Triplocania zairae, Neto & García Aldrete & Rafael & Ferreira, 2021

Neto, Alberto Moreira Da Silva, García Aldrete, Alfonso N., Rafael, José Albertino & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2021, Checklist and identification key to Brazilian species of Triplocania Roesler (Psocodea: ‘ Psocoptera’: Psocomorpha: Ptiloneuridae), with four new cavedwelling species, Zootaxa 4938 (5), pp. 537-558 : 549-550

Triplocania zairae n. sp. Male

( Figs 26–32 )

Diagnosis. Forewings almost hyaline, pterostigma with a brown band anteriorly and posteriorly and a small brown spot on confluence of CuP-1A; hypandrium of three sclerites, with central piece almost triangular, antero-lateral corners projected, with acuminate apices; postero mesal process cleft in the middle, lobes two and a half times as long as wide ( Fig. 30 ); mesal pair of endophallic scleritesY-shaped, with inner arms projected in the middle, elongate, curved outward, narrowing and acuminate distally, outer arms stout, elongate, sinuous, narrowing distally, without a subterminal tooth on outer margin.

Color (parts mounted on glass slide). Compound eyes black, ocelli hyaline, with ochre centripetal crescents, head pattern ( Fig. 26 ). Scape brown, pedicel pale brown, f1–f3 pale brown, apices white. Mx4 brown. Coxae brown, trochanters brown in the middle and pale brown at the ends, femora proximally brown and distally pale brown, tibiae pale brown, apices brown; tarsomeres 1–3 dark brown. Forewings almost hyaline, veins brown ( Fig. 27 ). Hindwing hyaline; veins brown ( Fig. 28 ).

Morphology. Compound eyes without interommatidial setae ( Fig. 26 ). Outer cusp of lacinial tips broad, with four denticles ( Fig. 29 ). Forewing pterostigma wider in the middle, narrow proximally; areola postica tall, wide basally, broadly triangular, slightly slanted posteriorly; M stem slightly concave proximally, then almost straight, M 1 slightly convex proximally, then almost straight, M 2 sinuous, M 3 straight, Rs almost straight, R 2+3 straight, R 4+5 slightly concave proximally, then almost straight ( Fig. 27 ). Hindwing Rs straight, R 2+3 straight, R 4+5 slightly concave proximally, then almost straight, M sinuous ( Fig. 28 ). Hypandrium of three sclerites, with central piece almost triangular, antero-lateral corners projected, with acuminate apices; postero mesal process cleft in the middle, lobes two and a half times as long as wide ( Fig. 30 ). Phallosome ( Fig. 31 ) with side struts independent, V shaped, narrow anteriorly, wider in the middle, narrowing posteriorly, not fused to external parameres, these stout, basally almost triangular, narrowing in the middle, widening posteriorly, directed inward distally; three pairs of endophallic sclerites, an anterior pair, slender, elbowed in the middle, anteriorly straight and transverse, posteriorly strongly sinuous, slightly curved inward distally, a mesal pair, stout, Y-shaped, basal part with four lamellar projections, these slender, acuminate distally, almost together in the middle of endophallus, inner arms projected in the middle, elongate, curved outward, narrowing and acuminate distally, outer arms stout, elongate, sinuous, narrowing distalluy, without a subterminal tooth on outer margin. Epiproct wide basally, with sides converging to almost straight posterior bor-der, three setae mesally, other setae as illustrated ( Fig. 32 ). Paraprocts broad, wide basally, posteriorly narrowing at the end, with apex rounded, sensory fields with 31 trichobothria on basal rosettes, setae as illustrated ( Fig. 32 ).

Measurements (in microns). FW: 4482, HW: 3103, F: 1230, T: 2110, t1: 808, t2: 82, t3: 160, f1: 781, f2: 670, f3: 580, Mx4: 295, IO: 490, D: 398 d: 258, PO: 0.64.

Material examined. Holotype male (UFLA). BRAZIL. Minas Gerais. Lagoa Santa. Gruta do Lixo. (ISLA 3591). 19°33’30.44”S: 43°57’03.99”W. 05.X.2012. Equipe Ferreira, R. L . Paratype: 1 male (INPA). Same data as the holotype .

Etymology. This species is named after Zaira Lopes Ferreira, mother of Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira for her support in all his life and carreer. Triplocania zairae n. sp. and T. brancoi n. sp. are morphologically related, thus the species name also refers to the long marriage (62 years) of Zaira and Branco Ferreira.

Taxonomic Comments. Close to Triplocania brancoi n. sp., from which it differs in having the central piece of the hypandrium anteriorly almost triangular, with antero-lateral corners projected, triangular, with acuminate apices; postero mesal process, with lobes two and a half times as long as wide ( Fig. 30 ); mesal pair of endophallic sclerites, Y-shaped, with inner arms projected in the middle, elongate, curved outward, narrowing at the end, acuminate distally, outer arms stout, elongate, sinuous, narrowing at the end, without a subterminal tooth on outer margin. See also comments above for T. brancoi n. sp.

Habitat. Specimens of this new species were found in a limestone cave (‘gruta do Lixo’ cave) located in the Lagoa Santa municipality, southeastern Brazil. Despite the fact that the cave is at the buffer zone of a State conservation unit (Parque Estadual do Sumidouro), it receives a considerable amount of garbage from a local farm ( Pellegrini et al. 2016). This practice is common in Brazil, and impacts cave entrances. The gruta do Lixo cave is a small dry cave located at the bottom of a sinkhole obstructed by sediments. It has 16.85 m of extension, and a single entrance. The two specimens of Triplocania zairae n. sp., were observed on cave walls, in photic zones. It is noteworthy that nine other caves were sampled in the area ( Pellegrini et al. 2016) but no specimens were found in them. The ‘gruta do Lixo’ cave was one of the few caves surrounded by pastures (the other caves were mainly surrounded by forest) thus suggesting an opportunistic association with caves by this species. If this is so and the species is selecting cave entrances as shelters, it might be found in other caves in the area, as observed for Triplocania pains n. sp. This species is possibly more frequent in external habitats, but more studies are required to understand the distribution.

Figures

FIGURES 26–32. Triplocania zairae n. sp. (Holotype male). 26. Front view of head. 27. Forewing. 28. Hindwing. 29. Lacinial tip. 30. Hypandrium. 31. Phallosome. 32. Clunium, right paraproct and epiproct. Scales in mm.