Leptometopa veracildae, de Mello & Rodrigues & Einicker Lamas, 2007

de Mello, Ramon Luciano, Rodrigues, Paula Fernanda Motta & Einicker Lamas, Carlos Jose, 2007, A new species of Leptometopa Becker, 1903 (Diptera, Milichiidae) and an identification key for the neotropical species of the genus, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 47 (27), pp. 369-373 : 370-372

Leptometopa veracildae n. sp.

Diagnosis: Leptometopa veracildae n. sp. is separated from congeneric species by the triangular lunule, without ventral projection; postfrons and mesonotum with silvery microtomentose stripes; hind tibia of male not enlarged and abdomen polished black without silvery microtomentum.

Body: 2.3-2.5 mm. Wing: 3.1-3.3 mm.

Head: ( Figs. 1 A-B) vertex convex. Ocellar triangle dark brown. Postfrons brown, rectangular, longer than wide, with five silvery microtomentose stripes: 1 central, 2 lateral and 2 next to eye margin. Lunule yellowish brown, triangular, bare, without ventral projection. Prefrons concave and polished, upper half silvery light brown, lower half dark brown. Parafacial light brown, short. Gena narrow, 1/6 as high as eye, polished dark brown. Eyes circular in lateral view. Antenna: dorsally dark brown; ventrally yellowish brown; first flagellomere rounded; arista pubescent. Palpus polished dark brown, spatula-like, 3/4 as long as head height. Proboscis polished brown, 2.5 times longer than head height. Occiput concave, dark brown silvery microtomentose. Chaetotaxy: 2 lateroclinate orbital setae, 2 medioclinate frontal setae, ocellar seta lateroproclinate; postocellar seta reclinate; medial vertical seta medioreclinate; lateral vertical seta medioclinate; 2 rows of interfrontal setulae reclinate.

Thorax: mesonotum dark brown, convex, at least fourteen silvery microtomentose stripes present. Scutellum and pleura polished dark brown. Chaetotaxy: 1 acrostical prescutellar seta; 0+2 dorsocentral setae; 1 postpronotal seta; anepisternum bare; 1 katepisternal seta; anepimeron bare; 2 scutellar setae, apical parallel. Legs polished dark brown, tarsomeres yellow. Chaetotaxy: mid tibia with 1 apical ventral seta. Wing ( Fig. 1C ) hyaline; costal vein with setulae reaching R 2+3; R 4+5 and M 1 parallel; longitudinal veins yellow with basal region brown; r-m at anterior half of discal cell; dm-cu at anterior half of cell r 4+5; CuA 2 +A 1 short, ending before wing margin. Halter: base light brown; knob polished dark brown.

Abdomen: polished brown, without microtomentum. Male preabdomen: lateral margin of tergites strongly bent under the abdomen; Sternite 5 (S5) ( Fig. 2A ) cuneiform longer than broad and larger than S4. Male pregenital: segments S7 and S8 fused to form a dorsal narrow synsternite S7/S8 ( Fig. 2B ). Male genitalia: ( Figs. 2 C-D) epandrium saddle-shaped with setae and setulae; surstylus spoon-shaped, fused with epandrium, hypandrium U-shaped; pregonites large and thin fused with lateral base of hypandrium; phallapodeme rod-shaped; phallus short, cylindrical and bare; cerci well developed. Female ovipositor: ( Figs. 3 A-B) tergite 6 ( T 6) not modified; S6 anterior margin concave; T 7 and S7 divided in two narrow strips; ring of barbed spines present at base of segment 8, incomplete at medial dorsal region, with many anteriorly-directed barbed spines; T 8 and S8 divided in two narrow strips; supranal plate yellow, cuneiform; cerci yellow, well developed.

Distribution: Brazil (Amazonas).

Type material: Holotype male: BRAZIL. Amazonas. Presidente Figueiredo, Gruta do Refúgio Maruaga, Km 06 AM-240, 02°03’02,49S, 59°57’48,85W. Alves , V. R. col, 09/II/2006, ( INPA) . Paratypes: Brazil. Amazonas. Presidente Figueiredo, Gruta do Refúgio Maruaga , Km 06 AM-240, 02°03’02,49S, 59°57’48,85W. Alves, V . R . col, 09/II/2006, 12 males, 17 females ( INPA); 01/IV/2006, 20 males, 20 females, 1? ( INPA); 6 males, 6 females ( MZUSP); 2 male, 2 female ( MNRJ); 2 male, 2 female ( DZUP); 06/ V /2006, 4 males, 26 females ( INPA) .

Etymology: named in honor to the collector of specimens MSc. Veracilda Ribeiro Alves ( INPA, Brazil).

Figures

FIGURE 1: A-C. Leptometopa veracildae sp. n. A, head, frontal view; B, head, lateral view; C, wing. Abbreviations: fr s –frontal seta; if s – interfrontal setula; l v s – lateral vertical seta; m v s – medial vertical seta; oc s – ocellar seta; orb s – orbital seta; poc s – postocellar seta; vi – vibrissa. Scales 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2: A-D. Leptometopa veracildae sp. n. A, male sternite 5, ventral view; B, synsternite 7/8, posterior view; C, male genitalia, posterior view; D, male genitalia, lateral view. Abbreviations: ce – cerci; ep – epandrium; hyp – hypandrium; ph – phallus; phap – phallapodeme; preg – pregonite; sur – surtylus. Scales 0,05 mm.

FIGURE 3: A-B. Leptometopa veracildae sp. n. A, female ovipositor, dorsal view. B, female ovipositor, ventral view. Abbreviations: ce – cerci; rbs – ring of barbed spines; S – sternite; sba – subanal plate; spa – supranal plate; T – tergite. Scales 0,1 mm.