Himantigera, James in James & McFadden, 1982

Fachin, Diego Aguilar & Hauser, Martin, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Himantigera James, 1982 (Diptera: Stratiomyidae: Sarginae), including the description of two new species and a key to the known species, Zootaxa 4531 (4), pp. 451-498 : 479

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4531.4.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5D970775-E299-4D89-8CF5-BEA826669C7C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5987841
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1D0E87F4-FFC8-0551-89C3-FC4DE72B1535
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Himantigera
status

Treatment

Himantigera View in CoL View at ENA sp. A

( Figs 6 View FIGURES 1–6 , 23 View FIGURES 13–24 , 32 View FIGURES 29–32 , 38 View FIGURES 33–38 , 44 View FIGURES 39–44 , 80–82 View FIGURES 78–82 , 124–125 View FIGURES 120–125 )

Diagnosis (female). Metallic purple species somewhat similar to H. amauroptera , but less dark. Upper frons only slightly narrower than widest margin of frontal callus, with lateral area at least twice width of medial area ventrally ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 13–24 ). Tarsomeres entirely white yellow, last two tarsomeres with dark pilosity. R 2+3 arising beyond r–m ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 33–38 ), but not as far as in H. amauroptera , only being at a distance equal to that of r–m, more similar to the state seen in H. nigrifemorata . Genital fork very wide posteriorly as seen in H. amauroptera , but with its two posterior thirds almost equally wide, and with very short projections on the posterior margin ( Figs 80–82 View FIGURES 78–82 ).

Material examined. 1 ♀ (antennae and left wing slide-mounted), MEXICO, Chiapas, El Triunfo (49 km, S. Yaltenango), 13–15.v.1985, 1500m, A. Freidberg (USNM-USNMENT01447686). Labeled as “Unnamed species A Fachin & Hauser 2018” .

Description. Female. Length: body, 9.0 mm; wing, 7.0 mm. Head ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 13–24 ). Upper frons slightly narrower than widest margin of frontal callus; its lateral area more than two times wider than medial area ventrally, reflecting metallic blue to purple color. Frontal callus margin weakly divergent towards face; lower frons brown medially. Antenna brown to dark brown; four setae basally on arista ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Thorax. Legs mostly whitish yellow, except hind coxa, apical half of all femora, basal and apical third of all tibiae antero-ventrally dark brown; dark pilosity on last two tarsomeres. Wing ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 29–32 ). R 2+3 originating beyond r–m at a distance as long as length of r–m ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 33–38 ). Proximal branch of M 1+2 slightly shorter than distal branch of M 1+2. Alula with microtrichia only along anterior half ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 39–44 ). Abdomen. Subrectangular, less than two times longer than wide, equally wide from second to fourth segment; entirely dark with metallic purple reflections; long white pilosity laterally on tergites 1–2; short white pilosity on tergites 4–5 and sternites. Terminalia ( Figs 80–82 View FIGURES 78–82 ). Genital fork quite wide (as seen in H. amauroptera ); its posterior two-thirds almost equally wide, anterior third triangular, clearly narrower than posterior two-thirds; shorter projections at posterior bridge, distance between each projection wider than each projection itself; posterolateral process wider basally and pointed apically.

Male. Unknown.

Geographic distribution. Mexico (Chiapas) ( Fig. 130 View FIGURE 130 ).

Comments. This female has a unique combination of characters not seen in any other known female of Himantigera : (i) anterior third of lateral area of upper frons more than two times width of medial area ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 13–24 ); (ii) R 2+3 arising beyond r–m at a distance as long as length of r–m ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 33–38 ); (iii) genital fork ( Figs 80–82 View FIGURES 78–82 ) much larger than any other species, and although the posterior bridge is bilobed, its projections are very short, as are the posterolateral process. These characters do not all for ready association with any other known females, and do not allow for associations with males for which female counterparts are not yet known. The shape of the genital fork in strats is usually species-specific (see Woodley 1995; Fachin & Amorim 2015), suggesting that it belongs to an undescribed species, but because only a single female specimen has been found, we prefer to keep it unnamed until more material is available for study.