Microphorella amorimi, Brooks & Cumming, 2023

Brooks, Scott E. & Cumming, Jeffrey M., 2023, The first Neotropical and Afrotropical species of Microphorella Becker, with a key to the genera of Parathalassiinae and species of Microphorella from the Southern Hemisphere (Diptera: Dolichopodidae sensu lato), Zootaxa 5301 (5), pp. 581-593 : 582-585

Microphorella amorimi sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 2 , 5–13 )

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Type material. HOLOTYPE ♁( Fig. 5 )labelled:“CHILE: Maule Region:/ Corel River , 35°23ʹ24.3ʺS / 71°15ʹ16.4ʺW, 314m, swp/ 28.i.2011, D.S. Amorim ”; “HOLOTYPE/ Microphorella amorimi / Brooks & Cumming [red label]” ( MNHNS) . PARATYPES: CHILE: same data as holotype (2♁, 2♀, MNHNS; 1♁, 2♁ dissected, 2♀ dissected, CNC; 1♁, 1♁ dissected, 2♀, MZUSP) .

Diagnosis. Microphorella amorimi sp. nov. is distinguished from other known Southern Hemisphere species of the genus by the following combination of features: antennal postpedicel with short tip ( Fig. 6 ); thorax with biserial acrostichal setae; body and legs brown with dark setation ( Fig. 5 ); male face strongly narrowed ventrally ( Fig. 7 ); male terminalia with large reniform hypandrium and elongate epandrial lamellae ( Figs 9–12 ); female terminalia ( Fig. 13 ) with acanthophorus spines on syntergite 9+10; cercus pointed apically, with a few short ventral setae.

Description. Male ( Figs 5–12 ): Body length 1.1 mm, wing length 1.1 mm (based on Fig. 5 ). Head ( Figs 5–7 ): Mainly blackish-brown pruinose, ventral part of frons, face and clypeus dark brown in anterior view; slightly broader than thorax in dorsal view; ovoid in lateral view (higher than broad); slightly broader than high in anterior view; larger setae black, smaller setae brown. Ocellar triangle conspicuous. Occiput weakly concave on upper median part (accentuated concavity in some paratypes is apparently an artifact of preservation). Eyes covered with short ommatrichia; medial edge of eye lacking distinct emargination adjacent to antenna; ommatidia larger anteriorly. Frons about 2X broader than high, widening above. Face broad dorsally, strongly narrowed ventrally ( Fig. 7 ). Face and clypeus dark brown, concolorous with ventral part of frons (in anterior view). Clypeus not separated from face, small, higher than broad, slightly widening ventrally, weakly produced medially. Setae of head well differentiated (larger dorsal setae similar in size to anterior dorsocentrals): 1 pair of fronto-orbitals arising slightly anterior to median ocellus; 1 pair of lateroclinate anterior ocellars; 1 pair of small posterior ocellars; 1 pair of inner verticals (sometimes referred to as postocellars); apparently 2 pairs of outer verticals (broken in most specimens); postocular setae short and uniserial. Antenna ( Fig. 6 ) brown to blackish-brown, inserted above middle of head in profile; scape short, funnel-shaped; pedicel about 2X longer than scape, spheroidal with subapical circlet of setulae; postpedicel about 1.5X longer than pedicel, 1.2X longer than wide, rounded with apex drawn to short tip, clothed in fine setulae; arista-like stylus apical, nearly 3X length of postpedicel, with minute hairs. Palpus brown, relatively small, narrowly ovate, about 2.6X longer than wide, with 1 long preapical seta. Proboscis brown, short, projecting ventrally. Gena not developed below eye. Thorax ( Fig. 5 ): Brown pruinose (dark brown in dorsal view), setae dark brown. Mesoscutum moderately arched, prescutellar depression present. Proepisternum with 2 small setae. Postpronotal lobe with 2 small setae. Mesonotum longer than wide. Acrostichal setae biserial, well differentiated, rows ending before prescutellar depression; other thoracic setae well differentiated, each side of mesonotum with: 7 dorsocentrals, anterior setae short (slightly longer than acrostichals), progressively longer and stronger, posterior 2 setae largest, 1 presutural supra-alar (posthumeral), 2 notopleurals, 1 postalar and several acrostichal-sized setae above notopleuron on either side of transverse suture. Scutellum broadly crescent-shaped with 1 long, strong, posteriorly projected seta per side. Mesopleuron bare. Halter brown. Legs: Brown, with short dark setae; tarsomeres 1–4 of all legs progressively shorter apically with tarsomere 5 slightly longer than 4; tarsal claws, pulvilli and empodium normally developed on all legs. Foreleg: Coxa with fine setae on anterior surface, longer at apical margin; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tarsomere 1 slightly shorter than combined length of tarsomeres 2–3. Midleg: Coxa with several setae on anterior surface and margin; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Hindleg: Coxa with 2 setae on lateral surface; femur, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; tarsomere 1 subequal to combined length of tarsomeres 2–4. Wing ( Fig. 8 ): With brownish tinge, veins dark brown, about 2.4X longer than wide. Pterostigma absent, membrane entirely covered with minute microtrichia, alula absent. Costa circumambient. Extreme anterior base of costa with strong dorsal seta and 1 or 2 shorter proximal setae. Anterior section of costa (between base and R 2+3) with double row of spine-like setae. Posterior section of costa (beyond R 2+3) with setae finer and slightly longer. Radial and medial veins complete and reaching wing margin, CuA+CuP (anal vein) short extending about halfway to wing margin, Sc faint apically. R 1 running close to costa in distal part, terminating near midpoint of wing at level with M 2. Base of Rs originating opposite humeral crossvein. R 2+3 subparallel with R 1 in basal 1/3, straight and subparallel with R 4+ 5 in distal part. R 4+5 and M 1 nearly straight, gradually diverging to wing apex. M 1 and M 2 divergent. M 2 and M 4 subparallel beyond cell dm. Costal section between M 1 and M 2 about 2X longer than costal section between M 2 and M 4. CuA rounded (convex) and faint. Crossvein r-m short, sometimes very faint, distal to base of R 4+5. Crossvein bm-m incomplete, fading anteriorly. Cell dm present, closed by base of M 2 and dm-m crossvein, cell extending to middle of wing. Crossvein dm-m about 3X longer than base of M 2. Cells br, bm and cua in basal fourth of wing. Cell cua ovoid, infuscate basally. Anal lobe not developed. Calypter with fine setae. Abdomen ( Fig. 5 ): Brown with weak brown setae; segment 7 bare. Segments 5–7 narrowed and laterally compressed to form cavity on right side for hypopygium. Sternite 5 with short, broad pregenitalic process on left side. Sternite 8 subrectangular, with short setae, width similar to segment 7; tergite 8 indistinct. Hypopygium ( Figs 9–12 ): Concolorous with abdomen; lateroflexed to right; inverted with posterior end directed anteriorly; large, subequal in length to abdomen; asymmetrical; foramen not formed. Epandrium divided into left and right lamellae. Left epandrial lamella ( Fig. 9 ) partially overlapping left side of hypandrium, posterior margin with projecting surstylar lobes and ventral epandrial process, ventral edge fused with hypandrium but margin distinct, ventral portion of lamella elongate-oval; ventral epandrial process articulated at base, long and slender with 3 preapical setae, narrowed apically with tip bent medially. Left surstylus bilobed, dorsal and ventral lobes separated by shallow U-shaped cleft through which left postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of left surstylus short with margin broadly rounded, with long curved marginal seta and 2 small setae anteriad, medial surface with projection bearing seta with spearhead-shaped tip. Ventral lobe of left surstylus longer than dorsal lobe, with narrow base, medial surface with cluster of modified and curved setae, posterior margin with small subapical seta. Right epandrial lamella ( Figs 10, 11 ) partially overlapping right side of hypandrium, longer than high, ventral edge not fused with hypandrium, shorter than hypandrium; ventral epandrial process absent. Right surstylus bilobed, dorsal and ventral lobes separated by U-shaped cleft through which right postgonite lobe protrudes. Dorsal lobe of right surstylus short conical with stout apical seta, lateral surface with seta near middle and 2 smaller setae anteriad, with broad medial process basally. Ventral lobe of right surstylus larger and longer than dorsal lobe, broad basally with digitiform dorsally projecting tip, posterior margin with stout seta near middle and several smaller setae below. Hypandrium reniform, very large, longer than epandrium in lateral view, bare. Left postgonite, large and complex in structure, apically trifurcate ( Fig. 9 ). Right postgonite lobe bilobate, both lobes with truncate apex, with lateral seta at base of lobes ( Fig. 10 ). Phallus tubular, J-shaped, projected anteriorly, preapical portion ribbed. Ejaculatory apodeme large and keel-like. Hypoproct simple, left and right sides broad, short and asymmetrical. Cercus subtriangular, with several setae medially, left and right cercus nearly symmetrical.

