes. 47 males and 130 females ( USNM, DZUP, MNRJ). “ PERU: Cuzco, Est. Biol. \ Wayqecha, jct. Trochas \Schefflera & Picaflor,\ Malaise trap, WP 583,\ 13.17385 S 71.58808 \W, 2905 m. 1–12 Jun\2012, A. L. Norrbom, B.\ D. Sutton, B. Luz Puma \& C. Quispe ” ; 9 males and 15 females ( USNM, DZUP, MNRJ), “ PERU: Cuzco, Est. Biol. \ Wayqecha , cabins área\ Malaise trap, WP 511,\ 13.17456 S \ 71.58707 \W, 2924 m. 1–\ 12 Jun 2012, A. L.\Norrbom, B. D. Sutton,\ B. Luz Puma \& C. Quispe” ; 2 males and 8 female ( USNM, DZUP), “ PERU: Cuzco, Est. Biol. \ Wayqecha, Trochas Oso \ Near 2nd landslide,\ Malaise trap 6, WP 532,\ 13.1845 S 71.58459W \ 2806 m. 8–11 Dec 2011 \Norrbom, Steck, Sutton\& Nolazco” ; 1 male and 4 females ( USNM, DZUP), “ PERU: Cuzco: Estacion \ Biologica Villa Carmen,\ Trail 8 mark 8–1654,\- 12.5409 S - 7.2431 W [-70.2431, error]\ 707 m trap VC-ML-14,\ 27 Nov 2012 –20 Jan\2013, A. L. Norrbom, E.\Rodriguez, G. J. Steck,\ B. D. Sutton ” .

Distribution: Peru, Cuzco.

Etymology: The species epithet, aurifrons , refers to the golden colouration of the frons (from the latin auri = golden; frons = face). It an adjective and agrees in gender with the feminine Drepanocnemis .

Remarks: Drepanocnemis aurifrons sp. nov. is similar to D. hirticeps ( Figs.14–16 ) and can be separated from it by the golden copper pollinosity of the male frons, calypter dark brown; wing dark brown infuscated; postpronotum without long differentiated seta; notopleuron with two setae of almost the same length; anepisternum covered by shorter and less numerous cilia.

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Drepanocnemis aurifrons sp. nov., male holotype:(1) head, anterior view; (2) head, lateral view; (3) lateral view; male paratype:(4) dorsal view; female paratype: (5) head anterior view; (6) lateral view. Scale: 0.5 mm.

Figs.7–13. Drepanocnemisaurifrons sp.nov., male:(7) fore leg,posterior view;(8) sternite 5, dorsal view;(9) epandrium,cercal plateand surstyli,dorsal view;(10) epandrium, cercal plate and surstyli, lateral view; (11) hypandrium and associated structures, lateral view; female: (12) ovipositor, dorsal view; (13) ovipositor, ventral view.

Figs. 14–16. Drepanocnemis hirticeps Stein, 1911, male lectotype: (1) head, anterior view; (2) head, lateral view; (3) lateral view. Scale: 0.5mm.