Cardiacephala velutinosa, 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 : 453-454

Cardiacephala velutinosa new species

( Figs. 97–98 )

Description: Body length 9 mm, wing 6 mm. Palpus mostly black, white on outer face. Clypeus black and shiny with sparse pale microsetulae. First flagellomere black covered with pale microsetulae. Fronto-orbital plates and frontal vitta black. Paracephalon black. Epicephala and vertex velvety brown. Postpronotal lobe dark brown. Row of katepisternal setae brownish. Hind femur narrowly white basally. Fore tarsus dark brown with gold/whitish pubescence ventrally at base of tarsomere one. Oviscape black and shiny. Epandrium brownish.

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 flattened. Supracervical black setae sparse and weak.

Thorax: Mesonotum with white pruinosity. Scutellum upturned, triangular. Femora with yellowish microsetulae. Mid and hind tibiae flattened, sulcus on outer face very pronounced and curved ( Fig. 97 ). Wing with stigmatal and discal bands, apex entirely dark. Crossvein r-m clear. R4+5 and M1+2 meeting at the wing margin. A1+CuA2 as long as CuA2. Female cervical sclerite smooth, without swelling.

Abdomen: Tergites with brownish setulae. Male abdomen: Ejaculatory apodeme reduced, blade small and short, sperm pump wider than blade ( Fig. 98 ). 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: PERU. Loreto, Rio Napo, Explonapo camp, Isla Rosario, 100 m, 8.VI.1992, 03º15’ S 072º55’ W, T. L. Erwin, E. & F. Pluno S (1 ♂, DEBU 01086451, USNM). Paratypes: PERU. Loreto, Rio Napo, Explonapo camp, Isla Rosario, 100 m, 8.VI.1992, 03º15’ S 072º55’ W, T. L. Erwin, E. & F. Pluno S (1 ♂, USNM); Loreto, Rio Napo, Explonapo camp, Isla Rosario, 100 m, 8.VI.1992, 03º15’ S 072º55’ W, T. L. Erwin, E. & F. Pluno S (1 ♀, 1 ♂, USNM).

Distribution: Peru.

Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin for “velvety”, referring to the velvety brown aspect of the epicephalon and vertex of this species.

Comments: Cardiacephala velutinosa differs from other Cardiacephala by its velvety brown epicephalon and vertex. The small ejaculatory apodeme is also a remarkable character. Genitalia of the unique female specimen were not examined.

Figures

FIGURES 97–98. Cardiacephala velutinosa. 97, male, dorsolateral view; 98, male genitalia, lateral view.