Lamproclasiopa auritunica, Costa, Daniel N. R., Mathis, Wayne N. & Marinoni, Luciane, 2016

Costa, Daniel N. R., Mathis, Wayne N. & Marinoni, Luciane, 2016, A revision of the shore-fly genus Lamproclasiopa Hendel (Diptera, Ephydridae), ZooKeys 631, pp. 1-99 : 27-28

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Ephydridae

Lamproclasiopa auritunica sp. n. Figs 24-26, 27-30, 36

Diagnosis.

This species is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Moderately small shore flies, body length 2.30-2.80 mm; generally a shiny black species. Head: Frontal microtomentum sexually dimorphic; male with dense and extensive microtomentum over slightly more than anterior half of frons, also within ocellar triangle (Fig. 24), female with microtomentum only around bases of fronto-orbital setae and ocellar setae, thereafter as a thin stripe within ocellar triangle extended posteromedially, convergent within ocellar triangle, and a small medial spot just before anterior margin (Fig. 25). Antenna black, with dense microtomentum especially evident on basal flagellomere laterally; arista bearing 3-4 dorsal rays (usually 4). Face with moderately deep antennal grooves on dorsal half, shallowly angulate in lateral view, vortex of angle at midheight near dorsal facial seta, ventral half of face receded, facial microtomentum in both sexes generally dense, golden brown dorsally, becoming more silvery ventrally, female with some bare areas, especially at base of facial setae and adjacent to parafacial; parafacial and anterior half of gena densely microtomentose in male, in female with thin area microtomentose at anterior and ventral margins of eye, otherwise bare, shiny; gena very high, gena-to-eye ratio 0.42-0.64; posterior margin of gena at merger with lateral margin of postgenal sharply angulate. Thorax: Mesonotum shiny black, pattern of microtomentum evident as a broad band, much denser anteriorly, becoming sparse posteriorly, microtomentum extended onto scutellar disc; lateral to microtomentose band mostly bare, shiny except for microtomentose anterior surface of postpronotum and ventral margin of notopleuron; presutural supra-alar seta well developed; pleural region generally bare, shiny black. Wing hyaline to faintly infumate, faintly tannish, lacking any pattern or markings. Costal vein ratio 0.50-0.58; M vein ratio 0.59-0.78. Coxae black, shiny; forecoxa with vertical microstriae; femora and tibiae black; forefemur with 4-5 stout, peg-like setae on apical third along posteroventral margin; basal 2-3 tarsomeres yellow, apical 2-3 brownish black to dark brown. Halter with base black, knob whitish yellow. Abdomen: Generally shiny black; male tergite 5 truncate apically. Male Terminalia (Figs 27-30): Epandrium in posterior view (Fig. 27) irregularly hexagonal with dorsal 2/3 quadrate, as wide as high, corners rounded, ventral third with lateral margin slanted medially ventrally and ventral margin shallowly concave, dorsal portion thinly developed, lateral portions wide, each subequal to width of cercal cavity, setulae more or less evenly distributed laterally, thereafter with a gap, then clumped ventrolaterally, in lateral view (Fig. 28) more or less and irregularly L-shaped, thin dorsally, with an obtusely angulate ventral portion and a moderately narrow anterior extension with a flared, somewhat truncate anterior margin; cerci in posterior view (Fig. 27) elongate, moderately thin, generally shallowly arched, lunate, ventral and dorsal apices tapered, in lateral view elongate, narrow, elliptical; aedeagus in lateral view (Fig. 30) as 2 structures, basiphallus L-shaped with a digitiform process from one arm, distiphallus shallowly arched, wider basally, with ribbon-like extension, in ventral view (Fig. 29) with basiphallus spindle-like, elongate, distiphallus rectangularly ovate; phallapodeme in lateral view (Fig. 30) L-shaped, each arm narrow and of equal length, in ventral view Y-shaped with base shorter than either arm; gonite in lateral view irregularly pear-like, in ventral view (Fig. 29) rod-like; hypandrium in lateral view (Fig. 30) thin, elongate, width irregular and with a short, thin process near middle, in ventral view (Fig. 29) robust, with anterior 2/3 diamond-shaped, posterior third widely and shallowly U-shaped.

Type material.

The holotype male of Lamproclasiopa auritunica is labeled "BOLIVIA. Oruro: Paznã (S. of the town; 18°36.2'S, 66°54.7'W, 3750 m), 22 Mar 2001[,] Wayne N. Mathis/ USNM ENT 00119995 [plastic bar code label]/HOLOTYPE ♂ Lamproclasiopa auritunica Costa, Mathis & Marinoni, USNM [red]." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in a plastic block) and is in very good condition, and is deposited in USNM. Three paratypes (1♂, 2♀; USNM) bear the following label data: Bolivia. Oruro: Challapata (45 km S; 19°12.9'S, 66°47.7'W, 3690 m), 22 Mar 2001, A. Freidberg, W. N. Mathis (1♂, 2♀; USNM). Bolivia. La. Paz: Tiahuanaco Ruins (16°33.7'S, 68°40.7'W; 3870m), 28 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM); Patacayama (7 km NE; 17°9.5'S, 67°56.7'W; 3800m), 21 Mar 2001, W. N. Mathis (1♀; USNM).

Type locality.

Bolívia. Oruro: Paznã (S. of the town; 18°36.2'S, 66°54.7'W, 3750 m).

Distribution

(Fig. 36). Neotropical: Bolivia (La Paz, Oruro).

Etymology.

The species epithet, auritunica , is of Latin derivation, meaning coat of gold, and refers to the golden microtomentum that covers much of the head of this species.

Remarks.

This species is very similar and closely related to Lamproclasiopa lapaz and to a lesser degree Lamproclasiopa polita but is distinguished from these two species as follows: Female frons mostly bare, shiny black, lacking a broad, transverse stripe as in Lamproclasiopa lapaz ; male mesonotum with a broad longitudinal band over entire length, although it is weaker posteriorly, not on anterior third only. Structures of the male terminalia are also diagnostic.