Sobarocephala protea Lonsdale & Marshall, 2012

Rafael, José A., Marques, Dayse W. A. & Limeira-De-Oliveira, F., 2023, Insect (Hexapoda) Diversity in the Oceanic Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: Clusiidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 5353 (4), pp. 332-350 : 345-347

Sobarocephala protea Lonsdale & Marshall, 2012

( Figs 64–74 )

The Fernando de Noronha specimen ( Figs 64–74 ) match the description of S. protea Lonsdale & Marshall, 2012 , a widely spread and incredibly variable species with respect to colour. The Noronhan specimen differs by a few characters, which we interpret as variations, namely: postpedicel yellow ( Figs 64–67 ) [versus postpedicel sometimes with faint spot at base of arista]; prescutellar acrostichal bristles present (absent); mediotergite yellow ( Fig. 65 ) [usually yellow with brown stripe below scutellum]; legs yellow, with all coxae and trochanters and base of mid and hind femora somewhat whitish ( Fig. 64 ) [coxae white and trochanter yellow]; M 1+2 ratio 3.3 (4.5–5.0 as originally informed); wing slightly brown infuscated ( Fig. 68 ) [wing clear]. The sternite 5 ( Fig. 69 ) and terminalia ( Figs 70–74 ) fits very well the redescription, mainly by cerci sunken well below distal margin of epandrium ( Fig. 71 ); phallapodeme atrophied with head absent ( Figs 72–73 ), pregonite reduced, with inconspicuous minute setae; postgonite apparently with three minuten setae ( Fig. 74 ); basiphallus well developed ( Fig. 74 ); distiphallus less sclerotized than paraphallus ( Fig. 74 ). The paraphallus is falciform in lateral view, but in posterior view is lanceolate as represented by Lonsdale & Marshall (2012) and shallowly serrate as originally described.

Distribution. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (Goiás, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Pernambuco in Fernando de Noronha archipelago, new record and Santa Catarina), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Virgin Islands.

Material examined. Brasil, PE[= Pernambuco], Fernando de Noronha, Tr. [trail] Golfinhos , 3°51’17”S – 32°26’26”W / 9–26.xi.2019, Malaise Gd [= Grande], J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira, L.C. Castro (1 ♂ INPA) .

Figures

FIGURES 64–74. Sobarocephala protea Lonsdale & Marshall. 64, habitus, lateral view; 65, habitus, dorsal view; 66, head, frontal view; 67, head, lateral view; 68, wing; 69, sternite 5, ventral view; 70, terminalia, lateral view; 71, epandrium, cercus, surstylus, subepandrial sclerite, dorsal view; 72, hypandrium and phallus, ventral view; 73, hypandrium and phallus, lateral view; 74, apex of phallus, posterior view. Abbreviations: ej apod = ejaculatory apodeme; hypd = hypandrium; paraph = paraphallus; phapod = phallapodeme; st = sternite; subepand scl = subepandrial sclerite.