Zelia pickeli ( Townsend, 1935 ) Santis & O’Hara & Couri, 2024

Santis, Marcelo Domingos De, O’Hara, James E. & Couri, Márcia Souto, 2024, Partial revision of the exclusively Neotropical species of Zelia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Tachinidae: Dexiinae: Dexiini), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5419 (1), pp. 1-52 : 16-22

Zelia pickeli ( Townsend, 1935) , comb. nov.

( Figs. 6–9 )

Taperamyia pickeli Townsend, 1935: 223 . Type locality: Brazil, Pernambuco, São Lourenço da Mata, Tapacurá Ecological Station (formerly Tapera Station). References: Guimarães (1971: 102, catalogue); O’Hara et al. (2020: 78, checklist of World Tachinidae ).

Diagnosis. Eye bare. Facial carina undeveloped. Head entirely silvery pruinose. Palpus cylindrical. Thorax reddish to blackish in females, tawny to brownish in males. Katepisternum with 2 setae. Wing hyaline. Abdominal tergite 3 without median marginal setae (or a very weak pair), in males, with a pair in females. This species is similar to Z. ureophila , mainly on abdominal characters, but it can be differentiated by: abdominal tergite 5 ending in a small conical structure and broad in female; tergite 3 light brown to tawny covered with silvery pruinosity, but about 1/4 of posterior margin brownish black and a mid-dorsal brownish black vitta, not reaching base of tergite anteriorly; tergite 4 light brown to tawny covered with silvery pruinosity, but about 1/3 of posterior margin brownish black and a mid-dorsal brownish black vitta, not reaching base of tergite anteriorly. Sometimes none, one or two discal setae on tergite 5. First instar larvae with long dorsal stylets on segment 12.

Material examined. BRAZIL. Bahia: Varzedo, Serra da Jibóia , 2 females and 1 male, vii.2015, malaise, Calor et al. col. ( MZSP) ; Mucugê, Côrrego Boiadeiro , 5 females and 3 males, xii.2015, malaise, Dias & Campos col., ditto, 4 males and 8 females i.2016 ( MZSP) ; Mato Grasso do Sul: Rio Verde, Pousada Quedas D’Água , S18º9’38,7” W054º9’0.01”, 1 female, 01-15.iv.2012, Lamas, Nihei & eq. cols SISBIOTA CNPQ/FAPESP ( MZSP) ; Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico , 1 male, 2.1935, H.S. Lopes col. ( MZSP) , ditto, [date unknown], MNRJ- Ent 1-7195 ( MNRJ) ; Rio de Janeiro, Grajaú , 1 male, 4.vi.1939, H.S. Lopes col., ditto, 1 male, 22.viii.1943 ( MZSP) , ditto 1 male, 7.xii.1938 ( CEIOC) ; Angra dos Reis , 1 female, L.T. col, xii.1932, MNRJEnt1-6198 ( MNRJ) .

Redescription. Male. 11.3 mm.

Coloration ( Fig. 6 ). Frontal vitta and ocellar triangle dark brown to black. Head with silvery pruinosity, but gena brownish black. Occiput with long and silver to golden setulae. Scape and pedicel tawny to brownish, postpedicel light brown black, but proximal 1/6 brownish orange. Palpus yellowish to yellow-tawny. Thorax brownish to light brown with silver pruinosity; scutum with four dark vittae, in prescutum the two inner vittae are thinner than the outer, in postscutum, the inner vittae is half the length of the outer, neither reaching the scutellum. Scutellum tawny to yellowish, with silver pruinosity posteriorly. Wing hyaline, slightly light brown along the veins. Calypters hyaline. Halter yellow. Posterior spiracle tawny. Legs brown to tawny, with coxae yellowish but silver pruinosity on coxae, and ventrally femora; tarsi darker. Claws black, pulvilli yellow. Abdomen light brown to tawny with silvery pruinosity and brownish black vitta and on posterior margins; syntergite 1+2 light brown to tawny covered with silvery pruinosity, with a median brownish black vitta dorsally without pruinosity; tergite 3 light brown to tawny covered with silvery pruinosity, but about 1/4 of posterior margin brownish black and a mid-dorsal brownish black vitta, not reaching base of tergite anteriorly; tergite 4 light brown to tawny covered with silvery pruinosity, but about 1/3 of posterior margin brownish black and a mid-dorsal brownish black vitta, not reaching base of tergite anteriorly; tergite 5 silvery pruinose with posterior 1/4 brownish.

