Planinasus miradorus, Mathis, Wayne N., Rung, Alessandra & Kotrba, Marion, 2012

Mathis, Wayne N., Rung, Alessandra & Kotrba, Marion, 2012, A revision of the genus Planinasus Cresson (Diptera, Periscelididae), ZooKeys 225, pp. 1-83 : 28-29

5. Planinasus miradorus sp. n. Figures 30-34

Description of male.

Moderately small to medium-sized flies, body length 2.15-3.05 mm.

Head: Head ratio 0.53-0.56; frons brownish black to black, thinly invested with microtomentum, subshiny to shiny, except for densely microtomentose, anterolateral angles and undercut anterior margin; frons much wider than long, frontal ratio 0.35-0.38; interfrontal seta long, length subequal to that of lateral vertical seta. Scape and pedicel black; basal flagellomere with apical half black, basal half whitish yellow; pedicel with ventral projection long, about 1/2 length of basal flagellomere; basal flagellomere long, length about twice height at base; arista bearing 13-14 dorsal rays, 3-4 ventral rays; pedicel bearing 1 dorsoapical seta and 1 dorsal seta. Face generally yellow; very wide, facial ratio 0.96-1.00; dorsad of transverse carina wide, shield-like, medial portion in some specimens faintly blackish, very sparsely microtomentose with some silvery white microtomentum; ventral portion of face yellow, moderately densely microtomentose, silvery white, seriaceous; large facial setae variable, in about 2 transverse rows; dorsal row with porrect medial pair of setae, next laterally a large, dorsoclinate seta; ventral row with 1-2 ventroclinate seta. Clypeus yellow; palpus yellowish brown.

Thorax: Generally dark colored, black to blackish brown, anepimeron paler, brownish, with ventral margin yellowish; mesonotum thinly invested with microtomentum, appearing subshiny, with slightly metallic brown luster medially, becoming more steel blue laterally; postpronotum dark brown; area from postpronotum and extended through notopleuron mostly bare, shiny; anepisternum thinly invested with microtomentum, mostly appearing dull, grayish brown; other pleurites less densely invested. Wing conspicuously and uniformly infumate, brownish, base slightly paler, more hyaline. Forecoxa with base blackish brown, apical 2/3 yellow; midcoxa yellow; hindcoxa faintly brownish; trochanters, and base of femora yellow; forefemur with dorsum black or mostly black; forefemur with a preapical, whitish to yellowish partial annulus; basal 3 tarsomeres yellow; apical two brownish black; forefemur with posteroventral surface bearing 1 large seta at apical 1/3.

Abdomen: Uniformly blackish brown to black, mostly shiny, very sparsely invested with microtomentum. Male abdomen: Tergites 1+2-6 well developed, lengths of tergites 3-6 subequal; tergite 7 narrow; sternites 3, 4, 5 generally as rectangular plates, slightly wider than long, with lateral margins shallowly arched; no sternites 6, 7, neither segment forming an annulus. Male terminalia (Figs 30-33): Epandrium in lateral view (Fig. 30) higher than wide, more or less triangular but with short dorsal surface truncate, anterior margin nearly straight, posterior margin nearly straight dorsally, ventral portion arched; surstylus almost as long as epandrium, extended from ventral margin of epandrium in nearly oblique alignment with it, in lateral view (Fig. 30) elongate, thinly developed, more or less “J” shaped, tapered, curved subapically, apex narrowly developed, bearing 1 large, basal setula; hypandrium in ventral view (Fig. 31) broadly U-shaped, robustly developed anteriorly, arms tapered, more slender than wide base, anterior margin broadly rounded;; postgonite in ventral view (Fig. 31) subquadrate, slightly wider than long with posterior lateral arms spread outwards; with lobe bearing setulae, in lateral view (Fig. 33) longer than wide, lobe digitiform, bearing 4 apical setulae; phallus in ventral view (Fig. 31) complex, partially sclerotized; phallapodeme elongate, slender, in lateral view (Fig. 33) parallel sided, tubular, nearly straight, rounded apically, in ventral view (Fig. 31) tapered, margins shallowly undulous, apex narrowly developed; ejaculatory apodeme, in lateral view (Fig. 32) almost as long as phallapodeme but only slightly longer than surstylus in lateral view, apex not expanded.

Description of female.

Same as male except as follows: Head: Generally narrower; head ratio 0.68-0.71; frontal ratio 0.49-0.52; antenna black; face mostly bluish black, subshiny to shiny, laterally more microtomentose, grayish white; facial ratio 0.34-0.37.

Thorax: Forefemur lacking preapical annulus.

Type material.

The holotype male is labeled "Brasil (MA[ RANHÃO]), Mirador Parque Est. Mirador Base da Geraldina/Armadilha Suspensa 23.ix.2006 [23 Sep 2006], F. Limeira de Oliveira, col./USNM ENT 00118277 [plastic bar code label]/HOLOTYPE ♂ Planinasus miradorus Mathis & Rung INPA [red]." The holotype is double mounted (glued to a paper point), is in good condition (left basal flagellomere missing), and is deposited in INPA. Six paratypes (3♂, 3♀; INPA, USNM) bear the same locality data as the holotype but with dates from 9 Aug-4 Dec 2006, 2007. One male paratype and all female paratypes were collected in a Malaise trap.

Type locality.

Brazil. Maranhão: Parque Estadual Mirador, Base da Geraldina (06°22.2'S, 44°21.8'W).

Distribution

(Fig. 34). Neotropical: Brazil ( Maranhão).

Etymology.

The specific epithet, miradorus, is to recognize the name of the state park in the Brazilian state of Maranhão where the type locality is located and is a noun in apposition.

Remarks.

This species is very similar to Planinasus shannoni and especially to Planinasus venezuelensis but can be distinguished from these and other congeners of the shannoni group by the distinctively colored male basal flagellomere, which is markedly two-toned with the base whitish yellow and the apical half black. The surstylus is very similar in shape to that of Planinasus venezuelensis , but other characters of the male terminalia, such as the relatively well-developed ejaculatory apodeme, the outspread arms of the postgonite in ventral view, and the general shape of the postgonite in lateral view distinguish this species from Planinasus venezuelensis . Furthermore, colorational characters of the basal flagellomere are very distinctive and constant in the sampling available to us, and based on this evidence, we are currently of the opinion that this is a separate species. Species of the shannoni group, this species and Planinasus venezuelensis in particular, would be excellent candidates for molecular analysis to test the strength of the morphological characters.