Cardiacephala planivertex, Ferro & Marshall, 2018

Ferro, Gustavo Borges & Marshall, Stephen A., 2018, A revision of the Neotropical ant-like genus Cardiacephala Macquart, including Plocoscelus Enderlein syn. nov. (Diptera: Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), Zootaxa 4429 (3), pp. 401-458 : 440-442

Cardiacephala planivertex new species

( Figs. 66–69 )

Description: Body length 8 mm, wing 5 mm. Palpus mostly dark brown, white on outer face. Clypeus brown, shiny. First flagellomere dark brown covered with pale microsetulae. Fronto-orbital plates dark brown. Frontal vitta brown, opaque. Postpronotal lobe yellow, shiny. Row of katepisternal setae brownish. Mid and hind femora brown, slightly yellowish apically. Hind femur narrowly white basally. Fore tarsus dark brown with gold/whitish pubescence ventrally at base of tarsomere one. Oviscape yellow and shiny, apex dark brown. Epandrium yellow.

Head: Palpus broadened basally and gradually tapering to apex. Clypeus short, length less than half of width. Two frontal setae. Frontal vitta with a narrowed depression centrally, reaching ocellar triangle. Inner vertical seta insertion flat, without tubercle. Epicephalon slightly depressed. Paracephalon smooth, without swelling (not extending beyond the vertex). Vertex flattened. Black supracervical setae sparse, weak.

Thorax: Mesonotum golden pruinose with sparse yellowish microsetulae. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora with sparse black setulae. Mid and hind tibia flattened, sulcus on outer face weak but somewhat curved (not extremely dilated as in C. nigra ). Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex clear with a dark and narrow preapical pigmentation. Crossvein r-m with small dark spot. R4+5 and M1+2 ending separately in wing margin. A1+CuA2 as long as CuA2. Female cervical sclerite smooth, without swelling.

Abdomen: Tergites with brownish setulae. Female abdomen: Single spermathecal duct uniformly thick, spermatheca cylindrical. Paired spermathecal duct divided into a narrow basal half and a broader distal half. Paired spermathecal duct stems thin and smooth in basal third, followed by a small rounded swelling and a broad, striate apical third ( Fig. 67 ). Paired spermathecae cylindrical, striate and deeply invaginated. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme somewhat thin, bigger than epandrium and with a broad blade, wider than sperm pump ( Fig. 69 ). Phallapodeme extending to anterior limit of hypandrium. Distiphallus long, longer than epandrium, ending in a cylindrical phallic bulb about three times as long as wide.

Type material: Holotype: ECUADOR. Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent., 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 4.X.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♀, USNM 00053822). Paratypes: ECUADOR. Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent., 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 21.VI.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♂, USNM 00053540); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent. 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 4.X.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♀, USNM 00053839); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent. 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 10.X.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♂, USNM 00053986); PERU. Loreto, Campamento San Jacinto, 175–215 m, FIT#10, 3.VII.1993, R. Leschen (1 ♀, 1 ♂, DEBU 00138341, DEBU 00138342).

Other material examined: BRAZIL. Amazonas, Rio Jau, Meriti, Mun. Novo Arão, 4–10.VI.1994, J. A. Rafael (1 ♀, INPA); COLOMBIA. Amazonas, Amacayacu Natl. Pk., San Martin, 150 m, malaise trap, 22– 30.IV.2000, B. Amado (1 ♀, DEBU 00138488, IAVH); Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu, Cabana Lorena, 3º0’ S 69º59’ W, 210 m, Malaise 2, 1–15.IX.2001, M. 2203, D. Deaza (1 ♀, USNM); Amazonas, PNN Amacayacu, Lorena, 3º02’86” S 69º59’70” W, 210 m, 27.VIII.2001, M. Sharkley & D. Campos (1 ♂, USNM); Amazonas, Leticia km 14 via Tarapacá, 200 m, 4º7.105’ S 69º57.208’ W, 4.IX.2001, M. Sharkley & D. Campos (1 ♂, USNM); Caquetá, PNN Serrania de Chiribiquete Rio Cuñare, Bos. tierra firme, 0º31’ N 72º38 W, 300 m, Malaise 11/10/00 11/14/00, Leg. M. 959, E. Gonzalez & M. Ospina (1 ♀, IAVH); ECUADOR. Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent., 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 12.I.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♂, USNM); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent, 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 6.X.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (2 ♂, USNM); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent. 220 m. 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 21.VI.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (3 ♂, USNM); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent. 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 20.VI.1994, T. L. Erwin et al. (1 ♀, USNM); Napo, Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1 km S Onkone Gare Camp, Trans. Ent. 220 m, 00º39’10” S 76º26’ W, 6.VII.1995, T. L. Erwin et al. (2 ♂, USNM); FRENCH GUIANA. Montsinery, Carrefour Du Gallion, “Emerald Jungle”, Gelbschale, 5–16.XII.2003, M. Kotrba (2 ♂, DEBU); PERU. Loreto, Campamento San Jacinto, 175–215 m, FIT, 3.VII.1993, R. Leschen (2 ♀, DEBU); Loreto, Campamento San Jacinto, 175–215 m, FIT, 7.VII.1993, R. Leschen (1 ♀, DEBU 00138346); Loreto, Teniente Lopes, 1.5 km N, 230–305 m, FIT, 22.VII.1993, R. Leschen (2 ♀, DEBU 00138300, DEBU 00138324); Loreto, Teniente Lopez, 1.5 km N, 230–305 m, FIT, 23.VII.1993, R. Leschen (1 ♀, DEBU 00138307).

Distribution: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru.

Etymology: The name C. planivertex refers to the conspicuously flattened part of the head posterior to the ocellar triangle, especially the vertex.

Comments: C. planivertex is similar to C. aeruginosa , from which it can be distinguished by its striking yellow/brownish coloration. Also, while males present a very unusual phallic bulb (slightly elongated and unusually cylindrical), females have conspicuously cylindrical and thin paired spermathecae, differing from all other Cardiacephala .

Figures

FIGURES 66–69. Cardiacephala planivertex. 66, female, Ecuador, Tiputini; 67, female genitalia, ventral view; 68, male, dorsal view; 69, male genitalia, lateral view.