Head ( Fig. 6 ). Vertex about 0.19x head width in dorsal view. Frontal vitta, a the narrowest point, equal to or wider than ocellar triangle. Fronto-orbital plate with 14–15 pairs of proclinate setae; narrower than frontal vitta and parafacial. Ocellar setae proclinate. Outer vertical setae reclinate about twice the length of inner setae. Width of parafacial measured between inner margin of compound eye and antennal insertion is 0.5x the width of gena. Postpedicel slender, 3x the combined length of scape and pedicel; longer than the dorsal, longest cilia ca. 8× basal width of arista. Facial ridge with two to three setulae on lower third. Lower facial margin not protruding, invisible in profile. Eye about 0.7x the head height. Gena about 0.4x eye height. Vibrissa long, inserted above lower facial margin. Prementum as long as palpus. Labella developed, little longer than 0.5x the prementum.

Thorax ( Fig. 6A, C ). Acrostichals 3+1. Dorsocentral 3+3. Intra-alar 1+1; intra-postalar present. Supra-alar 2+3, first postsutural weak. Postpronotal lobe with three setae, forming an anterior row. Anepisternum with four strong setae and with one upward directed setulae anteriorly. Scutellum with one basal, one lateral, one apical and one discal pairs of setae. Katepisternum with 2 setae. Anepimeron with one long setae. Postalar callus with 3 setae. Legs. Fore coxa with many setae anteriorly; fore femur with dorsal and posteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with 1 anterodorsal set on apical third, 1 posteroventral seta on median third, 2 preapicals, 1 anterior and 1 posteroventral. Mid femur with one anterodorsal seta on median third, mid tibia with 3 posterodorsal setae on median third, 4 preapicals, 2 anterodorsals and 2 posteroventral. Hind femur with three anteroventral setae on basal half and three ventral setae on basal half and with row of anterodorsal setae; hind tibia with 3 anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal on median third, 3 preapicals on anterodorsal surface.

Abdomen ( Fig. 6A, C ). Syntergite 1+2 with a pair of lateral marginal setae. Tergite 3 with one lateral marginal seta and without median marginal setae, at most a very weak pair. Tergite 4 with one or two discal setae and a marginal row of setae. Tergite 5 with one or two pairs of discal setae and a row of marginal setae. Tergite 5 slightly pointed apically. Terminalia ( Fig. 7 ) Tergite 6 about 1/5 length of syntergosternite 7+8. Sternite 5 with basal plate short and slightly inwardly curved in mid portion ( Fig. 7C ). Epandrium broad in posterior view, setulose, and closed dorsally. Anterior epandrial process poorly developed. Cerci not fused, broad, and distally slightly tapered in posterior view. Surstylus broad, not fused with epandrium, convex, and setulose in posterior view; distally tapered in lateral view ( Fig. 7A–B ). Ejaculatory apodeme subrectangular, with broad apex, with its base enlarged. Epiphallus present, distally narrow, and fused with basiphallus. Pregonite with setulae anteriorly, connected basally to hypandrium by a sclerotized seam. Basiphallus as long as postgonite. Extension of dorsal sclerite of distiphallus long, more than half of the length of dorsal sclerite; dorsal sclerite ventrally serrulated; granular zone about 0.8x the length of dorsal sclerite ( Fig. 7D ).

