Diastata fachini, Costa & Pirani & Mathis, 2023

Costa, Sávio Cunha, Pirani, Gabriela & Mathis, Wayne N., 2023, First record of Diastatidae (Diptera: Ephydroidea) from Brazil, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5278 (2), pp. 378-386 : 380-384

Diastata fachini sp. nov. Costa, Pirani & Mathis

( Figs 1A–B )

Type material examined. Holotype ♁ “ BR, SP, Campos do Jordão / Malaise , perto do lago / 05–09.xii.2019 / Carlos Martinez, Renan Kobal cols” ; Paratype ♀ “ BR, SP, Salesópolis / Estação Biológica de Boraceia, base / 23°39’10”S / 43°53’27”W / 26.xi.2016 / Malaise 1+2 / Amorim eq. cols”. Specimens in good condition, with terminalia cleared and stored in a microvial pinned below the specimen. Both deposited at MZUSP .

Diagnosis. Wing mostly brown, with 8 transparent marks as follows: 1 in basal portion of cells r 1, r 2+3, br and dm; 1 in distal portion of cell r 2+3; 3 in cell r 4+5 (proximal, middle, and distal), 1 in r 2+3 cell, 1 in middle of cell dm; 1 in middle of cell m 1 and 1 in cell m 4.

Description. Head ( Figs 1C–D ) with eye dark red, bare and large, higher than thorax. Antennal scape yellow with 10 setae; pedicel yellow with 4 setae and postpedicel setulose. Arista plumose with ca 16 dorsal and ventral branches. Frons very narrow, with few interfrontal setulae and carina restricted to dorsal portion of head (between antennae). Two well-developed fronto-orbitals setae, one proclinate and one reclinate, proclinate seta lateral in position to reclinate seta, equal length. Dark brown ocellar triangle with 2 proclinate ocellar setae of equal length. Postocellar setae cruciate, slightly shorter than ocellar setae. Inner vertical setae slightly longer than other vertical setae other. Lunule with 2 minute setae laterally. Thorax with anepisternum setulose; basal scutellar seta longer than apical scutellar seta; apical scutellar setae convergent; katepisternum with 2 setae and ca 8 setulae; postpronotal lobe with 1 setae and few setulae; anterior notopleural setae and anterior postpronotal present. Fore coxa with length 2X larger than fore femur, with small setae around, a row of 3 longer setae apically; fore femur slightly longer than the fore tibia with 3 setae laterally; fore tibia with 10 setae; fore tarsus with 4 tarsomeres almost indistinguishable, first tarsomere 3X longer than other tarsomeres; mid coxa slightly shorter than hind coxa, with 2 preapical setae. Halter shiny yellow. Wing ( Fig. 4 ) extensively maculate, predominantly light brown, with transparent maculae, costal vein (C) extended to vein M 1, humeral and subcostal breaks present, subcostal vein (Sc) incomplete, not reaching costal vein, fused with vein R 1 distally; vein R 1 bare; both veins CuA+CuP and A 1 present; cell cua closed, crossvein bm–m present. Abdomen with tergites shiny brown ( Figs 1A–B ). Tergites 1–5 unmodified (1 and 2 fused), 3 narrower than other tergites laterally, tergite 4 longer in medial portion. Male terminalia ( Figs 2A–B ) with epandrium well-developed, rectangular shaped, with anterior margin narrow and, with ca 4 long apical setulae; small setose lobe-like cercus, bilobed surstylus, posterior one more robust, rectangular shaped with ca 12 well-developed thick setae (similar to “peg-prensisetae” in Drosophilidae ), pre and postgonites evident, with apical setulae, phallapodeme elongate with teeth apically, phallus undivided, longer than phallapodeme; ejaculatory apodeme present ( Fig. 2B ), longer than wide, that is ovoid. Female. Similar to male, except as follows: female terminalia ( Figs 3A–B ) with 8 segments plus epiproct, hypoproct, cerci and ventral receptacle well-sclerotized, hypoproct and epiproct with setae present, sternites 6–7 with setae, tergite 8 with short setae around sclerite.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the Brazilian dipterist and our friend, Dr. Diego Aguilar Fachin, who discovered specimens while sorting Malaise trap material. His observant eyes and skill in identifying interesting and different flies made this study and publication possible.

Distribution. Neotropical: Brazil (State of São Paulo).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diastata fachini, sp. nov. A (paratype), B (holotype). Habitus lateral. Scale bars: 2mm. C (holotype). Head, anterolateral view, and D (holotype). Head, lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. A. Male terminalia (epandrial complex). B. Hypandrial, and phallic complexes.

FIGURE 3. A, B. Female terminalia. C. Ventral receptacle.

FIGURE 4. Wing.Abbreviations. bm: basal medial cell, br: basal radial cell, cua: anterior cubital cell, C: costal vein, CuA+CuP: anterior branch of cubital vein + posterior branch of cubital vein, dm: discal medial cell, dm–m: discal medial crossvein, h: humeral crossvein, M1: first branch of media, M4: fourth branch of media, R1: anterior branch of radius, R2+3: second branch of radius, R4+5: third branch of radius, r–m: radial medial crossvein, Sc: subcostal vein. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.