Sycorax bidentis Santos, Ferreira & Bravo

Santos, Claudiney Biral Dos, Ferreira, Adelson Luiz & Bravo, Freddy, 2009, Taxonomy of the genus Parasycorax Duckhouse (Diptera, Psychodidae, Sycoracinae), with description of a new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 2174, pp. 63-68 : 66

Sycorax bidentis Santos, Ferreira & Bravo , sp. n.

( Figures 9–16 )

Type material. BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, Cariacica municipality, Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, 20º28’S, 40º46’W, 03.X.2008, Santos, C. B. col., holotype male (MZUEFS).

Description. Holotype male. Tegument brownish. Head: subcircular in frontal view; eyes separated; clypeus quadrangular; labrum triangular; scape cylindrical, larger than pedicel; pedicel spherical ( Fig. 9 ). Antenna incomplete; first flagellomere 1.3 times as long as the second ( Fig. 10 ); ascoids sinuous, approximately 2.0 times as long as flagellomeres. Palpus with four segments ( Figs. 11, 12 ); palpus formula = 1.0:1.1:1.2:2.5 ( Figs 11, 12 ). Thorax: notum darker than the pleura, coxae and legs. Wing ( Fig. 13 ) with a rounded apex; Sc not reaching C; sc-r short; h lost; veins R1, R4, R5, M1, M2 and M3 ending before reaching C; Rs incomplete, not reaching R1; base of Rs broken; base of R5 incomplete, not reaching Rs; r-m not developed; m-cu present; base of M3, m-cu and base of CuA1 little sclerotized. Cerci ( Fig. 14 ) with apical micropilosity and some apical bristles. Sternite 10 ending before the apex of the cercus, subtriangular, with apical micropilosity ( Fig. 14 ). Gonocoxite longer than wide, and shorter than gonostylus; base of the gonocoxite having a lateral group of short sensorial setae ( Fig. 15 ). Gonostylus ( Fig. 15 ) with two narrow, ventral, sclerotized arms with distal end directed upward; apex of gonostylus with two spines, one apical and one subapical; few long bristles at the apex of the gonostylus; base of the gonostylus having a dorsal group of short sensorial setae ( Fig. 15 ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 16 ) bifid, 0.5 as long as aedeagal apodeme. Aedeagal apodeme 1.9 as long as paramere. Paramere ( Fig. 16 ) plate-like, without long bristles.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The name bidentis (Latin for ‘presence of two teeth’) was chosen because the base of the gonostylus has two projections.

Comments. The presence of basal and sclerotized pairs of arms in the gonostylus of the new species S. bidentis sp. n. is unique to this genus and distinguishes it from all of the other known species of Parasycorax .

Distribution. Brazil, state of Espírito Santo. Known only from type locality.

Habitat. The type locality, Reserva Biológica Duas Bocas, Cariacica, is located in the Atlantic Rain Forest Biome, Brazil. The specimen was collected in the forest with a CDC light trap set 15 m above ground level.

Discussion. A group of small sensorial setae implanted at the base of gonostylus appear to be characteristic of the Neotropical species of Parasycorax ( Figs. 5 , 15 , Bejarano et al. 2008: p. 29). The true distribution of this characteristic among the Parasycorax cannot be confirmed, however, because the description of P. filipinae provided by Quate (1965) is succinct and does not mention or illustrate these setae. The other group of small sensorial setae implanted at the base of gonocoxite was observed only in the two Brazilian species, P. s a t c h e l l i and P.bidentis sp. n.

It is somewhat surprising that the three Neotropical species of Parasycorax were collected in tree crowns, and there is no information available concerning P. filipinae in that respect. It is possible that all of the species of Parasycorax (or at least the Neotropical species) live above the ground, but additional studies will be necessary to address this question.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Parasycorax bidentis (Barretto), holotype male. 9. Antenna: pedicel and basal flagellomeres. 10. Antenna: flagellomeres 3 – 4 with ascoids. 11. Palpus maxillaris: palpomeres 2 – 4, left. 12. Palpomeres 1 – 2, rigth. 13. Wing. Male terminalia, Figures 14 – 16: 14. Cerci and sternite 10. 15. Gonocoxite and gonostylus. 16. Aedeagus, paramere and aedeagal apodeme.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Parasycorax satchelli (Barretto), male. 1. Antenna: scape, pedicel and basal flagellomeres, the last one with ascoid. 2. Antenna: flagellomeres 10 – 13 with ascoids, the last one with apiculus. 3. Palpus maxillaris. 4. Wing. Male terminalia, Figures 5 – 8: 5. Gonocoxite. 6. Gonostylus. 7. Aedeagus, parameres and aedeagal apodeme. 8. Aedeagus.