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

(Figs 27–34)

Diagnosis. Mesonotum pale yellow to yellow on the submedian antero-mesonotal triangular mark, submedian stripe projecting from antero-mesonotal triangular mark to prescutellar region (broadly connected posteriorly), and supra-alar area (Fig. 28). Gonocoxite with anterodorsal margin strongly concave, anteroventral margin with rounded bulge, setose, slightly depressed medially in anteroventral view (Fig. 33). Gonostylus trifurcate, small projections convergent in ventral view (Fig. 31).

Description of holotype male (Fig. 27). Body length: 1.42 mm. Wing length: 1.15 mm. Head. Eyes separated at vertex by approximately 2.0X distance between posterior ocelli. Ocellar triangle light brown. Frons dorsal ¼ light brown, ventral ¾ yellow, brown medially on median depression; setae brown, small, lateral; face yellow. Proboscis dark yellow to light brown, almost same length as head; oral cavity yellow, light brown marginally. Postcranium brown to light brown, yellow band along posterior eye margin; setae brown. Antenna with second flagellomere subequal in length to first flagellomere. Thorax. Mesonotum with setae brown, proclinate and reclinate, sparse; mesonotum pale yellow to yellow on the submedian antero-mesonotal triangular mark, submedian stripe projecting from antero-mesonotal triangular mark to prescutellar region (broadly connected posteriorly), and supra-alar area (Fig. 28); prealar and notopleural setae lost. Scutellum dark yellow to light brown; setae brown, sparse. Pleura yellow on the proepimeron, dorsal and posterior margins of anepisternum, dorsal ¼ of katepisternum, posterior margin of anepimeron and about dorsal ½ of meron (Fig. 29); setae brown, sparse, restricted to margin of anepisternum. Legs (Fig. 27). Mid- and hindlegs lost. Coxae dark yellow to light brown. Femora dark yellow to light brown; distal ⅓ yellow. Tarsi yellow, tarsomeres II−V dark brown. Wing (Fig. 30). Infuscated dark yellow, except on cell r 1, light brown; costal vein ending at ½ distance between veins R 4+5 and M 1; vein R 2+3 arising from Rs at approximately 60° angle, crossvein m-m almost same length as crossvein r-m. Halter yellow, infuscated brown. Abdomen. Dark yellow to light brown, subshiny; tergites II−VII with plaques paler and shinier than surroundings, small, glabrous and dispersed; setae brown, uniform in length; tergites without yellow band on posterior margins. Sternites light brown, without yellow band on posterior margins. Terminalia. Epandrium bulging in ventral view (Fig. 31); subrectangular, ventral margin about 1.5X longer than dorsal margin, anterior margin straight; epandrium setose on posterior ⅔ in lateral view (Fig. 32); epandrium with outer and inner margins oval in posterior view (Fig. 34). Pseudo-surstylus pointed in ventral and posterior views (Figs 31, 34). Cercus triangular, sclerotized, setae concentrated on ⅔ of inner surface in posterior view (Fig. 34), projecting posteriorly (Fig. 32). Ejaculatory apodeme about ¾ length of anterior arm of parameral sheath, more heavily sclerotized on longitudinal axis; medial arms subquadrate, tapering proximally, with posterior margin rounded, almost as wide as long in ventral view (Fig. 31), anterior end oval, curved dorsally, ventromedial projection subquadrate, directed posteriorly, apex truncate in lateral view (Fig. 32). Lateral ejaculatory process strongly sclerotized basally, slightly sinuous in ventral view (Fig. 31), curved ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 32). Phallus funnel-shaped, anterior margin flat with median notch small in ventral view (Fig. 31); basiphallus about 2.0X longer than distiphallus in ventral view (Fig. 31), distiphallus simple with only one apical opening. Anterior arm of parameral sheath with distal ½ almost 3.0X wider than proximal ½ in ventral view (Fig. 31), more sclerotized on inner margin. Gonocoxite subquadrate, strongly sclerotized on anterior ½, anterior margin straight, posterior margin rounded, concave medially, setae small on posterior median ⅓ and anteromedian protu- berance in ventral view (Fig. 31); gonocoxite with anterodorsal margin strongly concave, anteroventral margin with rounded protuberance, setose, slightly depressed medially in anteroventral view (Fig. 33), anteroventral protuberance strongly produced ventrally in lateral view (Fig. 32). Gonostylus trifurcate, projections convergent in ventral view (Fig. 31). Female. Unknown.

Etymology. To highlight the proximity of this species to P. kake, the Greek prefix para (= “near”) was added to the epithet kake .

Comments. It was not possible to ascertain the presence and intensity of pruinosity (except for the abdomen), because the specimens were preserved in alcohol. Pieza parakake sp. nov. is similar to P. kake, but since there is no description of the male and female terminalia of the latter, it is difficult to compare the two species. The specimens captured directly from flowers, in Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões—Piauí, are associated with plants of the family Malvaceae (Figs 72–73), and those captured in Riacho do Ouro, rural area of the municipality of Caxias— Maranhão, are associated with plants of the family Rubiaceae (Fig. 71). The terminalia of the paratype is lost.

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, 29.vi–03.vii.2014, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & T.L. Rocha / MYTH 108 / Holotype ♂ Pieza parakake Mendes, Lamas, Evenhuis & Limeira-de-Oliveira (CZMA) . PARATYPE: MA[= Maranhão], Caxias, Zona Rural, Riacho do Ouro, 04°48′11″S, 43°20′30″W / Varredura, 24.vii.2012, JAR, FLO & J.S. Pinto Júnior (pinned: 1♂ CZMA) .

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

Remarks. Pieza parakake sp. nov. is similar to P. bittencourti sp. nov. in having gonostyli trifurcate in ventral view (Figs 22, 31). Pieza parakake sp. nov. differs from P. bittencourti sp. nov. in the ejaculatory apodeme with the ventro-medial projection subquadrate in lateral view (Fig. 32) (ejaculatory apodeme with ventro-medial projection sub-oval in P. bittencourti sp. nov. in lateral view, Fig. 23); gonocoxites with anteroventral margin protuberant in anteroventral view (Fig. 33) (gonocoxites with anteroventral margin not protuberant in P. bittencourti sp. nov. in anteroventral view, Fig. 24). Pieza parakake sp. nov. is similar to P. kake in having the thorax with a submedian stripe projecting from the antero-mesonotal triangular mark to the prescutellar region (Fig. 28) and cell r 1 infuscated yellow to light brown. Pieza parakake sp. nov. differs from P. kake in the dark to dark brown mesopleura with yellow areas on the proepimeron, anepisternum, katepisternum and meron (Fig. 29) (mesopleura entirely brown in P. kake).