Mula flamma, Bitar & Domahovski, 2025
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.3 |
|
publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4EAC4B0F-D570-4809-8580-6F92C32F4F51 |
|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15562309 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03EE87B2-167A-3962-4D95-7DDA1E04F879 |
|
treatment provided by |
Plazi |
|
scientific name |
Mula flamma |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Mula flamma sp. nov.
( Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 12A View FIGURE 12 )
Etymology: The Latin word “ flamma ” means “flame”, it is a reference to the fiery warm color of this species. It is also an allusion to the Brazilian folklore creature “mula sem cabeça”, an unearthly animal, originally of controversial appearance, but almost always characterized as a mule and associated with fire ( Cascudo 2015). Currently, it is usually depicted as a headless mule, emitting sparks of fire from where its head would be.
Material examined: Holotype male, “ Brasil, MT, Novo Mundo, Pq.\ Est. do Cristalino , 09.4517ºS \ 55.8396ºW, 240m, malaise,\ 21–25.vi.2017, Cavichioli,\ Melo, Domahovski & Muniz” GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 27♂, 3♀, same data of holotype GoogleMaps ; 1♂ “ Brasil, MT, Cláudia , Faz. \ Continental, 11.5841ºS \ 55.3003ºW,\ 365m, malaise, \ 17–19.vi.2017, Cavichioli \ Melo, Domahovski & Muniz” GoogleMaps .
Measurements (mm): Holotype male: body length 2.4. Paratypes: males (n= 28), 2.1–2.4; females (n = 3), 2.4–2.6.
Diagnosis: Body ( Fig. 1A, B View FIGURE 1 ) color vermilion in its natural state. Vertex ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ) in dorsal view barely exceeds the compound eyes. Tegmina ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 , 10A View FIGURE 10 ) with a much shortened yet visible CuP; Pcu+A1 touches the margin approximately at the midpoint of the tegmina; C4 more than three times longer than wide, with a narrow basal extremity. Hind wings ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ) bilobed, posterior lobe not much smaller than the anterior. Pygofer ( Fig. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ) with lateral margins convex, with a conspicuous slender spine slightly downcurved, close to the anal tube. Gonostyli ( Fig. 2A, D, E View FIGURE 2 ) sinuous, with a curved apex; bears two spines on its inner face; ventral margin medially expanded, with a fairly translucent region in its apical portion. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2F–H View FIGURE 2 ) short and robust; apical portion slightly curved upwards; right side with two spines anteriorly oriented, the basal spine is larger than the other.
Color ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )–vermilion. Abdomen with lateral and dorsum up to almost the sagittal line exhibiting a lower color value than the rest of the body, appearing as a dark reddish-brown. Tegmina with small brown spots near some veins, costal margin, and apex. Note: Color partially fades in preserved specimens, resulting in a change from vermilion to an orange hue and in some completely depigmented areas.
Description: Vertex ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 )–subtriangular in dorsal view; bends downwards in lateral view; slightly projected, barely exceeding the compound eyes; gradually narrowing from the base to the width of two or fewer ommatidia; anterior margin indistinct from the frons; lateral margins with subtle raised edges; posterior margin moderately concave; narrower than a tegula. Frons ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 )–slender; as wide as two or fewer ommatidia along its entire length. Gena ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 )–almost entirely covered by the compound eye; anterior margin curved, following the contour of the compound eye; projects from the compound eye approximately as much as the width of a metatarsomere. Clypeus ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 )–underdeveloped, atrophied; boundaries between clypeus and lorum indistinct, not forming angles, giving a subglobular appearance. Eyes ( Fig. 1B–D View FIGURE 1 )–well developed, large; bordering the base of the antenna up to near the clypeus. Ocelli –absent. Antennae ( Fig. 1B–D View FIGURE 1 )–pedicel approximately as long as three times the length of the protarsus; laterally compressed; simple; projects beyond the insertion of the flagellum. Rostrum ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 )–wide, extremely short, reaching at most the second thoracic segment; almost sessile. Pronotum ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 )–anterior margin acute; lateral margins moderately sloping; posterior margin moderately concave, forming an approximately right angle; indistinct disc. Mesonotum ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 )–with strong transverse posterior elevation, marked with two concavities on each side, presumably where the tegmina touch the thorax when