Polyplectropus bravoae Bueno-Soria

Chamorro, Maria Lourdes & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2010, 2582, Zootaxa 2582, pp. 1-252 : 154-157

Polyplectropus bravoae Bueno-Soria

Figs. 15G, 77, 125

Polyplectropus bravoae Bueno-Soria, 1990: 396 . [Type locality: Costa Rica, Guanacaste, Río Tempisquito , ca 3 km S de Route 1, 10.790°N, 89.552°W; NMNH; male].

Polyplectropus bravoae resembles other species in the P. laminatus subset ( P. laminatus (Yamamoto) and P. ecuadoriensis , new species). Polyplectropus bravoae superficially resembles P. laminatus , however the dorsolateral arm of the phallic sclerite is subapically broader in P. bravoae (narrower and uniformly wide in P. laminatus ). Additionally, the intermediate appendage of P. bravoae is evenly wide throughout its length, whereas in P. laminatus it is produced laterad and even more so in P. ecuadoriensis . Polyplectropus bravoae can be distinguished from P. ecuadoriensis by the obdeltoid ventral branch of the inferior appendage (in ventral view) (digitate in P. ecuadoriensis ) and a longer, more rounded apex of the dorsal branch of the inferior appendage. In addition, the endothecal phallic spines are shorter in P. bravoae (2x larger in P. ecuadoriensis ).

Adult. Length of forewing 3.9–4.8 mm, n = 159. Color of head and thorax brown, legs yellowish-brown; setae on body brown with clusters of grey setae on apex of head; tegulae with long, golden brown and grey setae; setae on wings brown with scattered patches of golden setae.

Male genitalia. Sternum IX in lateral view deltoid, anterior margin convex, 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 obtuse; in caudal view produced dorsad of phallocrypt. Intermediate appendage longer than inferior appendage, broad and membranous, with long basal setae and few scattered apically; in dorsal view rectangular, basally slightly broadened, apically truncate; in caudal view setose base digitate, apex rounded, subapically produced ventrad, directed posterad. Preanal appendage tripartite; dorsolateral process bulbous, originating from dorsum of mesolateral process, bearing dorsal microsetae; mesolateral process setose; in dorsal view deltoid, in lateral view orbicular; mesoventral process setose; in lateral view hook-like, with ventrad-directed sclerotized apex, anteroventral margin concave, posterior margin rounded to truncate; in caudal view not fused basomesally, processes slightly separated, ventral margin of process acute, with ventrolateral margin slightly produced. Inferior appendage bipartite with anterior basal plate extending anterad beyond sternum IX when observed in lateral view; dorsal branch setose, in lateral view lanceolate, short, apex acute; in ventral view narrow, lateral margin convex, undulate, posterior margin subacute, mesal margin entire, concave, expanding posterad into ventral branch; ventral branch setose, short and broad, in lateral view obovate; in ventral view obdeltoid, mesal margin acutely angled, shallowly converging mesally. Phallus long; dorsal phallic sclerite in lateral view sinuate, apex obliquely angled; apex of dorsal phallic sclerite in dorsal view emarginate; dorsolateral arm of dorsal phallic sclerite in lateral view broad, subapically expanded, narrowing apically; in dorsal view digitate, sinuate, extending beyond apex, apex directed laterodorsad; endothecal membrane with 2 stout, mediumsized, sclerotized spines.

Material examined. BELIZE: Cayo: San Ignacio (14 km S) Chaa River Cottage, [17°09'22"N, 89°04'17"W], 23.v.1986, P Spangler & R. Faitoute— 1 male (NMNH); COSTA RICA: Alajuela: Río Pizote, ca. 5 km N Dos Rios, 10°56'53"N, 85°17'28"W, 470 m, 9.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth— 41 males (UMSP); Río Pizote, ca. 5 km (air) S Brasilia, 10°58'19"N, 85°20'42"W, 390 m, 12.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth— 1 male (UMSP); 9.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth— 52 females (UMSP); Guanacaste: 10 mi. NW Liberia, [10°38'00"N, 85°26'00"W], 25.vii.1965, P J Spangler— 1 male, 1 female (NMNH) [paratypes]; Río Tempisquito, ca. 3 km S Route 1, 10°47'24"N, 85°33'07"W, 75 m, 6.iii.1986, Holzenthal & Fasth— 2 males (NMNH) [holotype] [“Type No. 104460”], 1 female (UMSP); Río Tizate, 7.2 km NE Cañas Dulces, 10°46'23"N, 85°26'56"W, 275 m, 28.vi.1986, Holzenthal, Heyn & Armitage— 1 male (UMSP); Parque Nacional Guanacaste, Quebrada Pedregal, El Hacha, 10°58'59"N, 85°32'20"W, 300 m, 27.vii.1987, Holzenthal, Morse & Clausen— 1 male (UMSP); Heredia: La Selva Field Station near Puerto Viejo, 21– 28.iii.1988, Steiner, Hill, Swearingen & Mitchell— 2 males, 2 females (NMNH); 1.5 mi S. of Potrerillos, [9°58'00"N, 84°10'00"W], 27.vii.1967, O S Flint— 1 male, 1 female (IBUNAM) [paratypes]; Río Sarapiquí, 7 km W Puerto Viejo, 10°27'07"N, 84°04'01"W, 50 m, 11.ii.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth— 1 male, 2 females (UMSP); Río Bijagual, on road to Magsasay, 10°24'29"N, 84°04'34"W, 140 m, 12.ii.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth— 1 male (UMSP); Estación Biología La Selva, Quebrada Sura, 10°26'13"N, 84°00'36"W, 50 m, 20–21.vi.1986, Holzenthal, Heyn & Armitage— 10 males, 11 females (UMSP); Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Río Peje, Est[acion] Magsasay, 10°24'07"N, 84°03'00"W, 130 m, 25–26.viii.1990, Holzenthal, Blahnik & Huisman— 8 males (UMSP); Puntarenas: Río Ceibo, route 2 ca. 6 km W rd to Buenos Aires, 9°08'56"N, 83°22'37"W, 250 m, 20.ii.1986, Holzenthal, Morse & Fasth— 1 male, 3 females (UMSP); 9 mi NW Esparta, [09°59'00"N, 84°40'00"W], 22.vii.1965, P J Spangler— 1 male (NMNH); HONDURAS: Olancho: Río Agua Amarilla, Pacayal, 5 km S El Carbon, [15°07'00"N, 86°03'00"W], 27.vii.1989, Lentz & Lopez— 2 males, 5 females (NMNH); MEXICO: Veracruz: Catemaco, Tebanca, [18°25'00"N, 95°07'00"W], 3.iii.1988, R Barba, et al.— 3 females (IBUNAM); Chintul, [22°02'00"N, 98°22'00"W], 6.iii.1988, R Barba— 2 females (IBUNAM); A Cadena— 1 female (IBUNAM); NICARAGUA: Río San Juan : Refugio Bartola, Río San Juan /Río Bartola, 10°58'00"N, 84°21'00"W, 35 m, 9.viii.2000, M L Chamorro— 1 male (UMSP);

Región Autónoma Atlántico Norte [Zelaya]: Rio Waspuk, Rápido Waula Kumbas , 14°21'00"N, 84°36'00"E, 75 m, ix.1996, Maes & Hernández — 1 male ( MEL) .

Distribution. Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.