Neoplasta macdonaldi, Câmara & Rafael, 2016

Câmara, Josenir T. & Rafael, José A., 2016, Neoplasta Coquillett (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) from Brazil: new species and male description of N. fortiseta Smith, Zootaxa 4084 (2) : -

Neoplasta macdonaldi sp. nov.

( Figs 23–29 )

Diagnosis. Postpedicel elongate ( Fig. 24 ); scutum with narrow longitudinal brown stripe along median line; mediotergite brown; fore tibia with longitudinal brown stripe posterodorsally ( Fig. 24 ); cercus with rounded apex ( Fig. 25 ); surstylus with pointed apex and a curved internal projection ( Fig. 27 ); phallus pointed at apex ( Fig. 28 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 23 ). Head ( Figs 23, 24 ): Dark brown to black, all setae yellowish. Ocellar triangle with 1 pair of divergent proclinate setae; anterior ocellus larger. Eye iridescent black, ommatidia enlarged anteriorly. Frons with 2 frontal setulae; 1–2 pairs of vertical setae contiguous with uniseriate row of postocular setae. Face separated, diverging ventrally, bearing fine reclinate setulae. Occiput bearing scattered fine hairs. Mouthparts yellow; proboscis slightly curved with yellow setae. Antenna yellow, with scape and pedicel bearing distinct, short dorsal setulae; postpedicel about 2.0X as long as wide, stylus very short, about 0.1X as long as postpedicel. Thorax ( Fig. 23 ): Elongate, slightly arched ventrally; pronotum with anterior margin almost straight; scutum reddish-yellow except brown on anterior margin and narrow longitudinal stripe medially; anterior margin of scutellum and mediotergite brown; scutum with yellow setae, very small and fine, except 1 notopleural, 1 postalar and 1 pair of small scutellar setae. Legs ( Fig. 24 ): Yellow except fore coxa reddish and fore tibia with longitudinal brown stripe posterodorsally. Fore coxa ~ 1.2X as long as distance between fore- and mid coxae, 2.5X as long as wide, with a few setae dorsally. Fore femur ~ 1.3X longer than fore coxa, with row of 7 anteroventral and 20 posteroventral denticles, anteroventral row on apical third. Fore tibia as long as fore femur. Mid coxa with 2 strong anteroventral setae. Mid- and hind legs slender with fine setae. Wing: Membrane faintly yellow, veins brownish; R2+3 short, gently curved towards C apically, joining C ~ 0.3X of distance between end of R1 and R4; R4+5 fork angle acute (~ 60°); cell bm+dm very long, ~ 2X as long as cell br. Halter yellowish. Abdomen ( Fig. 23 ): Brown. Tergite 8 shorter than sternite 8. Terminalia: Brown. Cercus narrower basally, rounded at apex ( Fig. 25 ); left and right cerci closely approximated anterodorsally, with scattered setae on outer face ( Fig. 26 ). Epandrium wide, with rounded apex and scattered setae on outer face ( Fig. 25 ). Surstylus with curved internal projection and pointed apex ( Figs 25, 27 ). Hypandrium subtriangular, with distinct setae ( Fig. 29 ); gonocoxal apodeme projecting as narrow process just beyond anterior margin of hypandrium. Subepandrial sclerite straight on anterior margin; hypoproct bilobate ( Fig. 27 ). Phallus sclerotized, extending beyond hypandrium apex, pointed apically ( Fig. 28 ). Ejaculatory apodeme unilamellar, short ( Fig. 29 ). Specimen length: 2.7 mm; wing length: 2.9 mm. Female. Unknown.

Geographic distribution. Brazil (Santa Catarina).

Type Material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: “ Brazilien , [Santa Catarina], Nova Teutonia. 27º11'B[S], 52º23'L[W]. xi.1971. Fritz Plaumann.” ( MZUSP).

Holotype condition. Abdomen in microtube with glycerin.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a tribute to John F. MacDonald in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the Hemerodromiinae fauna.

Remarks. Neoplasta macdonaldi sp. nov. may be related to N. neblina Rafael from the Amazon Basin. However, N. macdonaldi sp. nov. has an elongate postpedicel, yellow thorax, except for a narrow brown stripe and tergite 3 yellow. In N. neblina , the postpedicel is short, thorax is entirely brown and tergite 3 is brown.

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 29. Neoplasta macdonaldi sp. nov., holotype ♂. 23, Habitus, lateral view; 24, HeaD, fore anD miD legs, anteroventral view; 25, Terminalia, lateral view; 26, Cercus anD surstylus, Dorsal view; 27, SubepanDrial sclerite, ventral view; 28, Phallus anD hypanDrium, lateral view; 29, HypanDrium anD epanDrium, ventral view.