Pieza flavitibia, Evenhuis, Neal L., 2002

Evenhuis, Neal L., 2002, Pieza, a new genus of microbombyliids from the New World (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae), Zootaxa 36, pp. 1-28 : 12-13

Pieza flavitibia , sp. nov.

Male. Length: 0.82­1.05 mm. Head. Black. Eyes dichoptic; ocelli forming a narrow triangle; lateral ocellus 1.5 its diameter from inner eye margin; frons slightly longer than wide, depressed medially, yellow from level of median ocellus to antennae, with medial blackish brown spot; antenna black, scape minute; pedicel slightly wider than long; first flagellomere short, ovoid, broadest at or slightly beyond middle, slightly longer than wide; length of second flagellomere equal to width of first flagellomere; face brown, narrowly yellow beneath antennae; proboscis black, projecting beyond oral margin for distance slightly longer than head height; occiput black with sparse black hairs.

Thorax. Mesonotum and scutellum black with small whitish interhumeral triangular mark, lateral margin yellowish black; dorsum of mesonotum and scutellum with minute scattered brassy hairs; pleura predominantly black, propleuron white, anepisternum with upper portion yellow; medial longitudinal yellow stripe present; coxae light brown, femora dark brown to black on basal three­fourths; tibiae and basitarsi yellowish; apical tarsal segments black; halter with stem yellow, knob whitish.

Wing. Hyaline; veins brown; costa ending at one­third distance from vein R4+5 to M1; vein R2+3 arising at nearly 90°; cell dm narrowed apically; vein at base of cell m1 shorter than r­m crossvein.

Abdomen. Dorsum dark brown; tergites V­VII with narrow yellow to yellowish white fasciae on posterior margin of each segment; tergites III­IV with yellow color at extreme lateral margin only; dorsum with scattered yellowish hairs; venter yellow.

Genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). In lateral view with gonocoxite small, rectangular; gonostyli not evident; gonocoxal apodemes narrow at tip of aedeagus, flaring to broad apex, length subequal to aedeagal apodeme; aedeagus with large subtriangular bulb, tapering sharply to small tip; aedeagal apodeme large, axe­shaped, with broad, rectangular lateral vanes viewed ventrally; lateral rami moderately developed, foliate; epandrium narrow, rectangular, pseudo­surstylus small, incurved; cercus anvil­shaped, half size of epandrium, membranous, partially exserted.

Female as in male except as follows: genitalia ( Fig. 15 ) with vaginal furca V­shaped, lateral processes shaped like an inverted “2,” medial processes almost meeting medially, apical process not evident; all processes thickly sclerotized; spermathecal reservoir elongate­ellipsoid, slightly angled apically, minute gland hairs subapically in almost complete transverse band, sclerotized apically, sclerotization fading basally; apical spermathecal duct thin, membranous, length about equal to spermathecal reservoir; sperm pump slightly shorter than reservoir and apical duct combined; apical valve very large, flared apically, size subequal to vaginal furca, with transverse striations; basal valve and basal and common ducts not evident.

Types. Holotype male and allotype female from VENEZUELA: Aragua: 2 km N. Ocumare de la Costa, 31.iii–2.iv.1981, A.S. Menke & L. Hollenberg in USNM. Paratypes: 4 males, 1 female, topotypic, collected with the types. Three paratypes in USNM, 2 paratypes in BPBM.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Latin “ flavus ” = yellow + tibia, referring to the yellow hind tibia characteristic of this species.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in northern Venezuela near Caracas.

Figures

FIGURES 7 ­ 8. Pieza male genitalia. 7. P. angusta (Melander); a. lateral view; b. epiphallic complex, dorsal view; c. gonocoxites, ventral view. 8. P. flavitibia, sp. nov.; a. lateral view; b. epiphallic complex, dorsal view; c. gonocoxites, ventral view.

FIGURES 14 ­ 16. Pieza female genitalia. 14. P. deresistans, sp. nov. 15. P. flavitibia, sp. nov. 16. P. minuta (Greene).