Amazunculus besti Rafael

Marques, Dayse W. A., Skevington, Jeffrey H. & Rafael, José A., 2019, Revision of the genus Amazunculus Rafael (Diptera: Pipunculidae), with description of six new species, Zootaxa 4577 (3), pp. 439-472 : 444-445

Amazunculus besti Rafael

Figs 16–30

Amazunculus besti Rafael, 1986: 17 , fig. 6; Rafael & Rosa, 1991: 343; De Meyer, 1996: 44 (cat.); Galinkin & Rafael, 2008: 521, figs 10, 11; Rodriguez & Rafael, 2012: 14; Marques & Rafael, 2018.

Redescription. Mesopleuron black, brown pruinose, except anepisternum grey pruinose anterodorsally; katatergite grey pruinose and anatergite grey brown pruinose. Mediotergite mostly brown pruinose. Legs ( Figs 16–17) dark brown to black, except apices of the coxae, trochanters, femora and bases of tibiae yellow; femora with grey pruinescence on the posterior face below. Wing ( Fig. 18). Length 7.8 mm. LW/MWW = 3.3. LTC/LFC = 1.3. Membrane mostly hyaline except basal third darkened. Abdomen ( Fig. 17). Dark brown to black with brown pruinescence, all tergites with interrupted bands of grey pruinescence posteriorly. Tergite 6 and sternites 6 and 7 as in Fig. 20. Terminalia. Syntergosternite 8 with a moderately large membranous area ( Fig. 21). Epandrium yellowish brown, very inflated. Surstyli ( Figs 22–23) yellowish brown, symmetric and fused with epandrium, distinctly projected ventrally ( Figs 24–25), surpassing margins of epandrium and almost reaching base of abdomen. Phallic guide ( Figs 26–28) very elongated, expanded laterally medially ( Fig. 27), longer than surstyli and strongly curved, about 2.4× the hypandrium length. Basal processes of phallus large and pointed, surpassing posterior margin of hypandrium but narrower than hypandrium ( Figs 26, 29). Apex of phallus elongated, ending well beyond the two long desclerotized projections and with small spiniform projections on medial surface ( Figs 28–29). Ejaculatory apodeme as in Fig. 30.

Female known and described by Rafael (1986). Front and face with grey pubescence. Postpronotal lobe, mesopleuron and anterior part of scutum with grey pruinescence. Wing base darkened. Abdominal tergites with interrupted bands of grey pruinescence posterolaterally. Ovipositor. OL: 1.5 mm; PL: 0.9 mm; B: 0.6 mm. Base dark brown to black, grey pruinose. Piercer yellowish brown, distal part shining and straight.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: “ BRASIL, AM [ Amazonas ], Rio Japurá, L.[ago] Amanã, [2°35'0.53"S, 64°40'0.09"W], ix.1982, R. Best ” “Holótipo ♂, Amazunculus besti Rafael ”, “ DIPT. 364 HOLÓTIPO” “ J. Skevington Specimen #7941” ( INPA) ( Fig. 19) . Paratype: “ idem, viii.1982, R. Best ” “ Parátipo ♀ Amazunculus besti Rafael ”, “ DIPT. 364 PARÁTIPO” “ J. Skevington Specimen #7942” (1 ♀, INPA). Additional material: “ BRASIL: Roraima, Rio Uraricoera, Ilha de Maracá , [03°25'N, 61°40'W], 02–13.v.1987 ” “ J.A. Rafael, J.E.B. Brasil e L.S. Aquino ” “ Armadilha de Malaise ” “ Amazunculus besti Rafael det. J.A. Rafael ” “ J. Skevington Specimen #7917” (1 ♂, INPA); “ idem, 21–30.xi.1987, J.A. Rafael e equipe” “ Armadilha de Malaise ” “DW0412- DW0413” (2 ♀, INPA) .

Holotype condition. Head lost; right wing detached, mounted on microslide; left wing with apex damaged; front legs glued in a paper triangle; terminalia placed in a microvial with glycerin.

Geographical distribution. Brazil: Roraima, Amazonas ( Fig. 182).

Habitat. This species is found in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, with some specimens collected in Malaise traps at ground level.