Pieza ankh Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis & Limeira-de-Oliveira, sp. nov.

(Figs 1–9)

Diagnosis. Mesonotum brown with dark brown stripe extending laterally to base of wing; supra-alar area yellow (Fig. 2). Cercus triangular, sclerotized, with short projection on ventral surface in posterior view (Fig. 8). Gonocoxite strongly sclerotized on anterior ⅔, posterior ⅓ narrower and slightly sclerotized, slightly concave at margin and without central incision, digitiform sublateral projections in ventral view (Fig. 5). Gonostylus long, geniculate, about 6.0X longer than wide, convergent and sharp towards apex in ventral view (Fig. 5).

Holotype male (Fig. 1). Body length: 1.45 mm. Wing length: 1.25 mm. Head. Eyes separated at vertex by about 2.0X distance between posterior ocelli; ocellar tubercle dark brown, subshiny. Frons dorsal ⅓ dark brown, ventral ⅔ yellow to dark yellow, median depression with dorsal ⅔ brown; with small brown setae laterally; face yellow. Proboscis light brown to brown, about same length as head; oral cavity yellow, light brown on margin. Postcranium subshiny, dark brown pruinose, with brown setae. Antenna with second flagellomere as long as width of first flagellomere. Thorax. Mesonotum brown with central dark brown stripe reaching base of wing level, subshiny, with sparse pruinescence, with brown setae, paler on postpronotal lobe, with dense and erect setae; supra-alar area yellow (Fig. 3); notopleural and prealar setae strong, dark brown. Scutellum light to dark yellow, with sparse brown setae. Pleura brown with yellow marks on: proepimeron, dorsal and posterior margin of anepisternum, dorsal ¼ of katepisternum, and dorsal ½ of meron (Fig. 3); posteroventral ⅓ of katepisternum shiny; dorsal margin of anepisternum with sparse brown setae. Legs (Fig. 1). Coxae light brown to brown; femora dark brown with distal ¼ yellow; tarsi yellow, tarsomeres II−V dark brown. Wing (Fig. 4). Smoky brown; costal vein ending at ½ distance between veins R 4+5 and M 1; R 2+3 arising from Rs in about 75° angle; m-m shorter than length of r-m. Halter yellow with brown marks. Abdomen. Light brown to brown, subshiny; tergites II−VII with small, bare and sparse plaques paler and shinier than adjacent areas; brown setae longer on tergites III−VII; tergites II–VII with yellow band on posterior margin. Sternites entirely light brown. Terminalia. Epandrium bulging in ventral view (Fig. 5), subtriangular, ventral margin about 2.0X longer than dorsal, anterior margin straight, dorsal surface with setae on posterior ½ in lateral view (Fig. 6); epandrium with outer margin rounded and inner margin oval in posterior view (Fig. 8). Pseudo-surstylus convergent, apex sharp in ventral and posterior views (Figs 5, 8). Cercus triangular, sclerotized, dorsal region narrow, ventral region with short projection, setae around inner margin (Fig. 8), slightly projecting posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 6). Ejaculatory apodeme about 5/6 length of anterior arm of parameral sheath, more sclerotized on longitudinal axis, medial arms subrectangular, about 2.0X wider than long in ventral view (Fig. 5), anterior end oval, slightly curved dorsally, ventromedial projection hook shaped, directed posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 6). Lateral ejaculatory process uniformly sclerotized, slightly sinuous (Fig. 5), curved ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 6). Phallus funnel-shaped, anterior margin concave (Fig. 5); basiphallus about ½ length distiphallus, distiphallus simple with single apical opening, about 2.0X longer than basiphallus (Fig. 5). Anterior arm of parameral sheath with distal ⅓ almost 2.0X wider than proximal ⅔ in ventral view (Fig. 5), more sclerotized on inner margin. Gono- coxite sub-quadrate, strongly sclerotized on anterior ⅔, anterior margin laterally rounded, narrower on posterior ⅓, weakly sclerotized, posterior margin concave, without medial incision, spiniform latero-posterior projections, short setae on posterior ⅔ in ventral view (Fig. 5); gonocoxite with anterodorsal margin concave, anteroventral margin covered in setae anteroventrally (Fig. 7), bulging in lateral view (Fig. 6). Gonostylus geniculate, long, about 6.0X longer than its maximum width, surpassing posterior margin of epandrium, convergent and tapering towards apex in ventral view (Fig. 5). Female. Similar to male. Genitalia (Fig. 9). Genital fork with base sub-trapezoidal, arms projecting laterally, posterior ½ cup shaped with parallel posterior projections. Common duct long, as long as proximal duct, basal plate hyaline. Sperm pump progressively wider on proximal ½, cup-shaped on distal ½, translucent. Proximal spermathecal duct about 2.0X wider than distal spermathecal duct; distal spermathecal duct about 5.0 to 6.0X longer than proximal, translucent. Valves not distinct. Spermatheca strongly sclerotized, brown, oval, with papillate apex, without glandular trichomes.

