Pieza bittencourti Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis

Mendes, Luanna L., Lamas, Carlos J. E., Evenhuis, Neal L. & Limeira-De-Oliveira, Francisco, 2019, New Pieza Evenhuis (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae, Mythicomyiinae) from Northeast Brazil, Zootaxa 4629 (1), pp. 1-25 : 8-10

Pieza bittencourti Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis & Limeira-de-Oliveira, sp. nov.

( Figs 18–26 )

Diagnosis. Mesonotum yellow on the submedian antero-mesonotal triangular mark, supra-alar and prescutellar areas with V-marks projecting anteriorly toward transverse suture ( Fig. 19 ). Gonocoxite strongly sclerotized on anterior ⅔, anterior margin rounded laterally, posterior ⅓ narrow, with deep median incision, medially with small setae ( Fig. 22 ). Gonostylus trifurcate, projections convergent medially in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ).

Description of holotype male ( Fig. 18 ). Body length: 1.24 mm. Wing length: 0.89 mm. Head. Eyes separated at vertex by about 3.0X distance between posterior ocelli. Ocellar triangle dark brown, subshiny. Frons dorsal ¼ dark brown, ¾ ventral yellow, brown on ⅔ dorsal of median depression; setae brown, small, lateral; face yellow. Proboscis brown to dark brown, about ⅓ longer than length of head; oral cavity yellow, light brown marginally. Postcranium dark brown, yellow from median region to near postgena, following eye margin, subshiny, sparsely pruinose on median occipital sclerite, setae brown. Antenna with second flagellomere almost as long as first flagellomere. Thorax. Mesonotum subshiny, sparsely pruinose medially with the aspect of a stripe from anterior region to base of wing, setae brown, proclinate and reclinate, sparse; mesonotum yellow on the submedian antero-mesonotal triangular mark, supra-alar and prescutellar areas with V-shaped marks projecting anteriorly toward transverse suture ( Fig. 19 ); prealar and notopleural setae dark brown; strong. Scutellum yellow, setae brown, sparse. Pleura yellow on the proepimeron, about ½ dorsal and posterior region of anepisternum, dorsal ¼ of katepisternum, posterior margin of anepimeron and about dorsal ½ of meron ( Fig. 20 ); posterodorsal ⅓ of katepisternum shiny, setae yellow, sparse, restricted to margin of anepisternum. Legs ( Fig. 18 ). Forecoxa brown on dorsal surface and yellow ventrally, mid and hind coxae yellow. Femora dark brown, distal ¼ yellow. Tarsi yellow, tarsomeres II–V dark brown. Wing ( Fig. 21 ). Hyaline; costal vein ending at ½ distance between veins R 4+5 and M 1; vein R 2+3 arising from Rs at approximately 60° angle, crossvein m-m contiguous with end of cell dm. Halter with stem and knob yellow, posterior portion of knob infuscated brown. Abdomen. Brown to dark brown, subshiny; tergites II−VII with plaques paler and shinier than surroundings, small, glabrous and dispersed; setae yellow, longer on tergites IV−VII; tergites I−II with posterolateral margin yellow, tergites III−VII with pale yellow band on posterior margin. Sternites brown, each with yellow band on posterior margin. Terminalia. Epandrium bulging in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ); almost as wide as long, anterior margin sinuous; epandrium setose on posterior ¾ in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ); epandrium with outer margin oval, inner margin cordiform in posterior view ( Fig. 25 ). Pseudo-surstylus convergent, tapered toward apex in ventral and posterior views ( Figs 22, 25 ). Cercus oval in posterior view ( Fig. 25 ), membranous, sclerotized area small, setae concentrated on sclerotized surface, projecting posteriorly in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ). Ejaculatory apodeme about ¾ length of anterior arm of parameral sheath, more heavily sclerotized on longitudinal axis; medial arms subquadrate, almost as wide as long in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ), anterior end rounded, slightly curved dorsally, ventromedial projection sub-oval, directed posteriorly, apex truncate in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ). Lateral ejaculatory process uniformly sclerotized, slightly sinuous in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ); ejaculatory apodeme slightly curved ventrally in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ). Phallus funnel-shaped, anterior margin almost flat with median notch small in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ); basiphallus about 2.0X longer than distiphallus in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ), distiphallus simple with only one apical opening. Anterior arm of parameral sheath with distal ½ almost 2.0X wider than proximal ½ in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ), sclerotization stronger on inner margin. Gonocoxite subtrapezoidal, strongly sclerotized on anterior ⅔, anterior margin rounded laterally, ⅓ posterior narrow, with deep median cleft, setae small medially in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ); gonocoxite with anterodorsal margin concave, anteroventral margin setose in anteroventral view ( Fig. 24 ), bulging, appearing longer than epandrium and almost as wide as it in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ). Gonostylus trifurcate, projections convergent medially in ventral view ( Fig. 22 ). Female. Similar to male. Genitalia ( Fig. 26 ). Genital fork V-shaped. Common duct short, about ½ length of proximal spermathecal duct; basal plate sclerotized. Sperm pump caliciform, membranous with transverse striations. Proximal spermathecal duct about 2.0 to 3.0X thicker than distal; distal spermathecal duct about 12.0X longer than proximal, undulate, translucent. Valve indistinct. Spermathecal reservoir strongly sclerotized, brown, slightly sinuous, about 1.5X longer than sperm pump, without glandular trichomes.

Variation (n=10). Body length: 1.0–1.6 mm. Wing length: 0.83–1.15 mm. Proboscis as long as the head. Mesonotum, often with yellow submedian stripe, projecting from antero-mesonotal triangular mark to prescutellar region. Band on posterior margin of tergites, sometimes indistinct. Alcohol preserved specimens generally light brown.

