Nemorimyza thanatos Boucher, n. sp.

(Figs 10; 11)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 4A8C7A60-CBD9-4F32-8BD9-0B1DB9000264

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Guyane • ♂; Mitaraka, sampling site: MIT-E-savane roche 2; 02°13’59.8”N, 54°27’46.5”W; 471 m; open/ partially opened areas; 13-20.VIII.2015; MT (6 m); Pierre-Henri Dalens leg.; sample code: MITARAKA/230, sorted by M. Pollet; MNHN.

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name comes from the Greek “thanatos ” which is the personification of Death (better known as the Grim Reaper), referring to the dark coloured body of the species, hooked apical structures of the distiphallus and the large scythe-like projections of the phallus in lateral view.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species can be differentiated from all other species of Nemorimyza by the combination of the following characters: gena narrow; knob of halter completely brown; 3 + 0 dc including only two well-developed dc; wing length 1.65 mm; fore tibia without posterolateral seta and anterior orbital plate yellow.

DISTRIBUTION. — French Guiana.

HOST. — Unknown.

DESCRIPTION

Male

Orbital plate not projecting in front of eye in profile (Fig. 10A); frons narrow, width including orbital plates 0.22 mm at midpoint; orbital plate 0.20 × width of frons at midpoint; lunule small with silvery pubescence; frons and orbital plate mat; two reclinate ors and two ori (both reclinate on one side; anterior ori inclinate on other side); orbital setulae reclinate, in one distinct row; first flagellomere small, rounded apically with short white pubescence; arista long (0.48 mm) with short pubescence; gena at midpoint about 0.1 × maximum eye height; clypeus narrow with upper margin rounded; palpus with three long apical bristles. 3 + 0 dc with only two well-developed dc, anterior postsutural dc about half the size of 2nd dc; prsc present; acrostichal setulae arranged in about seven rows; mid tibia with two lateral setae, and one long and 3-4 smaller apical setae; fore tibia without posterolateral seta; wing length 1.65 mm; last section of M 4 approximately 0.8 × length of penultimate section.

Colour

Frons mat black with reddish-brown undertone anteriorly; orbital plate brown posteriorly and yellow anteriorly (anterior to lower ori) (Fig. 10B); antenna brown; base of arista yellow; thorax brown with notopleuron and part of postpronotum paler brown; halter with knob completely brown; legs brown; calypter yellow or pale greyish with black margin and fringe; abdomen brown, with tip of abdomen and epandrium paler brownish.

Male genitalia

Phallus with two short, hooked apical processes, visible in ventral view (Figs 10C; 11A), in addition to two large scythe-like projections visible in lateral view (Figs 10D; 11B); hypandrium with narrow arms; ejaculatory apodeme with narrow blade, only slightly expanding distally (Fig. 11C); surstylus elongated and extended ventrally (Fig. 11D); epandrium with a spine posteroventrally (Fig. 11D).

REMARK

Nemorimyza thanatos Boucher, n. sp. is most similar to N. ranchograndensis (Spencer, 1973) but the latter species is larger (up to 3.0 mm in wing length), has 3+ 1 well-developed dc, longer orbital setae and a seta on the fore tibia (Spencer 1973b; Sasakawa 1992b);. An attempt to barcode the specimen was unsuccessful, resulting in the retrieval of only a short sequence of 156 bp.