Monoclona carambeiensis, Amaral & Oliveira & Falaschi, 2022

Amaral, Edna Maria, Oliveira, Sarah Siqueira & Falaschi, Rafaela Lopes, 2022, An unknown world in the Neotropical region: a complete life cycle of a new species of Monoclona Mik, 1886 (Diptera: Mycetophilidae: Sciophilinae), Zootaxa 5091 (1), pp. 107-130 : 108-127

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5091.1.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5FE5AE8D-E0E3-4FEE-B452-F8D710D72451
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5843006
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B37C6C9F-4D33-4B08-BB54-C9260FEA6502
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:B37C6C9F-4D33-4B08-BB54-C9260FEA6502
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Monoclona carambeiensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Monoclona carambeiensis View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 –31)

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF709D29-FD5A-4C82-AA19-183FE36B0D48

Diagnosis. Thorax yellow, tergites 1, 6, and 7 yellowish, 2–5 predominantly brown with a narrow anterior transverse stripe slightly projected medially. Male terminalia: brown posteriorly and yellowish-brown anteriorly. Gonocoxites with dorsal, distal finger-like setose projections, a pair of less sclerotized gonocoxite inner projections, one ventral, with an apical spine, the other more dorsal, V-shaped, each with a pair of distal spines. Gonostylus digitiform with setae only on basal half and bare at distal half, except for a well-developed apical spine. Female terminalia with sternite 10 bearing a pair of finger-like projections, one long and setose, the other one smaller and with only an apical spine.

Material examined. Holotype. Male, BRAZIL, Paraná, Carambeí, Alto Carambeí , 24°55’27” S 50°4’50” W, one larva manually collected on a white fungus ( Cystidiodontia laminifera Berk & Curtis ) on rotten wood on 19.v.2019, adult male emerged on 27.v.2019, AMARAL E. M. (specimen pinned with terminalia on permanent slide mounting) [ MZUSP-MZ053405 ] GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Female, same data as holotype, except 11.v.2020 (larva collected) 21.v.2020 (adult female emerged) (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053406 ]; female, except 11.v.2020 (larva collected) 20.vi.2020 (adult female emerged) (specimen pinned with terminalia in microvial) [ MZUSP-MZ053407 ]; male GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 23.iv.2020 – 11.v.2020 (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053408 ]; two males GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 11.vi.2020 – 09.vii.2020 (specimen pinned with terminalia in microvial) [ MZUSP-MZ053409 ]; (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053410 ]; male GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 24.x.2020 – 24.xi.2020 (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053411 ]; female GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 24.xii.2020 – 24.i.2021 (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053412 ]; three males GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 24.i.2021 – 24.ii.2021 (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053413 ]; (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053414 ]; (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053415 ]; female GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except Malaise trap, 24.i.2021 – 24.ii.2021 (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053416 ]; one larva GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except 11.v.2020 (larva collected and fixed) (in 80% ethanol) [ MZUSP-MZ053417 ]; one larva GoogleMaps , same data as holotype, except 19.v.2019 (larva collected and fixed) (in microvial) [ MZUSP-MZ053418 ] GoogleMaps .

Description. Male ( Figs. 3–6 View FIGURES 3–4 View FIGURES 5–6 ). Adult body length, 3.2 mm; wing length, 2.6 mm, wing width, 1.2 mm.

Head. ( Figs. 5–6 View FIGURES 5–6 ) Head entirely yellow, except for dark brown occiput. Vertex stose. Two ocelli at a distance more than its own diameter from eye margin. Eyes setose. Scape and pedicel yellowish, with long setae. Antenna with 14 brownish flagellomeres, subquadrate, setose, last flagellomere conical, longer than wider. Frons and face yellow, covered with setulae; clypeus yellow, covered with setulae. Mouthparts yellow, except for 2 brownish labella, covered with short dark setae; 1–3 maxillary palpomeres yellow, more brownish apically; 4–5 palpomeres whitish, all palpomeres covered with dark setae, basal palpomere small, last palpomere almost twice the length of penultimate.

