Metachela danitakiyae, Camara, Josenir Teixeira & Rafael, Jose Albertino, 2017

Camara, Josenir Teixeira & Rafael, Jose Albertino, 2017, New species of Metachela Coquillett (Diptera, Empididae) from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil and a key to the Neotropical species, ZooKeys 714, pp. 129-140 : 132-133

Metachela danitakiyae sp. n. Figs 1-7, 8-11

Type-locality.

BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, Parque Nacional de Itatiaia, 22°25'38.6" S– 44°37'9.7"W, 1140 m,

Type-specimen.

Holotype male, pinned, not dissected: "BRAZIL, RJ [Rio de Janeiro], Itatiaia, Parque Nacional de Itatiaia. Córrego Maromba, abaixo da Cachoeira Véu de Noiva. Malaise trap, 22°25'38.6" S– 44°37'9.7"W, 1140 m. 10. i– 02.II.2015. D.M. Takiya, A.P.M. Santos & M.F. Monné” (INPA). Paratypes. Same data as holotype (8 males, 2 females, INPA, 5 males, 2 females, MNRJ, 3 males, 4 females, MZUSP). BRAZIL, MG[Minas Gerais], Alto Caparaó, Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Vale Verde. Malaise, 17-20.i.2014. 20°25'09.7" S– 41°50'47"W, 1364m. J.L. Nissimian & A.P.M. Santos. (2 males, 1 female, INPA).

Diagnosis.

Scutum with a mid-longitudinal brown stripe; vein R2+3 fused to R1 (Figs 2 and 9); male cercus arched, in dorsal view, acute at extreme apex (Figs 3, 4); epandrium with a dorsoapical sinus (Fig. 5); hypandrium membranous midventrally on basal ¾ and sclerotized apically (Fig. 7); female tergite 10 with bilobate posterior margin (Fig. 11); female sternite 8 elongate, concave on anterior margin, membranous on apical half (Fig. 11).

Male (Fig. 1). Head (Fig. 1): Dark brown to black, setae whitish. Ocellar triangle with two pairs of proclinate bristles, anterior pair stouter. Eyes iridescent black, separated on face. Occiput with scattered fine setae. Mouth parts yellow; proboscis short, slightly curved and with yellow setae. Antenna yellow, with scape and pedicel bearing distinct short ventral setulae; postpedicel nearly 2 × as long as wide; stylus very short, ~ 0.1 × as long as postpedicel.

Thorax (Fig. 1): Elongate, slightly arched dorsally; scutum yellowish except for mid-longitudinal brown stripe, wider posteriorly, and brownish posterolateral spot above wing base; scutum with very small and fine yellow setae except for one notopleural, one postalar, and two pairs of small parallel scutellars; scutellum and mediotergite brown.

Legs (Fig. 1): Yellow, except fore tibia with narrow anteroventral brown stripe distally, and hind femur at distal 2/3 and tarsomeres 4-5 brown. Fore coxa as long as distance between fore- and mid coxae, 4 × as long as wide, with some dorso-apical pale setae. Fore femur approximately 1.3 × as long as fore coxa, 4.5 × as long as wide, with anteroventral row of 3-5 spines, anteroventral row of 6-8 denticles, and posteroventral row of 18-20 denticles, with basal ones stouter; anteroventral row of denticles placed on distal half and posteroventral row restricted to distal 0.9, and both rows without apical discontinuity and diverging at apex. Fore tibia approximately 0.8 × as long as fore femur; with decumbent short pale bristles dorsally, more densely distributed apically. Mid femur with two anteroventral and 12 posteroventral spines, basal pair stouter. Hind legs slender, with fine setae, except hind tibia with dorsoapical comb of short setae.

Wings (Fig. 2): Membranous, veins yellowish; vein R2+3 short, fused to vein R1; R4+5 fork angle around 70°; R5 and M1 slightly divergent at extreme apex; cell bm+dm ending beyond apex of R1, ~1.3 × as long as cell br; cup cell closed. Halter whitish yellow.

Abdomen (Fig. 1): Tergites and sternites membranous, yellow, except anterior margin of all tergites and sternite 8 brownish; sternite 8 strongly sclerotized, U-shaped posteriorly.

Male terminalia: Brown. Cercus arched, in dorsal view (Figs 3, 4) narrower on basal 1/4, expanded apically, extending beyond epandrium apex (Fig. 5); left and right cerci closely approximated anterodorsally (Fig. 3); distinctly setose. Epandrium subrectangular, with a posterodorsal sinus (Fig. 5), with distinct strong setae on outer face. Hypandrium membranous midventrally on basal 3/4, sclerotized and fused posteriorly (Fig. 7); gonocoxal apodeme projecting anteriorly as a small protuberance (Fig. 5). Subepandrial sclerite subrectangular, more sclerotized basally and laterally (Fig. 4). Phallus strongly sclerotized, except less sclerotized apically (Fig. 6), abruptly pointed apically. Ejaculatory apodeme present. Holotype: body length. 3.3 mm; wing length. 2.7 mm.

Female (Figs 8, 9). Similar to male. Terminalia: Tergite 7 brown, shorter than tergite 8 (Figs 10, 11); tergite 8 brown, subtrapezoidal, with anterior margin slightly concave in dorsal view (Fig. 11); tergite 10 slightly light brown, bilobate on posterior margin (Fig. 11). Cercus brown, apex pale (Fig. 10). Sternite 7 brown, with small median projection on anterior margin (Fig. 11); sternite 8 dark brown on basal 2/3 and with pale apex, elongate, concave on anterior margin (Fig. 11); sternite 10 very narrow, v-shaped.

Geographical records.

Brazil (Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro states).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a tribute to Daniela Maeda Takiya, friend of the authors and collector of the specimens.

Remarks.

Metachela danitakiyae sp. n. differs from other species by the elongate male cercus, narrower on the apical 1/4 (usually short in other species, if elongate then with broad apex); epandrium with a posterodorsal sinus (without sinus in other species).