Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana, 2023

Soares, Matheus M. M., Capellari, Renato S. & Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany, 2023, Rafaelomyia, a remarkable new genus of South American long-legged flies (Diptera, Dolichopodidae), Zootaxa 5389 (2), pp. 151-172 : 152

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5389.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CDC5E9AC-B029-4D3F-B4C9-75EC018BA9C3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10406666
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038687B7-5E27-6D3C-FF33-42F6FD1C021A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Rafaelomyia Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana gen. nov.

Type species: Rafaelomyia inpa Soares, Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana sp. nov., by present designation. Gender feminine.

Etymology. The new genus is named after the Brazilian entomologist Dr. José Albertino Rafael (INPA), who has contributed substantially to the knowledge of the Neotropical invertebrate fauna, collecting, leading projects and training specialists in the most varied taxonomic groups, and adding the Greek feminine word myia, meaning fly.

Diagnosis (males). Head. Face wide, about as wide as or wider than ocellar tubercle, with eyes nearly parallelsided ( Figs 1C View FIGURE 1 , 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C View FIGURE 9 ) (narrow face in the entire type series of R. singularis sp. nov., Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 , is probably an artifact produced during specimen drying); antenna inserted on top of head (1/4 of head height distant from vertex), dorsal surface of scape bare, postpedicel short, sub-triangular, with stylus inserted on top of it. Thorax. Posterior mesonotum distinctly flattened ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 3C View FIGURE 3 , 5B View FIGURE 5 , 7B View FIGURE 7 , 9D View FIGURE 9 ), acrostichal setae bi-seriate, ending between the fourth and fifth pairs of dorsocentrals, 6 pairs of strong dorsocentrals setae. Wing. Anal lobe developed, membrane with “ bosse alaire ” (depression on the distal part of vein R 4+5) (e.g., Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 , 7F View FIGURE 7 ), vein R 2+3 usually thickened before apex ( Figs 3F View FIGURE 3 , 5F View FIGURE 5 , 9F View FIGURE 9 ), vein R 4+5 and M 1 nearly straight. Legs. Femur III with 1 long dorsal seta near apex (e.g., Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Tibia I with anterodorsal row of short setae and ventral row of long slender setae from basal 1.5/6 to apex (e.g., Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ). Tibia II with 1 long apicoventral seta (about 1/2 as long as IIt 1) (e.g., Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ). Tarsus I: It 1 with posteroventral row of short stout setae, ventral surface of It 1–5 mostly bare and covered with weak silvery pruinosity (all MSSC) (e.g., Figs 1B View FIGURE 1 , 3B View FIGURE 3 ). Abdomen. Six segments clearly visible, tergite 6 setose, segment 7 with reduced sclerites and not forming a peduncle for the male hypopygium (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 2A View FIGURE 2 , 3A View FIGURE 3 , 4A View FIGURE 4 ); hypopygium: cercus long and branched (e.g., Figs 2C, D View FIGURE 2 , 6C, D View FIGURE 6 , 8B, C View FIGURE 8 ), cercus unbranched in R. exu sp. nov. ( Fig. 4C, D View FIGURE 4 ) surstylus as a single lobe, indistinctly fused to genital capsule (e.g., Figs 2E View FIGURE 2 , 4E View FIGURE 4 , 6E View FIGURE 6 ), postgonite noose-shaped, surrounding the base of the phallus (e.g., Figs 2F View FIGURE 2 , 4F View FIGURE 4 ). Female ( Figs 11 View FIGURE 11 , 12 View FIGURE 12 ): Similar to male, except for MSSC, with six visible abdominal segments, acanthophorite divided into two hemitergites, each bearing five spines.

Remarks. It is noteworthy that all the examined specimens were taken on moist rocks near or over streams, in relative highlands in the Amazonian rainforest (800–2000 meters high, Fig. 13A–C View FIGURE 13 ). These data may indicate habitat preferences in the genus, as observed in some species of the genus Pseudosympycnus Robinson ( Soares & Capellari 2020; Soares & Ale-Rocha 2022).