Ropalomera albifaciata Kirst & Ale-Rocha

Kirst, Frederico Dutra & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2012, Taxonomic revision of the Amazonian species of Ropalomera Wiedemann, 1824 (Diptera: Ropalomeridae), Zootaxa 3151, pp. 1-27 : 3-4

Ropalomera albifaciata Kirst & Ale-Rocha , new species

Holotype male. Body: 10.1 mm; wing: 9.9 mm

Head: Frons predominantly yellow, with brown spots on the sides and around insertion of antenna; thin, darkbrown pilosity; two spots of silver pollinosity covering the ocellar region to the vertex; eye circumference with silver pollinosity. Ocellar tubercle dark brown, shiny and with pair of thin bristles. Postocellar bristles divergent. Postocular bristles present. Antenna with dark-brown, very short scape; pedicel mostly dark brown with orange apical margin, size twice that of scape, and anterior margin haired and with one short dorsal bristle; flagellomere dark brown with orange base; arista plumose with long hairs, color dark brown with basal third orange. Gena broad, yellow, silver pollinose and with slender golden bristles that are longer ventrally. Parafacialia dark brown below and yellow above, with dark-brown pilosity and four distinct bristles. Face white, matte, with globose facial tubercle. Clypeus light brown. Palpus brown with sparse small dark setae and larger setae ventrally.

Thorax: Scutum brown with acrostichal and dorsocentral stripes of pale golden pollinosity. Scutellum trapezoidal, directed slightly upward; dorsal surface concave, rounded posteriorly, bright and without pollinosity, sides with golden pollinosity basally. Mesopleuron with silver pollinose stripe extending to anepisternum. Chaetotaxy: one postpronotal, two notopleural, one weak presutural supra-alar, one postsutural supra-alar, one postalar, one intra-alar, one intra-postalar, one weak dorsocentral and one acrostichal; one pair of apical and one pair of lateral scutellar bristles. Mesopleuron with one strong bristle on anepisternum; one bristle on katepisternum and with long dark pilosity on ventral surface; one distinct seta on posterior margin of posterior spiracle.

Legs: Coxae with silver pollinosity. Femora dark brown. Fore femur with slender bristles that are longer on ventral surface. Mid femur with long slender bristles ventrally on proximal region, a series of seven spine-like setae on distal half of anteroventral surface that decrease in size toward apex, distal half of dorsal surface with strong non-aligned bristles and two apical setae. Hind femur with silver pollinosity on dorsal surface, short slender dorsal bristles and long ventral bristles, five strong non-aligned bristles on anterior surface, and four distal, spine-like anteroventral setae. Tibiae brown; fore tibia with dense red anteroventral hairs and long, fine, brown posterior bristles on distal third. Mid tibia with longer ventral bristles on proximal half, and with apical spine-like bristle on ventral protuberance. Hind tibia with dorsal ridge, five long, strong bristles on the ridge and long, slender bristles on anterior surface. First three tarsomeres yellowish, remaining tarsomeres with dorsal and ventral surface brown with dense golden pubescence.

Wing: Infuscated, without distinct spots ( Fig. 57 ).

Abdomen: Tergites light brown, with four silver spots of pollinosity on each segment (giving a chessboard appearance). Sternite 5 with sides rounded, and posterior margin straight with short, median invagination flanked by simple, pre-apical row of spine-like bristles ( Fig. 1 ). Terminalia: cerci fused on basal 2/3; distal 1/3 free and with long, slender bristles laterally ( Figs. 2, 3 ). Surstylus as long as cerci, base wider than apex and inner margin concave ( Fig. 4 ). Paramere trilobed, with apical lobes of same width ( Fig. 5 ). Aedeagus with preapical, spine-like unsclerotized projection ( Figs. 6, 7 ). Epiphallus slightly curved and with very short, acute branches ( Figs. 6, 7 ).

Female: Unknown.

Type material designate. Holotype male ( INPA), labeled: BRASIL, Campus INPA; M[a]n[aus], Am[azonas], Km4; Data- 03.v. [19]76, Col[etor] – E. Rufião. Condition of Holotype: not dissected, in perfect condition.

32 Paratypes: BRASIL, Amazonas, Manaus, 11.i.2004, S. S. M. Menta, 3 ( INPA); BR 174, Km 23, EEFT, 12.v.1997, McPhail, B. Ronchi-Teles, 3 ( INPA); Km 40, 23.vi.97, Mapati, 3 ( INPA); same but, 16.v.97, araçápêra, 3 ( INPA); Reserva Adolpho Ducke, 26.ii.2002, E. F. & A. L. Pinheiro, mata, baixio, Igarapé Barro Branco, 3; same but, 16.x.2002, 3 ( INPA); same but Barro Branco, Melado de cana 10%, 30m, mata, baixio, 16– 19.viii.2004, 3 ( INPA); same but igarapé Tinga, 11–14.x.2004, 3 ( INPA); same but 16.v.2003, A. P. Tregue-Costa, área aberta, platô, 15m, Arm. McPhail, 3 ( INPA); Conjunto Hiléia, Manta, S. S. M., 03.v.2004, R. Ale-Rocha, 3 3 ( INPA); same but, 24.v.2004, coletor anônimo, 4 3 ( INPA); same but, 03.vi.2004, 6 3 ( INPA); Conj. Campus Elisius, i – ii.2002, B. Ronchi-Teles, 2 3 ( INPA); same but, 03.v.2004, R. Ale-Rocha, 3 3 ( INPA); Conj. Jardim Europa, Bairro Ponta Negra, 15–23.xi.2002, Arm. de garrafa Pet, A. P. Marques, 3 3 ( INPA); Bairro Santa Etelvina, 16.ix.88, A. C. Ferreira, 3 ( INPA); Coari, 1929, A. V. Araújo, 3 ( FIOC).

Geographical distribution. Brazil (Amazonas).

Etymology. From the Latin albus = white, facie = surface and ata = possess, referring to the whitish surface of the face.

Variations. Parafacial ranging from yellow to dark brown, but face always white.

Discussion. This species resembles Ropalomera femorata in its size, color of body and parafacialia, and the presence of spine-like bristles on sternite 5. However, the face of R. albifaciata sp. nov. is white, and the shape, arrangement and size of the spine-like bristles on sternite 5 are quite different from R. femorata and other species of the genus. Males have the paramere trilobed as in R. femorata , but the aedeagus lacks the pre-apical, spine-like sclerotized projections present in the latter species.

Figures

FIGURES 57 – 64. Wings: 57, Ropalomera albifaciata sp. n. (3 paratype); 58, R. clavipes (3); 59, R. femorata (3); 60, R. glabrata (3); 61, R. goyana (3); 62, R. nudipes (Ƥ); 63, R. tessellata (3); 64, R. tibialis (3). Scales = 2,0 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Ropalomera albifaciata nov. sp. (paratype 3): 1, Sternite 5; 2 – 3, epandrium (ventral and lateral view); 4, left surstylus (dorsal view); 5, left paramere (lateral outer view); 6 – 7, inner male terminalia (ventral and lateral view). Scales: 1 – 3, 6, 7 = 0,5 mm; 4, 5 = 0,2 mm. Abbreviations: aed, aedeagus; aed apod, aedeagal apodeme; cerc, cercus; epand, epandrium; epiph, epiphallus; gon, gonopod; hypd, hypandrium; pm, paramere; st, sternite; sur, surstylus.