Miroculis (Miroculis) stenopterus, Lima, Lucas R. C., Raimundi, Erikcsen A., Pinheiro, Ulisses & Salles, Frederico F., 2014

Lima, Lucas R. C., Raimundi, Erikcsen A., Pinheiro, Ulisses & Salles, Frederico F., 2014, A new species of Miroculis Edmunds, 1963 (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3795 (4), pp. 441-448 : 442-447

Miroculis (Miroculis) stenopterus , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–17 )

Diagnosis. Miroculis (M.) stenopterus , sp. nov., can be separated from all congeners by the following combination of characteristics. Male imago: 1) 13–14 facets in the longest row of upper portion of compound eye; 2) fore and hind wings hyaline washed with brown basally; 3) MP2 free basally; 4) cubitoanal margin on forewing poorly developed; 5) styliger plate short, ½ length of sternite IX. Nymph: 1) anterolateral margin of labrum slightly flattened; 2) SII of labial palpi 1.01–1.04 x length of SI; 3) terga I–X with posterior blackish brown band and lateral markings; 4) terga VI–VII medially with a triangular, blackish macula; 5) posterolateral spines on terga VI–IX.

Male imago. Lengths. Body: 3.3–3.5 mm; forewing: 4.0– 4.5 mm; angularity of cubitoanal region: 108°; hind wing: 0.9 mm; foreleg: 2.4 mm; cercus: 8.5 mm.

Ratios. Legs: segments of foreleg: 0.89: 1.00 (0.90 mm): 0.06: 0.20: 0.14: 0.09: 0.26. Wings: FWW 0.36 x FWL; HWL 0.20 x FWL; HWW: 0.62 x HWL; fork of MA2 of forewing 0.54 x total length of MA. Genitalia: maximum length along median line 0.55 x maximum width; lateral margin 0.57 x maximum width; FSIII 1.11 x FSII; FSIII: 0.33 x FSI; PL: 0.86 x FSI.

Coloration. Head: orangish-brown at base of eyes, washed with dark gray anteriorly, pale between ocelli ( Fig. 1 ). Lower portion of compound eye black; stalk of upper portion light orange, with facets light yellow separated by dark brown grooves ( Figs. 1–2 ). Ocelli white surrounded with black ( Fig. 1 ). Antenna brown.

Thorax: pronotum orangish-brown heavily washed with black on lateral margins. Meso- and metanotum dark orangish-brown with a V-shaped blackish mark between the posterior scutal projections. Pleura and sterna lightbrown with margins dark-brown.

Wings: forewing with membrane hyaline washed with light brown near base; longitudinal veins brown with C, Sc and R darker, cross-veins weakly developed and brown ( Fig. 3 ). Hind wing with membrane hyaline washed with light blackish brown near base; longitudinal and cross veins brownish ( Fig. 4 ).

Legs: foreleg yellowish translucent; anterior surface of femur with central blackish line, subapical blackish mark and apical brown band. Ventral margin of tibia with sub-basal gray mark and subapical blackish band, and tarsi with apical gray mark. Middle and hind legs with anterior surface of femora with blackish marks on apex of dorsal margin and on median region, and subapical blackish band. Subapical grayish band on tibiae. Dorsal margin of tibiae with apical grayish mark.

Abdomen: terga pale washed with gray. Terga I and VIII–X completely washed with gray; anterior region of terga II–VII with submedial pale mark; third basal of terga II–VIII with transversal brownish mark; medial portion of terga II–VIII with longitudinal brownish stripe. Sterna pale; third basal of sterna I–IX with transversal grayish mark.

Genitalia: styliger plate brown on posterior margin; forceps brown; dark brown on apical third of SI, on SII and on basal third of SIII; apex of SIII whitish ( Fig. 5 ). Penis dark brown ( Fig. 6 ).

Caudal filaments: broken off and missing.

Morphology. Head: upper portion of compound eye on a short stalk, separated medially by a distance approximately 0.7–0.8 x maximum width of an upper portion ( Fig. 2 ). Medial projection on dorsal surface absent. Dorsal surface circular with 13–14 facets on longest row ( Fig. 1 ).

