Orthonevra nitidula ( Curran, 1925 )

Miranda, Gil F. G., Soares, Matheus M. M. & Thompson, Christian, 2024, The Neotropical Orthonevra Macquart, 1829 (Diptera: Syrphidae), Zootaxa 5484 (1), pp. 1-78 : 54-56

Orthonevra nitidula ( Curran, 1925)

Chrysogaster nitidula Curran 1925: 116 . Type-locality: Oak Creek Canon [ca 34°54’44.9”N 111°43’36.7”W], Arizona, USA (HT female SEMC).

Chrysogaster (Orthonevra) nitidula . Sedman 1964: 171, figs (male genitalia) (descriptive note, distribution).

Orthonevra nitidula . Stone et al. 1965: 591 (catalog citation). Poole & Gentilini 1996: 264 (catalog citation).

Figs 29 and 30 . Map: Fig. 41

Differential diagnosis. Pile of the face simple ( Fig. 29f ); eye with sub-anterior (but straight dorsally) and middle very sinuous vittae and a straight sub-posterior vitta, and complete fascia; scutum with 4 long more matte and darker vittae, with a short narrow lateral vittate macula posterior to transverse sulcus and another short sub-lateral vitta between the lateral macula and sub-medial vitta ( Fig. 29d ), with short, erect, densely distributed white pile (one female from Guatemala has that pile very short); wing with dark sub-apical vitta (from end of R2+3 until posterior end of M1); basicosta with appressed black pile and two more prominent black setae apically.

Length. Body 4.90–5.29mm (n=3), wing 4.05–4.31mm (n=3); female 5.57–6.09mm (n=3), wing 4.72–5.26mm (n=3).

Distribution. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, USA (Southern Arizona, New Mexico and Texas).

Altitudinal range. 1340–2270m.

Comments. Orthonevra nitidula , O. nebulosa sp. nov. and O. neotropica are the only species studied with a complete sub-posterior vitta on the eye (see ‘Comments’ of those other species for more characters to distinguish between them). Our study extends the range of occurrence of this species further down south to Costa Rica.Although the appendix on R2+3 is a very distinctive feature present in a few specimens (e.g. INB0004379449, CNC_ Diptera 171078), which could lead to assume the specimen is O. gouletmasnerorum sp. nov., besides the maculation and pile coloration on the scutum, the male and female genitalia are distinct from O. gouletmasnerorum sp. nov. Male genitalia similar to O. gewgaw but in O. nitidula : cercus pickaxe-shaped ( Fig. 30c ), hypandrium with baso-ventral extension ( Fig. 30d ), postgonites more irregular, phallus with medial-ventral prongs, basal tubular process strongly curved anteriorly ( Fig. 30d ), and INB0004379449 differs slightly on the postgonites and phallus; female genitalia distinct from that of O. gewgaw specially on segment 8 and epiproct, distinct from O. gouletmasnerorum sp. nov. by the tergum 7 entire, longer tergum 8 without distinct apodemes and the apico-lateral cavities of sternum 8. The female epiproct is unique among the material studied for its larger oval shape, heavier sclerotization and convex dorsal surface. Only the Neotropical region records are depicted on the map ( Fig. 41 ).

Material examined: COSTA RICA. Cartago,Cartago[ca 9°49'28.6"N 83°55'40.0"W],??. x.1953, N.L.H.Krauss (1 male AMNH, CNC1589920 ) ; San Jose, Moravia [ca 10°02'12.9"N 84°00'06.9"W], Zurquí de Moravia , 1600m, 2–9.viii.2013, Proyecto ZADBI (1 male USNM, INB0004379449 ) . GUATEMALA. Baja Verapaz, 8km S Purulha [ca 15°14'23.0"N 90°14'12.2"W], FIT, 23–25.v.1991, H. Howden (1 female DEBU) ; Zacapa, near La Trinidad, Malaise trap in stream bed, 1600m, 15°03.594’N 89°56.243’W, 26 & 27.v.1997, Schlinger Foundation Guatemala Expedition (1 male and 1 female CSCA) . MEXICO. Chihuahua [ca 28°40'54.2"N 106°06'48.7"W], Majalca, 45 mi. NW Chihuahua , 29.v.1964, J.F. McAlpine (1 male CNC, CNC _ Diptera 171077) ; Chiapas, San Cristobal de las Casas [ca 16°43'36.0"N 92°37'24.7"W], 8.vi.1969, W.R.M. Mason (1 female CNC, CNC _ Diptera 171078); Zumpango , Zumpango , 19°53'12.4"N 99°07'09.6"W, 15.xii.2021 (1 male, photographic record) [https://www.inaturalist.org/ observations/103325062]; … 19°53'07.3"N 99°07'08.0"W, 1.v.2022 (1 male, photographic record) [https://www. inaturalist.org/observations/115157893]; … 19°53'09.6"N 99°07'08.6"W, 26.vi.2022 (1 male, photographic record) [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125334030] .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Orthonevra nitidula (Curran, 1925). a–c. Female: a. Habitus dorsal. b. Habitus lateral. c. Head, oblique lateral view. d–f. Male: d. Habitus dorsal. e. Habitus lateral. f. Head, oblique lateral view. Abbreviations: lvm: lateral vittate macula; mve: medial vitta (eye); sav: sub-anterior vitta; slv: sub-lateral vitta; smv: sub-medial vitta; sp: simple pile; spv: sub-posterior vitta.

FIGURE 30. Orthonevra nitidula (Curran, 1925), genitalia.a. Female, dorsal view. b. Female, ventra viewl. c. Male, epandrium, lateral view. d. Male, hypandrium, lateral view. Abbreviations: btp: basal tubular process; cerc: cercus; epi: epiproct; hypo: hypoproct; pg: postgonite; ph: phallus; sur: surstylus; s8: sternum 8; t8: tergum 8.

FIGURE 41. Distribution map for Orthonevra flukei (sedman, 1964), O. gli sp. nov., O. hypnotica sp. nov., O. nitidula (Curran, 1925), and O. sternolobosa sp. nov.