Female. Similar to male except as follows: Head: Face and clypeus broad, face about as broad as ocellar tubercle above, weakly narrowed ventrally. Abdomen: Tapering posteriorly, apical segments retractable into segment 5. Terminalia ( Fig. 13 ): Syntergite 9+10 medially divided into subrectangular hemitergites, with four acanthophorous spines on each side; cercus sclerotized, pointed apically, with a few short ventral setae.

Distribution. This species is known only from the type locality of the Corel River in the Maule Region of Chile ( Figs 1, 2 ).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Dr. Dalton De Souza Amorim of the University of S„o Paulo, who collected the type series of this new species.

Remarks. This species was collected by sweeping along the Corel River. Microphorella amorimi sp. nov. is the first recorded species of the genus from the Neotropical Region and is the first non-coastal parathalassiine species known from the Region.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Known geographical distribution of Microphorella in the Neotropical Region and Afrotropical Region. 1–2. Distribution of M. amorimi sp. nov. in the Neotropical Region (Chile). 3–4. Distribution of M. irwini sp. nov. in the Afrotropical Region (South Africa).

FIGURES 5–8. Microphorella amorimi sp. nov., male. 5. Habitus of holotype, lateral view. 6. Head and antenna, dorsolateral view. 7. Head oblique view. 8. Wing. Abbreviations: an lb—anal lobe; cua—anterior cubital cell; CuA—anterior branch of cubital vein; dm—discal medial cell; dm-m—discal medial crossvein; M1, M2, M4—medial veins; plp—palpus.

FIGURES 9–13. Male and female terminalia of Microphorella amorimi sp. nov. 9. Hypopygium, left lateral view. 10. Hypopygium, right lateral view. 11. Right epandrial lamella, right lateral view. 12. Phallus and ejaculatory apodeme, right lateral view. 13. Female terminalia, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc—cercus; d sur—dorsal lobe of surstylus; ej apod—ejaculatory apodeme; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; hyprct lb—hypoproct lobe; (L)—left; pgt lb—postgonite lobe; ph—phallus; (R)—right; tg—tergite; v epand proc—ventral epandrial process; v sur—ventral lobe of surstylus.