Female ( Fig. 8 ). Differs from male as follows: Vertex about 0.22x head width in dorsal view. Fronto-orbital plate with 2 proclinate orbitals and 1 reclinate setae. Palpus clavate. Abdomen brownish black in ground color. Abdominal tergite 3 and 4 with one pair of median marginal setae and tergite 5 with one pair of discal setae. Claw and pulvilli short, shorter than tarsomere 5. Abdomen more ovate. Terminalia ( Fig. 9 ). Tergite 6 and 7 with setae at the posterior margin. Sternites 6 and 7 few setae in all posterior margin. Sternite 8 with setulae mainly on the posterior margin. Sternite 9 somewhat narrow posteriorly. Sternite 10 somewhat broad posteriorly, with setulae only on the posterior margin. Cerci well developed, sub-circular and elongated, with several setae apically with sternite 9. Three spermathecae; equal sized; somewhat and slightly right directed; and surface entirely rugose ( Fig. 9D ).

First instar larvae ( Figs. 9A–B ): Cephaloskeleton thin and lightly sclerotized, with rounded mouth hook; accessory sclerite roundish narrowing posteriorly, anterior to mouth hook; sclerite of salivary gland as strip. Posterior spiracles on small posterior protuberances, with long dorsal stylets on segment 12.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Pernambuco, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio de Janeiro states, new records).

Remarks. The species was named after Dom Bento Pickel, of whom nothing was written by Townsend (1935). In order to better know this naturalist, the following short biography is given, based on the work of Almeida (2018).

Dom Bento Pickel was born Dom Agostinho Ikas, in Markelsheim , southern Germany, on July 28, 1890. Later , he did his preparatory studies in the same city. Pickel emigrated to Brazil on November 14, 1908, arriving in Recife at the age of 18. He graduated in Philosophy and Theology at the Seminary of Olinda , in Pernambuco State, where he became a Benedictine Monk. Pickel held the position of Full Professor at the Agricultural and Veterinary School of the Monastery of São Bento de Olinda , having participated in the founding and organization of that institution. That initial nucleus was the origin of the current Federal Rural University of Pernambuco ( UFRPE), founded on November 3, 1912 by Abbot D. Pedro Roeser (1870–1955).

On January 7, 1917, the Agriculture course was transferred to “Engenho São Bento”, at Tapera Station, in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata; the São Bento Higher School of Agriculture was active from 1917 to 1936. Today these lands are occupied by the Tapacurá Ecological Station that belongs to the UFRPE, founded in 1975. In this locality, surrounded by dense and almost untouched forests, Pickel carried out an intense program of systematic collections of plants and insects with the aim of organizing didactic collections related to the disciplines he taught. They later became an important herbarium and one of the most important and representative entomological collections in that region. The entomological collection, with more than 5,000 specimens, is currently deposited at the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. At dawn of April 4, 1963, Pickel died at the Santa Catarina Sanatorium in São Paulo and was buried on the cloister walkway of the traditional Largo de São Bento Monastery. Pickel published more than 130 scientific and popular works, from 1918 to 1963. There are about twelve plant species and an equal number of insect species that received the scientific epithet “ pickeli ” in his honour.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Zelia pickeli (Townsend, 1935), male from Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Head, frontal view. C. Lateral habitus.

FIGURE 7. Zelia pickeli (Townsend, 1935), male from Rio de Janeiro (MZSP). A. Epandrium, cercus and surstylus, lateral view. B. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, posterior view. C. Sternite 5, posterior view. D. Hypandrium, phallapodeme, basiphallus, epiphallus, distiphallus, pregonite and postgonite, lateral view.

FIGURE 8. Zelia pickeli (Townsend, 1935), female from Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Head, frontal view. C. Lateral habitus.

FIGURE 9. Zelia pickeli (Townsend, 1935), female from Bahia (MNRJ). A. Cephaloskeleton. B. First instar larva. C. Female terminalia. D. Spermatheca.