Bernardia, Pujol-Luz & Lamas, 2023

Pujol-Luz, José Roberto & Lamas, Carlos José Einicker, 2023, Alone in paradise: a new genus and species of Hirmoneurini tangle-veined flies (Diptera, Nemestrinidae) in South America, Zootaxa 5311 (1), pp. 123-134 : 126-129

Genus Bernardia gen. nov.

Diagnosis. A medium-sized Neotropical Hirmoneurini tangle-veined fly ( Figs. 3 , 4 ), with the body (thorax and abdomen) covered by a dense pilosity, being brownish in dorsal view with brassy reflections, and whitish in ventral view. Sexual dimorphism in colour patterns or pilosity is lacking. Head semispherical, occiput well developed, light brownish and densely haired. Eyes dichoptic in both sexes, bare or with very short and soft pilosity. Three ocelli arranged in an isosceles triangle, in two elevations, and separated by a median groove. Frontal plate flat with circular dark brown short area in anterior third. Antennae three-segmented, long, with scape two times longer than the other two segments, first flagellomere conical with segmented stylus. Frons protruding strongly forward, covered by small and soft brownish pruinescence and dense pilosity. Palpus brownish with first segment long and strongly upwardly curved; second segment digitiform. Proboscis well developed, with labellum extending beyond the fore coxae.

Etymology. The new genus Bernardia (fem.) is named after Professor Nelson Bernardi, from the Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’ UNESP, Campus Botucatu-São Paulo, in recognition of his pioneering and original study of the Nemestrinidae of the world, and of his friendship.

Remarks. Bernardia gen. nov. fits perfectly with the diagnosis of the subfamily Hirmoneurinae , by the reduction of the hypandrium and by having the proboscis reduced (not exceeding the limits of the thorax, nor the abdomen) and, in the tribe Hirmoneurini , by having the frons projected forward (covered by dense pilosity), against a flat frons in Hyrmophlaebini ( Hirmoneuropsis and Hyrmophlaeba ). Bernardia gen. nov. can be easily segregated from the New World congeners of Hyrmophlaebini ( Hirmoneuropsis and Hyrmophlaeba ) by the presence of a wide and trapezoidal-sided frons. Bernardia xenomorpha gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished from the other species of Hirmoneurinae , mainly by the length of the proboscis reaching the fore coxae, while in the other species the proboscis does not exceed the length of the head and by the simple (not bifurcate) arms of the U-inverted genital fork.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male holotype of Bernardia xenomorpha gen. et sp. nov., habitus (lateral view).

FIGURES 4, 5. Bernardia xenomorpha gen. et sp. nov. 4. Paratype habitus (male, dorsal view). 5. Right wing (dorsal view).