Hemerodromia bradleyi sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org:act: EA78227C-9A97-4764-B3DB-E31428313824

(Figs 1–15, 84)

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym in honor of Dr. Bradley Sinclair, for his important contribution to the study of Diptera worldwide.

Diagnosis. Predominantly yellow. Wing with linear M, or unbranched; cercus very narrow, longer than wide proximally; epandrium wide and suboval; surstylus bifid distally; hypandrium with two short and tapered distoventral projections.

Holotype ♂ (Fig. 1). Body length 2.8 mm; wing length 2.1 mm.

Description. Head (Fig. 1). Black; clypeus, palpus, and proboscis light yellow; anterior ocellus larger than posterior ones. Eye black, iridescent, contiguous in middle region of face, with tiny and inconspicuous setae. Frons brown, approximately 2.0X longer than wide, covered with dark yellow to light brown pubescence; occiput with yellowish setae, sparse yellowish-brown pubescence, dense only at the eye margin. Antenna yellowish, except postpedicel slightly paler and stylus brownish when viewed laterally; scape short, about ½ length of pedicel, which is about 2.0X longer than scape; postpedicel about 2.0X longer than its maximum width; stylus longer than postpedicel; scape, pedicel, and postpedicel with tiny, inconspicuous setae. Clypeus with whitish pubescence, palpus with 2–3 distally arranged yellowish setae; labellum with short and dense yellowish setae. Proboscis with short setae located distally.

Thorax (Fig. 1). Light yellow, except for small brown details in the following areas: i) dorsomedian region of prothorax and ii) anterior to notopleuron. Thorax about 2.0X longer than wide; mesonotum with short, weak scattered setae, except for longer, stronger seta on notopleuron.

Legs (Fig. 1). Light yellow to yellow. Foreleg with C1 and F1 subequal in length; T1 about half-length of F1; t1 about ¾ shorter than T1. Mid and hind legs with coxae, femora, tibiae, and tarsi subequal in length. F1 with Ff=6/1/17/14+1, black denticles arranged in two parallel linear rows located on distal ⅔, closer to each other distally; bordered by two rows of strong setae. T1 arched ventrally, ventral surface with two rows of black spines (16–17) shaped like thorns; T1 with a strong, thorn-shaped seta located on ventrodistal surface. All legs with short and sparse yellowish to dark yellow setae on coxae and femora, dense on the tibiae and tarsi, except for slightly longer setae distally on C1; T1 with row of setae located on posterodorsal surface of distal ½.

Wings (Fig. 2). Membrane slightly yellowish, except for a slightly darker region on radial sector, veins yellow; vein R 2+3 long and straight, gently curved towards C distally, ~0.7–0.8 distance between the tips of R 1 and R 4; bifurcation of R 4+5 acute (~70°); M linear, or unbranched (M 2 absent). R 5 and M convergent preapically but divergent distally; cell bm+dm short, terminating at the level of R 1, about 2.0X longer than cell br. Halter whitish-yellow.

Abdomen (Fig. 1). Long and slender. Tergites brown to dark brown, except for light yellow tergites 1 and 7; distinct setae only on posterior margin. Yellow sternites with light scattered setae, stronger on posterior margin.

Male terminalia (Figs 3–9). Entirely brown. Cercus very narrow, longer than wide proximally; tapered from about 0.75 to tip and slightly curved downward distally; left and right cerci closely approximated anterodorsally (Fig. 5); cercus distinctly setose externally (Figs 3, 4). Epandrium broad, suboval, distinctly setose; long and strong setae distally (Figs 3, 4). Surstylus broad with distinct setae, bifid distally (Figs 7, 9). Hypandrium subrectangular (Fig. 6) in ventral view, strongly sclerotized, with two short distal projections (Fig. 6); white pubescence, without distinct setae. Gonocoxal apodeme short, narrow, projected beyond anterior margin of hypandrium (Figs 4, 7). Subepandrial sclerite with two tapered posterior projections, resembling spines (Fig. 8). Phallus cylindrical, with slightly thinner distal region and truncated distally; strongly sclerotized, except for membranous area distally; phallus extended beyond the hypandrium distally (Fig. 9). Ejaculatory apodeme absent.

Female (Figs 10–15). Similar to male. Wing (Fig. 11) with basal area darker than in male. Terminalia (Figs 12–15). Segments 8, 10 and cercus sclerotized (Fig. 13). Tergite 8 with short internal apodeme, located on anterior margin (Fig. 14); tergite 9+10 bifid with almost inconspicuous fissure (Fig. 14). Sternite 8 slightly shorter than tergite 8 (Fig. 15); sternite 10 V-shaped (Fig. 15). Cercus short and sclerotized, rounded and slightly lighter in color distally (Figs 13–15).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (pinned, good condition), deposited in CZMA, Brazil, MA[= Maranhão], C.[=Cândido] Mendes, Fazenda 7 irmãos, 01°52′06′′S, 45°45′59.7′′W \ Arm. [=Armadilha] Malaise. 15–31.i.2019, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira, J.S. Brito & F.C.S. Pessoa, cols [=coletores] \ FLO 3324 . PARATYPES. Same data as holotype, except \ 01–15.vii.2019, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira, D. Limeira & J.S. Brito, cols [=coletores] \ FLO 4249 (pinned, terminalia in glass microvial, good condition, mounted wing, in good condition: 1♂, CZMA); idem, 01– 15.iv.2019, idem \ FLO 5291 (1♂, CZMA); idem \ FLO 5437 (1♂, CZMA); idem \ FLO 4148 (pinned, terminalia and abdomen in glass microvial, good condition: 1♀, CZMA), idem, 01–15.vi.2019, idem \ FLO 4149 (pinned, terminalia and abdomen in glass microvial, good condition: 1♀, CZMA), idem \ FLO 5541 (pinned, terminalia and abdomen in glass microvial, good condition: 1♀, CZMA), idem, 15–30.vi.2019, idem \ FLO 4153 (pinned, terminalia and abdomen in glass microvial, good condition: 1♀, CZMA), idem \ FLO 4147 (pinned, terminalia and abdomen in glass microvial, good condition: 1♀, CZMA) .

Variation Male (n = 2). Body length 2.8–3.1 mm, mean 3.0 mm; wing length 2.1–2.9 mm, mean 2.5 mm; wing width 0.2–0.5 mm, mean 0.35 mm.

Geographical record. Brazil (Maranhão).

Remarks. Hemerodromia bradleyi sp. nov. differs from the other species in having wing vein M linear, or unbranched (M 2 present in all other species). This is the first species described formally in this genus with this specific character.

Comments. Specimens of H. bradleyi sp. nov. were collected in Cândido Mendes in January, April, June and July.