Neodiogmites alexanderi ( Carrera, 1949 )

Alvim, Edgar, Ale-Rocha, Rosaly & Bravo, Freddy, 2014, Taxonomic revision of Neodiogmites Carrera, 1949 (Diptera, Asilidae) and description of two new species, Zootaxa 3861 (2), pp. 101-126 : 113-115

Neodiogmites alexanderi ( Carrera, 1949)

( Figs. 3 , 4b, 27–35)

Lastauroides alexanderi Carrera, 1949:95 , Figs. 25, 26 , 68, 105; Carrera, 1958a:146 Carrera & Papavero, 1962:53 (citation); Hull, 1962 (1):241 (citation); Martin & Papavero, 1970:29 (catalog).

Neodiogmites alexanderi ; Artigas & Papavero, 1988: 212 (key), 256, Fig 206; Papavero, 2009:74 (catalog); Geller-Grimm et al., 2011 (catalog online).

Diagnosis. face yellow pruinose; frons with sparse yellow pruinescence; palpus black with white setae; antennae black; pronotum black, light brown pruinose, scutum black with light brown marginal pruinescence; scutellum with two marginal setae; coxae pruinose, white setose, femora reddish with black base, tibiae reddish with apical 1/ 4 black; wing brownish, apical third brown; abdomen black, lateral of tergites 1–4 white pruinose; tergite 1 with white setae laterally and on posterior margin, tergites 2–3 with abundant, thin and white setae laterally.

Redescription. Holotype male. Measurements: body 18.5 mm; wing 13 mm. Head: face yellow pruinose; mystacal setae black; frons with sparse yellow pruinescence with a tuft of black setae above insertion of each antenna and bisected in middle by longitudinal depression; orbital setae black; ocellar tubercle black with black setae, postocular setae black; occiput with yellow pruinescence behind ocellar tubercle and at apex, remainder with gray pruinescence; upper occipital setae black and lower occipital setae white; palpus black ( Fig. 3 ) with white setae on first segment and black setae on second; proboscis black with white setae ventrally; antennae (Fig.4b) black, scape and pedicel with black setae, postpedicel with sparse yellowish pruinescence, black setae on basal half of dorsum. Thorax: second cervical sclerite pale brown with thin and long white setae; pronotum black with light brown pruinescence, antepronotum with thick and thin black setae on anterior margin; postpronotum with thick and thin black setae only laterally; proepisternum with black and white setae; postpronotal lobe with black setae; three notopleural, three supra-alar and three postalar setae; scutum black with light brown pruinescence marginally and along medial stripe; medial stripe darker than background color of scutum; dorsocentral setae just before transverse suture; scutellum with pale brown pruinescence on posterior region and one pair of marginal setae; pleura with brown pruinescence; anepisternum with black setae on posterior region. Legs: coxae silvery pruinose, and white setose; femora reddish with black base, covered by black tomentum, ventrally with long setae; tibiae reddish with 1/4 apical black, with thick and thin black setae, except posterior surface with thin yellow setae; tarsomeres black with black setae; pulvillus yellowish; claws black. Wing: slightly brownish with apical third brownish; alula hyaline; halter brown. Abdomen: black; lateral of tergites 1–4 with white pruinescence; tergite 1 with white setae laterally and on posterior margin, tergites 2 and 3 with abundant white and thin setae laterally, tergite 4 with lateral setae more sparse, other segments covered with black pilosity, sternites 1–4 with white pruinescence and setae. Terminalia: black with black setae and some yellow setae on cercus; epandrium narrowed on posterior region ( Fig. 30 ); hypandrium with small triangular indentation medially on anterior margin, posterior margin rounded, slightly narrowed ( Fig. 31 ), inner expansion of gonocoxite with rounded apex and anterior margin sinuous, about four times wider than long, considering the greatest width ( Fig. 33 ), dorsal expansion of gonocoxite with apex turned to posterior region ( Figs. 30, 31 ); gonostylus tubular, apex turned up ( Figs. 32, 33 ) with protuberance at base ( Fig. 33 ); phallus with lateral ejaculatory process same length of ejaculatory apodeme in dorsal view ( Fig. 34 ), basal half of ejaculatory apodeme narrow ( Fig. 35 ) and aedeagal sheath without medial area acute in dorsal view.

