Pseudogaurax amazonica Carvalho-Filho, Cruz & Monteiro, 2024

Carvalho-Filho, Fernando S., Cruz, Vanessa C., Monteiro, Nilton J. S. & Kloss, Thiago G., 2024, Description of new species of Pseudogaurax Malloch (Diptera: Chloropidae) from Brazil, with notes on natural history, Zootaxa 5433 (2), pp. 207-230 : 212-213

Pseudogaurax amazonica Carvalho-Filho, Cruz & Monteiro , sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 14C )

Material examined. Holotype female labelled as follow: Brasil AC [= Brazil, state of Acre] / Porto Acre, Humaitá / 15– VI a [= to] 02–VII–1992 // Cols: Gorayeb, Pena / Henriques, Edmar [collectors] // Armadilha / Malayse [= Malaise trap].

Diagnosis. Scutum with a wide orange acrostichal stripe, reddish brown dorsocentral stripes divided by the transverse suture, reddish brown postalar stripe present; scutellum longer than wide, yellowish and covered with thick black setae ( Figs 4B , 14C ); anepisternum with a large black mark on lower half ( Fig. 4A ); legs yellow, except all brown tibiae ( Fig. 4A ).

Description. Body length 2.9 mm; wing length 2.8 mm. Head ( Fig. 4C ). Yellow; ocellar triangle shinning dark brown, reaching apex of frons; frons with black setae; fronto-orbital setae black; occiput entirely yellow; ocellar setae reclinate and convergent; postocellar setae missing; interfrontal setulae curved inwards, dark brown; vibrissa missing, genal pilosity black; antenna missing; palpus yellow with black setulae; proboscis dark yellow with black setulae.

Thorax ( Figs 4B, 4E , 14C ). Scutum pale yellow covered with yellow to light brown setulae, except black presutural setulae, with one pair of orange acrostichal stripes, dorsocentral stripe reddish brown, divided by the transverse suture, intra-alar stripe reddish brown; postpronotum entirely yellow; scutellum pale yellow, with thick black setae and yellow apical scutellar seta, as long as wide dorsally; subscutellum light brown; pleuron yellow, with a large median black mark on lower half of anepisternum; 1+2 notopleural setae; legs yellow, except for the dark brown tibiae and fore tarsus; tibial organ yellow, reaching about half length of hind tibia. Wing. Hyaline; tegula with yellowish setulae; halter pale yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 4D ). Syntergite 1+2 yellow, with a small triangular brown spot laterally, tergites 3 to 5 dark brown with anterolateral margin yellow; sternites yellow. Female postabdomen yellow.

Male. Unknow.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the region where the holotype was collected, the Amazon region.

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL – Brazil (Acre).

Remarks. The color patter of scutum and scutellum of the new species is similar to that of Pseudogaurax oculatus (Becker) from Paraguay, Pseudogaurax rufus (Duda) from Brazil, Pseudogaurax oecetiphagus (Blanchard) from Argentina, Pseudogaurax mexoculatus Barnest, Higgins & Sabrosky from Mexico, Pseudogaurax idiogenes Wheeler , and Pseudogaurax braoculatus sp. nov. and Pseudogaurax cyclosa sp. nov. both from the Brazilian Amazon. It differs from all these species in having all tibiae dark brown, and scutellum and frons covered with dark brown thick setulae.Although in the photos the stripes of scutum are partially dark brown, this is a technique-related artifact caused by the conservation process.

The female terminalia of the only examined specimen was not dissected because it was too fragile.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Pseudogaurax amazonica sp. nov., holotype female. A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head and thorax, dorsal view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Abdomen, dorsal view. E. Hind tibia, posterior view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 14. Pseudogaurax species. A. Pseudogaurax flaviscutellatus Marques, Riccardi & Ale-Rocha, 2022, head, lateral view. B–F. Thorax, dorsal view. B. Pseudogaurax alvinae sp. nov. C. Pseudogaurax amazonica sp. nov. D. Pseudogaurax cyclosa sp. nov. and Pseudogaurax braoculatus sp. nov. E. Pseudogaurax primavera sp. nov. F. Pseudogaurax wheeleri sp. nov.