Scione merianae sp. nov., 2024

Oliveira, Lia Pereira, Henriques, Augusto Loureiro, Buestán, Jaime & Krolow, Tiago Kütter, 2024, Description of four new species of the Neotropical genus Scione Walker, 1850 (Diptera: Tabanidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 947, pp. 1-19 : 13-16

Scione merianae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8BD2F333-6B7B-4E04-8BF8-3CB2EA72C129

Figs 7–8

Diagnosis

Frons with white pruinosity and a dark brown spot and long black setulae. Parafacial and gena brown with white pruinosity. Clypeus brown covered with white pruinosity and long black setulae. Antenna dark brown, scape and pedicel with black setulae. Palpus concolorous with antenna. Thorax dark brown with five longitudinal white dorsal stripes. Wing slightly smoky with brown veins and dark brown spots in the crossveins. Abdomen yellowish brown with sparse black setulae. Tergites with posterior band of pruinosity and white setulae. Median triangles of pruinosity and white setulae on posterior margin of tergites 1–6.

Etymology

A tribute to Maria Sibylla Merian, a German naturalist who lived in the 17 th century and dedicated herself to studying insects and plants. Her trajectory is particularly inspiring for young entomologists at the beginning of their careers.

Type material

Holotype ECUADOR • ♀ (in good condition); Azuay, Guasipampa ; 3°11.793′ S, 79°19.604′ W; elev. 2.879 m; “ 1–5 Jul. 2007 / Buestán // C-JB-: 8863” [white labels]; “HOLOTYPE / Scione merianae Oliveira, Henriques, Buestán & Krolow ” [red label]; MECN.

Paratypes ECUADOR • 1 ♂ (in good condition, but left hind leg with lost tarsus); same collection data as for holotype; “ C-JB-: 8864 ” [white label] [specimen photographed]; MECN • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but lost flagella and broken posterior wings margin); “ C-JB- 8853 ” [white label]; MECN • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but flagella and right hind leg lost); “ C-JB 8857 ” [white label]; MECN • 1♀ (in good condition, but lost flagella); “ C-JB- 8856 ” [white label]; MECN • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but left flagellum and abdomen lost); “ C-JB- 8821 ” [white label]; MECN • 1 ♀ (poorly preserved, right flagellum lost); “ CJB- 8854 ” [white label]; MECN • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but lost flagella and broken posterior wings margin); “ C-JB- 8852 ” [white label]; MECN • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but right flagellum lost, left foreleg, right middle leg and left hind leg lost); “ C-JB- 8860 ” [white label]; INPA • 1 ♀ (in good condition, but right flagellum lost); “ C-JB- 8855 ” [white label]; MECN .

Description

Female ( Fig. 7 )

MEASUREMENTS. Body length: 10.5 mm, wing length: 10 mm.

HEAD. Frons slightly divergent below, frontal index 1.6 and divergence index 0.7. Frons with dark brown spot extending to vertex. Vertex brown with ocellar triangle not very prominent, ocelli yellowish brown. Frons and vertex with long black setulae. Frons and subcallus with white pruinosity. Parafacial and gena brown with white pruinosity, gena with dense and long white setulae. Clypeus brown with white pruinosity and long black setulae, clypeal index 0.5. Antenna dark brown to black, scape and pedicel with black setulae. Palpus concolorous with antenna, first segment with long white setulae, second segment with black setulae. Proboscis shiny black, 3 × as high as frons.

THORAX. Scutum and scutellum dark brown with sparse black setulae. Scutum with five longitudinal white stripes, sublateral and lateral stripes quite evident and connected with white stripes on transverse suture. Notopleuron with tuft of black setulae. Anepisternum with tuft of dense and long white and black setulae. Katepisternum and anepimeron with tufts of dense and long white setulae. Post-alar callus with tufts of white setulae. Wing slightly smoky with brown veins and dark brown spots in crossveins. M 2 vein incomplete, reaching almost half of its actual size. r 5 and m 3 cells closed and petiolate, petiole same size of M 2 vein. Legs brown, coxae with white pruinosity and dense and long white setulae, trochanters and femora with dense and long black setulae, femora with some white setulae. Tibiae and tarsi with short black setulae.

ABDOMEN. Yellowish brown with sparse black setulae. Tergites 1–6 with posterior band of pruinosity and white setulae. Tufts of pruinosity and white setulae on central posterior margin of tergites 1–6. Margin lateral of tergites with long black setulae. Sternites with sparse black setulae and thin posterior band of pruinosity and white setulae.

PARATYPE VARIATIONS. Body length 9.3–10.6 mm; wing length: 9.5–10.5 mm; frontal index 1.6–2.0; divergence index 0.6–0.8 and clypeal index 0.5–0.7. In three paratypes (C-JB- 8852, C-JB- 8853 and C-JB- 8857), dark brown spot in frons to form thin line touching vertex. Length M 2 vein variable, reaching ⅔ of actual size and almost touching margin of wing in one of paratypes. The r 5 and m 3 cell petiole length also variable, little longer in some specimens and almost absent in others.

Male ( Fig. 8 )

As the female, except for the holoptic eyes, denser and longer body setulae and porrect palpus. In addition, the male has a small appendage on the fork of the R 4+5 vein, not seen in any of the females.

Distribution

Ecuador (Azuay).

Remarks

The species most similar to S. merianae sp. nov. are S. limbativena Enderlein, 1925 , S. bilineata Philip, 1969 , S. obscurefemorata, Kröber, 1930 and S. picta Szilády, 1926 . However, S. limbativena has wings with dark brown veins and orange antennae, S. bilineata has a yellowish abdomen and coppery setulae on the thorax, S. obscurefemorata has a yellowish abdomen, antennae and palps and S. picta , according to the original description, has reddish antennae and palpus and smoky wings. Scione kroeberi sp. nov. is similar to S. merianae ; however, S. kroeberi has brown frons and subcallus with yellowish pruinosity and only four longitudinal white thoracic stripes, which are thinner than in S. merianae .

Figures

Fig. 7. Scione merianae sp. nov., ♀, holotype (MECN). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Head, side view. D. Wing, dorsal view. E. Habitus, lateral view. F. Labels.

Fig. 8. Scione merianae sp. nov., ♂, paratype (MECN). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Wing, dorsal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. E. Head, side view. F. Labels.