Etymology. The specific epithet honors Aluizio Bittencourt, professor at the Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, for his contributions to education in Caxias, Maranhão state.

Comments. The specimens captured directly from flowers at Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões—Piauí, are associated with plants in the family Malvaceae (Figs 72–73). Specimens captured near Riacho do Ouro, rural area of the municipality of Caxias—Maranhão, are associated with plants in the family Rubiaceae (Fig. 71).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: Brazil, Maranhão, Caxias, Zona Rural, Riacho do Ouro [altitude 69 m], 04°48′11″S, 43°20′30″W / Varredura, 02.ix.2016, FLO, L.L. Mendes / MYTH 98 / Holotype ♂ Pieza bittencourti Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis & Limeira-de-Oliveira ( CZMA) . PARATYPES: idem, Carolina, PARNA [=Parque Nacional] Chapada das Mesas, Riacho Sucuruiu, 240 m, 07°07′05″S, 47°18′31″W / Armadilha Malaise , 11–14.vi.2013, JAR, FLO, AA Santos (1♂ BPBM) ; idem, 15–31.vii.2013, JAR, FLO & T.T.A. Silva, cols. (1♂, pinned: 1♂ CZMA) ; idem, 01–10.viii.2013 (1♂ CZMA, 1♂ INPA) ; idem / MYTH 103 (1♂ INPA) ; idem, 20–31.viii.2013 / MYTH 101 (2♂ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 107 (1♂ MZUSP) . idem, Caxias, Reserva Ecológica do Inhamum, 119 m, 04°54′04″S, 43°26′09″W, Varredura , 07.ix.2014, FLO (in alcohol: 4♂ 4♀ CZMA, 3♂ 3♀ MZUSP) . Same data as holotype, except: 24–26.vii.2012, JAR, FLO & J.S. Pinto Júnior (4♂ 5♀, pinned: 1♂ CZMA; 2♂ 8♀ INPA; 1♂ 3♀ MNRJ, 1♂ 2♀, pinned: 1♂ MZUSP) ; idem / MYTH 64 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 66 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 67 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 69 (pinned: 1♀ MZUSP) ; idem / MYTH 70 (1♀ INPA) ; idem / MYTH 71 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 74 (pinned: 1♀ INPA) ; idem / MYTH 77 (pinned: 1♀ INPA) ; idem / MYTH 78 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 80 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 99 (1♂ MZUSP) ; idem / MYTH 104 (1♂ INPA) ; idem / MYTH 105 (1♂ CZMA) . Same data as holotype (3♀ BPBM; 3♀ MZUSP) ; idem / MYTH 65 (pinned: 1♀ MZUSP) ; idem / MYTH 68 (pinned: 1♀ MZUSP) . idem, Vila Paraíso [altitude 74 m], 04°53′42″S, 43°19′49″W, Varredura , 06.viii.2016, FLO , J.M. Oliveira , cols. (2♀, pinned: 1♀ MZUSP; 1♀, pinned: 1♀ CZMA) ; idem / MYTH 100 (1♂ CZMA) ; idem, 02.ix.2016 (1♀ BPBM, 1♀ CZMA) . idem, Mirador, Parque Est. [=Estadual] Mirador, Posto dos Cágados [altitude 297 m], 06°48′30″S, 45°06′21″W / Arm. [=armadilha] Malai- se, 21–26.viii.2016, F. Limeira–de–Oliveira & L.L. Mendes / MYTH 76 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) . PI [= Piauí], Caracol, PARNA [=Parque Nacional] Serra das Confusões, Riacho dos Bois, 575 m, 09°13′11.9″S, 43°29′26.2″W / Catação em flores, 29.vi–03.vii.2014, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira–de–Oliveira & T.L. Rocha (in alcohol: 5♂ CZMA, 5♂ INPA) . idem, Guaribas, PARNA [=Parque Nacional] Serra das Confusões, Andorinha , 515 m, 09°08′27″S, 43°33′42″W / Ar- madilha de Malaise, 01–15.vii.2013, JAR, FLO & T.T.A. Silva, cols. (in alcohol: 1♂ CZMA) ; idem, 20–30.vi.2014 / MYTH 84 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA) .

Geographical record. This species is known only from the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Piauí ( Fig. 69 ), where the type series was collected in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes.

Remarks. Pieza bittencourti sp. nov. is similar to P. parakake sp. nov. in having gonostyli trifurcate in ventral view ( Figs 22 , 31 ). Pieza bittencourti sp. nov. differs from P. parakake sp. nov. in the ejaculatory apodeme with suboval ventro-medial projection in lateral view ( Fig. 23 ) (ejaculatory apodeme with subquadrate ventromedial projection in P. parakake sp. nov. in lateral view, Fig. 32 ); gonocoxites with anteroventral margin not protuberant ( Fig. 24 ) (gonocoxites with anteroventral margin protuberant in P. parakake sp. nov. in anteroventral view, Fig. 33 ).

Figures

FIGURE 69. Geographical records of species of Pieza known from Brazil.

FIGURES 18–26. Pieza bittencourti sp. nov. 18, habitus male, holotype; 19, mesonotum, dorsal view; 20, pleura; 21, male wing; 22, male terminalia, ventral view; 23, male terminalia, lateral view; 24, gonocoxite, anteroventral view; 25, epandrium and cerci, posterior view; 26, female genitalia. Scale 0.01 mm.

FIGURES 27–34. Pieza parakake sp. nov. 27, habitus male, holotype; 28, mesonotum, dorsal view; 29, pleura; 30, male wing; 31, male terminalia, ventral view; 32, male terminalia, lateral view; 33, gonocoxite, anteroventral view; 34, epandrium and cerci, posterior view. Scale 0.01 mm.