Neoplasta fortiseta Smith, 1962

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 fortiseta Smith

( Figs 1–8 )

Neoplasta fortiseta Smith, 1962: 263 . Holotype ♀. Smith, 1967: 43 (cat.); Yang et al., 2007: 278 (cat.).

Diagnosis. Scutum with longitudinal stripe medially becoming wider posteriorly; fore femur with row of stout anteroventral and posteroventral pinnate setae ( Fig. 2 ); fore tibia with black spots ventrally ( Fig. 2 ); cercus with ventral projection near middle, somewhat rounded apically ( Fig. 4 ); surstylus with 2 strong apical setae ( Figs 4, 5 ); hypandrium reduced ( Figs 4, 7, 8 ).

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Head ( Fig. 1 ): Dark brown to black, with all setae whitish. Ocellar triangle with 1 pair of divergent proclinate setae; anterior ocellus larger. Eye iridescent black, ommatidia enlarged anteriorly. Frons with 3 frontal setulae; 1–2 pairs of vertical setae contiguous with uniseriate row of postocular setae. Face 4X longer than wide, lateral margins converging ventrally, with fine reclinate setulae. Occiput with scattered fine hairs. Mouthparts yellow; proboscis slightly curved, with yellow setae. Antenna yellow, with scape and pedicel bearing distinct short dorsal setulae; postpedicel short, lanceolate, as long as wide, stylus about 0.2X as long as postpedicel. Thorax ( Fig. 1 ): Elongate, slightly arched ventrally. Pronotum with anterior margin almost straight. Scutum yellow except for brown longitudinal stripe medially becoming wider posteriorly; scutum with yellow setae, very small and fine except 1 notopleural seta. Scutellum and mediotergite dark brown; scutellum with 1 pair of setae. Legs ( Fig. 2 ): Yellow, except for black spots ventrally on fore tibia, and entire tarsomeres 4–5 dark brown. Fore coxa ~ 0.9X distance between fore- and mid coxae, 3X as long as wide with a few setae dorsally. Fore femur ~ 1.2X longer than fore coxa, stout, with 1 anteroventral spine, one row of 6–8 anteroventral denticles, 13 posteroventral denticles on distal 1/3 and 12 posteroventral spines, with anteroventral and posterodorsal rows comprising of stout pinnate setae. Fore tibia ~ 0.9X length of fore femur, flattened, with black spots and row of fine setae ventrally. Fore tarsomere 1 about 1.5X longer than tarsomere 2. Mid tibia with row of 4 spine-like setae on distal third. Mid- and hind legs slender, with fine setae; mid- and hind tarsomere 1 about 2.5X longer than tarsomere 2. Wing ( Fig. 1 ): Membrane faintly yellow, veins brownish. R2+3 short and slightly curved towards C apically, joining C ~ 0.2X distance between end of R1 and R4; R4+5 fork angle acute (~ 80°); cell bm+dm very long, ~ 1.7X as long as cell br. Halter yellowish. Abdomen ( Fig. 1 ): Tergites membranous, yellow, except for tergites 7 and 8 brown; tergite 8 connected to, and shorter than, sternite 8 ( Fig. 3 ). Terminalia: Dark brown. Cercus with ventral projection near middle ( Fig. 4 ), downcurved apically ( Fig. 3 ), left and right cerci closely approximated anterodorsally, with scattered setae on outer face ( Fig. 5 ). Epandrium wide, subquadrate, with scattered setae on outer face ( Figs 3, 4 ). Surstylus with small and curved internal projection and 2 strong, long setae apically ( Fig. 6 ). Hypandrium somewhat triangular, with distinct setae ( Fig. 8 ); gonocoxal apodeme projecting as narrow process just beyond anterior margin of hypandrium. Subepandrial sclerite straight on anterior margin; hypoproct rather membranous and slightly bilobate ( Fig. 6 ). Phallus sclerotized, extending beyond hypandrium apex ( Fig. 7 ). Ejaculatory apodeme unilamellar, very short. Specimen length: 2.9 mm; wing length: 2.8 mm. Female. Description in Smith (1962).

Geographic distribution. Brazil (Santa Catarina).

Examined material. Brazil [Santa Catarina]: Nova Teutonia , 27º11'B[S]-52º23'L[W] xi.1971, F. Plaumann (4 ♂, INPA; 4 ♂ MZUSP).

Variation. Males with body length varying from 2.6–3.2 mm and wing length varying from 2.2–2.9 mm.

Remarks. Only the female was previously known for this species. Male specimens housed in MZUSP were collected in the same locality as the holotype, and all have similar external morphological characters. Neoplasta fortiseta appears to be related to N. spinulosa sp. nov. in having the following characters: postpedicel short; tibia stout, flattened ( Figs 2 , 38 ); cercus wide and slightly downcurved apically ( Figs 4 , 40 ) and surstylus with internal projections ( Figs. 6 , 41 ). Neoplasta fortiseta differs from N. spinulosa sp. nov. by fore femur with row of pinnate setae ( Fig. 2 ); mid trochanter and tibia with no spine; and cercus with ventral projection distally ( Fig. 4 ). In N. spinulosa sp. nov. the fore femur is without pinnate setae; mid trochanter and tibia with spine ( Fig. 39 ); and cercus without ventral projection ( Fig. 40 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Neoplasta fortiseta Smith, ♂. 1, Habitus, lateral view; 2, HeaD anD fore tibia, anteroventral view; 3, tergite 8 (T 8), sternite 8 (ST 8) anD terminalia, lateral view; 4, Terminalia, lateral view; 5, Cercus anD epanDrium, Dorsal view; 6, SubepanDrial sclerite, epanDrium anD surstylus, ventral view; 7, Phallus anD hypanDrium, lateral view; 8, Phallus anD hypanDrium, ventral view.

FIGURES 35 – 43. Neoplasta spinulosa sp. nov., holotype ♂. 35, Habitus, lateral view; 36, Wing; 37, Cercus anD epanDrium, Dorsal view; 38, HeaD anD fore tibia, anteroventral view; 39, MiD leg, lateral view; 40, Terminalia, lateral view; 41, SubepanDrial sclerite, epanDirum anD surstylus, Dorsal view; 42, Phallus anD hypanDrium, lateral view; 43, HypanDrium anD epanDrium, ventral view.