Pseudosympycnus

Soares, Matheus M. M. & Capellari, Renato S., 2020, Review of the Neotropical genus Pseudosympycnus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) with description of six new species from Brazil and Peru, Zootaxa 4881 (2), pp. 231-256 : 233-234

Identification key to species of Pseudosympycnus (males)

(Females are not confidently associated to males at this stage and hence were not included in the present key).

1 Palpus as long as head height ( Figs 26–27 ); tibia I compressed, white, except ventral surface yellow ( Fig. 70 ) [ Brazil: Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and S„o Paulo]....................................................... P. latitibia sp. nov.

- Palpus shorter than head height, about 1/3 to 2/3 as head height (e.g., Figs 16–19 ); tibia I not compressed (or only thicker than tibiae II and III), mostly yellow or brown, never white ( Figs 11 , 40–41 ).......................................... 2

2 It 1 compressed and trapezoidal, with dorsal crest bearing fringe of setae increasing in size towards apex ( Figs 41 , 58 ); It 2 with dorsal projection, and apical crest bearing long setae ( Figs 41 , 58 ); tibia II with anteroventral row of erect short setae (as long as diameter of tibia) extending to IIt 1 ( Fig. 69 ) [ Dominica]................................... P. perornatus Robinson

- It 1 cylindrical or nearly so ( Figs 40 , 42, 44 ), sometimes with dorsal row of setae, but never with crest bearing fringe of setae; It 2 without dorsal projection or apical crest bearing long setae ( Fig. 40 ); tibia II without anteroventral row of erect short setae... ................................................................................................... 3

3 It 2 with 1 anteroventrally curved seta near base; It 3 compressed with dorsal rows of slender setae ( Robinson 1967, fig. 10); IIIt 3 triangular, with apical projection overlapping base of IIIt 4 and with cluster of apical setae ( Robinson 1967, fig. 11) [ Mexico]..................................................................................... P. bicolor Robinson

- It 2 without anteroventrally curved seta near base; It 3 cylindrical or laterally flattened, without dorsal rows of slender setae ( Figs 40 , 42 ); IIIt 3 cylindrical, without apical projection ( Figs 43, 46 )................................................. 4

4 It 4–5 entirely white or covered by dense whitish pubescence on anterior surface ( Figs 44, 49, 53 , 55, 56 )................. 5

- It 4–5 entirely brown, without whitish pubescence on anterior surface ( Figs 42, 47 )................................... 8

5 Palpus largely transparent ( Figs 28, 29 ); metepimeron brown ( Fig. 6 ); tarsus I cylindrical or nearly so, It 2 with 1 long dorsal seta at apex, longer than segment ( Fig. 53 ); femur III mostly yellow, but apical 1/5 brown ( Fig. 6 ) [ Brazil: Amazonas].............................................................................................. P. maroaga sp. nov.

- Palpus opaque (e.g., Figs 18, 19 ); metepimeron yellow ( Fig. 2 ); tarsus I with flattened segments or overlapping projections ( Figs 44, 49 , 55, 56 ); femur III entirely yellow.............................................................. 6

6 It 4–5 (sometimes also It 3) laterally flattened, brown, and covered by dense whitish pubescence on anterior surface ( Figs 55, 56 ); It 3 as long as It 1, without projection overlapping base of It 4 ( Fig. 7 ); IIIt 3–4 with row of setae decreasing in size towards apex ( Fig. 57 ) [ Brazil: Acre, Amazonas; Panama].................................................. P. palpiger (Van Duzee)

- It 4–5 not entirely flattened as above, white, but never covered by dense whitish pubescence on anterior surface ( Figs 44, 49 ); It 3 2–3x times shorter than It 1, with projection overlapping base of It 4 ( Figs 44, 49 ); IIIt 3 with 4 posterior setae longer than tarsomere ( Figs 46, 50 )..................................................................................... 7

7 Femur I yellow, with 1 conspicuous ventral seta near basal fourth, almost as long as half of femur length ( Fig. 66 ); femur III with 3 ventral setae near base; It 3 dark brown, with dorsal row of curved setae ( Fig. 44 ); IIt 5 white ( Fig. 45 ) [ Peru]................................................................................................ P. araza sp. nov.

- Femur I brownish, without conspicuous, long ventral seta at basal fourth (e.g., Fig. 41 ); femur III with ventral row of 7–8 fine setae on basal half ( Fig. 67 ); It 3 white, without dorsal row of curved setae ( Fig. 49 ); IIt 5 dark brown [ Brazil: Acre, Amapá and Pará].................................................................................. P. latipes (Parent)

8 Femur I brown ( Fig. 11 ); It 2 without long dorsal bristle at apex ( Fig. 64 ); It 3 subtriangular, projecting dorsally and overlapping base of It 4 ( Fig. 64 ); It 4 2 times as long as It 5 and cylindrical ( Fig. 64 ) [ Colombia: Gorgona Island; Belize]................................................................................................... P. singularis (Parent)

- Femur I yellow (e.g., Fig. 7 ); It 2 with 1–2 long dorsal bristles at apex, as long as tarsomere ( Figs 40 , 47, 51 ); It 3 not subtriangular and not projecting dorsally over base of It 4 ( Figs 40 , 47 ); It 4 usually as long as It 5 (if It 4 longer than It 5, then It 4 laterally flattened)............................................................................................ 9

9 Metepimeron yellow; femur I without row conspicuous ventral setae (e.g., Fig. 41 ); It 2 with 2 dorsal bristles at apex ( Figs 42, 51 ); It 3–4 or It 4–5 conspicuously flattened ( Figs 42 , 60 ); IIIt 3–5 with posterior and posteroventral rows of long, slightly curved setae ( Figs 43 , 61 ).................................................................................... 10

