Orthonevra gouletmasnerorum Miranda & Thompson, 2024

Miranda, Gil F. G., Soares, Matheus M. M. & Thompson, Christian, 2024, The Neotropical Orthonevra Macquart, 1829 (Diptera: Syrphidae), Zootaxa 5484 (1), pp. 1-78 : 33-34

Orthonevra gouletmasnerorum Miranda & Thompson sp. nov.

75-9. Thompson 2006: 21 (key reference)

Figs 16 and 17 . Map: Fig. 40

Diagnosis. The wide apical vitta on the wing and the larger body size should promptly distinguish O.gouletmasnerorum from other Neotropical Orthonevra species.

Description. MALE. Head ( Fig. 16d–f ): metallic black-green, face wide, with slight convexity in profile and ventral 1/4 slightly produced anteriorly as a strong convexity, strongly regulose except on ventral 1/4, shiny, pile white and not scale-like; with white microtrichose subtriangular macula laterally, positioned immediately ventral do antennal base and widely separated from it. Antenna dark, scape and pedicel without metallic reflections and pale ventrally, post-pedicel paler baso-ventrally; pedicel almost twice the length of the scape, postpedicel oval elongated, almost twice the length of the pedicel; pile on pedicel long and black. Mala slightly produced apico-ventrally, smooth. Gena shiny, smooth, and with white pile. Frontal triangle metallic-green, homogeneously regulose, bare except for distinct erect dark pile anterior to eye contiguity. Vertical triangle isosceles-triangle shaped, 3 × longer than eye contiguity, metallic-black, with very long, black and sparse pile; ocellar triangle with a coarse texture, black but with purple reflections, with long black and sparse pile. Occiput not visible laterally on dorsal 1/2, ventral 1/2 homogeneously covered in white microtrichia which extends until dorsal to gena, with a row of black pile, which is long on dorsal 1/4 and very short on the remaining of the occiput. Eyes holoptic; with two sinuous vittae on ventral 1/2, two curved vittae on dorsal 1/2, and a medial fascia, three vittae originate from same point on fascia, the postero-dorsal vitta originates slightly posterior to others, eyes darker on anterior margin between the ends of the anterior vittae, and on whole posterior and ventral margin.

Thorax ( Fig. 16d, e ): metallic black-green, pile mostly black, short, erect and densely distributed, white and longer on notopleuron; scutum with four dark matte vittae, sub-medial pair wider, all fused on posterior 1/3, with purple reflections, with a short narrow lateral vittate macula posterior to transverse sulcus, with a narrow metallic-green area anterior to scutellum; notopleuron metallic-green; scutellum metallic-green but regulose middle makes it look darker on basal 3/4, with a sub-basal and medial transversal linear depression, with black, short, erect and densely distributed pile. Pleuron wholly metallic, smooth on proepisternum, proepimeron, anteriorly on anepisternum and katepisternum, posterior anepimeron, katepimeron, and katepimeron, remaining with a coarse texture, with some white microtrichia posteriorly to anterior spiracle and on anatergum, with white pile on antepronotum (and longer anteriorly to anterior spiracle), proepisternum, posterior anepisternum, anterior anepimeron, dorsal and ventral patches on katepisternum, and metasternum. Dorsal lobe of calypter white, margin dark, with long white marginal pile, ventral lobe similar but pile darker and 3 × longer than dorsal pile. Plumule white. Halter yellowish.

Legs ( Fig. 16e ): metallic; pro and mesoleg pale on apex of femur, basal 1/3 and apex of tibia, and first two tarsomeres, dark on remaining of tibia and apical tarsomeres; metaleg pale on basal 1/4 and apex of metatibia, base and apex of metabasitarsomere, and apex of second metatarsomere, dark on the remaining areas of the metatarsus. Legs covered with white pile, longer on coxa, profemur with a few longer pile ventrally, metafemur ventro-apical 1/2 with short black setulae.

Wing ( Fig. 16d, e ): R2+3 with a long appendix on its apex (R3), with dark sub-apical wide vitta (from end of R2+3 until posterior end of M1), sub-apically on r1, on dm-m, and with fasciate maculae in r2+3, r4+5 (two), and dm, basal 1/2 hyaline, apex of wing slightly darkened, wholly microtrichose; basicosta with dense appressed black pile, with three more prominent setae apically. Alula large, 2 × the width of cell c.

Abdomen: wholly metallic black-green, terminalia metallic black dorsally, pile sockets as small protuberances, pile black, erect and very short, white and longer laterally, much longer laterally on tergum 2; sterna metallic, with appressed, long, white pile, erect on sternum 2; sternum 4 with short medio-apical extension.

Genitalia ( Fig. 17c–f ): surstylus mostly rectangular, base slightly extended dorsally, and with a narrower, slightly curved, dorso-apical extension, with pile sparsely distributed but more densely distributed on medial surface of the extension ( Fig. 17f ); cercus rectangular in lateral view, but dorsal portion curving towards middle and more rounded. Hypandrium slightly compressed medially ( Fig. 17c ); postgonites with two apical prongs and a third baso-ventral prong, all ventrally directed ( Fig. 17e ), with very few pile medio-dorsally; phallus heart-shaped dorsally before the apex, then narrows ventrally to an acute apex, two-pronged medio-ventrally, basal tubular process very short.

Variation. Postero-ventral eye vitta connects to same point as postero-dorsal vitta. Scutum with larger metallic-green reflections posteriorly. Pleuron with large purplish metallic areas. Scutellum linear depressions inconspicuous. Sub-apical vitta of r1 variable in extent. Second metatarsomere wholly pale. Abdomen with matte black posterior margins on terga, and metallic-blue reflections.

