Phthinia theresae, Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2010

Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2010, The genus Phthinia Winnertz (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) in the Neotropical region, with the first records from Brazil, Zootaxa 2350, pp. 22-34 : 23-26

Phthinia theresae , sp.n.

( Figs. 1 , 5 )

Diagnosis. Sc reaching C well before basal end of r-m; first sector of Rs short and transverse; M1+2 about half the length of r-m; gonocoxite with an anterior distal projection ending beyond gonostyle; gonostyle short, with a distal tooth-like sclerotization.

Material examined. Holotype 3, BRAZIL, State of Espírito Santo, Santa Teresa, Estação Biológica Santa Lúcia, 840 m, 19° 58’ 16” S 40° 32’ 06,9” W, 9-12.iv.2001 (C.O. Azevedo & eq. cols.).

Description. Male. Head. Vertex yellow, setose; three ocelli, aligned, lateral ocelli larger than mid ocellus; occiput brown; eyes setose. Scape and pedicel rounded, yellow, with a distal aureole of setae; 14 yellow, elongate flagellomeres, with scattered setae, with no distal neck, flagellomeres in contact with each other, first flagellomere longer, about 1.4 the length of flagellomere 2, flagellomeres 2-14 longer than scape and pedicel length together. Front and clypeus yellow, setose; labella yellow; four yellow palpomeres increasing in length to apex, first and second short, rounded, third and fourth elongate, fourth twice length of third. Thorax. Thorax yellow. Pronotum setose. Scutum short, strongly arched, covered with scattered small setae and rows of stronger dorsocentrals and acrosticals; scutellum setose, two mesal scutellar bristles. Pleural membrane setose along margin of anterior spiracule. Mediotergite setose laterally, laterotergite setose on posterior half. Halter yellow. Legs. Legs yellow, long and slender; first tarsomere of anterior leg about twice length of tibia; mid and hind first tarsomeres about as long as tibial length. Tibial spurs 1:2:2, short, approximately as long as tibial width at apex. Wings ( Fig. 1 ). Length, 2.8 mm. Width, 0.9 mm. Membrane hyaline, densely covered with macrotrichia, microtrichia regularly distributed over the membrane. C extending about a third of the distance between R5 and M1, ending at wing apex; Sc complete, short, reaching C before anterior apex of r-m; sc-r present, in a basal position; R1 long, reaching C at about distal fifth of wing; first sector of Rs nearly transverse, about as long as width of cell r1; r-m long, nearly longitudinal, about three times length of first sector of Rs; M1+2 present, short, less than half length of r-m; medial fork complete, M1 sinuous apically, slightly depressed before apex; cubital fork complete, M4 originating beyond medial fork, about a third of length of first sector of CuA; apex of CuA strongly arched towards base; A1 ending far from wing margin, before origin of M4. Abdomen. Abdomen yellow, setose, long and slender. Terminalia ( Fig. 5 ). Gonocoxites fused to each other ventrally, with a distal extension at the ventral face of the terminalia much longer than apex of gonostyle, a dorsal extension embracing the base of the gonostyle, setose all over; gonostyle short, obovoid, with a sclerotized tooth at apex, with three spine-like setae distally at inner face and some other scattered setae; tegmen wide distally, membranous; aedeagus strongly sclerotized; sternite 10 sclerotized, bilobed, with a pair of setae distally on each lobe; tergite 9 almost entirely divided into a pair of lobes; cercus lobose. Female. Unknown.

Etymology. Feminine. The species is named after the type-locality, Santa Teresa, in the State of Espírito Santo, in Brazil. This is a type-locality of many species and one of the spots with highest species diversity in the Atlantic Forest.

Comments. This species can be easily distinguished from P. urubici , sp.n. —which also has the long digitiform distal projection of the gonocoxite—by the shape of the gonostyle. The gonostylus in P. t h e re s a e, sp.n. is short, obovoid, with a sclerotized tooth at apex, and three spine-like setae distally. On the other hand, the gonostylus in P. urubici , sp.n. shows a long digitiform, sclerotized dorsal extension and an additional rather translucent blade, besides three stronger setae at dorsal face. The wing of P. t h e re s a e, sp.n. has shorter M1+2, as well as P. urubici , sp.n., but first sector of Rs is clearly transverse.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Male terminalia of Phthinia theresae, sp. n., dorsolateral view. Holotype. Abbreviations: Ae, aedeagus; Ce, cercus; Gc, gonocoxite; Gs, gonostylus; T 9, tergite 9; Tg, tegmen.

FIGURES 1 – 4. Wings of Phthinia. 1. P. t h ere s a e, sp. n. Holotype. 2. P. urubici, sp. n. Paratype. 3. P. freemani, sp. n. Paratype. 4. P. parafurcata, sp. n. Paratype. Scale: 0.5 mm.