- Metepimeron light brown to brown; femur I with row of conspicuous ventral setae ( Figs 40 , 68 ); It 2 with 1 dorsal bristle at apex ( Figs 47 , 62 ); It 3–5 cylindrical; IIIt 3–5 without posterior and posteroventral rows of setae ( Figs 48 , 63 ).................. 11

10 It 3 twice length of It 4 ( Fig. 42 ); It 3 cylindrical ( Fig. 42 ); femur III without ventral row of long setae ( Fig. 1 ) [ Brazil: Amapá, Pará]............................................................................... P. albipalpus (Parent)

- It 3 shorter than It 4 ( Fig. 60 ); It 3 laterally flattened ( Fig. 60 ); femur III with ventral row of 3 setae on basal half, basal two short and curved at apex, apical one longer, twice diameter of femur at broadest point ( Fig. 71 ) [ Brazil: Acre]..................................................................................................... P. robinsoni sp. nov.

11 It 1 without row of anterior setae; It 2 with 1 sinuous bristle at apex ( Fig. 62 ); It 3 with anterior surface mostly bare, with anterior comb of short setae at apex; distal half of femur III darkened ( Fig. 10 ); tibiae II and III brown ( Fig. 10 ); IIIt 4 unmodified [ Brazil: Amazonas]............................................................................ P. sehnali sp. nov.

- It 1 with one anterior row of slightly curved setae, which extends to It 2; It 2 with 1 hook-like bristle at apex; It 3 with anterior surface setose and without comb of short setae at apex ( Fig. 47 ); femur III darkened only at apex ( Fig. 3 ); tibiae II and III dark yellow ( Fig. 3 ); IIIt 4 slightly excavated at ventral surface ( Fig. 48 ) [ Brazil: Roraima, Pará].............. P. bickeli sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 16–29. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Head. 16–17. P. albipalpus (Parent, 1930), identified specimen from State of Amapá, Brazil, 16. Anterior view. 17. Lateral view; 18–20. P. araza sp. nov. 18–19. Paratype Ƌ. 18. Anterior view. 19. Lateral view. 20. Possible ♀ (see text), anterior view; 21–23. P. bickeli sp. nov. 21–22. Holotype Ƌ. 21. Anterior view. 22. Lateral view. 23. Paratype ♀, anterior view; 24–25. P. latipes (Parent, 1930), identified specimen from State of Acre, Brazil. 24. Anterior view. 25. Lateral view; 26–27. P. latitibia sp. nov., paratype Ƌ. 26. Anterior view. 27. Lateral view; 28–29. P. maroaga sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 28. Anterior view. 29. Lateral view. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 66–71. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Male secondary sexual characters. 66. P. araza sp. nov., paratype Ƌ, femur and tibia I; 67. P. latipes (Parent, 1930), syntype Ƌ, femur III (photo: Günther Wöss); 68. P. bickeli sp. nov., holotype Ƌ, femur I; 69. P. perornatus Robinson, 1967, paratype Ƌ, tibia II; 70. P. latitibia sp. nov., paratype Ƌ, tibia I; 71. P. robinsoni sp. nov., holotype Ƌ, femur III. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 7–11. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Habitus. 7. P. palpiger (Van Duzee, 1931), paratype Ƌ; 8. P. perornatus Robinson, 1967, paratype Ƌ; 9. P. robinsoni sp. nov., holotype Ƌ; 10. P. sehnali sp. nov., holotype Ƌ; 11. P. singularis (Parent, 1934), syntype Ƌ (photo: Erica McAlister). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 40–41. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Male leg I, posterior view. 40. P. sehnali sp. nov., paratype Ƌ; 41. P. perornatus Robinson, 1967, paratype Ƌ. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 55–65. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Male tarsus I and III. 55–57 P. palpiger (Van Duzee, 1931). 55, 57. Paratype Ƌ. 55. Tarsus I. 57. Tarsus III. 56. Identified specimen from Acre, Brazil, tarsus I. 58–59. P. perornatus Robinson, 1967, paratype Ƌ. 58. Tarsus I. 59. Tarsus III; 60–61. P. robinsoni sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 60. Tarsus I. 61. Tarsus III; 62–63. P. sehnali sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 62. Tarsus I. 63. Tarsus III; 64–65. P. singularis (Parent, 1934), syntype Ƌ (photo: Erica McAlister). 64. Tarsus I. 65. Tarsus III. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 42–54. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Male tarsus I, II and III. 42–43. P. albipalpus (Parent, 1930), identified specimen from State of Amapá, Brazil. 42. Tarsus I. 43. Tarsus III; 44–46. P. araza sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 44. Tarsus I. 45. Tarsus II. 46. Tarsus III; 47–48. P. bickeli sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 47. Tarsus I. 48. Tarsus III; 49–50. P. latipes (Parent, 1930), identified specimen from State of Acre, Brazil. 49. Tarsus I. 50. Tarsus III; 51–52. P. latitibia sp. nov., paratype Ƌ. 51. Tarsus I. 52. Tarsus III; 53–54. P. maroaga sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. 53. Tarsus I. 54. Tarsus III. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 1–6. Pseudosympycnus Robinson. Habitus. 1. P. albipalpus (Parent, 1930), syntype Ƌ (photo: Günther Wöss); 2. P. araza sp. nov., holotype Ƌ; 3. P. bickeli sp. nov., holotype Ƌ; 4. P. latipes (Parent, 1930), syntype Ƌ (photo: Günther Wöss); 5. P. latitibia sp. nov., paratype Ƌ; 6. P. maroaga sp. nov., holotype Ƌ. Scale bars = 1 mm.