Syneches barrettoi sp. nov.

(Figs 10A–F, 11A–E, 51)

Diagnosis. Medium size (5.2 mm) (Fig. 10A). Antenna brown (Fig. 10C). Scutum rounded, dark brown, as broad as mesopleuron in lateral view, covered with gray pruinescence, but acr region with reddish brown pruinescence and dc stripe with pale golden pruinescence, both extended posteriorly to anterior margin of prescutellar disc in anterior and dorsolateral views (Figs 10B, E). Scutellum covered with gray pruinescence. Femora yellow, but hind femur reddish brown on apical third to apical half, with 1AV row of spiniform bristles, long and sparse (Figs 10A, D). Wing sub-hyaline on males, pale brown; pterostigma long, oval, brown, about 3.5 x longer than wide; second section of M 1 longer than crossvein r-m; cell bm longer than cells br and cua (Fig. 10F).

Description. Holotype male (Fig. 10A). Body length: 5.2 mm; wing length: 4.6 mm. Head (Fig. 10C). Ocellar triangle prominent, protuberant, covered with gray pruinescence, with 2 pairs of ocellar bristles, anterior pair long, about 2 x longer than posterior pair. Face black, covered with gray pruinescence. Antenna brown; postpedicel short, ovate, about 1.6 x longer than wide, as long as preceding segments combined, covered with pale brown pruinescence, 1 long mediodorsal bristle, as long as postpedicel; antennal stylus about 3 x longer than preceding segments combined, short pubescent, bare on apical 1/4. Proboscis dark yellow, with base brown; palpifer brown; palpus yellow, short, about 1/4 proboscis length, covered with golden pruinescence, with 2 bristles longer than palpus (1 medioventral and 1 apical), and 4 bristles shorter than palpus (2V on basal half and 2D on apical half). Postcranium black, covered with gray pruinescence. Thorax (Figs 10A, B, E). Proepisternum short, prosternum isolated, not fused to proepisternum. Pronotum dark brown, covered with pale golden pruinescence. Scutum rounded, dark brown, except posterior margin of pprn lb and pal cal pale brown, as broad as mesopleuron in lateral view, covered with gray pruinescence, except acr region covered with reddish brown pruinescence and dc stripe covered with pale golden pruinescence, both extended posteriorly to anterior margin of prescutellar disc in anterior and dorsolateral views. Scutellum dark brown, covered with gray pruinescence. Pleura reddish brown, except meron mostly dark. Mediotergite concolorous with scutum. Chaetotaxy: acr 8-serial and dc uniserial, bristles short and sparse; prescutellar disc with 2 acr and 3 dc bristles longer, posterior dc bristle longest, strong and curved apically; 2 npl long, strong and close each other; 2 pal bristles (anterior short and thin, posterior long and strong, about 4 x longer than anterior one); scutellum with 13 marginal bristles (1 convergent apical pair, 1 long, strong and divergent subapical pair, about 2 x longer than apical pair, 1 short lateral pair converging to apical pair, 4 left lateral and 5 right lateral bristles, about as long as apical pair). Legs (Figs 10A, C, D). Fore femur slightly swollen on basal half, mid femur slender, hind femur as strong as anterior femur. Legs with hind femur reddish brown on apical third, hind tibia dark yellow, but apical third dark brown, fore and hind tarsi, and mid tarsomeres 3–5 reddish brown, otherwise yellow. Chaetotaxy: fore tibia with 1D series of bristles slightly longer than covering ones, 1D subapical bristle longer than anterior ones; mid femur with 1AV and 1PV series of long bristles, shortening toward femur apex; mid tibia with 1AD long bristle on basal third, about as long as mid tarsomere 1; hind femur with 1AV row of spiniform bristles, long and sparse, several V short spiniform bristles on apical half; hind tibia with 1PD series of bristles, longest on apical half, and 1AD, 1D, and 1PD long, subapical bristle. Wing (Fig. 10F). Sub-hyaline, pale brown; pterostigma long, oval, brown, about 3.5 x longer than wide, extended from apex of R 1, not filling apex of cell r 1; R 2+3 slightly angulate apically; second section of M 1 longer than crossvein r-m; cell bm longer than cells br and cua. Halter dark brown, except base of stem yellow. Abdomen (Fig. 10A). Long, about 2 x longer than thorax. Dark brown, except posterior half of tergites 1–2 reddish brown, covered with concolorous pruinescence; bristles pale yellow, dorsal bristles shorter and dorsolateral bristles long. Terminalia (Paratype, type-locality, Figs 11A–C) with distal margin of hypandrium with 3 concavities, medial one shallower, making up two short lobes, each bearing 1 long apical bristle reaching half-length of exposed part of phallus. Phallus long, with truncate apex, reaching apex of epandrial lamella, with long and strong lateral flaps pointing to base of phallus, arising from basal half of phallus. Postgonite long and slender, reaching 2/3 of exposed part of phallus. Dorsal connection of epandrial lamellae narrow. Epandrial lamella wide in lateral view, narrowing apically, concave on apical third, with narrow short apicodorsal projection.

