Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp.

(Figs 5; 6; 8C; 9C)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 9EA13D98-D89B-456A-AE18-E715A76DF63F

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Peru • ♂; Cuzco, Pagoreni; VII.2004, J. Williams; light trap; MLPA.

Allotype. Peru • ♀; same data as for holotype.

Paratypes. Peru • 6 ♂, 7 ♀; same data as for holotype .

ETYMOLOGY. — This species is named after a good friend and colleague Saulo de Jesús Soria, in recognition of his wonderful contributions on the Neotropical pollinator species of Ceratopogonidae . DISTRIBUTION. — Atrichopogon soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp. is known only from the type locality in Kirigueti (11°38’13”S, 73°07’07”W), at elevation of 395 m.

DIAGNOSIS. — Only extant species of Atrichopogon in the New World with pigmented wings, and the fore and midlegs brown and hind leg pale brown.

Description of male (Figs 5; 8C)

Head (Fig. 5A). Golden brown. Ommatidia (Fig. 5B) with interfacet spicules, broadly abutting medially for length of 4-5 ommatidia. Antenna with pedicel and flagellomere 1 dark brown, flagellomeres 2-9 and basal half of 10 pale brown, distal half of 10, 11-13 slightly darker with plume setae well developed, flagellomeres 2-10 at least partially fused, flagellomere 9-10 with plume setae, 11-13 elongated, 10 slightly longer than 1-9; flagellomere 13 with apical nipple, not basally constricted; AR 1.29-1.42 (1.34, n=7). Maxillary palpus (Fig. 5C) pale brown with third segment short, swollen at midlength, with deep sensory pit opening just beyond midlength; segments 4, 5 separate, broadly abutting; segment 5 conical; PR 1.81-2.30 (2.06, n=7). Proboscis short, head width/mouthparts length 2.47-3.13 (2.69, n=7).

Thorax. Dark brown. Scutum with setae arising directly from surface, not in pits; with lateral suture. Paratergite with one stout seta. Anepisternum well developed, broadly bilobed posteriorly. Legs (Fig. 5E) brown, hind leg paler; fore and midlegs brown except narrow base of midfemur and knees pale brown, tarsi pale brown; hind tibia slightly expanded at apex; hind tibial spur thick, length longer than width of hind tibia at midlength; hind tibial comb with 7-8 spines; prothoracic TR 3.50-4.20 (3.89, n=7), mesothoracic TR 3.14-3.83 (3.60, n=7), metathoracic TR 3.00-3.57 (3.25, n=7); claws curved, bifid at tip; empodia present. Wing (Fig. 5D) with three dark spots, one covering r-m and first radial cell extending to base of m 1 and shortly in m 2, second covering distal 1/3 of wing, remaining one in CuA 2; macrotrichiae on membrane in apical portion of cell r 3; both radial cells well formed, second nearly three × longer than first; wing length 0.82-0.98 (0.89, n=7) mm; width 0.32-0.40 (0.34, n=7) mm; CR 0.65-0.69 (0.68, n=7). Halter whitish.

Abdomen. Tergites 1-7 light brown, 8 amber brown, genitalia amber brown. Genitalia (Figs 5F; 8C) of moderate size, segment 9 about equal in width to segment 8.Tergite 9 short, not extending to apex of gonocoxites, posterior margin rounded; sternite 9 narrow, posterior margin broadly concave, with two lateral sclerotized conical teeth, and row of 8 scattered setae. Gonocoxite moderately stout, without medial lobe, twice as long as greatest breadth. Gonostylus tapering from base, 0.9 length of gonocoxite, nearly straight, apex darker, pointed. Aedeagal-parameral complex broad, composed only of ventral portion; basal arch strongly sclerotized, deeply concave; lateral arms directed laterally; posterolateral margins convex; posteromedial prong triangular, tip blunt. Cercus somewhat elongate, apressed against lateral margin of tergite 9.

Female adult (Figs 6; 9C)

Head. As for male, with following differences: flagellum light brown, proportions of flagellomeres as shown in Figure 6A; flagellomeres 1-8 longer than broad, vasiform, flagellomeres 9-13 elongated; AR 1.53-2.23 (1.69, n = 8). Maxillary palpus (Fig. 6B) with third segment slender, with deep sensory pit opening near midlength; segments 4, 5 separate, their combined length slightly longer than third segment; PR 1.91-2.40 (2.11, n =8); head width/ mouthparts length 2.63-3.33 (2.88, n= 8). Mandible poorly developed, without teeth.

Thorax. Legs with hind tibial comb with 8-9 spines, prothoracic TR 3.33-4.20 (3.93, n = 8), mesothoracic TR 3.14-4.00 (3.66, n = 8), metathoracic TR 3.00-3.57 (3.29, n =8); claws curved, not bifid at tip. Wing (Fig. 6C) with the same pattern of pigmented membrane, with many macrotrichiae on cells r 3, m 1; scarce on m 2, radial cells narrow, second four × longer than first; wing length 0.88-0.98 (0.93, n=8) mm; width 0.38-0.42 (0.40, n=8) mm; CR 0.65-0.74 (0.69, n = 8).

Abdomen (Fig. 6D). Tergites 1-6 pale brown with lateral patches darker, segment 7 uniformly yellowish brown, segments 8-10 dark brown. Sternite 7 rectangular. Sternite 8 without elongate cuticular extensions, posterior margin nearly straight. Sternite 9 (Fig. 6E; 9C) stout, truncate anteriorly, not joined medially. One spermatheca ovoid with short neck, sclerotized, measuring 0.070 -0.090 (0.076, n=8) by 0.050 -0.080 (0.061, n=8) mm. Cercus dark brown.

REMARKS

Of the Neotropical species with distinctive pigmented wings, Atrichopogon soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp. is the only one showing the hind leg paler than fore and midlegs.

The new species is similar to A. maculipennis on the basis of its distinct pattern of pigmentation of the wing, which possesses two transverse dark bands, one straddling r-m to CuA 2 and other covering the distal 1/3 of the wing. However, in A. soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp. the dark spot on r-m is clearly separated from CuA 2 by a pale broad area.

The male of Atrichopogon cavus Felippe-Bauer, 2012 from Brazil is also similar to the male of A. soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp., but the posterior margin of the tergite 9 reaches the apex of gonocoxites, and the female mandible of A. cavus is armed with 15 teeth.

By virtue of the general features of the male genitalia, A. soriai Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp. is similar to Atrichopogon delecollei Rossi, Marino & Spinelli, n. sp. from Peru. Differences between the two species may be found in the Remark paragraph under the latter species.