Cardiacephala rotunda, 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 : 445-446

Cardiacephala rotunda new species

( Figs. 76–79 )

Description: Body length 6 mm, wing 4 mm. Palpus mostly brown, white on outer face. Clypeus brown, shiny. First flagellomere brown covered with pale microsetulae. Fronto-orbital plates dark brown. Frontal vitta brown. Mesonotum somewhat darkened in some individuals ( Fig. 78 ). Yellowish row of katepisternal setae. Femora yellow and shiny. Fore tibia dark brown. Fore tarsomere one white, 2–5 dark brown. Oviscape brownish and shiny, apex dark brown. Epandrium yellow.

Head: Palpus broadened basally and gradually tapering to apex. Clypeus short, length less than half of width. Two frontal setae. Frontal vitta with a narrow depression centrally, reaching ocellar triangle. Inner vertical seta insertion flat, without tubercle. Paracephalon smooth, without swelling (not extending beyond the vertex). Vertex rounded, shiny. Line of black supracervical setae strong.

Thorax: Mesonotum white pruinose with sparse pale microsetulae. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora with sparse black setulae. Mid and hind tibia flattened, but sulcus on outer face weak. Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex clear with a dark and narrow preapical pigmentation. 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 pale setulae. Single spermathecal duct apically broad, spermatheca cylindrical. Paired spermathecal duct divided into a narrow basal half and a broader distal half. Paired spermathecal duct stems thin and smooth basally, followed by a small rounded swelling and a small appendix ( Fig. 77 ). Paired spermathecae striate, sac-like (distally swollen and tapered basally) and deeply invaginated from apex to base. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme bigger than epandrium and with a broad blade, wider than sperm pump ( Fig. 79 ). Phallapodeme extending to anterior limit of hypandrium. Distiphallus long, longer than epandrium, ending in a phallic bulb, phallic bulb subequal in length and width.

Type material: Holotype: COLOMBIA. Chocó, PNN Utriá, Centro de Visitantes, 6º01’09” N 77º20’55” W, 2 m, 2–15.VIII.2000, M. 818, J. Pérez (1 ♀, DEBU 010 86336, IAVH, sequence MYCRO 267–16). Paratype: COLOMBIA. Chocó, PNN Utriá, Centro de Visitantes, 6º01’09” N 77º20’55” W, 2 m, 2–15.VIII.2000, M. 818, J. Pérez (1 ♀, IAVH).

Other material examined: COSTA RICA. Heredia, Estac. Biol. La Selva, 02.III.1993, ALAS (1 ♀, MNCR); Heredia, Estac. Biol. La Selva, 15.III.1994, ALAS mal. trap M/12/382 (1 ♂, DEBU 01086453, MNCR).

Distribution: Colombia, Costa Rica.

Etymology: The specific name C. rotunda refers to the smooth and rounded vertex of this species.

Comments: This species is similar to C. arthritica , but with a striking white fore tarsomere one. The paired spermathecae is also much broadened and the appendix at the ultimate portion of the paired spermathecal duct stem is conspicuously longer.

Figures

FIGURES 76–79. Cardiacephala rotunda. 76, female, frontal view; 77, female genitalia, ventral view; 78, male, dorsolateral view; 79, male genitalia, lateral view.