Boreofairchildia mairae Bravo, 2025

Bravo, Freddy, 2025, New species of Boreofairchildia Wagner & Stuckenberg, 2016 (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Brazil, EntomoBrasilis (e 1111) 18, pp. 1111-1111 : 1-3

Boreofairchildia mairae Bravo sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:397E4672-D686-4358-ADAF-99530B719BC8

Type material. Holotype male: Brazil, Espírito Santo, Brejetuba, Cór [córrego] Vargem Alegre , 03.VIII.2010, Santos, C.B. col. ( MZFS) . Paratypes: 3 males with the same data as the holotype ( MZFS) ; 3 females with the same data as the holotype ( MZFS) .

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Maíra Xavier Araújo for her significant contributions to the taxonomy of Psychodidae

Diagnosis. Veins R 2, R 3, M 1, M 2 and CuA not reaching the wing margin. Male abdomen with patches of long setae laterally in tergites III to VII and sternite VI with oval patch of sensilla on medial at its anterior margin. Male terminalia with gonocoxite approximately with the same length of ejaculatory apodeme; aedeagus bifurcated with the same length of gonocoxite; parameres fused basally with gonocoxal apodemes and taper apically, longer than the length of the gonocoxites, with two serrulate areas at the tip. Genital furca of female terminalia with anterior margin U-shaped; subgenital plate pentagonal, with a basal margin shaped like an inverted U and two apical lobes wider than the cercus.

Description. Male. Length, in lateral view, from the anterior margin of the prescutum (thorax) to the posterior end of terminalia: 4.5–5.3 mm (n=4). Wing length: 3.9–4.2 mm (n=4). Eyes separated by, approximately 2.4 facet diameters; frontal area with 27–38 setae alveoli ( Figure 1A ). The antenna of the holotype presents 14 flagellomeres, paratypes with antenna incomplete; length of flagellomeres 2 + 3 combined 1.9 times the length of flagellomere 1 ( Figure 1B ); ascoids not observed. Palpus formula: 1.0:2.0:2.5:2.0:7.7 ( Figure 1C ); sensilla not observed in the segments of palpus; apical segment of palpus striated ( Figure 1C ). Wing ( Figure 1D ) with Sc ending before level of radial fork, reaching C; crossvein sc-r absent; R 2+3 longer than R 2; base of R 5 without spur; veins R 2, R 3, M 1, M 2 and CuA not reaching the wing margin; crossvein r-m faint, basal to medial fork; M 3 +M 4 with incomplete base; medial fork basal to radial fork. Coxa I with two patches of sensilla in the posterior area, the first proximal and the other distal; coxa II with two small patches of sensilla, the first in the proximal, posterior area, and the other in external medial area; another group of sparse sensilla is present in internal, distal area; coxa III with patch of sparse sensilla in the external, distal area ( Figure 1E ). Abdomen with patches of long setae laterally in tergites III to VII ( Figure 1F ); oval patch of sensilla on medial, anterior margin of sternite V ( Figure 1G ). Male terminalia: hypandrium as a narrow band, not fused to gonocoxites ( Figure 2A ); gonocoxite approximately with the same length of ejaculatory apodeme ( Figure 2A ); gonostylus shorter than the gonocoxite, approximately 0.7 times its length; its apex with concave internal margin and ending in a pointed tip; distal mid-apical margin of gonostyle slightly folded, forming a narrow fringe ( Figure 2A ); aedeagus bifurcated with the same length of gonocoxite and approximately 0.8 times the length of ejaculatory apodeme ( Figures 2 A-B); the aedeagus is encapsulated by a sub-pyramidal sheath with truncated apex ( Figures 2 A-B); a triangular patch of sclerotized, small projections teeth-like is present at the dorsal base of the sheath ( Figure 2A ); at apex of this sheath, on each margin, there is a group of small setae ( Figure 2B ); parameres fused basally with gonocoxal apodemes and taper apically, measuring 1.6 times the length of the gonocoxites, with two serrulate areas at the tip ( Figures 2 A-B); ejaculatory apodeme narrow, tubular, elongated anteriorly ( Figure 2A ); epandrium longer than wide, trapezoidal, wider basally than apically ( Figure 2C ); cerci subelliptical in ventral view ( Figure 2C ); hypoproct lobe-like, rounded at apex ( Figure 2C ).

Female. Length from thorax to the posterior end of terminalia: 4.6–5.1 mm (n=3). Wing length: 3.6–3.8 mm (n=3). Similar to male except as follows: palpus incomplete in all specimens, one specimen with only four segments: 1.0: 1.8: 2.4: 3.4; female terminalia ( Figure 2D ): genital furca with anterior margin U-shaped ( Figure 2D ); cercus narrow, digitiform, with a long seta; subgenital plate pentagonal, with a basal margin shaped like an inverted U and two apical lobes wider than the cercus, finger-shaped, 0.4 times the length of the subgenital plate. The spermatheca is longer than the subgenital plate and is very light in all specimens.

Remarks. A distinguishing feature of the new species, B. mairae sp. nov., in both males and females, is that many of the longitudinal veins do not reach the margin of the wing. Additionally,the new species differs from most Boreofairchildia species by the absence of large lobes at the apex of the gonostylus. A gonostylus similar to that of the new species is observed in three species: B. parva , Boreofairchildia patriciae ( Alexander, 1987) , and Boreofairchildia youngi ( Wagner, 1999) . It differs from B. parva , also described from the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil, by the absence of patches of long setae laterally on the inner margin of the gonocoxite, which are present in B. parva , and by the size of the parameres, which are longer than the gonocoxite in the new species and shorter than the gonocoxite in B. parva . The new species differs from B. patriciae , described from Colombia, primarily by the shape of the aedeagus, which is Y-shaped with spiny apical arms. Finally, the new species differs from B. youngi mainly by the absence of small, tooth-like projections on the distal surface of the aedeagus, which are present in B. youngi ; in the new species, these small projections are present at the base.

Notofairchildia dissimilis ( Barretto & d’Andretta, 1946) is another species that is morphologically similar to B. mairae sp. nov., which was also described from Espirito Santo, Brazil, like the new species. The wing venation is similar between the two species; however, all longitudinal veins reach the margin of the wing in N. dissimilis . The relative size of the parameres, larger than the length of the gonocoxites, as well as their shape-broad at the base and tapering towards the apexis similar in both species; however, Barretto & d’Andretta (1946) did not mention if the parameres are fused on the anterior surface. Another similar aspect is the relative size of the aedeagus, approximately 0.8 times the length of the ejaculatory apodeme. On the other hand, the aedeagus of N. dissimilis has a fringed apex, which is not present in the new species.

Figures

Figure 1. Boreofairchildia mairae sp. nov. Male: A – Head, frontal view; B – Antenna, scape, pedicel, three basal flagellomeres and two apical flagellomeres; C – Palpus, the fifth segment of the palpus is longer than the other segments; D – Wing; E – Coxas of thoracic segments I, II and III; F – Tergite V; G – Sternite V.

Figure 2. Boreofairchildia mairae sp. nov. Male terminalia: A – Dorsal, ejaculatoy apodeme, hypandium gonocoxites, gonostyli, aedeagus and parameres; B – Parameres and aedeagus; C – Epandrium, cerci and hypoproct; Female terminalia: D – ventral, subgenital plate, genital furca and cerci.