Polyplectropus hystricosus, Chamorro & Holzenthal, 2010

Chamorro, Maria Lourdes & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2010, 2582, Zootaxa 2582, pp. 1-252 : 60-63

Polyplectropus hystricosus , new species

Figs. 27, 28, 140

This species can be distinguished from all other species in the group by the presence of many short, sclerotized, peg-like spines in the phallic endothecal membrane. When the endothecal membrane everts, it is oblong and bent anteriorly bearing peg-like spines basolaterally and along the ventral and apical margins. An elongate, basally fused spine may be present basodorsally. When the endothecal membrane is not everted P. hystricosus most resembles P. alatespinus , new species, but differs from this species in the elongate dorsal lobe of the mesoventral process of the preanal appendage (almost 2x longer than in P. alatespinus ). However, sometimes the dorsal lobe may not be as long in P. hystricosus ( Figs. 28A, C).

Adult. Length of forewing 5–5.5 mm, n = 7. Color of head, thorax, and legs dark-brown; setae on body dark-brown with golden reflections; tegulae with dark-brown setae; setae on wings dark-brown with golden reflections, entire specimen appearing black from a distance.

Male genitalia. Sternum IX in lateral view deltoid, anterior margin submedially produced, posterior margin submedially concave; in ventral view rectangular, anterior margin concave becoming straight, posterior margin with median flange. Tergum X membranous, oblong, bearing dorsal microsetae; lower lip of tergum X membranous, smooth, without dorsal microsetae, digitate; in dorsal view bilobed; in caudal view produced dorsad of phallocrypt. Intermediate appendage not longer than inferior appendage, digitate, with a pair of long apical setae; in dorsal view digitate; in caudal view digitate, directed posteromesad. Preanal appendage tripartite; dorsolateral process elongate, originating from dorsum of mesolateral process, recurved posterad, tapering into acute apex; mesolateral process setose; in dorsal view obovate, in lateral view deltoid; mesoventral process setose; in lateral view hook-like, dorsally produced into elongate, digitate lobe (variable form has shorter dorsal digitate lobe), with ventrad-directed sclerotized apex, ventral margin concave, posterior margin sinuate; in caudal view processes separated with dorsal digitate lobe, ventral margin of process acute. Inferior appendage bipartite with anterior basal plate not extending anterad beyond sternum IX when observed in lateral view and anteriorly bilobed; dorsal branch setose, in lateral view oblong; in ventral view narrow, lateral margin convex, undulate, posterior margin subacute, mesal margin slightly undulate, angled, expanding posterad into ventral branch; ventral branch setose, elongate, bearing robust, sclerotized spines basally, in lateral view digitate, rounded posterad; in ventral view digitate, posteromesal margin angled, gradually converging mesally. Phallus elongate; dorsal phallic sclerite in lateral view sinuate, apex oblong; apex of dorsal phallic sclerite in dorsal view rounded; endothecal membrane bearing many short, sclerotized, peg-like spines, when endothecal membrane everts, spines arranged basolaterally and along ventral and apical margins of upturned, oblong membrane ( Figs. 28E, 27E); may also bear a dorsal, elongate, basally fused spine ( Figs. 27E, F).

Holotype male: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Rio Caparaó, Vale Verde , 20°25'02"S, 41°50'46"W, 1350 m, 12–13.iii.2002, Holzenthal, Blahnik, Paprocki & Prather — ( UMSP000200972 ) ( MZUSP).

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Estação Ecológica de Tripuí, Córrego Botafogo , 20°22'54"S, 43°33'37"W, 1100 m, 1.ii.1998, Holzenthal & Paprocki — 1 male ( UMSP); same, 16.xii.1998, Paprocki &

Amarante— 1 male [endotheca not everted and drawn] ( UMSP); same, 25.xi.2001, Holzenthal, Blahnik, Neto & Paprocki — 1 male [variable form with endotheca everted] ( UMSP) ; Ibitipoca , Sitio of Anestis Papadopolous, 21°43'14"S, 43°54'33"W, 1200 m, 23.x.2000, H. Paprocki — 1 male ( MZUSP) ; Cachoeira do Abacaxi , Vale do Tropeiro, 20°12'16"S, 43°38'10"W, 1120 m, 30.ix.2000, Paprocki, Braga & Salgado — 1 male ( NMNH) ; Parque Nacional do Caparaó , Rio Caparaó, Vale Verde, 20°25'02"S, 41°50'46"W, 1350 m, 12– 13.iii.2002, Holzenthal, Blahnik, Paprocki & Prather — 1 male ( NMNH) .

Distribution. Southeastern Brazil.

Etymology. The species name comes from the Latin word “hystricosus” meaning “spiny” in reference to the spines in the endothecal membrane, evident when the membrane is everted.

Remarks. One specimen within this series lacked an elongate dorsal endothecal phallic spine, visible when the endotheca everts ( Figs. 27E). In some specimens, the endothecal membrane of the phallus failed to evert, presenting difficulties when determining whether the dorsal, elongate spine was there or not. When the endotheca fails to evert, the spine becomes confused with the underlying peg-like spines ( Fig. 28F). Several specimens also had shorter dorsal digitate lobes of the mesoventral process of the preanal appendage and shorter ventral branch of the inferior appendage, sometimes half as long as in other specimens ( Fig. 28). Additional material may reveal these differences to be continuous across specimens from different localities.