Polyplectropus herrerai Bueno-Soria & Hamilton

Chamorro, Maria Lourdes & Holzenthal, Ralph W., 2010, 2582, Zootaxa 2582, pp. 1-252 : 172

Polyplectropus herrerai Bueno-Soria & Hamilton

Figs. 87, 97A, 121

Polyplectropus herrerai Bueno-Soria & Hamilton , in Bueno-Soria 1990: 386. [Type locality: Mexico, Chiapas, Cascada de Misolja , a 20 kms al SE de Palenque; IBUNAM; male; female].

Polyplectropus herrerai has a downturned and dorsally curved dorsolateral arm of the dorsal phallic sclerite, making this species easy to distinguish. Additionally, this species has 4 spines in the phallus robust spines in the endothecal membrane of the phallus. Polyplectropus herrerai is most similar to P. brachyscolus Flint in the acute apex of the ventral branch of the inferior appendage and in the direction and shape of the intermediate appendage. However, P. brachyscolus only has 2 spines in the endothecal membrane of the phallus and the dorsal branch of the inferior appendage is longer in P.herrerai .

Adult. Length of forewing 4.5–5.5 mm, n=69. Color of head, thorax, and legs yellowish-brown (specimens preserved in alcohol).

Male genitalia. Sternum IX in lateral view rounded, anterior margin highly convex, posterior margin sinuate and submedially concave; in ventral view rectangular, anterior margin concave, posterior margin convex, medially shallowly emarginate. Tergum X membranous, oblong, bearing dorsal microsetae; lower lip of tergum X membranous, smooth, without dorsal microsetae; in dorsal view obtuse; in caudal view produced dorsad of phallocrypt. Intermediate appendage not longer than inferior appendage, rod-like, with long basal setae; in dorsal view basally broad, tapering into curved lanceolate rods; in caudal view lanceolate, curved, directed mesoventrad. Preanal appendage tripartite; dorsolateral process bulbous, originating from dorsum of mesolateral process, bearing dorsal microsetae; mesolateral process setose; in dorsal view deltoid, in lateral view subquadrate; mesoventral process setose; in lateral view hook-like, with ventrad-directed sclerotized apex, ventral margin concave, posterior margin convex; in caudal view not fused basomesally, processes separated, ventral margin of process acute, with ventrolateral margin produced ventrad. Inferior appendage bipartite with anterior basal plate extending anterad beyond sternum IX when observed in lateral view; dorsal branch setose, in lateral view digitate, curved ventrad; in ventral view narrow, lateral margin convex, slightly undulate, posterior margin subacute, mesal margin entire, concave, expanding posterad into ventral branch; ventral branch setose, elongate and basally broad, in lateral view digitate, broadly narrowing posterad; in ventral view subquadrate, posteromesal margin produced posterad into pointed apex, shape almost deltoid, ventral branches, shallowly converging mesally. Phallus long; dorsal phallic sclerite in lateral view sinuate, dorsolateral arm downturned and curved dorsad; endothecal membrane with 4 medium-sized, highly sclerotized spines, 2 median spines fused roughly midway and curved laterad, outer spines curved mesad.

Material examined. MEXICO: Chiapas: trib[utary] to Rio de Teapa on Mex. 195, 1.5 mi. N Ixhuatan, 23.xii.1983, Hamilton, Holzenthal & Kovach — 21 males [paratypes] ( NMNH) ; Cascada Misolja , 20 km S Palenque, 17–18.v.1981, C & O Flint — 11 males, 8 females [paratypes] ( NMNH) ( IBUNAM) ; Cascada de Misolja , 18.v.1981, J. Bueno-Soria — 1 male [holotype] ( IBUNAM), 2 females [paratypes] ( IBUNAM) ; Río Lacanja , 19.v.1981, J. Bueno-Soria — 8 males, 1 female [paratypes] ( IBUNAM) ; Palenque, Río Chacamax- Nututum , 17°29'10"N, 91°58'24"W, 15.vii.1998, R. Barba — 3 males [paratypes] ( IBUNAM) ; Tecpatan , 30.viii.1946, A. Dampf — 3 males [paratype] ( INHS) ; Morelos: San Rafael Vicente Aranda , 18.vi.1982, H. Velasco — 1 female [paratype] ( IBUNAM) ; 12.vii.1982, H. Velasco — 1 female [paratype] ( IBUNAM) ; Tabasco: Río Puyacatengo, Grutas Cocona , 7.iii.1988, R. Barba, Barrera, Cadena — 8 males [paratypes] ( IBUNAM) ; Teapa, Río Puyacatengo , 17°32'47"N, 92°55'52"W, 11.x.1996, Bueno-Soria, Santiago, Barba, Contreras — 1 male [paratype] ( IBUNAM) .

Distribution. Mexico.