Parabezzia casimirensis Felippe-Bauer & Spinelli

Felippe-Bauer, Maria Luiza & Spinelli, Gustavo R., 2015, New species and new records of the predaceous midge genus Parabezzia Malloch (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 3915 (3), pp. 390-402 : 396-399

Parabezzia casimirensis Felippe-Bauer & Spinelli , sp. nov.

Figs. 14–20

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the Parabezzia brunnea group in which the females are large (wing length 1.2–1.4 mm), the fore and hind tarsomeres 5 have prominent ventral swelling, and the hind tarsal claws are slightly longer than the fore and mid ones, with the mid claws smaller.

Female. Head brown. Eyes separated by V-shaped space equal to diameter of 2.5 (n=4) ommatidia at level of interocular setae ( Fig. 18 ). Antennal flagellum pale brown ( Fig. 15 ); pedicel brown; antennal ratio 1.07–1.12 (1.08, n=4). Clypeus with 12–14 slender setae. Palpus pale brown ( Fig. 16 ); segment 3 with few capitate hyaline sensilla on inner mesal surface; palpal ratio 3.6–3.8 (3.7, n=4). Mandible with 7–9 teeth.

Thorax dark brown. Scutum with 4 presutural, 4–5 posterolateral setae; scutellum with 9–11 (4–6 stout, 5–6 delicate) setae. Wing (Fig. 14) length 1.2–1.4 (1.3, n=4) mm; breadth 0.54–0.63 (n=0.58, n=4) mm; membrane slightly infuscated; Sc, M, r-m, R1 and R3 brown; wing sections lenght 770–530–65µ, two setae on costa proximad of basal arculus; costal fringe long in margin and center of costa, uniformly distributed along margin of vein and sparsely distributed on center of vein in the distal ½ of section I and in sections II and III; R3 ending at 0.98 of wing lenght; costal extension reaching 0.37–0.48 (0.42, n=4) the length from tip of R3 to tip of M1. Halter pale brown. Legs brown ( Fig. 20 ), hind legs darker; hind tibial comb with 7–10, commonly 10 spines (n=4); tarsi paler ( Fig. 19 ), palisade setae in single row on hind tarsomere 1; fore and hind tarsomere 5 with prominent ventral swelling, inconspicuous on mid tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claws slightly longer than fore and mid tarsal claws, being the mid claws the smallest, lengths of larger and smaller talons of fore, mid and hind claws: 115/45 – 98/33 – 135/50 µ (n=4); longest talon of fore, mid and hind leg claws smaller than lenght of their respective tarsomeres 5, LC/T ratios of fore, mid and hind legs 0.85–0.85–0.94 (n=4); hind tarsal ratio 2.6–2.8 (2.7, n=4).

FIGURE 14. Parabezzia casimirensis sp. nov., female. A. Wing; B. Wing base, showing costa; C. Wing apex, showing r3.

Abdomen brown. Two subequal ovoid spermathecae ( Fig. 17 ) with very short necks, when present, measuring 77.5 X 60 µ and 70 X 55 µ (n=4).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Rio de Janeiro).

Types. Holotype ♀, BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro, Casimiro de Abreu, Union Biological Reserve (22° 25′ 35″ S, 42° 2′ 4″ W), 28.XII.2012 – 31.I.2013, “ Biota Diptera Fluminense ” team col., Malaise trap (CCER). Paratypes, 3 ♀: 1 ♀, same data as holotype (CCER), 2 ♀, same data as holotype except 16.III–25.IV.2013 (CCER; MLP).

Etymology. This species is named after the originairies of Casimiro de Abreu, municipality of Rio de Janeiro State, where the specimens were collected.

Taxonomic discussion. Parabezzia casimirensis differs from the other Neotropical species of the brunnea species group by its wing length 1.2–1.4 mm (1.03 mm in P. caribbeana , 1.00 mm in P. arenosa , 0.93–0.98 mm in P. unica sp. nov.), by the fore and hind tarsomere 5 with prominent ventral swelling, inconspicuous on mid tarsomere 5 (ventral swelling absent on hind tarsomere 5 in P. a re n os a and P. caribbeana , on mid tarsomere 5 in P. unica sp. nov., on all tarsomeres in P. brunnea ), and by the hind tarsal ratio 2.6–2.8 (2.4 in P. arenosa , 2.5 in P. caribbeana and P. indistincta sp. nov., 3.6 in P. fuscipennis ).

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 20. Parabezzia casimirensis sp. nov., female. 15. Antenna; 16. Palpus, lateral view; 17. Spermathecae; 18. Eyes separation, anterior view; 19. Tarsi (left to right) fore, mid-and hind tarsomeres, lateral view; 20. Legs (left to right) of fore, mid- and hindlegs, lateral view.