Euhybus pectinifemur, Ale-Rocha, 2016

Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2016, Species of Hybotinae from Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae), Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 60 (3), pp. 189-205 : 190

Euhybus pectinifemur sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6 , 50, 51 )

Diagnosis. Scutum with discreet bluish metallic shine, and numerous and elongate black setae. Wing narrow, slightly brownish, stigma brown. Hind femur thickened, clothed in elongate yellow setae, with ventral brush of spine-like setae; hind tibia cylindrical, widened and concave ventrally near apex to accommodate ventral brush of femoral spine-like setae. Hypandrium with 3 long and robust setae at apex of right lateral lobe; right surstylus developed, curved, external surface with small protuberances bearing long robust setae.

Description. Holotype male (QCAZ). Body: 5.1 mm. Wing: 4.3 mm. Postpedicel lanceolate, about 3 times longer than wide. Face very narrowly dichoptic, black, approximately as long as frons.Ocellar setae thin, parallel and proclinate. Postcranium shiny, clothed in dense pale-brown pruinescence; postocular setae elongate; occipital setae short, thin and numerous. Thorax black except for yellow spot on postpronotal lobe and postalar callus; scutum shiny, with discreet bluish metallic shine and brown pruinescence on lateral and prescutellar disc.Pronotum with numerous marginal, robust and elongate setae. Pleura mostly shiny, with narrow strip of sparse brown pruinescence on dorsal margin of upper sclerites, and on ventral margins of lower sclerites. Setae black and elongate; acr multiserial and dc uniserial on anterior third of scutum, and more numerous and indistinguishable on prescutellar disc; ial uniserial; spal numerous; notopleuron setose; 3 npl and 1 pal more robust, slightly shorter than apical scutellar pair. Scutellum with 5 pairs of setae: 1 apical pair long, robust, parallel and approximated; 4 lateral pairs slender, half-length of apical pair. Legs black except for yellow apex of femora, fore and mid tibiae pale brown, hind tibia with base and apex yellow and tarsomeres 1–2 of all legs yellow. Hind femur thickened, clothed in elongate yellow setulae, with brush of spine-like setae on ventral surface ( Fig. 50 ); hind tibia cylindrical, widened and concave ventrally near apex to accommodate brush of spines on ventral surface of femur ( Fig. 51 ); setulae brown. Fore tibia with 1 short preapical A. Fore tarsomere 1 with more robust sub-basal and preapical 1A setae. Mid tibia with 5 more robust and short AD setae and 1 long V apical seta surpassing mid-length of tarsomere 1. Mid tarsomere 1 with 1 long dorsal seta at mid-length and 1 preapical seta, and 1 elongate P sub-basal seta almost reaching apex of tarsomere. Hind trochanter with 5 robust spines. Hind femur ( Fig. 50 ) with 1D seta on distal fourth; 1A preapical seta and 2 setae on apical half; 9 spine-like elongate AV setae; 15 spine-like V setae with protuberant base, the seven distalmost setae reduced to short, robust spines, followed by parallel series of 5 spines on distal half, and ventral tubercle bearing brush of 8 strong, short spines at mid-length of femur; PV series with 4 spines on basal half and 1 on apical half. Hind tibia lacking strong setae. Wing narrow, slightly brownish, stigma brown; costal cell narrow; R 4+5 and M 1 distinctly convergent apically. Abdomen black with discreet metallic bluish shine, with brown pruinescence on tergite 8 and very sparse pruinescence on sternites; about 3 times longer than length of thorax. Setulae short and thin, very sparse, inconspicuous dorsally, yellow; long setae on tergite 1 and on lateral of St 2–3. Terminalia ( Figs. 1–4 ). Hypandrium with 3 long and robust setae at apex of right lateral lobe. Right surstylus developed, curved, external surface with small protuberances bearing long robust setae; left surstylus wide in lateral view, with long and slender setae. Phallus robust with ventral and dorsal ejaculatory apodemes similar in size; postgonites asymmetrical.

Female. Similar to the male except for some aspects of hind leg: hind femur with 1 strong A seta on distal third, 7AV setae on two distal thirds, 6PV setae on distal half, lacking ventral tubercle bearing strong spines at mid-length of femur; hind tibia simple, lacking wide, concave, preapical ventral area. Terminalia: tergite and sternite 7 short and wide, sternite with distal margin trilobed; segment 8 partially membranous.

Variations. Some paratypes have brown pleura.

Type material. Holotype male (QCAZ). ECUADOR. Zamora Chinchipe, Estación Científica San Francisco [Reserva Biológica San Francisco], 0713956-9560588, Canal trail 1956 m, Varredura, 12–17/iv/2015, A. Plant & J. Camara Leg. Condition: good, except by the left wing folded and right antenna lost . Holotype not dissected.

Paratypes. Same data as holotype (1 female, 1 male QCAZ; 1 male INPA) .

Geographical distribution. Ecuador (Zamora Chinchipe).

Etymology. From the Latin pecten = comb, in reference to the series of spines forming a comb on the ventral surface of the hind femur.

Comments. This species belongs to the Euhybus neotropicus species group that includes E. agens Curran, 1931 from Panama, E. hyalopterus (Bezzi, 1905) from Peru, E. neotropicus (Bezzi, 1905) from Bolivia and Brazil and E.verrucicruz Melander, 1928 from Costa Rica ( Ale-Rocha, 2002b). The group shares a narrow hyaline wing with costal cell narrow and anal lobe weakly developed, and scutum with sparse setae. E. pectinifemur sp. nov., however, can be easily distinguished from the other species of the group by the thickened hind femur with ventral brush of spine-like setae and hind tibia widened and concave ventrally. The male terminalia also provides useful characters for the recognition of this species. The hypandrium has 3 long and robust setae at apex of right lateral lobe and the right surstylus is developed and curved with external surface bearing long robust setae.

Figures

Figs. 1–6. Euhybus pectinifemur sp. nov.. Male hypopygium (paratype): 1, hypandrium and epandrium, ventral aspect (phallus and postgonites darkened); 2, epandrium and cerci, dorsal aspect; 3, 4 right and left epandrial lamellae, respectively, lateral aspect. Female terminalia: 5, 6, dorsal and ventral aspect, respectively.Scale bar= 0.3mm. Abbreviations: cerc—cerci; epand—epandrium; hypd—hypandrium; ph–phallus; sur—surstylus; st —sternite; tg —tergite.

Figs. 50–54. Hybotinae from Podocarpus National Park,Ecuador,legs:50, Euhybus pectinifemur sp. nov., hind femur, posterior aspect; 51, Euhybus pectinifemur sp. nov., hind tibia, posterior aspect; 52, Neohybos globosus sp. nov., hind leg, anterior aspect; 53, Neohybos rostratus sp. nov., hind femur, anterior aspect (holotype); 54, Neohybos spinosus sp. nov., hind femur, anterior aspect. Scale bar =0.5 mm.