Heteropterna (Heteropterna) garae Mederos, 2018

Mederos, Jorge, 2018, New species of Heteropterna Skuse and Keroplatus Bosc (Diptera: Keroplatidae) become the second records of this family for Cuba, Zootaxa 4461 (1), pp. 57-68 : 60-61

Heteropterna (Heteropterna) garae Mederos n. sp.

( Fig.s 2h ; 4; 5 )

Diagnosis. Heteropterna garae can be distinguished from all the other Neotropical Heteropterna by the strongly developed, medially-directed, anterodorsal lobes of the gonostylus ( Fig. 2h ) which are unique in the genus. Also, the silvery white colour of the last three flagellomeres of, the last of them with the apical border light brown, is a diagnostic character when differentiating H. garae from H. trileuca , the closest species.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: male, CUBA: Cañón del Rio Santa Cruz , Sierra del Rosario , Artemisa province. 3–5-iX- 1999, 120masl, sweeping net on vegetation at river margins, J. Mederos leg. [ MCNB], specimen No. MZB 2017-0326 , preserved in 70% ethanol.

PARATYPE: male, same data as holotype. [ MZUSP] specimen No. MZ 010178 (specimen in microvial with genitalia in a second microvial, both in 70% ethanol).

Description. Male. Body length (without antennae) 7.7mm ( Fig. 4). Wing length 4.3mm. Length of Terminalia 0.45mm.

Head: Brown. Three ocelli in triangle. Two larger lateral ocelli and one miniscule median ocellus (1/3 diameter of laterals), at anterior edge of lateral ocelli. Distance between the lateral ocelli slightly greater than own diameter, separated from eye margin by distance equal to own diameter. Compound eyes ( Fig. 5b ) ~1.7 times higher than wide in lateral view, bearing short pubescence. Antenna ( Fig. 5d, e ) 1.2 times longer than head height, pectinate. Scape, pedicel both slightly wider than tall, brown. Flagellum with 14 pectinate, flattened, flagellomeres, with macrosetae restricted to the dorsal edge. All but apical three flagellomeres with three or four macrosetae on dorsal border producing a slightly serrated appearance. Flagellomeres brown eXcept apical three silvery white ( Fig. 5d ). Apical flagellomere light brown on apical border. Mouthparts reduced.

Thorax: Mostly brown to yellowish brown. Scutum sub-glossy brown, with two yellow to yellowish brown longitudinal stripes ( Fig. 5c ), middle of each stripe partially interrupted by undefined brown spot. Posterolateral corners of scutum with an elongated yellowish to pale stripe. Scutellum dark brown, bare. Mediotergite pale yellowish. Wide membranous subscutellar region with equilateral triangle well marked ( Fig. 5f ). Laterotergite bare, brown, with upper part progressively paler brown. Antepronotum dark brown, covered with setae. Anterior spiracle and adjacent area yellowish to pale yellow. Anepisternum with setae on upper margin. Halter a little shorter than the first abdominal tergite, with stem pale, knob dark brown.

Wing: Pattern with brown to dark brown areas and hyaline spots anteriorly, between C and M1 ( Fig. 5a ). Brownish infuscation on background. Microsetae irregularly scattered over wing. Veins mainly brown to dark brown, darker than background colour. Strong setation dorsally on C, R1, R4+5 and R5. Vein C eXtending 1/3 the distance between R5 and M1. Vein CuA2 strongly angled at midpoint. Vein M2 ending well before wing margin.

Legs: brown to yellowish brown. CoXae brown, covered with setae anterolaterally, hind coXa with setae posteriorly. Femora brown. Fore and mid tibiae and associated tarsi yellowish to pale brown. Hind tibiae pale brown on basal two thirds, apical third brown, darkening apically; microsetae scattered throughout; some bristles arranged more or less in rows on the dorsal edge of the apical third. Hind tarsus brown, darker than fore and mid tarsi, with tarsomeres I to IV with both pale to yellow apeX creating an effect of alternating light and dark bands. Tarsomeres I and II of hind legs with bristles forming two parallel rows ventrally.

Abdomen: Yellowish brown to pale brown with some pale markings ( Fig. 4).

Terminalia: Brown ( Fig. 5 g-i). Tergite 9 subcircular, almost as long as wide. GonocoXites fused, brown to pale brown, with fine and short setae located on its central area and short, thicker, bristles on the upper part of anteroventral margin. Gonostylus brown to dark brown ( Figs 2h , 5i ), prominent, as high as the gonocoXite, with a strongly developed, medially-directed, anterodorsal lobe.

Female. Unknown

Etymology. This species is named after my beautiful and beloved daughter, Gara. Name in genitive, invariable.

Comments. According to the original description of Edwards (1940), the last three flagellomeres of H. trileuca are yellow with large brownish areas. Further, Edwards (1940) noted that the thoraX of H. trileuca is mainly dark brown and the scutum has four lighter, barely discernible, yellowish brown stripes (the thoraX of H. garae is brown with two yellowish brown stripes). Edwards (1940) also described specimens of H. trileuca as having yellow hind femora with base and tip narrowly dark brown (these are completely brown to pale brown in H. garae ), as well as having yellowish tibiae with the slender basal half darkened and the tip also narrowly dark (the tibiae of H. garae are pale brown in the basal two thirds with apical third pale brown). Finally, these two species differ in the colour of the last three flagellomeres (yellow with large brownish areas in H. trileuca ) and in the shape of the genitalia, particularly the gonostylus.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Gonostylus in lateral VieW (bristles are not shoWn) of Heteropterna males from the Neotropics: a—Heteropterna abdominalis; b—H. gagnei; c—H. triangularis; d—H. perdistincta; e—H. tetraleuca; f—H. imperfecta; g—H. caraibeana; h—H. garae n. sp.; i—H. trileuca. Modified from Matile (1990).

FIGURE 5. Heteropterna garae n. sp., holotype: a—Wing; b—head in lateral VieW; c—scutum and scutellum; d—last flagellomeres of antenna; e—detail of the flagellomeres shoWing the setae on their dorsal edge; f—mediotergite With subscutellar membranous area; g—i: Male genitalia in g—Ventral VieW, h—dorsal VieW; i—lateral VieW.