at rest. Tegmina ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 12A View FIGURE 12 ). Remigium –ScP+R+MP bifurcates very early, almost at the base of the tegmina, but ScP+R and MP remain adjacent throughout the basal 1/4 of the tegmina, then very gradually diverge over the remaining 3/4, ultimately reaching a distance approximately equal to that between the costal margin and ScP+R; apparently R does not branch into RA and RP, being linked to the costal margin by 16 veinlets, the first of which can be considered ScP and the others can be considered branches of R (R 1 –R 15), but other interpretations are likely (see Discussion); MP with five branches (MP 1a, MP 1b, MP 1c, MP 2, and MP 3+4); r-m with an unusual appearance, longitudinally oriented; CuA bifurcates slightly before the end of the basal 1/3; CuA 1 runs freely to the posterior margin; CuA 2 merges with Pcu+A1 and they follow united to the posterior margin as CuA 2 +Pcu+A1, touching it approximately at midpoint of tegmina; icua present; C1 absent, as there is no bifurcation of R; C2 narrow, arising very apically; C3 wide, with a larger area than the other cells; C4 more than three times longer than wide, with a narrow basal extremity; C5 moderately narrow, delimited posteriorly by a crossvein; C5' reaches the margin. Clavus –open; CuP very short, fades prematurely before reaching the margin and without merging with any vein, so that the cubital cell merges with the clavus; Pcu and A1 fuse very early, still close to the base of the tegmina; Pcu+A1 of considerable length, connected to CuA by icu 1 and to CuA 2 by icu 2, extends until it reaches the margin approximately at midpoint of tegmina, at times adjacent to A2, at times distant. Hind wings ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 )–extremely reduced, consisting of two distinct lobes; the anterior lobe retains a few veins of uncertain identity, all reduced and in a profoundly altered state, perhaps they are ScP+R, MP, CuA, and r-m; the posterior lobe is slightly smaller in size than the anterior, approximately 1/4 of its area is occupied by the basomarginal plate (stridulitrum). Legs ( Fig. 1B, D View FIGURE 1 )–with a great number of apical teeth, exact numbers may vary considerably; metatibia apically armed with 9–11 minute teeth; first tarsomere apically armed with five or six minute teeth; second tarsomere apically armed with 3-6 minute teeth; variation may occur even between the metalegs of the same individual. Abdomen –sexually dimorphic, much more robust in females than in males. Male terminalia ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Anal tube ( Fig. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 )–moderately long, approximately the same length as half of the gonostylus; slightly elevated dorsally; lateral margins subtly widened medially, slightly curved; apical margin slightly narrowed; convex, curved downwards. Anal style ( Fig. 2A, B View FIGURE 2 )–well developed, comparatively long, the same length as the anal tube or slightly longer; base as wide as the apex or slightly wider; softly curved downward. Pygofer ( Fig. 2A–C View FIGURE 2 )–lateral margin convex; dorsal half of lateral margin acuminated; with a conspicuous slender spine, longer than wide, slightly downcurved, near the anal tube; ventral half of lateral margin approximately straight and oblique; ventral margin straight. Medioventral process ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 )–absent. Gonostyli ( Fig. 2D, E View FIGURE 2 )–sinuous; approximately three and a half times longer than wide, excluding gonostylus apodeme; ventral margin expanded medially, apical portion of the expansion thin, with reduced thickness, to the point of being fairly translucent; dorsal margin with small acuminated expansion just after the midpoint; apical fifth thin, curved inward, toward the other gonostylus; inner face with two spines pointed inward, toward the other gonostylus, one of moderate size near the ventral margin, the other larger and more robust, located more apically, near the dorsal margin; fringe of bristles on dorsal and ventral margins, except at the apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 2F–H View FIGURE 2 )–short and robust; subcylindrical, slightly laterally compressed, asymmetrical; basal portion abruptly curved upwards, with portion expanded and strongly flattened laterally, base transverse, forming pair of acute lateral projections that connect to the base of anal tube; apical portion slightly curved upwards; right side with two spines oriented anteriorly, the basal spine is larger and more apparent than the other; dorsal surface with many minute denticles. Female terminalia ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). Anal tube –short, approximately half the length of the male anal tube, narrower than this. Anal style –approximately 2/3 the length of the male anal style, wider than that of males; curved lateral margins.
| MT |
Mus. Tinro, Vladyvostok |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.