Tamanduamyia, Rafael & Limeira-De-Oliveira, 2014

Rafael, J. A. & Limeira-De-Oliveira, F., 2014, Mitinha and Tamanduamyia, two new genera of Mythicomyiinae (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae) from northeast Brazil, Zootaxa 3827 (4), pp. 591-598 : 594-595

Tamanduamyia , gen. nov.

Type-species: Tamanduamyia bandeira , sp. nov. by present designation. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. This genus has typical Mythicomyiinae wing venation: vein R 2+3 ending in R 1 before junction with costa forming a small triangular cell r 1 and vein R 4+5 ending in costa at a level clearly beyond end of vein M 2 ( Fig. 16 ). It can be separated from other genera in the subfamily by the following combination of characters: postcranium extremely developed with a well-developed semicircular keel connecting postgenae ( Fig. 12 ); oral cavity with distinct ventral sulcus; only one flagellomere with minute inconspicuous distal stylus ( Figs 14, 15 ); rather robust setae on ocellar tubercle, pronotum, postpronotal lobe, posterior dorsocentral, notopleuron, supra-alar, postalar and scutellum; costal vein circumambient; R 4+5 rather straight; r-m crossvein placed slightly before basal quarter of cell dm; cell dm short; cross vein dm-cu slightly longer than m-m crossvein; vein M 1 rather straight, almost two times cell dm length; A 1 short, incomplete, ending at level of alular incision; anal lobe not keel-shaped ( Fig. 16 ); vaginal furca translucent, undefined shape, with small sclerotized sclerite distally ( Fig. 19 ); three spermathecae; sperm pump ( Fig. 20 ) elongate, coniform; each duct elongate with no apparent modifications, ending in thin elongate spermathecal reservoir folded in half on itself with each half thin, elongate, of equal width, extremely thin at fold ( Fig. 20 ).

Etymology. The generic epithet Tamanduamyia is a combination of two names. Tamanduá is the common name of the anteater in Brazil and is related to the appearance of the head of this fly and the tamanduá is also the symbol of the Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões; myia from Greek µυια, meaning fly.

Distribution. State of Piauí, Brazil, Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões, one of the more arid places in northeast Brazil, with typical Caatinga vegetation.

Discussion. Within Mythicomyiinae , Tamanduamyia differs from all other genera by having only one flagellomere with an inconspicuous minute stylus placed distally, by the extremely elongated postcranium, by the oral cavity with a distinct ventral sulcus and by the spermathecal reservoir folded upon itself. The postcranium looks very much like the platypygine genera Cephalodromia Becker and Cyrtisiopsis Séguy , both Old World genera ( Greathead & Evenhuis 2001). It differs from both platypygine genera by the typical mythicomyiine wing venation with a small triangular submarginal cell formed by vein R 2+3 ending in R 1 before the costal vein.

Figures

FIGURES 12–20. Tamanduamyia bandeira, sp. nov., paratype specimens. 12. Habitus, lateral view, male. 13. Head, dorsal view, male; 14. antenna, male (stylus inside red circle); 15. First flagellomere, male (stylus inside red circle); 16. Wing, male; 17. Male terminalia, lateral view; 18. Phallus and gonostylus, dorsal view (epandrium and hypandrium removed); 19. Sclerite of vaginal furca, female; 20. Sperm pump and apex of spermathecae. Abbreviations: AAAS, anterior arm of aedeagal sheath; BPH, basiphallus; CE, cercus; CSD, common spermathecal duct; DPH, distiphallus; EJ AP, ejaculatory apodeme; EP, epandrium; GST, gonostylus; HY, hypandrium; LEP, lateral ejaculatory process; SCL, sclerite of vaginal furca; SP, sperm pump; T8, tergosternite VIII; VF, vaginal furca.