Atrichopleura acuminata, Câmara & Limeira-De-Oliveira & Rafael, 2013

Câmara, J. T., Limeira-De-Oliveira, F. & Rafael, J. A., 2013, A new species of Atrichopleura Bezzi (Diptera, Empididae, Empidinae) from Ceará, Brazil, Zootaxa 3716 (4), pp. 577-582 : 578-581

Atrichopleura acuminata sp. nov.

( Figs 1–17 )

Diagnosis. Dark brown to black. Frons and face with setae. Fore tarsomere 1 swollen (less swollen in female). Mid tarsomere 1 with a distinct though small posteroventral black spine at extreme base. Male cercus bifid apically. Epandrium with long acuminate posterodorsal projection. Phallus with four horn-like apical projections.

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 1 ): Head dichoptic with lower ommatidia larger than upper ommatidia ( Fig. 2 ). Frons dark brown, finely grey pruinescent laterally, longitudinally sulcate and densely grey pruinescent near antenna, larger than ocellar tubercle, slightly convergent near antenna, with 5 lateroclinate setae. Face dark brown, shiny longitudinally and grey pruinescent laterally, as wide as frons, subquadrate, with 4 distinct slender setae. Palpus brown with long black setae. Proboscis slightly shorter than head height, labrum black, shiny. Ocellar tubercle slightly protruding, ocelli yellow; with one divergent anterior seta and 3 small posterior setae. Antenna with scape and pedicel yellowish brown, postpedicel velvety matte black, about 1.3X longer than length of scape and pedicel combined; three-segmented stylus. Postcranium dark brown to black, densely grey pruinescent; upper half with more robust black setae; lower half with slender clear setae; postocular setae short; vertical setae subequal to adjacent setae; occipital setae multiserial and irregular.

Thorax ( Fig. 1 ). Dark brown to black, densely grey pruinescent. Anepisternum, anepimeron and anatergite finely grey pruinescent and scutum, katepisternum, meron, katepimeron and katatergite densely grey pruinescent. Chaetotaxy: 5–6 black antepronotals, lateral setae more robust; 1 robust postpronotal, 6–8 slender anterior setae; 4– 5 black, slender proepisternals; about 12 yellow, slender proepimerals; uniserial acrostichals distinct in almost complete row; biserial dorsocentrals with posterior seta more robust; 6–7 short intra-alar presuturals; 8–10 short aligned supra-alar presuturals and 1 robust supra-alar postsutural; 1 robust posterior notopleural and several slender anterior notopleurals; postalar lost in holotype; 3 robust scutellars.

Legs ( Fig. 1 ). All coxae yellow and densely grey pruinescent with row of longer posterodorsal and anteroventral setae. All trochanters yellow with ventral suture black. All tarsi longer than tibiae. Fore leg: femur yellow; tibia dark brown to black with row of longer anterodorsal, posterodorsal and posteroventral setae; tarsomere 1 swollen, subequal to apical width of tibia and about 0.5X its length, with row of longer anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae; tarsomeres 2 and 3 with row of longer anterodorsal and posterodorsal setae. Mid leg ( Fig. 3 ): femur yellow with posteroventral tuft of basal setae, 1 basal anteroventral seta and 5 equidistant robust anteroventral setae; tibia yellow to light brown with 3 robust posteroventral setae; tarsomere 1with basal half brown and apical half black with distinct, small, posteroventral black spine at extreme base, remaining tarsomeres black. Hind leg: femur with basal 0.4 yellow and remainder black, with row of longer anteroventral and posteroventral setae; tibia black with row of longer posterodorsal and 5 anteroventral setae, tarsomeres black.

Wing ( Fig. 4 ). Slightly brownish, with inconspicuous pterostigma. A 1 distinct, evanescent near wing margin. A 2 slightly weaker than A 1. Halter brown.

Abdomen ( Figs 1, 5 ) dark brown, densely grey pruinescent; setae black, distinct, longer setae on tergites posteriorly and on sternites laterally. Sternites concolorous with tergites. Tergite 8 short, about 0.5 as long as sternite 8 ( Fig. 5 ).

