Miroculis (Miroculis) xavieri, Boldrini, 2017

Boldrini, R., 2017, Three new species of Miroculis from the Serra da Mocidade National Park, Roraima State, Brazil, with new records and checklist of the Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera), Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 573-583 : 577-579

Miroculis (Miroculis) xavieri sp. nov. Raimundi & Boldrini

( Figs. 11–15 )

Diagnosis. Miroculis (Miroculis) xavieri sp. nov. differs from the other species of Miroculis by the following characteristics in the male imago: 1) distomedial projection of compound eyes absent; 2) forewing with brown areas along cross veins at base from Sc to MA and at MP; hind wing brown at apex and on cross veins basally ( Figs. 12–13 ); 3) forceps washed with dark grey on apical third of segment I, and on segment II; 4) forceps segment I with basal half broad and tapering gradually toward apex; 5) penis broad basally, narrowing gradually toward apex.

Description. Measurements (mm). Male imago. Body: 5.0; forewing: 5.0; angularity of cubital region 100°; hind wing: 1.5; legs: broken off and missing except for the right foreleg. Caudal filament: 11.0.

Ratios. Wings: Forewing width 0.4 x forewing length; hind wing length 0.3 forewing length; hind wing width 0.5 x hind wing length; fork on MA of forewing 0.5 x total length of MA. Genitalia: medial length of styliger plate 0.5 x maximum width of styliger plate; lateral length of styliger plate 1.2 x medial length of styliger plate; lateral length of styliger plate 1.2 x lateral length of segment IX. Forceps segment III 0.9 x segment II; segment III 0.4 x segment I; segment II 0.4 x segment I; penis length 1.0 x forceps segment I.

Coloration ( Figs. 11–14 ). Body: brownish. Head. Orange, ventrally washed with dark brown. Compound eye with stalk orange, lighter toward apex; facets of upper portion orange, separated by dark brown grooves. Antenna pale washed with brown. Thorax: brown, darker on margins. Wings ( Figs. 12–13 ): forewings with hyaline membrane and brown clouds along cross veins at base from Sc to MA and at MP. Hind wing with hyaline membrane; brown on apex and on cross veins basally. Legs: fore leg pale with dark brown marks on the middle and apex of femur. Abdomen: terga and sterna light brown; terga I–IX with a transversal dark brown band on posterolateral portion, and brown mark on posteromedian portion of terga VII–VIII. Genitalia ( Fig. 14 ): brown. Styliger plate washed with dark brown. Forceps washed with dark grey on apical third of segments I and II. Penis brown. Caudal filament: brown, darker basally on each segment.

Morphology: Head: posterior margin V-shaped. Compound eye with upper portion on a mid-stalk (as long as wide); distomedial projection of compound eyes absent; dorsal surface rounded, with ten facets in the longest row. Lower portion of compound eye elliptic. Wings: forewing with four to five cross veins between C and Sc basal to bulla; 11–14 cross veins between C and Sc; IMP free basally; MP2 connected to base of MP1 by cross vein; CuA connected to CuP by cross vein subbasally; veins A1 and A2 connected by a cross vein subbasally. Hind wing with apex slightly acute; fork of R+MA symmetrical; CuP present. Genitalia: Styliger plate with posteromedial margin convex. Forceps segment I with basal portion broad narrowing gradually toward apex, apical third of inner margin broad; inner margin undulated. Penis broad basally, narrowing gradually toward apex ( Fig. 14 ); apex rounded ( Fig. 15 ); a row of spines on base of inner margin absent.

Etymology: We are honoured in naming this species to our friend Francisco F. Xavier Filho, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, in recognition of his extensive support in field trips to collect insects in the Amazonian region of Brazil.

Distribution: Brazil: Roraima State.

Material examined: Holotype: male imago, BRAZIL, Roraima State, Caracaraí municipality, Serra da Mocidade National Park , 01°42"N / 61°27'W, 25.i–06.ii 2016, Mahlmann, T. col. ( CZNC) . Paratype: three male imago, same data as holotype ( CZNC) . Four male imago, BRAZIL, Roraima State, Caracaraí municipality, Serra da Mocidade National Park , 01°42"N / 061°47'W, 25.i–06.ii. 2016, Oliveira, M., Mahlmann, T. and Xavier, F.F. col. ( UFRR) .

Comments: Miroculis (Miroculis) xavieri sp. nov. shares some characteristics with Miroculis (Miroculis) nebulosus Savage, 1987 such as, compound eye with a short stalk (length 0.5 x width), forewing with MP2 connected to MP1 by a cross vein and IMP free basally; and hind wing brown apically ( Fig. 13 ). However, M. (M.) xavieri sp. nov. differs from M. (M.) nebulosus by having a hyaline forewing with crossveins tinged brown, base of forceps segment I with basal third portion narrowing gradually toward apex and washed with dark gray on apical third, and penis as long as forceps segment I. Otherwise, M. (M.) nebulosus has the forewing completely washed with brown and with few hyaline areas, forceps segment I with basal third narrowing abruptly toward apex and equally pigmented as in the other segments, and penis longer than segment forceps I (1.5 x).

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 15. Male imago of Miroculis (Miroculis) xavieri sp. nov.: 11) lateral view, habituS; 12) forewing; 13) hind wing; 14) genitalia; 15) apex of peniS, detail.