Mesorhaga Schiner, 1868

Santos, Ednaldo Bezerra Dos, Capellari, Renato Soares & Limeira-De-Oliveira, Francisco, 2024, Four new species of Mesorhaga Schiner (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Northeastern Brazil, with an identification key to South American species of the genus, Zootaxa 5519 (2), pp. 243-256 : 244-245

Mesorhaga Schiner urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2D4EF16C-BFCA-4126-A535-305FE0B46543

Mesorhaga Schiner, 1868: 217 .

Type species: Mesorhaga tristis Schiner , monotypy.

Aptorthus Aldrich, 1893: 48 .

Type species: Aptorthus albiciliatus Aldrich, 1893 (subsequent designation by Coquillett, 1910: 509). Synonymized by Aldrich (1900): 531.

Identification key to males of South American Mesorhaga

For notes on other Neotropical species and a key for Mesoamerican and Caribbean species, see Bickel (2007).

1 Femora mostly or entirely black.......................................................................... 2

- Femora yellow....................................................................................... 5

2 Wing vein M 1 with gentle curve ( Naglis 2000, fig. 1b); fore and mid tibiae with rows of conspicuous setae ( Naglis 2000, fig. 1a); cercus with three digitiform projections at apex ( Naglis 2000, figs 1c–d) ( Brazil: Amazonas)......... M. saetosa Naglis

- Wing vein M 1 distinctly curved, almost right angle bend (see Fig. 12 ); fore and mid tibiae without conspicuous rows of setae; cercus without remarkable projections ( Fig. 16 ) or with apical notch ( Bickel 2007, fig. 1f)........................... 3

3 Ventral occiput with long black setae; wing membrane hyaline; halter black; all legs entirely black ( Venezuela).................................................................................................. M. tristis Schiner

- Ventral occiput with short whitish setae, wing membrane with dark brown cloud along anterior margin; halter black or yellow; apex of fore and mid femora, all tibiae and base of tarsi yellow................................................. 4

4 Cercus with some long, lateral setae near medial bend of appendage, apex with notch ( Bickel 2007, fig. 1f) ( Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela)............................................................................ M. funebris Parent

- Cercus without long, lateral setae at middle of appendage, apex homboid ( Figs 15 and 16 ) ( Brazil: Piauí)..................................................................................................... M. gomesi sp. nov.

5 Wing membrane with grayish cloud on apical fourth, between end of R 2+3 and M 1, wing vein M 1 distinct curved, almost right angle bend ( Becker 1922, fig. 146) ( Paraguay).................................................. M. laeta Becker

- Wing membrane hyaline, wing vein M 1 both distinctly (right angle) or gently curved................................ 6

6 Thorax with 2 pairs of acrostichal setae; surstylus much shorter than epandrial lobe ( Naglis 2000, fig. 2b–c) ( Brazil: Amazonas)............................................................................. M. aurata Naglis

- Thorax with 3 pairs of acrostichal setae; surstylus as long as epandrial lobe ( Figs 7, 8 , 23, 24 , 31, 32 )................... 7

7 Wing vein M 1 distinct curved, almost right angle bend ( Fig. 4 ); apex of cercus not noticeably enlarged and covered by setae similar in length ( Figs 22–24 ) ( Brazil: Piauí)................................................ M. parnasete sp. nov.

- Wing vein M 1 gently bent towards apex ( Figs 20 , 28 ); apex of cercus noticeably enlarged, with 2–3 larger setae at apex ( Figs 23, 24 , 31, 32 )........................................................................................ 8

8 Fore tarsomere 5 slightly expanded; apex of cercus with small subrectangular expansion ( Brazil: Piauí).................................................................................................... M. danbickeli sp. nov.

- Fore tarsomere 5 as broad as preceding segments; apex of cercus triangular ( Brazil: Piauí)............. M. laetitia sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Mesorhaga gomesi sp. nov., Holotype ♂, left lateral view. 9, habitus, left lateral view; 10, head, left lateral view; 11, head, frontal view; 12, wing; 13, thorax, dorsal view; 14, post-abdomen, left lateral view; 15, terminalia left lateral view; 16, terminalia illustration left lateral view.

FIGURES 1–8. Mesorhaga danbickeli sp. nov., Holotype ♂, left lateral view. 1, habitus, left lateral view; 2, head, left lateral view; 3, head, frontal view; 4, wing; 5, thorax, dorsal view; 6, post-abdomen, left lateral view; 7, terminalia left lateral view; 8, terminalia illustration left lateral view. Abbreviations: C = costal vein; cerc = cercus; bm+dm = basal medial cell + dm = discal medial cell; dm–m = discal medial crossvein; ej apod = ejaculatory apodeme; epand = epandrium; epand for = foramen epandrial; hypd = hypandrium; ph = phallus; h = humeral crossvein; M1 = first branch of media; M4 = fourth branch of media; R1 = anterior branch of radius; R2+3 = second branch of radius; R4+5 = third branch of radius; Sc = subcostal vein; spm sac = sperm sac; sur = surstylus.

FIGURES 17–24. Mesorhaga laetitia sp. nov., Holotype ♂, left lateral view. 17, habitus, left lateral view; 18, head, left lateral view; 19, head, frontal view; 20, wing; 21, thorax, dorsal view; 22, post-abdomen, left lateral view; 23, terminalia left lateral view; 24, terminalia illustration left lateral view.

FIGURES 25–32. Mesorhaga parnasete sp. nov., Holotype ♂, left lateral view. 25, habitus, left lateral view; 26, head, left lateral view; 27, head, frontal view; 28, wing; 29, thorax, dorsal view; 30, post-abdomen, left lateral view; 31, terminalia left lateral view; 32, terminalia illustration left lateral view.