Syneches nordestino, Soares & Freitas-Silva & Ale-Rocha, 2021

Soares, Matheus M. M., Freitas-Silva, Rafael A. P. & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2021, Review of Brazilian species of Syneches Walker (Diptera, Hybotidae, Hybotinae), with description of ten new species, Zootaxa 5049 (1), pp. 1-84 : 50-51

Syneches nordestino sp. nov.

( Figs 32A–D , 33A–C , 49 )

Diagnosis. Small size (3.1 mm) ( Fig. 32A ). Antenna with scape brown, pedicel pale brown and postpedicel pale yellow ( Fig. 32B ). Scutum rounded, as broad as mesopleuron in lateral view, dark brown, covered with reddish brown pruinescence ( Fig. 32A ). Hind femur slender; legs with fore femur dark yellow on basal 2/3, fore tibia and mid and hind tarsomeres 5 pale yellow, fore tarsus dark brown and hind femur with a small brown apical spot, otherwise yellow ( Figs 32A, C ). Wing pale brown; pterostigma long, oval, brown, about 5 x longer than wide, extended from apex of R 1 and ending near apex of cell r 1; second section of M 1 longer than crossvein r-m ( Fig. 32D ).

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 32A ). Body length: 3.1 mm. Wing length: 2.7 mm. Head ( Fig. 32B ). Ocellar triangle protuberant, covered with reddish brown pruinescence; 2 pairs of ocellar bristles, anterior pair about 2 x longer than posterior pair. Face black covered with reddish brown pruinescence. Antenna with scape brown, pedicel pale brown, postpedicel pale yellow; postpedicel short oval, about 1.4 x longer than wide, slightly longer than preceding segments combined, covered with concolorous pruinescence, with 1 long mediodorsal bristle slightly longer than postpedicel; antennal stylus dark brown except pale yellow on base, about 3 x longer than preceding segments combined, short pubescent except apical 1/3 bare. Proboscis yellow, palpus and palpifer brown; palpus about 1/4 length of proboscis, covered with concolorous pruinescence, with 2 bristles as long as palpus (1 medioventral and 1 apical). Postcranium black covered with reddish brown pruinescence. Thorax ( Fig. 32A ). Proepisternum short; prosternum isolated, not fused to proepisternum. Thorax dark brown, covered with reddish brown pruinescence, but posterior margin of pprn lb and pal cal pale yellow and pleura pale brown. Scutum rounded, as broad as mesopleuron in lateral view. Chaetotaxy: acr 4-serial, dc uniserial, bristles short and sparse; prescutellar disc with 1 acr and 1 dc longer bristle; 2 npl long bristles, close to each other; 2 pal bristles (posterior one about 2 x longer than anterior one); scutellum with 11 marginal bristles (1 convergent apical, 1 subapical long and parallel, slightly longer than apical one, 3 left lateral and 4 right lateral bristles, as long as apical one). Legs ( Figs 32A, C ). Fore femur slightly swollen on basal half, mid and hind femora slender. Legs with fore femur dark yellow on basal 2/3, fore tibia, mid and hind tarsomeres 5 pale yellow, fore tarsus dark brown and hind femur with small brown apical spot, otherwise yellow. Chaetotaxy: fore tibia with 1D series of bristles slightly longer than cover bristles; mid femur with 1AV and 1PV series of long and sparse bristles, shortening towards apex; mid tibia with 1AV and 1PV long and strong subapical bristles; hind tibia with 1AD and 1PD series of bristles on apical half, lengthening towards apex. Wing ( Fig. 32D ). Pale brown; pterostigma oval, brown, about 5 x longer than wide, extended from apex of R 1, ending near apex of cell r 1; R 2+3 slightly angulate apically; second section of M 1 longer than crossvein r-m; cell br as long as cell cua, cell bm longer than both. Halter brown, except base of steam pale yellow. Abdomen ( Fig. 32A ). About 2 x longer than thorax; brown, covered with concolorous pruinescence; dorsal bristles shorter, laterodorsal bristles longest. Male terminalia (Paratype, type-locality, Figs 33A–C ). Hypandrium with distal margin trapezoidal bearing median subtriangular protuberance with pair of bristles inserted on tiny apical projection, each bristle half-length of exposed part of phallus. Phallus with truncate apex and 2 acute lateral projections (one short apical, one long in middle), pointing ventrally. Postgonite slightly shorter than exposed part of phallus, wide but narrowing towards apex, bearing 1 acute projection pointing dorsally. Dorsal connection of epandrial lamellae narrow. Epandrial lamella wide, narrowing towards apex, with narrow apicodorsal projection in lateral view.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( INPA) labelled: “ BRASIL, Piauí, P [Parque] N [Nacional de] Sete Cidades , Poço , 09.ii.2013, Arm [Armadilha] Luz, D.M. Takiya ” “ HOLOTYPE, Syneches nordestino Soares, Freitas-Silva & Ale-Rocha ” [red label] . Holotype condition: good; not dissected. PARATYPE. Same data as holotype (1 ♂, INPA) .

Distribution. Brazil (Piauí) ( Fig. 49 ). Syneches nordestino sp. nov. is known only from the Caatinga biome.

Remarks. Syneches nordestino sp. nov. is similar to S. tomentosus due to the fore tibia darker, femora slender and yellow. However, in S. nordestino sp. nov., the postpedicel is yellow to pale yellow, the pterostigma lacks a marginal proximal invagination and the hypandrium has the distal margin trapezoidal, bearing a wide median subtriangular preapical protuberance. In S. tomentosus , the postpedicel is brown to dark brown, the pterostigma bears a marginal proximal invagination and the distal margin of hypandrium has a shallow, mid-width concavity, forming two short lobes.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a noun in apposition referring to the Brazilian macro-region where the species is known to occur.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Syneches nordestino sp. nov. A–C. Holotype male. A. Habitus, lateral view; B. Head, lateral view; C. Hind leg, anterior view. D. Paratype (male from type-locality). Wing.

FIGURE 33. Syneches nordestino sp. nov. Male terminalia (paratype from type-locality).A. Epandrium and hypandrium, phallus and postgonite darkened, ventral view; B. Epandrium with cerci, dorsal view; C. Left epandrial lamella with cercus, lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 49. Syneches Walker. Geographical records of S. atratus Soares & Ale-Rocha, 2018; S. limeirai Soares & Ale-Rocha and S. nordestino sp. nov. in Brazil.