Terminalia ( Figs 5–11 ). In natural position reflexed anteriorly, directed vertically upwards ( Figs 1, 5 ). Epandrium ( Fig. 9 ) subrounded, with long and acuminate posterodorsal projection. Cercus bifid apically, somewhat separated from cercal plate ( Figs 6–8 ). Hypandrium ( Figs 8, 10, 11 ) fused to phallus, with long setae on apex. Postgonite ( Figs 8, 10 ) long, ending at level of tip of phallus, rather membranous. Phallus ( Figs 8, 10, 11 ) with long basal setae and 4 horn-like distal projections. Ejaculatory apodeme ( Figs 7, 8, 10 ) flattened, plate-like.

Specimen length: 4.4 mm; wing length: 3.9 mm.

Female ( Fig. 12 ): Similar to male, except legs with shorter setae, A 1 reaching wing margin ( Fig. 13 ) and fore tarsomere 1 less enlarged. Terminalia: Tergite 8 with bifid apex ( Fig. 15 ). Sternite 8 wider at base, anterior margin concave ( Fig. 15 ). Genital fork thin at base and arms shorter than base; sclerotized area at end of and narrowly separated from each arm ( Figs 15, 17 ). Tergite 10 about half length of tergite 8, with rounded apex ( Fig. 15 ). Sternite 10 with rounded apex. Cercus shorter than segment 10 ( Fig. 14 ). Receptacle of spermatheca somewhat spherical ( Fig. 16 ). Eggs subcylindrical.

Specimen length: 4.5 mm; wing length: 3.7 mm.

Geographic distribution. Brazil, Ceará.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, “ BRAZIL, CE[ará], Ubajara, P.[arque] N.[acional] de Ubajara. Rio das Minas. Malaise. 20–23.iv.2012. J.A.Rafael, F.L.Oliveira & J. T.Câmara” ( CZMA) . PARATYPES: same data as holotype (9 ♂, 1 ♀, CZMA; 7 ♂, 2 ♀, INPA) .

Holotype condition. The wing was mounted on a microslide and terminalia were placed in a microvial with glycerin, and both were pinned with holotype.

Etymology. From Latin acuminatus (= pointed), in reference to the posterodorsal projection of the epandrium.

Variation. Body length varying from 3.8 to 4.9 mm.

Remarks. Using the identification key of Smith (1962), Atrichopleura acuminata sp. nov. appears similar to A. guarini Smith due to colour of the wing and legs, but it differs by having the hind femur with basal two-fifths yellow and remainder black (hind femur yellow somewhat darkened above at tip in A. guarini ) and attributes of the male terminalia judged by comparing Figures 5–11 herein with figures 38–41 in Smith (1962). When comparing the male terminalia, A. acuminata sp. nov. is similar to A. mahues Smith , particularly in the form of the ramified phallus, but it differs by other attributes of the male terminalia judged by comparing Figures 5–11 herein with figures 42–44 in Smith (1962). Based on the characters presented here, they are considered non-conspecific.

Figures

FIGURES 1–11. Atrichopleura acuminata sp. nov. holotype ♂. 1, habitus, lateral view; 2, head, lateral view; 3, mid leg, posterior view; 4, wing; 5, apex of abdomen, lateral view; 6, terminalia, dorsal view; 7, terminalia, lateral view; 8, terminalia, (epandrium removed), ejaculatory apodeme, subepandrial sclerite, cercal plate, cercus, postgonite, phallus and hypandrium, lateral view; 9, epandrium, lateral view; 10, terminalia (dorsal sclerites removed) ejaculatory apodeme, phallus and hypandrium, lateral view; 11, hypandrium, phallus and postgonite, ventral view.

FIGURES 12–17. Atrichopleura acuminata sp. nov. paratype ♀. 12, habitus, lateral view; 13, wing; 14, abdomen, segments 4– cercus, lateral view; 15, tergites 4–10, dorsal view; sternites 4–10, ventral view and cercus; 16, receptacle of spermatheca; 17, genital fork, ventral view.