Thorax. ( Figs. 5–6 View FIGURES 5–6 ) Color mostly yellowish except for brown straight lines at anterior and posterior margins of laterotergite. Scutum moderately arched, uniformly setose, with three dark-yellow longitudinal bands; scutellum yellowish, brownish at posterior margin, with four scutellar bristles along posterior margin and some additional smaller setae. Antepronotum densely setose, with a line of stronger setae. Anepisternum and katepisternum bare; metepimeron reaching ventral margin of thorax, with three small setae. Laterotergite covered with scattered setae, mediotergite slightly curved in profile, with setae laterally. Posterior spiracle surrounded by small setae. Halter knob brown, stem whitish, some few short setae on stem, more densely setose on knob.

Legs. ( Figs. 3–4 View FIGURES 3–4 ) Legs entirely yellow, except dark–brown trochanters and apex of hind tibia. Fore coxa with dark setae anteriorly, some dark setae distally; mid coxa with dark setae on apical third; hind coxa with an inconspicuous brownish macula laterally and distally, with seven long and sparse setae laterally, three diminutive setae apically. Trochanters longer than wider, on fore leg yellowish basally and dark-brown apically, on hind leg with a row of longer light brown setae anteriorly. Hind femur with a dark mark apically, entirely covered by setae. Tibiae covered with dark setae, fore tibia with four anterior and two posterior longer setae at distal third; mid tibia with two rows of six longer setae laterally and two anterior and two posterior setae apically; hind tibia brownish at apex, two rows of ca 10 longer setae laterally, a comb of setae at inner face and a row of three bristles on external face. Tibial spurs 1:2:2; fore tibial spur twice as long as tibial width at apex; mid and hind tibial spurs more than twice the length of tibial width at apex. Tarsi yellowish-brown, darker towards apex. Fore basitarsus twice the length of second tarsomere; mid- and hind first tarsomere more than twice the length of second tarsomere; hind first tarsomere with a row of dark setae anteriorly.

Wing ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13–14 ). Hyaline membrane densely covered with macrotrichia reflexed towards wing base. H present, sclerotized, with macrotrichia. Sc complete, reaching C just beyond base of Rs, setose, well sclerotized; sc-r at mid of Sc. C ending beyond R 4+5, at wing apex. First sector of Rs almost horizontal, devoid of setae, about as long as rm. R 1 long, straight, reaching C before apical third of wing; R 4+5 reaching C just before wing apex, well sclerotized, slight sinuous medially; r-m almost transverse, less sclerotized than first section of Rs, no macrotrichia. M 1+2 very short. Medial fork long, M 1 and M 2 setose, diverging towards wing apex; M 2 less sclerotized basally. M 4 absent. CuA complete, well sclerotized, setose at distal half. CuP absent. A 1 incomplete, not present on the apical half. All apical veins with dorsal and ventral macrosetae.

Abdomen. ( Figs. 3–4 View FIGURES 3–4 ) Abdomen slender, tergites and sternite uniformly covered with setae. Tergite 1 whitish; tergites 2–5 shining dark-brown with a yellow slender transverse band along the posterior margin; tergite 6 yellow with a pair of brown blurred rounded marks medially; tergite 7 yellow, wider than longer; tergite 8 short, slender; sternites yellow. Terminalia yellow basally, brown distally, elongated.

Terminalia ( Figs. 7–12 View FIGURES 7–8 View FIGURES 9–10 View FIGURES 11–12 ). Terminalia rounded and setose. Tergite 9 rectangular, half the length of gonocoxite, entirely setose. Gonocoxites rounded, uniformly setose, with dorsal and distal finger-like setose projections. A pair of less sclerotized gonocoxite inner projections; one ventral, with an apical spine; the other more dorsal, V-shaped, each with a pair of distal spines. Gonostylus digitiform, longer than gonocoxite projections, arched medially, directed inwards, with setae only on basal half, distal half bare, except for a well-developed apical spine. Parameres membranous, connected at gonocoxal bridge, digitiform, bare. Aedeagus elongated, membranous, with apical setae. Cercus not visible.

Female ( Figs.15–16 View FIGURES 15–16 ). Adult body length 3,86 mm; wing length, 2.9 mm; wing width, 1.2 mm (n=1) ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 13–14 ). Similar to male, except for what follows. Terminalia ( Figs. 17–22 View FIGURES 17–18 View FIGURES 19–20 View FIGURES 21–22 ). Yellow except for setose, brownish sternite 8. Sternite 8 trapezoid, distal border rounded. Tergite 8 straight, rectangular. Sternite 9 (hypogynial valve) membranous, weakly sclerotized, cordiform. Tergite 10 rectangular. Sternite 10 elongate with a pair of finger like projections, one long and setose, the other one smaller and with only an apical spine. Cercomere 1 more than twice as long as cercomere 2.

