Cardiacephala aeruginosa, Ferro & Marshall, 2018

Ferro, Gustavo Borges & Marshall, Stephen A., 2018, A revision of the Neotropical ant-like genus Cardiacephala Macquart, including Plocoscelus Enderlein syn. nov. (Diptera: Micropezidae, Taeniapterinae), Zootaxa 4429 (3), pp. 401-458 : 410-411

Cardiacephala aeruginosa new species

( Figs. 5–8 )

Description: Body length 8 mm, wing 5 mm. Palpus dark brown. Clypeus dark brown with sparse pale microsetulae. First flagellomere black. Frontal vitta brown. Fronto-orbital plates, paracephalon and epicephalon darkened. Thorax brownish and slightly ferruginous, opaque. Row of katepisternal setae black. Femora brown and shiny. Fore tibia dark brown. Fore tarsus dark brown with gold/whitish pubescence ventrally at base of tarsomere one. T1 anterior half dark brown, posterior half and T2 pale. T3–T5 pale brown to orange. Oviscape brownish and shiny, apex dark brown. Epandrium rusty red.

Head: Palpus broadened basally and gradually tapering to apex. Clypeus short, length less than half of width. First flagellomere covered by golden microsetulae. Two frontal setae. Vertex flattened. Paracephalon smooth, without swelling (not extending beyond the vertex). Inner vertical setae insertions flat, without tubercles. Black supracervical setae sparse, weak.

Thorax: Mesonotum with golden pruinosity. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora covered with sparse black microsetulae. Mid and hind tibia flattened, sulcus on outer face weak but somewhat curved (not extremely dilated as in C. nigra ). Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex with three preapical black spots. Crossvein r-m with small dark spot. R4+5 and M1+2 ending separately in wing margin. A1+CuA2 as long as CuA2. Female cervical sclerite smooth, without swelling.

Abdomen: Tergites with small brownish setulae. Female abdomen: Single spermathecal duct uniformly thick, ending in a cylindrical spermatheca ( Fig. 6 ). Paired spermathecal duct divided into a narrow basal half and a broader distal half. Paired spermathecal duct stems thin and smooth in basal third, followed by a large rounded swelling and deeply invaginated sac-like (distally swollen and tapered basally) paired spermathecae. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme somewhat thin and about same length as epandrium, blade with a moderate size, as wide as sperm pump ( Fig. 8 ). Phallapodeme extending to anterior limit of hypandrium. Distiphallus long, longer than epandrium, ending in phallic bulb, phallic bulb subequal in length and width.

Type material: Holotype: ECUADOR. Prov. Orellano, Yasuni Natl. Pk , Yasuni research Stn. , 0º40’50” S 76º24’2” W, 250 m, 28.IV–8.V.2009, S. A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU01015596 , QCAZ, sequence MYCRO265–16 ). Paratypes: ECUADOR. Napo, Yasuní National Park, Yasuní Research station, 76º36’ W 00º38’ S, 3–20.XI.1998, T. Pape & B. Viklund (1 ♀, 1 ♂, ZMUC); Prov. Orellano, Yasuni Natl. Pk, Yasuni research Stn, 0º40’50” S 76º24’2” W, 250 m, 28.IV–8.V.2009. S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU 01015590, sequence MYCRO 266–16).

Distribution: Ecuador.

Etymology: The specific name C. aeruginosa refers to the mostly rusty red head and abdomen of this species.

Comments: This Ecuadorian species is distinct for its rusty red appearance and dorsally flattened head. The sulcus on the outer face of the mid and hind tibia is somewhat curved (but not extremely dilated as in C. nigra ) as in C. planivertex . Although similar, these species differ by their colour and genitalia (both in male and female).

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Cardiacephala aeruginosa. 5, female, lateral view; 6, female genitalia, ventral view; 7, male, dorsal view; 8, male genitalia, lateral view.