Oropezella spathula sp. nov.

(Figs 85–92, 122)

Diagnosis. Frons long and holoptic, almost as long as face; scutum brown, paler on anterior margin, entirely and densely covered with golden pruinescence, legs yellow, mid and hind tarsi somewhat darkened.

Etymology. From the Latin “ spatha ” (spoon), in reference to the spatula-like right surstylus.

Description. Holotype male. Body: 2.7 mm. Wing: 3.3 mm. Head: antenna brown, located above middle of head; scape as long as pedicel; postpedicel conical, flattened, as long as scape and pedicel combined, 2.5 times longer than wide; stylus bare, apical. Ocellar triangle protuberant, two pairs of proclinate ocellar setae, anterior pair elongate, posterior pair short. Holoptic, frons as long as two-thirds length of face. Proboscis and palpus pale brown, palpus bearing 1 long median and 1 shorter lateral bristle. Postcranium brown with golden pruinescence; postoculars elongated, scattered, upper setae longest. Thorax: entirely covered with dense golden pruinescence; scutum brown, paler on anterior margin, scutellum yellow to brown, with apical blackish mark, mediotergite brown, mesopleuron, postpronotal lobe and postalar callus yellow. Bristles thin, short and scattered; acr and dc uniserial. Differentiated bristles: 1 strong npl; posterior dc longer than anterior dc; 1 short pal; 1 long and strong apical sctl and 1 lateral bristle half length of apical. Wing (Fig. 122): hyaline, not infuscate; R1 reaching C at midlle of wing; cell dm emitting 2 veins; cell cu p present. Legs: yellow, mid and hind tarsi somewhat darkened, coxae and trochanters with yellow pruinescence. Hind tibia slightly clavate near apex. Differentiated bristles: fore tibia with 2PV near middle; mid femur with 1A sub-apical; mid tibia with 2A before middle and 2A after middle, 1A subapical, 1PD near base and 1V at distal third; hind femur bearing 1A sub-apical, 2AV at basal half and 1AV at apical half; hind tibia with 2A, 1D and 1V near middle and 1D sub-apical. Abdomen: tergites 1–4 and all sternites pale brown, tergites 5–8 shiny dark brown; golden pruinescence on tergite 8 and sternites 6–8. Bristles brown, thin, short and scattered. Terminalia: hypandrium about as long as wide, apex concave (Fig. 85); epandrium short, not deeply cleft dorsally, epandrial lamellae broadly fused basally (Fig. 86); left epandrial lamella shorter than right, with stout dorsoapical process, wider near apex (Figs 86, 88); right surstylus about as long as left, wide in basal half (Fig. 89); left surstylus simple, slightly concave on inner surface (Fig. 88); articulated distal portion of phallus simple, slightly more than half lenght of basal portion, basal process more than half length of articulated distal portion of phallus, pilose near base (Fig. 87). Female. Similar to male. Ovipositor (Figs 90–92): eighth segment elongated; tergite 8 divided in two lateral sclerotized plates, membranous medially; sternite 8 very narrow, six times longer than wide.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: BRASIL, Minas Gerais / Divinópolis, 16.i.2004 / R. C. Oliveira, Arm[adilha] Malaise (INPA) (Abdomen collapsed; left postpedicel and stylus lost, as well as three right legs; not dissected). Paratypes: BRAZIL, Minas Gerais: 1♀, Divinópolis, 01.xi.2003, R.C. Oliveira, Malaise (INPA); 1?, idem, 01.vii.2004; 2♂, 3♀, idem, Pedra do Indaiá, 26.ii.2004; 1♂, 1♀, idem, 01.iv.2004; 1?, idem, 16.v.2004 (INPA); 2♀, idem, 01.vii.2004; 3♀, idem, 16.ix.2004 (all housed at INPA).

Geographical distribution. Brazil (Minas Gerais).