Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana, 2023

Soares, Matheus M. M., Capellari, Renato S. & Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany, 2023, Rafaelomyia, a remarkable new genus of South American long-legged flies (Diptera, Dolichopodidae), Zootaxa 5389 (2), pp. 151-172 : 152-153

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5389.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CDC5E9AC-B029-4D3F-B4C9-75EC018BA9C3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10406666
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038687B7-5E27-6D3F-FF33-42F6FA0207D8
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana View in CoL gen. nov.

Type species: Rafaelomyia inpa Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana sp. nov., by present designation. Gender feminine.

Etymology. The new genus is named after the Brazilian entomologist Dr. José Albertino Rafael (INPA), who has contributed substantially to the knowledge of the Neotropical invertebrate fauna, collecting, leading projects and training specialists in the most varied taxonomic groups, and adding the Greek feminine word myia, meaning fly.

Diagnosis (males). Head. Face wide, about as wide as or wider than ocellar tubercle, with eyes nearly parallelsided ( Figs 1C View FIGURE 1 , 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C View FIGURE 9 ) (narrow face in the entire type series of R. singularis sp. nov., Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 , is probably an artifact produced during specimen drying); antenna inserted on top of head (1/4 of head height distant from vertex), dorsal surface of scape bare, postpedicel short, sub-triangular, with stylus inserted on top of it. Thorax. Posterior mesonotum distinctly flattened ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 , 5B View FIGURE 5 , 7B View FIGURE 7 , 9D View FIGURE 9 ), acrostichal setae bi-seriate, ending between the fourth and fifth pairs of dorsocentrals, 6 pairs of strong dorsocentrals setae. Wing. Anal lobe developed, membrane with “ bosse alaire ” (depression on the distal part of vein R 4+5) (e.g., Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 , 7F View FIGURE 7 ), vein R 2+3 usually thickened before apex ( Figs 3F View FIGURE 3 , 5F View FIGURE 5 , 9F View FIGURE 9 ), vein R 4+5 and M 1 nearly straight. Legs. Femur III with 1 long dorsal seta near apex (e.g., Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Tibia I with anterodorsal row of short setae and ventral row of long slender setae from basal 1.5/6 to apex (e.g., Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Tibia II with 1 long apicoventral seta (about 1/2 as long as IIt 1) (e.g., Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ). Tarsus I: It 1 with posteroventral row of short stout setae, ventral surface of It 1–5 mostly bare and covered with weak silvery pruinosity (all MSSC) (e.g., Figs 1B View FIGURE 1 , 3B View FIGURE 3 ). Abdomen. Six segments clearly visible, tergite 6 setose, segment 7 with reduced sclerites and not forming a peduncle for the male hypopygium (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A View FIGURE 3 , 4A View FIGURE 4 ); hypopygium: cercus long and branched (e.g., Figs 2C, D View FIGURE 2 , 6C, D View FIGURE 6 , 8B, C View FIGURE 8 ), cercus unbranched in R. exu sp. nov. ( Fig. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 ) surstylus as a single lobe, indistinctly fused to genital capsule (e.g., Figs 2E View FIGURE 2 , 4E View FIGURE 4 , 6E View FIGURE 6 ), postgonite noose-shaped, surrounding the base of the phallus (e.g., Figs 2F View FIGURE 2 , 4F View FIGURE 4 ). Female ( Figs 11 View FIGURE 11 , 12 View FIGURE 12 ): Similar to male, except for MSSC, with six visible abdominal segments, acanthophorite divided into two hemitergites, each bearing five spines.

Remarks. It is noteworthy that all the examined specimens were taken on moist rocks near or over streams, in relative highlands in the Amazonian rainforest (800–2000 meters high, Fig. 13A–C View FIGURE 13 ). These data may indicate habitat preferences in the genus, as observed in some species of the genus Pseudosympycnus Robinson ( Soares & Capellari 2020; Soares & Ale-Rocha 2022).

Key to males of Rafaelomyia gen. nov.

1 Femora mostly brown to dark brown ( Figs 3A View FIGURE 3 , 5A View FIGURE 5 ).......................................................... 2

- Femora mostly yellow ( Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A View FIGURE 9 ).................................................................. 3

2 Femur II with antero- and posteroventral rows of long and strong setae ( Fig. 3B, D View FIGURE 3 ); tibia III lacking posteroventral rows of long setae near apex; cercus unbranched ( Fig. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 ); phallus trident-shaped in ventral view ( Fig. 4G View FIGURE 4 )................................................................................................... Rafaelomyia exu sp. nov.

- Femur II with 1 strong anteroventral seta near base ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ); tibia III with posterior to posteroventral rows of long setae from apical 4/6 to 5.5/6; cercus branched ( Fig. 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ); phallus mostly tubular and widening at apex ( Fig. 6F, G View FIGURE 6 ).......................................................................................... Rafaelomyia singularis sp. nov.

3 Tibiae I and II yellow to dark yellow ( Fig. 9A, B View FIGURE 9 ); R 2+3 thickened at middle ( Fig. 9F View FIGURE 9 ); basal 1/2 of dorsal edge of phallus with dentiform processes ( Fig. 10F View FIGURE 10 )..................................................... Rafaelomyia xavieri sp. nov.

- Tibiae I and II brown to dark brown ( Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 7A View FIGURE 7 ); R 2+3 not thickened ( Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 , 7F View FIGURE 7 ); basal 1/2 of dorsal edge of phallus lacking dentiform processes ( Figs 2F View FIGURE 2 , 8E View FIGURE 8 ).................................................................. 4

4 Body length 3.8–4.4 mm ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ); wing light brown ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ); outer branch of cercus with short, truncated inner projection near apex ( Fig. 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ); phallus with 2 long, narrow acute processes near apex ( Fig. 2F, G View FIGURE 2 )....... Rafaelomyia inpa sp. nov.

- Body length 6 mm ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ); wing dark brown ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ); outer branch of cercus with wide, rounded inner projection near apex ( Fig. 8B, C View FIGURE 8 ); phallus with lobulated processes near apex ( Fig. 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ).................. Rafaelomyia uniamazonia sp. nov.