Variation (n = 10). Body length: 1.3–1.9 mm. Wing length: 1.15–1.30 mm. Proboscis about 2.0X longer than head. Tergites entirely brown, without yellow band on posterior margin. Thorax with prescutellar area indistinct or evanescent yellow. Posterior femora dark brown. Sternites each with yellow posterior band. Abdomen brown.

Etymology. The specific epithet derives from the Egyptian “ ankh ”, in allusion to the similarity of the genital fork with the symbol used in the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing.

Comments. Specimens become light brown when preserved in alcohol and later treated by the drying protocol with ethyl acetate. Specimens collected directly from flowers in the Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões—Piauí, Brazil, are associated with the plant family Malvaceae (Figs 72–73).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: Brazil, PI [= Piauí], Caracol, PARNA [=Parque Nacional] Serra das Confusões, Riacho dos Bois, 575 m, 09°13′11″S, 43°29′26″W / Catação em flores, 08–11.viii.2013, J.A. Rafael, F. Li- meira–de–Oliveira & T.T.A. Silva, cols./ MYTH 113 / Holotype ♂ Pieza ankh Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis & Limeira-de-Oliveira (CZMA) . PARATYPES: Brazil, MA[= Maranhão], Tasso Fragoso, Zona Urbana, [altitude 246 m] 08°28′27″S, 45°44′56″W, Varredura, 21.ix.2014, FLO, TL Rocha, GA Reis (in alcohol: 64♀ CZMA). PI [= Piauí], Saco da Cachorra, 522 m, 09°12′42″S, 43°30′04″W / Catação em flores, 08.v–05.vi.2014, FLO , T.L. Rocha & G.A. Reis (in alcohol: 19♂ CZMA). Same data as holotype, except: Varredura, 05–07.vi.2013, JAR, FLO & A.A. Santos (1♂ MNRJ, 1♂ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 116 (1♂ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 124 (1♀ MZUSP); idem, Armadilha de Malaise, 20–31.v.2014, JAR, FLO , T.L. Rocha & G.A. Reis (1♂ INPA). Same data as holotype (pinned: 3♂, in alcohol: 65♀ CZMA; 6♀ MZUSP; in alcohol: 164♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 1 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 2 (pinned: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 3 (pinned: 1♀ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 6 (pinned: 1♂ CZMA); idem / MYTH 7 (1♂ CZMA); idem / MYTH 8 (pinned: 1♂ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 9 (pinned: 1♂ CZMA); idem / MYTH 10 (pinned: 1♂ CZMA); idem / MYTH 85 (pinned: 1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 114 (1♂ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 115 (1♂ BPBM); idem / MYTH 123 (1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 131 (1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 132 (1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 133 (1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 134 (1♀ INPA); idem / MYTH 135 (1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 136 (1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 137 (1♀ BPBM); idem, 29.vi–03.viii.2014, JAR, FLO, T.L. Rocha (in alcohol: 80♂ 200♀ BPBM; 300♂ 602♀ CZMA; 288♂ 500♀ INPA; 50♂ 65♀ MNRJ; 158♂ 500♀ MZUSP); idem / MYTH 125 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 126 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 127 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 128 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 138 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 139 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem / MYTH 140 (in alcohol: 1♀ CZMA); idem, Guaribas, PARNA [=Parque Nacional] Serra das Confusões, Andorinha, 515 m, 09°08′27″S, 43°33′42″W / Catação em flores, 03–05.v.2014, JAR, FLO , T.L. Rocha & G.A. Reis (in alcohol: 15♀ CZMA); idem, 20–30.ix.2014 (15♀ INPA, 10♀ MNRJ; 9♀ MZUSP) .

Geographical record. This species is known only from the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Piauí (Fig. 69), where the type series was collected in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes.

Remarks. Pieza ankh sp. nov. differs from its Brazilian congeners in having the distiphallus about 2.0X longer than the basiphallus in lateral view (Fig. 6) (distiphallus subequal in length or about ½ length of basiphallus in the other species in lateral view, Figs 15, 23, 32, 40, 48, 57, 66); and gonostylus geniculate in ventral and lateral views (Figs 5–6) (gonostylus not geniculate in the congeners in ventral and lateral views, Figs 14–15, 22–23, 31–32, 39–40, 47–48, 56–57, 65–66).