Notopeza brunnescens ( Collin, 1931 ), 2024

Chandler, Peter J., 2024, Notopeza, a new genus of Platypezidae (Diptera) from Chile, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 64 (1), pp. 107-112 : 110-112

Notopeza brunnescens ( Collin, 1931) comb. nov. ( Figs 1–7 )

Platypeza brunnescens Collin, 1931: 50 .

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀, CHILE: LLANQUIHUE: Puerto Varas , 16.xii.1926, leg. F.& M. Edwards, Platypeza brunnescens ♀ Type, BM 1927-63 ( BMNH, glued to mount attached to pin).

Other material examined (all CNC). CHILE: OSORNO: 1 J, Rio Gol-Gol, 1090 m, 17.iii.1955, leg. L. E.Peña; 1 J, Rio Gol-Gol, 300 m, 1.–19. iii.1955, leg. L. E. Peña; 1 J, 1 ♀, Antillanca, 400 m, 18.iii.1955, leg. L. E. Peña; 20 ♀♀, Puyehue National Park, 250 m, Ca.Antiara, Nothofagus forest, ii.1988, leg. L. Masner, Chile Expedition. VALDIVIA: 1 J, 500 m, 30 km W of La Union, Las Trancas, Nothofagus , 7.ii.1988, leg. L. Masner, Chile Expedition. AYSỄN: 1 ♀, Rio Cisnes, 1.–15.ii.1961, leg. L. E. Peña. CAUTIN: 1 ♀, Los Paraguas, 1400 m, 21.iii.1955, leg. L. E. Peña.

Redescription. The male has not previously been associated with this species and is described for the first time here.

Male. Body length 4.3–4.5 mm, wing length 3.7–4.0 mm.

Head ( Figs 2–3 ) broad, black with large red holoptic eyes in contact on dorsal surface of head, diverging at apex of frons, with larger facets on upper part, and a clear demarcation with smaller facets on the lower part; ocellar tubercle raised above dorsal surface of head and bearing 5–6 pairs of long ocellars; a single row of long postoculars close to hind margin of eyes; occiput with dense setae, continuous with dense long setae on gena and parafacials, ascending to level of antennae, the setae covering the broad parafacials converging in front to conceal the bare lighter grey face; frons bearing a group of about 12 long upcurved setae on upper part at divergence of eyes, lower part of frons above antennae bare; antenna brown, short, erect, with long setae both above and below pedicel, which extend beyond tip of rounded postpedicel; arista black, about twice as long as antenna; proboscis and palpus brown, with short setae.

Thorax. Mesonotum and scutellum deep black, pleura lighter, more greyish brown. Chaetotaxy all dark: uniserial dorsocentrals becoming longer behind, in a row outcurved to long prescutellar dorsocentral which is situated near to basal corner of scutellum; a long presutural intraalar above and in front of notopleural area; 4–5 long outcurved notopleurals; dense setae in postsutural intraalar area including a supraalar seta; 2 postalars, that nearest to the scutellum long and strong; 2 pairs of strong scutellars with 2–3 pairs of shorter setae between and external to them; propleuron with short setae, pleura otherwise bare.

Wing ( Fig. 4 ) brownish, with cell sc a little darker; crossvein r-m level with apical third of cell c; M 1+2 forking about equidistant between crossvein dm-m and wing margin or nearer to dm-m (as in Fig. 4 ), with long anterior branch M 1 reaching wing margin and short posterior branch M 2 reaching or narrowly stopping short of wing margin; crossvein dm-m less than its length from wing margin on vein M 4; cell cua about as long as vein CuA+CuP beyond. Haltere brown.

Legs short, uniformly brownish, with short dark setae; mid tibia with both anteroventral and posteroventral apical spurs strong, about half length of mid first tarsomere; hind tarsus with tarsomeres 1 and 3 of similar length, other tarsomeres shorter.

Abdomen. Dark with dark setae; tergites deep black, sternites lighter greyish; tergite 6 bearing 3 pairs of strong erect yellow setae.

Terminalia ( Figs 5–7 ) brown: hypandrium shorter than epandrium, extended apically to a thick curved blunt-ended apical process (gonopod or pregonite) on each side, this process mostly bare, with only a few short setae; epandrium large with surstylus fused to it basally; surstylus tapered to a blunt point in lateral view, arrow-head shaped in posterior view with medially broadened base, bearing a few long setae; phallus short and blunt apically; phallapodeme also short, articulating with phallus; short sclerotised ejaculatory duct present; hypoproct shallow with evenly distributed very short setae and scattered long setae; cerci broadly rounded and densely covered with short setae.

Female. Body length 3.0– 4.8 mm, wing length 3.5–5.2 mm.

Head brown with red eyes widely separated on frons, which is about a third head width, broadening a little in front and bearing very short irregular dark setae over whole surface with some close to front edge a little longer and curved forwards; ocellar tubercle scarcely raised above surface of frons, with short setae; a row of relatively strong postoculars close to hind margin of each eye; occiput with short setae extending onto gena and parafacial; parafacial setae shorter than in male and occupying a narrower band close to eye margin with the bare greyish face more exposed than in male; antenna similar to male but with only short setae on pedicel, not reaching tip of postpedicel; arista almost as long as head. Proboscis and palpus brown.

Thorax light brown, with dark setae shorter and weaker than in male; uniserial dorsocentrals relatively short, prescutellar and preceding seta longer; 1 presutural intraalar above and in front of notopleural area; 3–5 (usually 4) notopleurals in vertical series, strong but short compared to male; setae in postsutural intraalar area short and fine; 1 supraalar; 2 postalars, that nearest to the scutellum stronger; 2–3 pairs of strong scutellars with some shorter setae between and external to them; propleuron with short setae, pleura otherwise bare.

Wing brownish grey, cell sc a little darker; venation as in male. Haltere clear pale yellow.

Legs brownish but anterior face of hind tarsus dull yellowish, hind tarsomeres 1–3 broader and paler; spurs on mid tibia as in male, or sometimes anteroventral spur is shorter; hind tarsus with tarsomeres 1 and 2 bearing a short seta in middle of anterior margin; hind tarsomere 1 longer than tarsomere 2 and nearly as long as tarsomere 3 dorsally, but 1 and 2 together shorter ventrally than tarsomere 3, tarsomeres 3 and 4 with membranous areas (“soles”) on their anteroventral surface.

Abdomen brown, with sternites paler; bearing short setae, longer laterally on tergites; sternite 6 bears 2 pairs of erect setae medially; similar but shorter and weak erect setae on sternite 7; segments 7 and 8 short and contracted into segment 6; ovipositor short with rounded yellowish cercus bearing very short setae.

Figures

Fig. 1. Notopeza brunnescens (Collin, 1931), holotype, female.

Figs 2–3. Notopeza brunnescens (Collin, 1931), male head: 2 – dorsal view; 3 – lateral view.

Fig. 4. Notopeza brunnescens (Collin, 1931), male wing.

Figs 5–7. Notopeza brunnescens (Collin, 1931), male terminalia: 5 – lateral view; 6 – hypandrial view; 7 – epandrial view. Abbreviations: ce – cercus; ep – epandrium; gp – gonopod (hypandrial lobe); hp – hypandrium; ht – hypoproct; pe – phallapodeme; ph – phallus; ss – surstylus.