FEMALE ( Figs 16a–c , 17a, b ). Like male except: Mala more produced; frons wide, strongly regulose, with a medial longitudinal groove extending from ocellar triangle until almost to the lunule; ocellar triangle with bluish reflections and shorter pile; wing apex more distinctly dark; abdominal terga usually metallic-blue and at most lateral margins metallic-green; tergum 5 as a rectangular sclerite. Genitalia ( Fig. 17a, b ): tergum and sternum 7 as pair of sclerotized rectangular areas, but tergum with convex medial margins, with a few pile on anterior margin. Tergum 8 as a heavy sclerotized plate, bare. Sternum 8 mostly membranous and more voluminous than tergum 8, lightly sclerotized except for heavier sclerotized basal sub-quadrate area, lateral areas, and apical margin, mostly pilose but bare on lateral sclerotized area. Sternum 9 as half-oval, sclerotized and distinct plate, with baso-medial apodeme laterally compressed, and two pairs of converging linear sclerotizations medially (basal one lighter). Epiproct membranous apically, but as a sclerotized rectangular area basally, with large baso-lateral convex apodemes, pilose on apical 1/2 ( Fig. 17a ). Cercus oval, baso-lateral corner slightly extended, mostly pilose, positioned apically to epiproct. Hypoproct as a short transversal sclerotized stripe anteriorly and a long transversal sclerotized stripe posteriorly, areas connected medially, pilose only on sclerotized areas.

Length. Body 5.80–6.60mm (n=8), wing 5.00– 5.60mm (n=9); female 6.10–7.40mm (n=12), wing 5.20–6.40mm (n=12).

Distribution. Costa Rica ( Fig. 40 ).

Altitudinal range. 930–2800m.

Etymology. The name is a combination of the last names of two formidable Hymenoptera researchers, Henri Goulet and Lubomir Masner, from the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, who were responsible for collecting a large series of specimens from this species. The name should be treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Comments. The larger size (5.8–7.4mm), the wide sub-apical dark vitta on the wing and the appendix on R2+3 should easily separate this species from the others. The female epiproct is unique among the material studied due to the larger baso-lateral areas extended internally as apodemes. This species is endemic to Costa Rica and to altitudes higher than 900m.

Type material examined: COSTA RICA. Cartago, Hwy. #2, Km 93, 83°45'W, 9°36'N, 4, 7 & 13.iv.1985, H. Goulet & L. Masner (male holotype gouletmasnerorum CNC, JSS 41250) .

Paratypes examined: COSTA RICA. Cartago, Hwy. #2, Km 93, 83°45'W, 9°36'N, 4, 7 & 13.iv.1985, H. Goulet & L. Masner (8 males & 12 females CNC, JSS41095 , 41130–37 , 41242–49 , 41251–52 & CNC _ Diptera 250195); Estación Tres de Junio [ca 9°41'45.6"N 83°53'37.0"W], Km 68, Caret. Interam. Sur , 10.ii.1996, S. Marshall (1 male DEBU, INBIOCRI002 240055). Heredia, Cerro Chompipe [ca 10°04'55.7"N 84°03'58.7"W], 2100m, 1.x.1994, M.A. Zumbado (1 male USNM, USNMENT IBIOCRI002 443236). San Jose [ca 9°58'17.4"N 84°10'30.3"W], 18km NW División, 2.iii.1991, D. Webb (1 female CSCA) ; Cerro Muerte [ca 9°33'58.5"N 83°45'00.5"W], 20km SE Empalme, 2800m, ??.ii–??.iii & ??.iii–??. iv.1989, Hanson (2 females USNM, USNMENT01492697–8 ) ; Est. Cuerici, Send. Por Quebrada los Leones , 4.6km W of Villa Mills [ca 9°33'52.3"N 83°42'28.6"W], 2600m, 1.xii.1996, A. Picado (1 male USNM, INBIOCRI002 494088) ; San Gerardo de Dota , domain Savegre, Hotel de Moñtana [ca 9°32'46.0"N 83°48'46.6"W], 2450m, 18–21.iii.2007, YT11-20, CR/2007/146- Pollet, M. Pollet (1 male CSCA), WPT1-10 , CR/2007/152- Pollet, 156- Pollet & 374- Pollet (4 males & 1 female CSCA), BPT1-10 , CR/2007/154- Pollet (1 male CSCA) ; Turbera Tres de Junio , 2650m, 20.i.1998, M.A. Zumbado (1 male USNM, INBIOCRI002 415812) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. Orthonevra gouletmasnerorum sp. nov. a–c. Female: a. Habitus dorsal. b. Habitus lateral. c. Head, oblique lateral view. d–f. Male: d. Dorsal. e. Lateral. f. Head, oblique lateral view. Abbreviations: btm: metabasitarsomere; mfe: middle fascia (eye); R2+3a: appendix on vein R2+3; wsav: wing sub-apical vitta (wide).

FIGURE 17. Orthonevra gouletmasnerorum sp. nov., genitalia. a. Female, dorsal view. b. Female, ventral view. c–f. Male: c. Hypandrium, ventral view. d. Hypandrium, lateral view (phallus focused). e. Hypandrium, lateral view (postgonite focused). f. Epandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: cerc: cercus; epi: epiproct; hypo: hypoproct; pg: postgonite; ph: phallus; sur: surstylus; s7 & 8: sterna 7 & 8; t7 & 8: terga 7 & 8.

FIGURE 40. Distribution map for Orthonevra gewgaw (Hull, 1941), O. gouletmasnerorum sp. nov., O. minuosetulata sp. nov., O, nebulosa sp. nov., O. neiae sp. nov., O. neotropica (Shannon, 1925), and O. theta sp. nov.