Intraspecific variation. There is some variation regarding the male abdomen color pattern, as some specimens are more shining than others. One of the male paratype has a more yellow lateral tergite 5. Despite differences in the color of the abdomen, there is no variation in the male terminalia sclerites. In females, the main color differences are regarding tergites 5 and 7, which can be yellow, and the terminalia brownish.

Larva. ( Figs. 2C View FIGURE 2 , 23–28 View FIGURES 23–24 View FIGURES 25–26 View FIGURES 27–28 ) [Probably fourth instar larva]. Length, 6.35 mm. General body shape cylindrical, no projections, creamy-white, 13 apparent body segments, segments IV–X wider and longer than the remaining ones. Head capsule relatively well-sclerotized, bare, sub-trapezoid, base wider than apex and at least partially retractable into first segment. Separation between dorsal plates of head capsule evident, medial plate extending almost to posterior capsule margin. Maxillary plate sub-trapezoid, elongate, lower inner vertex pointed. Eye placed posterolaterally to antenna. Occipital foramen visible in ventral view, sub-triangular with rounded borders. Mouthparts occupying anterior third of head capsule. Labrum wide, fleshy. Premandible with a row of five elongate, flexible teeth, supported by a pair of lateral chitinous arms. Mandible semicircular, bearing two rows of medially directed teeth. Maxilla rounded, with a row of teeth at its margin. Maxillary palps visible, elongate, slender, extending beyond apex of cephalic capsule. Eight pairs of sclerotized spiracles, one per body segment, except for segments II, III, XI, and XII. One row of denticles on creeping welt between segments I–II, II–III, III–IV, VII–VIII, VIII–IX, XI–X, XI–XII, and XII–XIII; two rows of denticles on creeping welt between segments IV–V, V–VI, VI–VII, and X–XI.

Biology ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 29–30 View FIGURES 29–30 ). A pair of larvae was found on a trunk covered with lichens and white fungus, identified as Cystidiodontia laminifera (Berk & Curtis) . The immatures lay beneath a silky web, possibly feeding on fungus spores. Part of the rotten trunk with the larvae was collected and transferred into a plastic container and taken to the laboratory, where some of the larvae completed their life cycle. The immatures were collected on May 19, 2019. One of the larvae pupated after three days and an adult male emerged after five more days. The male adult which emerged and the second larva were primarily preserved in 80% ethanol. The pupal exuvium was silky. A trap was placed in the area where the trunk was found and an additional male and female specimens were collected.

Distribution. Brazil (Carambeí, Paraná state).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Carambeí municipality, Paraná, south Brazil, where the specimens were collected.

Comments. The new species described, M. carambeiensis sp. nov., resembles M. maculata Edwards in its general body coloration, including the yellow head and thorax besides a combination of yellow and shining brown areas on the abdomen. One hand, M. maculata has a yellow head with a dark brown area surrounding the ocelli, abdomen with tergites 1, 6, and 7 yellow, tergites 2–5 yellow at the median region with black spots on the sides, and male terminalia entirely dark brown or black ( Edwards 1933). On the other hand, M. carambeiensis sp. nov. has a completely yellow head, abdomen with tergite 1 whitish, tergites 2–5 shining dark brown, with a posterior yellow longitudinal and straight band, tergite 6 yellow with blurred brown spots mesally, tergite 7 yellow, and male terminalia yellow basally and brown distally.

The analysis of this general body coloration is enough to identify both species, but there are also differences in the male genitalia. M. maculata has a long, curved gonostylus, tapering to a point ( Edwards 1933), while M. carambeiensis sp. nov. has a long, digitiform gonostylus, arched mesally and directed towards the central area of the terminalia, with setae only at the basal half and bare on the distal half, except for an apical spine. Besides, M. carambeiensis sp. nov. has two inner projections of a less sclerotized and membranous gonocoxite, one is more ventral with one apical spine, the other is more dorsal, comprising two main arms (V-shaped), each of them with a pair of distal spines.

The well-developed spines on the gonostylus, the membranous and spinose inner projections of the gonocoxite, and the general body coloration are particularities of the new species described herein that justify it as unique within the diversity of the genus.