Adelopsis pteromoria Szymczakowski, 1975 new status

(Figs. 76–88)

Adelopsis brunneus pteromorius Szymczakowski, 1975: 21 [and Figs. 17–25].

Adelopsis brunnea pteromoria; Gnaspini, 1996: 539 (spelling corrected to feminine gender).

Type material examined: (Probable) Holotype male and 4 males in CBCV. Note: The original description listed holotype male (4-VII-1971) and 1 male and 3 female paratypes (either 4- or 17-VII-1971, not clear which specimen of which date) in CBCV (and 1 male and 1 female paratypes in ISZP), but we had access to 5 male specimens (all with the same data; and all with same aedeagus, genital segment, and seemingly typical protibia) and no female. Labels: “Cerro Caparade / Cueva del Tigre / m. 300 Edo. FA. [Falcón State] // Venez. Bordón / leg. 4.vii.1971 ”. One specimen (2.6 mm) with red square label (probably the holotype) here illustrated.

Length: 2.2–2.7 mm (original description); 2.6 mm (one male with red square—illustrated), 2.2 mm (other male with red square), and 2.65 mm (remaining males) (our measurement).

Type locality: Cueva del Tigre, 300 m, Cerro Capadare, Falcón State, Venezuela .

Short Redescription. Eyes normal (Fig. 83). Winged. No posterior projections on male ventrites. Apex of the right lobe of the aedeagus as an upside-down wide trapezoid with the apical side strongly wider than the basal side, and with the apical margin curved outward and bearing a slight emargination medially (Figs. 77, 79). Flagellum shorter (about half the length) than aedeagus and bearing a?-shaped basal piece (Figs. 76, 77). Proportion aedeagus/ elytron = 0.29. Spiculum gastrale of the genital segment divided at apex, with short branches (Fig. 82). The sides of emargination of the posterior margin of the last male ventrite are projected (Fig. 81) (but we understand that the view in which the illustration is made may interfere in the final interpretation). Male protibia seems curved medially (Fig. 86) (but we understand that the view in which the illustration is made may interfere in the final interpretation). Male mesotibia regularly curved internally (Fig. 87). Females not examined.

Distribution. Venezuela: Falcón State: known only from type locality (original description; here).

Taxonomic Remarks. As proposed in Gnaspini (1996: 539) and Peck et al. (1998: 62), all subspecies of A. brunnea Jeannel 1936 are here raised to species status. The combination of the variation observed on aedeagus, genital segment, eyes, antenna, male mesotibia, and spermatheca allow taxon recognition (see discussion under each of these taxa).

The genital segment of A. pteromoria Szymczakowski, 1975 n. stat. and A. orcina Szymczakowski, 1975 n. stat. has a spiculum gastrale with divided apex (Figs. 82, 69). The tip of the aedeagus of A. pteromoria Szymczakowski, 1975 n. stat. (Figs. 76–80) is wide and bears pointy projections laterally, being markedly different from that of other species in the group. The aedeagus seems to have a “typical” coiled piece below the flagellum, also seeming exclusive to this species (but see Taxonomic Remarks under A. orcina, above). The sides of the medial emargination of the last ventrite seem projected and pointy (Fig. 81), also different from all other species in the group, although this might be a result of the view illustrated. Therefore, we here prefer to keep this taxon as a separate species, but we intend to make a more careful examination of all species in the group.

The spermatheca illustrated by Szymczakowski (1975: Fig. 25) is probably broken, considering that the spermatheca of the species of the group ascutellaris is generally coiled. Unfortunately, we did not have female specimens among the specimens examined to verify the shape of the spermatheca.