Paragus (Pandasyopthalmus) megacercus Tot, Vujić et Radenković, 2020

Tot, Tamara, Radenković, Snežana, Nedeljković, Zorica, Likov, Laura & Vujić, Ante, 2020, Descriptions of two new species of the genus Paragus Latreille (Diptera: Syrphidae) with a key to males of all South African species, Zootaxa 4780 (2), pp. 341-355 : 346-349

Paragus (Pandasyopthalmus) megacercus Tot, Vujić et Radenković sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6 , 7B

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F73D88A0-75CA-4008-AA8A-4C078BB4B144

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Republic of South Africa, ♂, pinned. Original label: “ RSA, Kwazulu–Natal Province, Drakensberg Mountain, Gardens Castle, 29°44’51.039”S, 29°12’28.944”E, 1900 m a.s.l., 12.ii.2016, leg. Vujić (ZA2_095, FSUNS)”.

Diagnosis. Eyes uniformly pilose (typical of subgenus Pandasyopthalmus ), covered with dense white pile as long as diameter of posterior ocellus and narrowly separated by a length of three ommatidia ( Fig. 7B ). Face with less pronounced tubercle. Spurious vein ends before the meeting point of vein M and the discal cross-vein ( Fig. 5B ). Tarsi dorsally black, except for yellow meso- and metabasotarsomere, ventrally yellow except for fifth tarsomere ( Fig. 5A ). Abdomen elongated, about 3 times longer than wide. Tergum 2 with long white pile at lateral margins. Sterna shiny black, covered with long white wavy-tipped pile. In male terminalia, the cerci are enlarged, 5.9 times longer than the narrowest medial part of the epandrium in dorsal view, covered with a short dense and yellow pubescence and very long wavy-tipped yellow pile ( Figs 6 A–B). Surstylus small, tapering towards the apex ( Fig. 6A ). Paramere relatively small, dorsal and ventral margins sub-parallel ( Fig. 6D ). Ejaculatory apodeme large, umbrella-like ( Fig. 6E ). Based on the shape of its hypandrium, Paragus megacercus sp. nov. is most similar to Paragus haemorrhous Meigen, 1822 ( Figs 10 K–L). The enlarged cerci distinguish this species from all other known members of the genus.

Description. MALE. Body length 6.1 mm, wing length 4.4 mm. Head ( Figs 5 A–B, 7B). Eyes covered with white, uniformly distributed pile, as long as diameter of posterior ocellus; eyes narrowly separated by a length of about three ommatidia ( Fig. 7B ); antenna black; basoflagellomere 2.8 times longer than wide, with rounded apex; arista bare, dark brown; face yellow except black medial vitta extending from the oral margin to the tubercle, dense- ly covered with yellow pile; frontal triangle yellow with yellow pile except for some black pile at the base of lunule; vertical triangle mostly shiny black, but yellowish pollinose anterior to anterior ocellus, covered with predominantly black pile, except yellow pile on the area posterior to ocellar triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral with black pile; occiput narrow, whitish pollinose, covered with yellow pile. Thorax ( Fig. 5 ). Scutum black, covered with yellow pile; pile just behind the postpronotum yellow, wavy-tipped and longer than pile on the other parts of scutum; scutel- lum covered with yellow pile; pleuron black, whitish pollinose except ventral part of katepisternum; anepisternum and dorsal part of katepisternum with patch of long, dense, white pile; anepimeron with some yellow wavy-tipped pile; wing hyaline, covered with microtrichia, except for some bare areas in cells C, SC, R, BM, CuP and alula; stigma dark brown; spurious vein ending before the meeting point of vein M with discal cross-vein; calypter whit- ish; pedicel of halter brown, capitulum yellow; coxae and trochanters black; femora predominantly yellow, pro- and mesofemora black in basal 1/4; pro- and mesotibiae yellow, metatibia with dark medial ring; tarsi dorsally black, except yellow meso- and metabasotarsomere, ventrally yellow except fifth tarsomere. Abdomen ( Fig. 5 ). Shiny black, elongated, about 3 times longer than wide; terga black, with white pile on the anterior 1/4 and black adpressed pile on the posterior 3/4; tergum 2 with long white pile on lateral margins; terga 3 and 4 with a pair of poorly visible silver pollinose maculae; sterna shiny black, covered with long white wavy-tipped pile. Terminalia ( Fig. 6 ). Cerci extraordinarily large, covered with short yellow pubescence and long dense, yellow, wavy-tipped pile ( Figs 6 A–B); surstylus small, tapering to the apex ( Fig. 6A ); hypandrium on Figs 6 C–D; paramere relatively small with sub-paral- lel dorsal and ventral margins ( Fig. 6D ); ejaculatory apodeme distally with large umbrella-like cap ( Fig. 6E ).

FEMALE. Unknown.

Etymology. The name ʻ megacercus ʼ (mega is derived from the ancient Greek word ʻ megas ʼ meaning ʻlargeʼ) refers to the extraordinarily large cerci of the male terminalia.

Distribution. Republic of South Africa, Drakensberg Mountains ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of sampling localities of the new species: Paragus longipilus sp. nov. (black triangle) and Paragus megacercus sp. nov. (black circle).

FIGURE 5. Paragus megacercus sp. nov., male, holotype. A lateral view, B dorsal view. Scale bar, 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Paragus megacercus sp. nov., holotype, male terminalia.A, B epandrium, C, D hypandrium, E ejaculatory apodeme. A, D lateral view, B, E dorsal view, C ventral view. Legend: aa, aedeagal apodeme; ae, aedeagus; ce, cercus; l, lingula; la, lateral lobe of aedeagus; p, paramere; s, surstylus; ss, sperm sac. Scale bar, 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 7. Head of male, holotype, frontal view. A Paragus longipilus sp. nov., B Paragus megacercus sp. nov. Scale bar, 1 mm.

FIGURE 10. Male terminalia, lateral view. A, B Paragus marshalli, C, D Paragus dolichocerus, E, F Paragus minutus, G, H Paragus longiventris, I, J Paragus punctatus, K, L Paragus haemorrhous. A, C, E, G, I, K epandrium and hypandrium. B, D, F, H, K, L ejaculatory apodeme. Legend: p, paramera; l, lingula; s, surstylus; ce, cercus. Scale bar, 0.5 mm.