Miroculis (Miroculis) boldrinii, Raimundi & Domínguez & Salles, 2021

Raimundi, Erikcsen Augusto, Domínguez, Eduardo & Salles, Frederico Falcão, 2021, Description of a new species, nymphs of two known species and a new record of Miroculis Edmunds, 1963 (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4963 (2), pp. 384-392 : 384-387

Miroculis (Miroculis) boldrinii sp. nov.

Figures 1–5 ; 6

Diagnosis. Miroculis (Miroculis) boldrinii sp. nov. differs from the other species of Miroculis by the following combination of characters. Male imago: 1) head orange strongly tinged with dark brown; 2) dorsal portion of compound eye on a short stalk, with the inner margin presenting a medial projection ( Fig. 1 ) and dorsal surface with 20 facets on the longest row; 3) fore wing hyaline except for three wide dark brown transversal bands; 4) forceps segment II 0.24× forceps segment I; 5) forceps segment I with subdistomedial protuberance; and 6) forceps brown with inner margin paler on segments II and III.

Description. Male imago—(in alcohol) Fig. 6 .

MEASURES (mm). Body: 6.0. Fore wing: 4.7; angularity of cubital region 94°; hind wing: 1.4. Fore and middle legs: broken off and missing; hind leg: 3.5. Penis: 0.8. Caudal filament: broken off and missing. RATIOS. Wings: Fore wing width 0.5× fore wing length; hind wing length 0.3× fore wing length; hind wing width 0.6 hind wing length; fork on MA 2 of fore wing 0.5× total length of MA. Legs: segments of hind leg: 0.92: 1.00 (1.41 mm): 0.07: 0.06: 0.06: 0.08. Genitalia: medial length of styliger plate 0.6× maximum width of styliger plate; lateral length of styliger plate 0.7× medial length of styliger plate; lateral length of styliger plate 1.1× lateral length of segment IX. Forceps segment III 0.7× segment II; segment III 0.3× segment I; segment II 0.4× segment I; penis length 1.5× forceps segment I. COLORATION: General coloration: orangish brown. Head: Orangish and strongly tinged with dark brown. Stalk of compound eye black; upper portion with facets separated by dark grooves. Ocellus white surrounded by gray. Antenna brownish. Thorax. Sclerites yellowish brown. Pleura pale; pleural sclerites tinged with dark gray. Ventral surface of cervix with a posteromedial dark gray spot. Pro, meso and metanotum tinged with brown, margins of sclerites darker. Wings ( Figs 2–3 ): Fore wing hyaline marked with two evident wide brownish transversal bands ( Fig. 2 ). Hind wing hyaline, brownish on apical ⅕ and around cross veins ( Fig. 3 ). Legs. Hind leg whitish. Coxa and femur tinged with light brown; femur with dark brown complete band on median and subapical portions. Abdomen. Orangish brown, translucent and tinged with light brown. Tergum IX with posterior gray mark; terga I–VIII with postero-sublateral grayish brown triangular mark; grayish brown marks on posterolateral area of tergum I–VII, and on antero-sublateral areas of terga VI–VII. Sternites orangish brown, translucent; darker on I–VI; sternite X with lateral orangish marks. Spiracles brownish; tracheae gray. Genitalia ( Figs 4–5 ): Styliger plate brown. Forceps brown, inner margin of forceps segment II and III lighter ( Fig. 5 ). Penis dark brown medially, lighter toward base and apex. MORPHOLOGY. Head: posterior margin V-shaped. Upper portion of compound eye on short stalk (wider than long), separated medially by distance of one compound eye; medial projection of dorsal surface present ( Fig. 1 ); dorsal surface elongated with 20 facets on longest row. Thorax: Wings ( Figs 2–3 ). Three bullae visible; 14 cross veins between C and Sc, 10 distal to bulla; fork of MA strongly asymmetric; fork of MP slightly ( Fig. 2 ). Hind wing with apex acute; costal projection poorly developed; Sc ends distally of apex of costal projection; fork of R+MA slightly asymmetric; MP free basaly; CuP present; Anal vein absent ( Fig. 3 ). Genitalia ( Figs 4–5 ): lateral view ( Fig. 4 ); styliger plate with posteromedial portion concave. Forceps segment I with basal third broad, tapering gradually toward apex, and inner margin with subdistomedial portion broader ( Fig. 5 , arrow). Base of penis broad tapering abruptly toward apex; base of inner margin with row of spines ( Fig. 5 ).

Etymology. We name this species in honor of Rafael Boldrini for his friendship and important contribution to the knowledge of mayflies.

Distribution. Brazil: Amazonas State.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: male imago: BRAZIL: Amazonas , Manaus municipality (Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke), 02°59’19.6’’S 59°56’48.3’’W, 69 m, 01–03.ii.2012, Vidovix T. A. S. leg., Malaise trap ( INPA) . PARATYPE: one male imago: same data as holotype ( INPA) ; one male imago, Manaus municipality, 02º35’50.9’’S, 60º12’54.9’’W, 49 m, 09–12.xi.2008, Neiss. U.G.; Salles; F.F.; Vilela. P.; Laurindo. P., legs. ( IBN, Tucumán, Argentina) .

Discussion. Miroculis (M.) boldrinii sp. nov. shares some characteristics with Miroculis (Miroculis) nebulosus Savage, 1987 such as a medial projection on the inner margin of the compound eye, basal half of penis broad and tapering abruptly toward the apex, and base of the styliger plate broader than apex. However, M. (M.) boldrinii sp. nov. differs from M. (M.) nebulosus by having 20 facets on the longest row of upper portion of compound eye, instead of 11–14 in M. (M.) nebulosus , by the presence of dense pigmentation on the membrane of fore wings and by the size of penis, shorter than the combination of the styliger plate and forceps in the new species. Fore wings of both species are also distinct; in M. (M.) boldrinii sp. nov. three wide and complete brown transversal bands are present, while in M. (M.) nebulosus these bands are narrower and incomplete.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Miroculis (Miroculis) boldrinii sp. nov., male imago habitus (lateral view).

FIGURES 1–5. Miroculis (Miroculis) boldrinii sp. nov., male imago: 1) Scheme of the dorsum of the head indicating medial eye projection (arrow); 2) Fore wing; 3) Hind wing; 4) Genitalia (lateral view); 5) Genitalia (ventral view): arrow shows the inner margin with subdistomedial portion broader of forceps.