Wings: forewing with bulla visible; 5 cross-veins between C and Sc; fork of MA2 slightly asymmetric; crossvein connecting MP and CuA basal to the fusion of MP1 and MP2 absent; MP, IMP, MP2 and CuA free basally; two A veins slightly straight ( Fig. 3 ). Hind wing with apex rounded; costal projection poorly developed; veins Sc ending distant to apex of costal projection; fork of R and MA asymmetric; MP free basally; CuP and A vein absent. Legs: claws of foreleg dissimilar, with one claw ending in hook-like projection and one blunt.

Genitalia: posteromedial portion of styliger plate smoothly straight; median invagination present and medial incision absent; apex of FSII subequal in width to base of its segment; basal ¼ of inner margin of FSI narrowing abruptly; inner margin undulated and ¼ distal margin developed and outer margin smooth ( Fig. 4 ). Penis wider basally, narrowing toward apex with apex rounded; row of spines absent ( Fig. 5 ).

Female Imago. Unknown.

Mature nymph (tentative). Lengths. Body: 3.3–3.5 mm. Foreleg: 2.75 mm; middle leg: 2.54 mm (coxa and trochanter are left); hind leg broken off and missing. Cercus: 5.40 mm.

Ratios. Head: width of mandible 0.60 x length. Width of SI of labium 0.52x length; SIII of labial palp 0.39 x SII; SIII 0.52 x SI; SII 1.33 x SI; length of paraglossa 0.29 x width. Maxilla: SIII of maxillary palp 0.39 x SII; SIII 0.44 x SI; SII 1.13 x SI. Legs: foreleg: width of femur 0.33 x length; width of tarsal claw 0.29 x length; middleg: width of femur 0.33 x length; hind leg: width of femur 0.29 x length. Gill: length of medial filament 0.64 x length of body of gill.

Coloration. Head: brown with pale area surrounding ocelli and eyes; lateral edges of genae blackish gray; antenna with scape and flagellum pale yellow and pedicel blackish gray ( Fig. 7 ). Eye: upper portion of turbinate eye dark brown and lower portion blackish; ocelli apically purplish and basally blackish ( Fig. 7 ). Mouthparts: mandibles brown ( Fig. 11–12 ); maxillae light brown ( Fig. 13 ); hypopharynx light brown; superlingua as in Fig. 14 ; labium light brown ( Fig. 15 ); submentum light brown.

Thorax: pro-, meso-, and metanotum brown with medial pale yellow line; meso- and metanotum with distinct “V” marks on medial area ( Fig. 7 ). Thoracic sterna whitish, except metasternum with anterior margin dark.

Legs: pale yellowish brown with femora with sub-apical and medial blackish bands ( Fig. 16 ); ventral margin of tibia with blackish mark and subapical blackish band.

Abdomen: abdominal terga I–X with posterior blackish brown band and lateral markings; terga VI–VII medially with a triangular, medial blackish macula; terga IX–X light brown with lateral minute markings; sterna pale yellowish brown ( Figs. 7–9 ). Gills gray and trachea blackish gray ( Fig. 17 ). Caudal filaments pale yellow; basal portion of joint darker.

Morphology. Head: clypeus concave anteriorly; labrum with anterolateral margin slightly flattened and lateral margins rounded to angular ( Fig. 10 ); outer margin of mandibles curved ( Figs. 11–12 ); inner margin of apex on SII of labial palp not acute.

Legs: subapical denticle of tarsal claw of foreleg larger than the remaining denticles ( Fig. 17 ).

Abdomen: posterolateral spines on segments VI–IX ( Fig. 11 ); spines well-developed on segments VIII–IX. Gill: trachea unbranched ( Fig. 18 ).

Life cycle associations. The tentative association between male imago and nymph was made by shared abdominal color pattern. Besides that, both stages were collected in the same locality. Note that the holotype is a male imago.

Etymology. The epithet stenopterus (from greek words stenos — narrow and pterus — wing) is due the uncommon shape of forewing for species of the genus Miroculis .

