Latheticomyia peruana sp. nov.

Figures 14–31

Diagnosis. Scutum dark brown, except for a V-shaped yellow area, which does not reach transverse suture but extends to scutellum. Male sternite 6 bilobed. Cercus bifid. Distiphallus coiled once to a complete circle distally.

Description. Holotype male (figures from paratype). Body length 2.8 mm before drying (2.3 mm after dried). Head (Figs 14, 15). Eyes subcircular. Ocellar triangle dark brown, with a pair of strong ocellar setae. Two pairs of small, thin, paravertical bristles and a row of postocular setulae. Frons (Fig. 15) with many scattered setulae, plate mainly brown, light yellow on lateral margin, under orbital and vertical bristles and mesially in a subtriangular shape from base of antennae, tapering and ending before level of posterior orbital bristle. Face, parafacial, proboscis, palpus, and clypeus yellow. Gena yellow with uniseriated row of setae; one genal and one postgenal bristle stouter. Occiput yellow, with a very large brown spot reaching eye and foramen magnum. Antenna porrect; scape only brown dorsally, remaining yellow, small, with stout setulae; pedicel brown, inner face yellow, short, with complete ring of setulae apically; postpedicel mostly brown, large and somewhat subrectangular in shape; arista brown, inserted subapically, micropubescent. Thorax. Scutum (Fig. 16) dark brown, except for a V-shaped yellow area, which does not reach transverse suture but extends to scutellum. Scutellum yellowish-white with dark brown stripes laterally. Mesopleuron (Fig. 14) mainly dark brown except for large yellow-white stripe, beginning in postpronotal lobe and reaching metanepisternum; meron almost entirely dark brown spotted medially. Chaetotaxy: 1 stout and three small postpronotals; acrostichal setae irregular, becoming more numerous anteriorly; 5 dorsocentrals, with 1 presutural, and posterior bristle stouter; intra-alar bristles apparently in four somewhat irregular rows, becoming less numerous and larger posteriorly; 1 supra-alar presutural, 1 supra-alar postsutural; 2 postalar, anterior one largest; 3 pairs of scutellars, marginal, basal one shorter, apical one largest; 2 notopleurals; 1 proepisternal, katepisternum with setulae and 2 stouter bristles. Legs. (Fig. 14). Slender, mainly with short seta and setulae. Coxae and trochanters brown. Fore and mid femora with basal half brown and distal half yellow; hind femur entirely brown. Fore and mid tibiae yellow; hind tibia brown with base yellow. Fore tarsomeres brown; mid and hind tarsomeres yellow. Wing. (Fig. 17). Length 2.5 mm. Hyaline. Base of costal vein with 2 stout bristles before humeral weakening and 2 before subcostal break, the latter weaker. Halter yellowish, with whitish knob. Abdomen. (Figs 14, 18–20). Tergites covered with black bristles; mainly brown with lateral and posterior margins yellow, tergite 1 somewhat yellow medially. Sternites 1 and 2 inconspicuous, unsclerotized; sternites 3–5 light yellow, small with a stouter preapical bristle; sternite 6 brown, large, bilobed, with longer bristles laterally, smaller ones on ventral surface and no bristles on anterior and posterior concavity (Figs 19, 20). Terminalia (paratype). (Figs 19–27). Syntergosternite 7+8 brown with a narrow yellow band posteriorly; distinctly shorter than epandrium, with a few sparsely scattered setulae. Epandrium (Fig. 21) brown, elongate, covered with many black setulae. Surstylus (Figs 21–24) elongated, simple. Cercus (Figs 22, 23) setulose, strongly sclerotized, bifid. Subepandrial sclerite with a median projection on baciliform sclerite (Fig. 24). Hypandrium large, somewhat straight, each arm distant from each other (Figs. 25, 26). Phallapodeme rod-like (Figs 25, 26). Phallus long and slender, distiphallus coiled once to a complete circle distally (Fig. 25). Ejaculatory apodeme as in figure 27.

Variations (n = 10). Body length 2.7–3.2 mm (before drying). Wing length 2.4–2.6 mm. The specimens show small variation in size and shape of the postpedicel (Figs 28–31), but the shape of the male terminalia are the same, so we considered all specimens conspecific.

Type Material. The holotype male is labeled: “PERU: Cusco, 19rd km W Quincemil, Rio Araza tributary, 13°20'10"S, 70°50'57"W, 874 m, 23–31.viii.2012, Malaise, R.R. Cavichioli, J.A. Rafael, A.P.M. Santos & D.M. Takiya [collectors]” “ Holotype ♂ Latheticomyia peruana ” (MUSM). PARATYPES: same label as the holotype (34♂ MUSM, 35♂ INPA).

Holotype condition. Specimen previously stored in a tube with 70% ethanol, body a little bit wrinkled.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the country where the specimens were collected, Peru.

Distribution. Peru (Cusco).