Fitchiella brachyrhina sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: BCE22551-8002-459E-9C6D-93D144BF08E1

Figs 11– 12, 26E

Diagnosis

Body mainly off white with several black maculae and sensory pits bordered by black (Fig. 11); snout as long as half of interocular distance (measured from base to tip) with apex rounded in frontal and lateral view (Fig. 11A, C); lateral lobe of pronotum with three sensory pits arranged in a row (Fig. 11C); forewings with reticulated venation (Fig. 11 B–C); abdominal tergites (Figs 11C, 26E) with row of sensory pits followed by single isolated ventral sensory pit (tergite IV and V) or an isolated pair of diagonally aligned ventral sensory pits (tergites VI to VII).

Etymology

The specific name ʻ brachyrhina ʼ (ʻ brachy -ʼ, Greek = ʻshortʼ; ʻ rhina ʼ, Greek = ʻnoseʼ) refers to the short snout of this species if compared to other species of the genus.

Material examined

Holotype

MEXICO • ♂; “ZAC” [Zacatecas], 10.4 km NW Vasco de Quiroga; 23.39637° N, 103.55023° W; 2500 m a.s.l.; Oct. 2005; C. Dietrich leg.; vacuum sample; DNA voucher ENT4913; INHS.

Description

BODY LENGTH. Male = 2.4 mm.

COLORATION. Body mainly off-white with several black maculae and sensory pits bordered by black (Fig. 11 A–C). Vertex (Fig. 11B) with pair of large black maculae. Frons (Fig. 11A) with pair of black stripes bordering sublateral carinae and very weak black line covering median carina; side of frons (Fig. 11C) black where sensory pits are lacking. Gena (Fig. 11A) black with border white. Clypeus in lateral view (Fig. 11C) with dorsal portion extended anteriorly black, median portion white with lateral black stripes, ventral portion black. Lateral lobe of pronotum (Fig. 11C) with anterior portion black. Mesonotum (Fig. 11B) region between lateral carinae white with pair of elongated black maculae near lateral carinae. Forewings (Fig. 11 B–C) black with white veins; white stripes within cells. Legs (Fig. 11A, C) white with some elongated black maculae. Abdomen (Fig. 11B, C) with approximately 15 parallel longitudinal black maculae on each segment; black maculae forming continuous longitudinal line between row of sensory pits and isolated one.

HEAD AND THORAX. Vertex (Fig. 11B) hexagonal, shorter than half its width, as long as half of pronotum length, with slight median carina; posterior margin slightly elevated. Frons (Fig. 11A) with median carina and pair of sublateral carinae; sublateral carinae converge and fuse to each other ventrally (Fig. 11A); central plate (Fig. 11A) longer than wide at widest portion, visible in dorsal view (Fig. 11B), not extending anteriorly beyond sublateral carinae in lateral view (Fig. 11C); sides of frons partially visible in frontal view (Fig. 11), fused above clypeus, with two rows of sensory pits on each side in lateral view (Fig. 11C): anterior row with eight sensory pits, four dorsal ones are grouped, followed by a fifth isolated one aligned between ventral margin of eye and antenna, and three isolated ones ventrally to concavity on anterior margin of frons; posterior row with four sensory pits. Clypeus (Fig. 11C) not swollen, with dorsal portion extended anteroventrally into slightly produced snout; snout in dorsal view (Fig. 11B) as long as half of interocular distance (measured from base to tip), apex rounded in frontal and lateral view and with slight median anterodorsal concavity in lateral view (Fig. 11A, C); with median carina. Ocelli absent. Eye oblong. Antenna short, with several small circular structures visible on pedicel. Pronotum (Fig. 11B) semicircular, shorter than half its width; posterior margin straight; with median carina; surface of disc almost completely covered by 15 to 17 sensory pits on each side; lateral lobe of pronotum (Fig. 11C) with three sensory pits arranged in a row. Mesonotum (Fig. 11B) with slight median carina and pair of lateral carinae; region between lateral carinae depressed, without sensory pits; region outerad of lateral carina with 11 sensory pits. Brachypterous, with reticulated venation, with large cells and lines within those cells. Legs simple, with carinae and setae; tibia III with single median spine.

ABDOMEN. Terga with longitudinal carina. Tergite III (Figs 11C, 26E) without sensory pits. Tergites IV and V (Figs 11C, 26E) with one row of four to five sensory pits, with penultimate one slightly displaced, followed by single isolated ventral one. Tergites VI and VII (Figs 11C, 26E) with one row of four sensory pits, penultimate one slightly displaced, followed by isolated ventral pair aligned diagonally (Figs 11C, 26E). Tergite VIII (Fig. 26E) with one sensory pit.

MALE TERMINALIA. Pygofer (Fig. 12A) narrow, with anterior margin deeply concave, posterior margin almost straight, except for slight concavity near ventral portion. Connective inverted Y-shaped, with support bridge with dorsal flap. Style (Fig. 12 B–C) hook-like; anterior portion pointed; caudal portion strongly curved anterodorsally, curved medially in dorsal view (Fig. 12B); dorsal margin (Fig. 12C) with slight protuberance on median third; ventral margin (Fig. 12C) with straight angle between anterior and middle third, mostly rounded posteriorly; median portion (Fig. 12C) longer than high, setose. Phallobase (Fig. 12 D–G) sclerotized symmetrical, with two defined lobes; apex with pair of lobes truncate in dorsal view (Fig. 12 D–E) and rounded in lateral view (Fig. 12 F–G); sides expanded and rounded at midlength of aedeagus in dorsal view (Fig. 12 D–E); with dorsal process near apex in lateral view, surrounding apical half of aedeagus; with flap covering aedeagal hook in lateral view (Fig. 12 F–G). Aedeagus (Fig. 12 D–E) with apex narrow and open dorsally; with pair of hooks, one curved anterodorsally, the other curved posterocaudally in lateral view (Fig. 12 F–G). Suspensorium V-shaped. Segment X of anal tube (Fig. 12 H–I) as long as wide; posterior margin (Fig. 12H) rounded; setose.

Remarks

The new species is apparently very similar to B. rugosa Metcalf, 1923 based on the descriptions and illustrations by Metcalf (1923) and Doering (1939), but can be distinguished from the latter by its darker coloration and slightly more produced snout. Both species are also similar to Fitchiella zahniseri sp. nov., but can be distinguished from the latter by their shorter snout. Unfortunately, the holotype of B. rugosa was not studied herein (it was not found at the INHS collection), but a photograph of a specimen in the L.B. O’Brien collection identified by Doering is available online. Nevertheless, B. rugosa is most likely a species of Fitchiella, based mainly on the shape of the snout and coloration, however, a detailed study of the holotype of B. rugosa is necessary to better allocate this species.

The remarkable coloration of F. brachyrhina sp. nov., F. zahniseri sp. nov. and B. rugosa is also present in other species of Fitchiella, such as the type species, Fitchiella robertsoni (Fitch, 1856) . These four species can be distinguished from other species of Fitchiella by their color pattern or by the lack of foliaceous legs. Furthermore, these species of Fitchiella can be easily distinguished from the others by the size of their snout.

Unfortunately, the connective of the studied specimen was damaged during dissection, but connective shape does not seem informative enough to distinguish genera or species of Peltonotellini .