Psychoda dantilandensis Bravo, Cordeiro & Chagas

Cordeiro, Danilo, Bravo, Freddy & De, Claudio J. B., 2011, Taxonomy of Brazilian Psychoda Latreille, 1796 (Diptera, Psychodidae) with the description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 3101, pp. 1-37 : 9-11

Psychoda dantilandensis Bravo, Cordeiro & Chagas

( Figs 9–14 )

Psychoda dantilandensis Bravo, Cordeiro & Chagas, 2006: 8 . Type locality: Brazil (Bahia, Dantilândia)

Diagnosis. eyes separated by 2.5 facet diameters (males) and 3.5–3.8 (females); hair patch of frons not extending between eyes; vertex pilose, with a naked band medially; 12th, 13th and 14th flagellomeres very similar and separated; male cerci shorter than 1.5 the length of epandrium; paramere thin and with hooked apex; female subgenital plate homogeneously pilose; genital chamber subquadrate, with posterior apodeme.

Additional characters. Male. hair patch of frons with a small triangular patch (sometimes divided) between eyes; hair patch of vertex divided by a naked median band; eyes separated by 2.5–3.0 facet diameters; 6 supra-ocular setae; interocular suture absent; clypeus with no conspicuous alveoli; frontoclypeal suture present; distitarsus with no apical projection; gonocoxite with few short setae (no more than 10) on basal half.

Female. Head ( Fig. 9 ): similar to male with the following exceptions: no triangular patch of alveoli between eyes; eyes separated by 3.5–3.8 facet diameters; 4–5 supra-ocular setae; antenna apex unknown; ascoid in Y; palpal formula 1.0:1.2(1.17–1.23):1.2(1.13–1.23):1.4(1.38–1.53) ( Fig. 10 ); labellum with 3 apical teeth and 3 lateral setae. Wing and distitarsus as described for the male, as illustrated ( Figs 11–12 ). Terminalia: subgenital plate wider than long, bilobed, homogeneously pilose ( Fig. 13 ); genital digit present; subgenital plate internally showing a diagonal band and a subtriangular structure, bilobed posteriorly ( Fig. 14 ); genital chamber subquadrate, with posterior apodeme ( Fig. 13 ).

Material examined. type material: holotype 3 BRAZIL, Bahia, Dantilândia, Faz. Sossego, 15º06’S 40º00’W, 25.iv.2004, col. R. Vieira & C. Chagas (MZUEFS); 1 paratype 3, same dates, locality and collector as the holotype (MZUEFS); 2 paratypes 3 Bahia, Itabuna, 14º45’S 39º17’O, 30.v.1999, col. J. R. Santos (MZUEFS). Other specimens: 1 3 Bahia, Dantilândia, 17.iv.2005, col. R. Vieira & C. Chagas (MZUEFS); 2 3 Bahia, Dantilândia, x– xi.2005, Malaise trap, col. C. Oliveira (MZUEFS); 2 Ƥ Bahia, Dantilândia, 17.iv.2005, col. C. Chagas & R. Vieira (MZUEFS); 3 Ƥ Bahia, Dantilândia, x–xi.2005, Malaise trap, col. C. Oliveira (MZUEFS).

Distribution. Brazil (Bahia).

Comments. the association of the female with the male of P. dantilandensis is based on the shape of the antenna, the pattern of vertex pilosity (unique in Brazilian species of Psychoda ), the presence of a frontoclypeal suture and the absence of an apical projection on the distitarsus. Moreover, the females were collected in the same locality and two of them in the same month as the males. However, the females analyzed did not show the triangular patch of alveoli between the eyes, present in all males. The sexual dimorphism in this species needs to be further evaluated, based on a larger sample. As stated by Bravo, Cordeiro & Chagas (2006), this species could be assigned to the subgenus Psychodocha .

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 14. Psychoda dantilandensis: 9. Detail of Head. 10. Palpus. 11. Wing. 12. Distitarsus. 13. Subgenital plate and genital chamber. 14. Subgenital plate, internal ornamentation. [Scale 0.5 mm (11), other pictures 0.06 mm].