Female (Figs 11D, E). Similar to male, but wing hyaline. Terminalia with tergite 8 rectangular, slightly longer than wide, distal margin slightly concave, lateral bristles long; sternite 8 long, about 2 x longer than wide, narrower and membranous on central portion of proximal half, distal margin with long bristles; cercus long, as long as sternite 10.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (MZUSP) labelled: “[Brazil, State of Rio de Janeiro], Est [Estado] do Rio, Itatiaia, Maromba, Barretto col., 8 - 946 [viii.1946]” “ HOLOTYPE, Syneches barrettoi Soares, Freitas-Silva & Ale-Rocha” [red label] . Holotype condition: good, mounted on minuten, anepisternum pierced by minuten; not dissected. PARATYPES. Same data as holotype (3 ♂, MZUSP; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, CNC; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, CAS; 4 ♂, INPA); idem, ix.[1]946 (7 ♂, 3 ♀, INPA; 1 ♀, NMNH; 1 ♀, DZUP); idem, Faz [Fazenda da] Serra, viii.[1]946 (2 ♂, NMNH) . São Paulo: Cantareira, Chapadão, Barretto col., viii.[1]946 (2 ♂, NMNH; 4 ♂, DZUP; 5 ♂, NHMUK; 12 ♂, 1 ♀, MZUSP; 4 ♂, INPA) ; idem, ix.[1]946 (1 ♀, NHMUK); idem, viii.[1]945 (1 ♀, MZUSP); idem, S[erra da] Cantareira, Cantareira, Barretto col., viii.[1]945 (4 ♂, INPA) ; idem, x.[1]945 (2 ♀, MZUSP); idem, viii.[19]45, J. Lane coll. (1 ♀, MZUSP); idem, Jundiaí, P[arque] Florestal Serra do Japi, Trilha Cachoeira Paraíso, 23°14′33″S. 46°57′03″W, luz U. V. branca, Lecci, Moretto & Nascimento cols., 27.viii.2007, BIOTA-FAPESP (1 ♀, MZUSP) ; idem, 28.viii.2007 (1 ♀, INPA; 1 ♀ MZUSP) .

Distribution. Brazil (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo) (Fig. 51). Syneches barrettoi sp. nov. is currently known only from the Atlantic Forest biome.

Variation. The acr bristles varies from 6–8 series on the scutum, while on the prescutellar disc has 2–3 acr bristles and 2–3 dc bristles. The mid and hind coxae are brown; hind femur is brown to reddish brown on the apical third to apical half; fore tibia is brown and the hind tibia is brown on the apical half.

Remarks. The new species differs from all the other Brazilian species by the distinct pruinescence pattern on the scutum and the male terminalia (see above).

Etymology. Syneches barrettoi sp. nov. is named after Mauro Pereira Barretto (in memoriam), Brazilian parasitologist who studied the taxonomy of Tabanidae (Diptera) and collected the holotype and paratypes of this species.