Female: similar to male, except: fewer setae on lateral of tergites; wing darker than male; tergites 1–3 with white pruinescence and setae laterally, tergite 4 with few white setae; tergites 4–8 shiny black. Terminalia: acanthophorite spines black, cerci apex truncate ( Figs. 27, 28 ); sternite VIII with membranous central and mediolateral areas, posterior margin with medial invagination that connects membranous central area, forming two valves with truncated apex and almost three times longer than wide, lateral invagination slightly longer than half valve length and connecting with mediolateral membranous area ( Fig. 27 ). Spermathecae as in figure 29.

Variations. Size: body length range 16–22 mm and wing length 12–16 mm. Some specimens in additional material varied in tegument color. Setae: palpus with black setae; setae of cervical sclerite white or brown; proepisternum with only black setae or mixed with some white setae; scutum entirely black, with brown pruinescence only on edges; scutellum with thin setae between marginal pair; coxae with brown pruinescence, setae black or mixed with white setae; reddish color of femora and tibiae with variable extension; tarsomeres dark red; abdomen with black setae laterally of tergite 1.

Comments. Neodiogmites alexanderi is similar to Neodiogmites papaveroi sp. nov., however, the two species can be separated by the color of the abdominal setae, which are white in N. alexanderi and yellow in N. papaveroi ; internal expansion of gonocoxite with rounded apex and anterior margin sinuous in N. alexanderi and like a spatula in N. papaveroi ; basal half of ejaculatory apodeme narrow, in N. Alexanderi , and in N. papaveroi is narrowed on basal 1/3.

Geographic records. Brazil: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo (new record).

Type material examined. Holotype ♂: BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Angra dos Reis, Jussaral, xi.1934. Leg. L. Travassos, Lastauroides alexanderi Det. M. Carrera, 1961 ( IOC).

Material examined. BRAZIL, E[spírito] S[anto]: S[Santa] Teresa, 28.ix. [1]966, C.T & C. Elias leg. (1♂ DZUP); idem, 28.viii.1967, C.T & C. Elias leg. (2♂, 1♀ DZUP); idem, 3.ii.1968, Tadeu & C. Elias leg. (1♂ DZUP); idem, 12.x.1964, C. Elias leg. (1♂ DZUP); [Rio de Janeiro]: Petrópolis, 15.i. [19]73, H.S. Lopes leg. (1♂, 1♀ MNRJ); Petrópolis, Alto Mosella, 1100m, ii.1956, D’Albuquérque leg (1♂ MZUP); P.N. de Itatiaia, 1958, Guimarães & Zikan leg. (1♀ IOC); [São Paulo]: Ribeirão Preto, Rio Tamanduá x.1953, M.P. Barrerto leg. (1♂ MNRJ); Salesópolis, [Estação Biológica da] Boracéia i.1948, L.Trav. F. & D. Braz (1♂ MZUSP).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Palpi: 1, Neodiogmites lanei (Carrera) (lanei group); 2, N. melanogaster (Weidmann, 1821) (melanogaster group); 3, N. alexanderi (Carrera) (alexanderi group). Fig. 4. Antennae: a, N. melanogaster (Wiedemann) (melanogaster group); b, N. alexanderi (Carrera) (alexanderi group); c, N. lanei (Carrera) (lanei group). Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 26. Neodiogmites melanogaster (Wiedemann). Male terminalia: 21, dorsal view; 22, ventral view; 23, lateral view; 24, internal view of gonocoxite; 25, dorsal view of phallus; 26, lateral view of phallus. Abbreviation: Ejac Apod—Ejaculatory apodeme. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Neodiogmites alexanderi (Carrera). Male terminalia: 30, dorsal view; 31, ventral view; 32, lateral view; 33, internal view of gonocoxite; 34, dorsal view of phallus; 35, lateral view of phallus. Scale: 1 mm.

FIGURES 27 – 29. Neodiogmite (Carrera). Female terminalia: 27, sternite VIII, ventral view; 28, tergite VIII, dorsal view; 29, spermathecae. Scale: 1 mm.