Type material. Holotype: one male imago, Brazil, Pernambuco State, Amaraji, Rio Amaraji, near Usina Campo Belo, 8°21'48.9"S, 35°28'49.0"W, 320m, 21.iv.2012, L.R.C. Lima coll. ( CZNC). Paratypes: same as holotype except 20.i.2011, one male subimago ( CZNC); same as preceding except 28.iv.2012, one male imago ( CZNC); same as preceding except 06.xii.2012, three nymphs ( CZNC). Two male imagos, Brazil, Pernambuco State, Amaraji, Rio Amaraji, Poço do Carreiro, 8°22'1.94"S, 35°28'8.73"W, 269m, 28.iv.2012, L.R.C. Lima, W.R.M Souza cols. ( CZNC).

Additional material. One nymph, Brazil, Pernambuco State, Amaraji, Barragem Jaguarana, S8°21'01.6", W 35°24'27.7", 265m, L.R.C. Lima coll ( UFPE).

Comments. The new species has an uncommon forewing shape for members of the genus Miroculis (i.e., long and slender, similar to the species of Microphlebia Savage & Peters, 1983 ). However, the new species and all species of Miroculis have a tent-shaped costal projection on hind wings ( Fig. 4 ), while in Microphlebia this projection is well-developed, acute and rounded. Regarding the tarsal claw, the hook-like shape is common to the species of Microphlebia , Miroculitus Savage & Peters, 1983 , Hermanellopsis ( Spieth, 1943) , and one species of Miroculis , M. (M.) bicoloratus Savage, 1987 .

Among the species of Miroculis , M. (M.) marauiae Savage & Peters, 1983 and M. (M.) rossi Edmunds, 1963 share similar characteristics with the imago of the new species, such as the upper portion of the eyes being on narrow, dorsally-directed stalks ( Fig. 2 ); fore and hind wings without maculae around cross veins ( Fig. 3–4 ); and penis not extending beyond forceps ( Fig. 5 ). Nevertheless, the new species differs from M. (M.) rossi by the size of penis (0.8 x the length of SI of forceps in M. (M.) stenopterus , sp. nov., and 2.0– 2.2 in M. (M.) rossi ), as well as the number of facets in the male compound eyes (14 facets in M. (M.) stenopterus , sp. nov., and six facets in M. (M.) rossi ). Regarding M. (M.) marauiae , the shapes of the penis (not apically hooked in the new species) and the posteromedian margin of styliger plate (excavated medially in the new species) clearly distinguish them.

In relation to nymphs, M. (M.) stenopterus , sp. nov., shares some similar characters with M. (M.) marauiae , M. (M.) brasiliaensis Savage & Peters, 1983 , M. (M.) fittkau i and M. (Ommaethus) mourei Savage & Peters, 1983 , especially by gills with coloration grayish and trachea unbranched ( Fig. 18 ). Among them, M. (M.) marauiae is more similar to the new species by having a similar slight flattening of the anterolateral margin of the labrum, terga VI–VII with blackish maculae, and caudal filaments that are brownish-yellow and darker on the joints. However, M. (M.) marauiae can be differentiated from the new species by the following characteristics: SII of labial palpi 1.11–1.25 x length of SI (1.01–1.04 x on the new species), sterna I–IX with posterolateral corners brownish-black (sterna completely pale yellowish brown on new species) and posterolateral spines on terga III–IX (VI–IX on new species).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Male imago of Miroculis (M.) stenopterus, sp. nov. 1. Frontal view of head; 2. Dorsal view of head.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Male imago of Miroculis (M.) stenopterus, sp. nov. 3. Forewing (a = joint between apical costal arc and Sc; b = apical point of CuA; c = apical point of R 1); 4. Hind wing; 5. Male genitalia, ventral view; 6. Detail of penis (dorsal view).

FIGURES 7 – 9. Putative nymph of Miroculis (M.) stenopterus, sp. nov. 7. Dorsal habitus; 8. Detail of abdominal terga; 9. Detail of abdominal sterna.

FIGURES 10 – 15. Putative nymph of Miroculis (M.) stenopterus, sp. nov. 10. Labrum (dorsal view); 11. Left mandible (dorsal view); 12. Right mandible (dorsal view); 13. Maxilla (ventral view); 14. Hypopharynx (venral view); 15. Labium: Ventral view (right), dorsal view (left).

FIGURES 16 – 18. Putative nymph of Miroculis (M.) stenopterus, sp. nov. 16. Foreleg; 17. Detail of tarsal claw of foreleg; 18. Gill III.