Triplocania ferratilis, Neto & García Aldrete & Rafael & Ferreira, 2021

Neto, Alberto Moreira Da Silva, García Aldrete, Alfonso N., Rafael, José Albertino & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2021, Checklist and identification key to Brazilian species of Triplocania Roesler (Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’: Psocomorpha: Ptiloneuridae), with four new cavedwelling species, Zootaxa 4938 (5), pp. 537-558 : 543-546

Triplocania ferratilis n. sp. Male

( Figs 8–15 )

Diagnosis. Forewings mostly hyaline, veins brown, with a dark brown spot at wing margin; pterostigma with a brown band proximally and distally, transverse band anteriorly; a brown band from the middle of CuA to wing margin, through the end of CuP; hypandrium of one sclerite, anchor-shaped, side processes stout, distally truncate, with posterior processes stout, club-shaped, distally dilated, bearing short, acuminate processes on the surface, a Ushaped, smooth process in the concavity between the posterior processes ( Fig. 12 ); phallosome ( Fig. 13 ) with three pairs of endophallic sclerites, anterior pair large, transverse, sinuous, S-shaped, almost together in the middle of the endophallus, narrowing distally, like a tail; lateral-pair, almost elliptic anteriorly, with a triangular projection on the inner margin, distally narrower with two small acuminate projections on each side; posterior pair small, V-shaped.

Color (in 80% ethanol). Compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, with ochre centripetal crescents, head pattern ( Fig. 8 ). Scape and pedicel brown, f1 yellow, with apex brown, f2–f3 brown, with apices pale yellow. Mx4 brown. Coxae brown, trochanters yellow, femora proximally brown and then yellow, tibiae brown with apices dark brown, tarsomeres 1–3 pale brown. Forewings veins brown ( Figs 9 , 15 ). Hindwings almost hyaline, veins brown, each with a small brown spot distally at wing margin, and a small pale brown area on CuP at wing margin ( Figs. 10 , 15 ).

Morphology. Head with vertex concave in the middle, slightly above the level of the upper border of the compound eyes, these without interommatidial setae ( Fig. 8 ). Outer cusp of lacinial tips broad, with four denticles ( Fig. 11 ). Forewing pterostigma wider in the middle, narrow basally; areola postica tall, wide basally, distally touching the wing margin after the first bifurcation of the M stem, with round apex; M stem concave proximally, then almost straight, M 1 convex, M 2 sinuous, M 3 almost straight, Rs stem slightly convex proximally, then almost straight, R 2+3 straight, R 4+5 sinuous ( Fig. 9 ). Hindwing Rs stem straight, R 2+3 straight, R 4+5 slightly concave proximally, then almost straight, M stem sinuous ( Fig. 10 ). Hypandrium ( Fig. 12 ), straight anteriorly, of one sclerite, anchor-shaped, side processes stout, distally truncate, with posterior processes stout, club-shaped, distally dilated, bearing short, acuminate processes on the surface, a U-shaped, smooth process in the concavity between the posterior processes. Phallosome ( Fig. 13 ) with side struts independent, V shaped, fused posteriorly to external parameres, these curved outwards, tips broad, with pores posteriorly; with three pairs of endophallic sclerites, anterior pair large, transverse, sinuous, S-shaped, almost together in the middle of the endophallus, narrowing distally, like a tail; lateral-pair, almost elliptic anteriorly, with a triangular projection on the inner margin, distally narrower with two small acuminate projections on each side; posterior pair small, V-shaped. Epiproct almost triangular, three setae mesally, a long seta mesally near each side, other setae as illustrated ( Fig. 14 ). Paraprocts broadly triangular, narrow proximally, widening distally, sensory fields with 24 trichobothria on basal rosettes, setae as illustrated ( Fig. 14 ).

Measurements (in microns). FW: 3941, HW: 2677, F: 983, T: 1582, t1: 688, t2: 87, t3: 145, f1: 589, f2: 485, f3: 418, Mx4: 245, IO: 463, D: 348 d: 221, PO: 0.64.

Material examined. Holotype male (ISLA/UFLA). BRAZIL. Minas Gerais. Nova Lima. Gruta TAQ-17. (ISLA 11616). 43°51’21.45”S: 19°55’25.89”W. 19.V.2014. Equipe Bioespeleo . Paratype: 1 male (INPA). Same data as the holotype, except Gruta TAQ-R24. ( ISLA 11657) .

Etymology. The specific name ferratilis refers to the presence of this species in iron ore caves.

Taxonomic Comments. The hypandrium of one sclerite in Triplocania ferratilis n. sp. is shared by fourteen species of Triplocania ( T. calcarata New, 1980 ; T. newi Silva-Neto, Rafael & García Aldrete, 2014 ; T. caudata New, 1980 ; T. caudatoides García Aldrete, 1999 ; T. cervantesi García Aldrete, 1999 ; T. halffterorum García Aldrete, 2012 ; T. immaculata New, 1980 ; T. chocoensis González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ; T. embera González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ; T. garciamarquezi González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ; T. huitota González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ; T. lithophila González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ; T. lucida Roesler, 1940 and T. lamensuraensis González, Carrejo & García Aldrete, 2017 ). Triplocania ferratilis n. sp., differs from all these species in having the unique shape of the central sclerite of the hypandrium, phallosome and pattern of forewing pigmentation and venation as indicated above.

Habitat. Specimens of this new species were found in two iron ore caves located at the municipality of Nova Lima, southeastern Brazil. Although one of the caves has around 15 meters of extension (TAQ-17), the other is quite small, consisting of a crevice 0.7 m deep in the iron ore rock (TAQ-R24), thus suggesting that caves may not be the main shelter or habitat of this species. It is likely that individuals use the caves or crevices as occasional shelters to protect them against wind. Iron ore landscapes are frequently covered by a sparse shrubby vegetation, regionally called “canga” or metallophilic savanna ( Skirycz et al. 2014), and are subject to strong winds. The area is part of the “iron quadrangle”, which has hundreds of iron ore caves, and is a region highly impacted by both urban and mining expansion ( Gomes et al. 2019). This raises concerns about the species conservation, and future studies are needed to better understand its distribution and preferred habitat.

Figures

FIGURES 15. Triplocania ferratilis n. sp. (Holotype male) before dissection. Scale in mm.

FIGURES 8–14. Triplocania ferratilis n. sp. (Holotype male). 8. Front view of head. 9. Forewing. 10. Hindwing. 11. Lacinial tip. 12. Hypandrium. 13. Phallosome. 14. Clunium, right paraproct and epiproct. Scales in mm.