Neopleurophora ceratopyga, Ament & Amorim, 2013

Ament, Danilo Cesar & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the genus Neopleurophora Brown (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of thirty seven new species, Zootaxa 3657 (1), pp. 1-93 : 53-54

Neopleurophora ceratopyga , sp. nov.

( Figs. 124–127, 187, 225, 310–311)

Diagnosis (males). Hind tibia with three posterodorsal setae; epandrial medial process bifurcated into two large, ventrally curved processes, one rounded and one pointed.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, COLOMBIA: Meta: PNN Macarena: Caño Cúria Parcela , 3.35ºN, 73.60ºW, 17.i–9.ii.2003, Malaise trap, 460 m, W. Villalba col. ( IAVH) . Paratypes: COLOMBIA: 1♂, Vichada: PNN La Tuparro: Cerro Tomas , 5.35ºN, 67.85ºW, 21–31.i.2001, Malaise trap, 140 m, W. Villalba col. ( LACM) ; 1♂, Vaupés: Est. Biol. Mosiro-Ijaura (Caparú) Igapo , 1.07ºN, 69.52ºW, 7–22.ix.2002, Malaise trap, 60 m, L. Benavides col. ( LACM) ; FRENCH GUIANA: 1♂, Regina, Kaw Mt. Patawa , 4.55ºN, 52.17ºW, xii.2005, Malaise trap, 300 m, J. Cerda col. ( LACM) ; BRAZIL: 2♂, Pará, Rio Trombetas, Remanso do Inferno , 12.iv.1985, light trap, J. Jindá col. ( INPA) .

Description. Male. Body length, 2.5 mm. Head. Frons dark brown, pubescent, without median furrow. Flagellomere 1 light brown, pubescent, oval. Arista pre-apical, pubescent. Palpus light brown; two upper genal and one lower genal setae. Thorax. Scutum dark brown, pleural sclerites brown; anepisternum setulose dorsally, with one long seta; scutellum dark brown, with medial and posterior areas brown. Legs light brown. Forefemur with ventral row of five strong setae near apex. Foretibia with one dorsal seta at basal third and an anterodorsal row of strong setae. Foremetatarsus ratio, 3.9. Midtibia with one anterodorsal and one posterodorsal setae at basal third ( Fig. 187). Hind femur swollen (height/length ratio, 0.45), without ventral, strong setae. Hind tibia with one anterodorsal and three posterodorsal setae ( Fig. 225). Wing. Costa 0.49 of the wing length, other wing features as for the genus. Halter white. Abdomen. Tergites dark brown, with lighter posterior band. Hypopygium light brown ( Figs. 124–127). Epandrial medial process bifurcated into two large, ventrally curved processes, the left one apically rounded and the right one pointed, sclerotized and anteriorly projected. Epandrial right posterior margin with ventral lobe bearing thin setae and subepandrial setulose process. Hypandrium left lobe large. Hypoproct with two setae. Phallus ( Figs. 310–311). Basiphallus with thin dorsal process. Core plate flattened, bilobed. Epiphallus with transparent, large scales, connected to the right arm at the left lateral of the phallus. Ventral plate well developed, apically bifurcated into the secondary scaled process and in a medial scaled lobe, both bearing one adjacent, scaled, ventral process.

Female. Unknown.

Geographic distribution. The known species range for N. ceratopyga is apparently in the northern Amazonian basin. This includes localities in Colombia, French Guiana and in the State of Pará, in Brazil, north of the Amazon River.

Etymology. The specific epithet ceratopyga refers to the stout pointed right branch of the epandrial medial process, derived from the Greek roots keratos (horn) and pyge (rump, buttocks).

Comments. Neopleurophora ceratopyga can be distinguished from its most similar species, N. diffusa and N. brachytarsus , by its stout pointed right branch of the epandrial medial process.