Hydrellia apalachee Deonier 1993

Júnior, Francisco De Assis Rodrigues, Mathis, Wayne Nielsen & Couri, Márcia Souto, 2014, Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Ephydridae) from Brazil with an emphasis on the faunas from the states of Parana and Rio de Janeiro, Zootaxa 3753 (6), pp. 501-541 : 507-508

Hydrellia apalachee Deonier 1993

(Figs.: 2, 3.1–3.7 and 4.1)

Hydrellia apalachee Deonier 1993: 198 , 200–202 (description of male and female; host plant: Limnobium spp. ( Hydrocharitaceae ) and Pistia spp. ( Araceae ). Holotype male, USNM. Type-locality: Florida, Putnam Co: Rodman Reservoir (29°36'31''N, 81°44'39''W *); Mathis & Zatwarnicki 1995: 63 (world catalog); Deonier 1998: 65 –67 (redescription).

Diagnosis. Body length of male 1.20-1.65 mm *, female 1.30-1.85 mm *. Narrow fronto-orbital plate concolorous with and continuous with parafacial; posterior fronto-orbital seta 1.5–2.0 times as long as anterior seta; antenna mostly velvety dark brown microtomentose; 7–9 aristal rays; parafacial very narrow, light gray microtomentose; scutellum and dorsal 0.3–0.5 of notopleuron densely brown microtomentose; lower 0.5–0.7 of notopleuron and other pleural areas densely silvery gray microtomentose (fig. 4.1); conspicuous paired light gray vitta coursing from anterior end of dorsocentral row to basal angle of scutellum; well-developed dorsocentral setae 0+1; legs mostly dark brown or dark grayish brown except for dark yellowish brown or orange mid and hind tarsi; median 0.3 of posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and congruent with distiphallus in ventral view (figs. 3.1 and 3.2); anterolateral margin of sternite 5 acutangular, sternite 5 with incurved posterior arm bearing 1 apical robust spine like seta and 3 short subapical smaller spinoid setulae and a shorter posteriorly directed medial lobe bearing numerous dentiform setulae or spinulae distally (figs. 3.1 and 3.2); surstylus notched narrowly and deeply anteromedially (to mid length) and with moderately deep, narrowly rounded anterolateral notch separating a narrow lateral lobe rounded distally and wider anterolateral lobe slightly emarginate distally (figs. 3.1 and 3.7).

Description. Head: as broad as high; frontal vitta light grayish brown microtomentose contrasting with dark brown to black fronto-orbital plate; fronto-orbital area concolorous with and continuous with parafacial; posterior fronto-orbital mostly posterolateroclinate and 1.5–2.0 times as long as anterior seta, usually with secondary setula between them; antenna mostly dark brown microtomentose with first flagellomere bearing dense pale micropubescence anteromedially; pedicel with 1 moderate developed spine like setae and 2 ventral hair like setulae; 7–9 aristal rays; face in anterior view golden yellow; in lateral view nearly vertical but with a shallow medial carina, antennal groove distinct; 6 primary facial setae; 1 declinate dorsal secondary facial setulae; lunule light gray microtomentose; parafacial very narrow, light gray microtomentose; genal groove dark brown to black; gena and occiput silvery gray; postgena with 1 well-developed setulae; maxillary palpus moderate to dark yellow, quasispathulate; epistomal ratio: 1.82–2.13; mesofacial ratio: 2.65–3.00; vertex ratio: 6.43–7.00; eye-to-gena ratio: 5.22–6.00; head ratio: 1.23–1.28.

Thorax: mesonotum with conspicuous paired light gray microtomentose vittae coursing from anterior end of dorsocentral row to basal angle of scutellum; postpronotum silvery gray; mesonotum, scutellum and dorsal 0.3–0.5 of notopleuron densely brown microtomentose; lower 0.5–0.7 of notopleuron and other pleural areas densely silvery gray microtomentose (fig. 4.1); well-developed dorsocentral setae 0+1; 1 postpronotal setae; 3 scutellar setae, mid pair weakly developed; 1 mesokatepisternal seta. Wings: length 1.72–1.81 mm; hyaline; venation light yellowish brown; knob of halter fluorescent yellow, stem dark brown; costal section indices: II/I: 1.78–2.09; III/IV: 3.06–3.44; V/IV: 3.72–4.11; vein M ratio: 3.07–3.58. Legs: densely light gray microtomentose over dark grayish brown except for mostly dark yellowish brown or orange mid and hind basitarsomeres; fore tarsi mostly dark brown.

Abdomen: semi glossy, moderate grayish or reddish brown dorsally, light gray microtomentose laterally and ventrally; male, in dorsal view, with posterolateral corners of second to tergite 5 light gray microtomentose. Male terminalia: median 0.3 of posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and congruent with distiphallus in ventral view, anterolateral margin acutangular, sternite 5 with incurved posterior arm bearing 1 apical robust spine like seta and 3 short subapical smaller spinoid setulae and a shorter posteriorly directed medial lobe bearing numerous dentiform setulae or spinulae distally (figs. 3.1 and 3.2); basiphallus, in ventral view (fig. 3.3), expanded medially and, in lateral view (fig. 3.4), with deep ventral notch and a smaller dorsal sulcus on basal third, tip of basiphallus visible above anterior margin of surstylus; phallapodeme, in lateral view (fig. 3.6), very obliquely angled toward both ends from inconspicuous mid dorsal condyle; surstylus notched narrowly and deeply anteromedially (to mid length) and with moderately deep, narrowly rounded anterolateral notch separating a narrow lateral lobe rounded distally and wider anterolateral lobe slightly emarginate distally (figs. 3.1 and 3.7); epandrium broad, roundly, truncate posteriorly (fig. 3.1). Female terminalia: tergites 3–5 subequal in size; tergite 6 two to three times longer than seventh; tergites 7–8 subequal; tergites 7–8 mostly retracted within sixth; cerci in ventral view ovoid, in lateral view pyriform; hypoproct roundly triangular, ovoid; third to sternite 6s roundly rectangular, longer than wide; sternite 7 roundly quadrate; tergite 8 strap-like, two to three times wider than long; ventral receptacle with a cap cupuliform, almost as long as wide.

Material examined. Brazil: Paraná, Matinhos (25°46.4’S, 48°30.8’W; 3m), 30.I.2010, D. and W. N. Mathis (1 male, 1 female; MNRJ). Rio de Janeiro, Floresta da Tijuca (22°57’27.60”S, 43°16’26.08”W; 507 m), 17.XI.2011; F. A. Rodrigues Jr. (1 male; MNRJ).

Distribution. Nearctic: United States (Florida). Neotropical: Brazil (Paraná and Rio de Janeiro).

Notes. Hydrellia apalachee is recorded for the first time from the Neotropical Region. H. apalachee can be easily distinguished among the Brazilian species of Hydrellia by the coloration of notopleuron and the male terminalia.