Opeatocerata curvipenis, Câmara, J. T. & Rafael, J. A., 2014

Câmara, J. T. & Rafael, J. A., 2014, Revision of Opeatocerata Melander, 1928 (Diptera: Empididae: Empidinae), Zootaxa 3846 (4), pp. 502-546 : 517-518

Opeatocerata curvipenis sp. nov.

( Figs 64–79)

Diagnosis. Tergites with 3–6 black paramedian subretangular spots ( Figs 66, 67); anterior cercus without or with reduced dorsal projection in lateral view ( Figs 68, 69); phallus curved ventralward at apex ( Fig. 72); genital fork narrow at base and arms longer than base, separated at apex ( Figs 77, 78, 79); tergite 10 divided in two subtriangular plates ( Figs 77, 78)

Description. Male ( Fig. 64): Face parallel-sided, dark brown with gray pruinescence visible in ventral view, about 6 X longer than lower width. Ocellar tubercle protuberant, dark brown with brown pruinescence; ocelli yellow. Antenna yellow with black bristles; postpedicel about 1.5 X longer than pedicel; stylus about 2.5 X longer than postpedicel. Proboscis dark yellow, shorter than head height. Thorax dark yellow, shiny ( Fig. 64). Legs yellow, except by hind femur and tibia with brown apical ring and all tarsomeres 3–5 black; mid and hind tibia and tarsi with anterodorsal and posterodorsal rows of longer bristles; hind tibia with anteroventral row of longer bristles. Wing ( Fig. 65) hyaline, pterostigma brown, conspicuous, about 2.8 X longer than wide. Halter yellow. Abdomen yellow; tergites with 3–6 black paramedian subrectangular spots ( Figs 64, 67); tergite 8 divided in two subrectangular plates; sternite 8 divided in two trapezoidal plates. Terminalia: Anterior cercus without or with reduced dorsal projection in lateral view ( Figs 66, 68); descendant plate subrectangular in posterior view ( Fig. 70). Posterior cercus with rounded apex and median subtriangular projection in lateral view ( Figs 66, 68); without dorsal projections ( Fig. 69). Hypoproct subtriangular in lateral view ( Fig. 68) and comma-shaped in posterior view. Epandrial ventral lobe acuminate apically ( Figs 66, 68); with spiniform bristles apically and longer bristles mesially ( Fig. 68). Hypandrium wider than long, with concave apex ( Fig. 73), without long bristles. Phallus wider medially and narrowing towards t apex, with apex curved ventrally, longer than hypandrium ( Fig. 72). Subepandrial sclerite wider than long, V-shaped ( Fig. 71). Bacilliform sclerite without folds and longer than subepandrial sclerite ( Fig. 71). Specimen length: 3.2 mm; wing length: 3.9 mm. Female ( Fig. 74). Similar to male, except frons brown, shiny and wider than face. Face about 4 X longer than lower width. Wing ( Fig. 75) more infuscated, pterostigma about 3 X longer than wide, M 1 and M 2 veins not reaching wing margin. Terminalia: Tergite 8 subrectangular ( Fig. 78). Sternite 8 uniformly wide, straight basally and rounded apically ( Fig. 78). Genital fork with narrow base, longer than wide, arms longer than base and separated apically ( Figs 77, 78, 79). Tergite 10 undivided, longer than half the length of tergite 8 ( Figs 77, 78). Sternite 10 straight at base and bilobed at apex ( Fig. 78). Specimen length: 3.3 mm, wing length: 3.9 mm.

Geographical distribution. Costa Rica (La Suiza and San Mateo) ( Fig. 211).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, labelled: La Suiza C[osta] R[ica], Sep[tember]. Pablo Schild / AL Melander Collection, 1961 ( USNM). Paratypes: Costa Rica, Cartago. Same data (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA). idem, mar (1 ♂, USNM); idem, jun (1 ♂, INPA). idem, aug[ust] (2 ♂, 2 ♀, USNM). Alajuela. San Mateo, Higuito, Pablo Schild Coll. (1 ♂, 1 ♀, INPA). Pedregosa, D.L. Rounds / AL Melander Collection, 1961 (1 ♂, USNM).

Holotype condition. Abdomen in microtube with glycerin.

Etymology. From the Latin curvus (curved) and penis (penis), referring to the ventrally curved apex of the phallus.

Variation. Body length ranging from 3.0 to 3.8 mm.

Remarks. Opeatocerata curvipenis sp. nov. differs from other species by the following characters: Anterior cercus without or with reduced dorsal projection in lateral view ( Figs 66, 68) (in the other species anterior cercus has a well developed dorsal projection), epandrial lobe acuminate ( Figs 66, 68) (in other species, the lobe is bilobed, rounded or truncated) and phallus curved downward ( Fig. 72) (in other species, the phallus is curved upward).