Botanophila hernandezi, Gomes & De Carvalho, 2021

Gomes, Lucas R. P. & De Carvalho, Claudio J. B., 2021, Three new species of Botanophila Lioy (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) from the Mexican Transition Zone, Zootaxa 5005 (3), pp. 317-328 : 319

Botanophila hernandezi sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 4 )

Diagnosis: Interfrontal setae shorter than frontal setae. Proclinate orbital setae developed. Cerci in posterior view, enlarged and long, twice longer than its width, slightly shorter than surstyli, apically rounded, without a median apical process. Surstyli in lateral view slightly curved towards cerci, apex slightly enlarged.

Description: Male. Body length: 6.0 mm. Wing length: 6.2 mm.

Color: General coloration light brown with gray pruinosity. Frontal vitta dark brown with ochre yellow on the lower half, fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, and gena with gray pruinosity. Antennae and palpus dark brown. Mesonotum with three conspicuous brown stripes. Calypter and halter white-yellowish. Legs light brown with gray pruinosity, tibiae yellow. Wing slightly brownish, with yellowish veins. Abdomen with a poorly delimited dorsal median stripe.

Head ( Fig. 1A ): Dichoptic; parafacial at mid-height, only half as wide as postpedicel; gena almost twice wider than pedicel; frons broad, frontal vitta with about 3/5 of the frontal width, with strong inner and outer vertical setae (the inner vertical setae 2/5 longer than the outer), a pair of interfrontal setae, 3 proclinate orbital setae, and 4 frontal setae plus 4 frontal setulae. Antenna long; arista pubescence, hairs longer than the greatest basal diameter of arista.

Thorax ( Fig. 1C ): Acrostichal setae 0+1. Prealar seta longer than posterior notopleural seta. Anepisternum with an anterior long setula, below anterior notopleural seta. Katepisternal setae 1+2. Dorsocentral setae 2+3. Upper calypter with long marginal setulae, with almost the same length of calypter width. Lower calypter reduced to almost linear, narrow fold. Apical and basal scutellar setae long, twice longer than scutellum length.

Wing: Vein C ventrally bare, with some setulae apically after subcostal vein; section between basal and costal breaks with slightly enlarged av spinules. Cross-vein dm-cu straight.

Legs: Fore tibia with 2 ad setae (median and submedian) and a median pv seta; apically only with a pv seta and a longer d seta. Mid femur basally with av and ad rows of setae; mid tibia with 1 submedian ad, 2 pd (supramedian and submedian) and 2 pv setae (supramedian and submedian), preapical setae on p and pd absent, long apical setae on av, pv and v, in addition to shorter setae on remaining surfaces. Hind femur with a row of robust ad and av setae, twice longer than femur width; hind tibia with 2 av (median and submedian), 4 ad, 3 pd, and 1 pv seta (supra median), apically with long and robust setae on ad, av, and d. Pulvillus enlarged, longer than width of tarsomere.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1B, C ): Tergite 6 bare. Sternite 1 setulose, with few lateral setulae. Sternite 5 ( Fig. 4A ) processes with long lateral setae on the outer margin and shorter setae on the inner margin.

Terminalia ( Fig. 4 ): Cerci in posterior view, enlarged and long, twice longer than its width, slightly shorter than surstyli, apically rounded, without a median apical process ( Fig. 4B ). Surstyli long, narrow, slightly curved towards cerci, and slightly enlarged apically. Hypopygium ( Fig. 4D, E ) of the Botanophila - type, i.e. pregonite reduced and shallow, strongly connected to distiphallus, firmly connected to the central plate of hypandrium, and with 2 long setae; postgonite short, as long as pregonite; epiphallus and distiphallus reduced; distiphallus membranous distally ( Fig. 4D, E ); phallapodema enlarged in dorsal view ( Fig. 4E ) and narrowed in lateral view ( Fig. 4D ).

Female: Unknown.

Etymology: Name in apposition. This species is named in honor of Vicente Hernández Ortiz, entomologist of the Instituto de Ecología, INECOL.

Material examined: Holotype. Male. “ MEXICO: Oaxaca, Concepción \ Papalo. 2085 m. En \ coprotrampas \ 9 to 10-VII-1997. G. Nogueira col.” [17.842252; -96.881462] ( IEXA).

Distribution: Mexico (Oaxaca).

Remarks: The tentative assignment of this new species to biciliaris -group is based on the shape of surstyli: slender, in profile curved backwards and apically incised. This new species is easily distinguished from other known Botanophila species by the male head, with dichoptic eyes, interfrontal setae and proclinate orbital setae developed. This species is morphologically very divergent from the other two new species, with frontal vitta dark brown with ochre yellow on lower half, interfrontal setae shorter than frontal setae; inner vertical setae 2/5 longer than outer vertical setae; arista hairs longer than the greatest basal diameter of arista; sternite 1 setulose, with few lateral setulae; cerci without a median apical process; surstyli curved towards cerci; distiphallus positioned in the same direction as the phallapodema; postgonite very reduced, subequal in length to pregonite; phallapodema dorsally enlarged, with the same width distally and proximally.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Botanophila hernandezi sp. nov. Male: head, frontal view (A); habitus, dorsal view (B); habitus, lateral view (C).

FIGURE 4. Botanophila hernandezi sp. nov. Male terminalia: (A) sternite 5, dorsal view; (B) epandrium, cerci and surstyli, posterior view; (C) epandrium, cerci and surstyli, lateral view; (D) aedeagus and associated structures, lateral view; (E) aedeagus and associated structures, dorsal view. Abbreviations: cerc, cerci; distph, distiphallus; epand, epandrium; phapod, phalapodeme; pgt, postgonite; pregt, pregonite; sur, surstyli.