Mesembrinella epandrioaurantia Whitworth, sp. nov.

(Figs 31–32, 121–122, 203, 247, 291, 335, 420, 460, 488, 492)

Diagnosis. A small blue-black fly averaging 9.2 mm (8–11/5) in length. Abdomen with distinctive orange area on tip of T 5 in both sexes (Fig. 492) vs. tip of T5 and epandrium shiny blue in M. woodorum sp. nov. Male with ST5 of distinctive shape (Fig. 247); epandrium, cerci and surstyli of distinctive shape (Figs 31–32).

Description. Male. Head. Frons 0.045 (0.04–0.05/5) of head width at narrowest, about equal to width of frontoorbital; fronto-orbital narrow and silvery; frontal vitta brown, significantly narrowed midway; frontal setae ascending about 60% of distance to vertex; parafacial bluish with silvery tomentum; gena and postgena bluish with silvery tomentum, most of gena with black setae, lower edge with pale setae; postgena entirely with pale setae; occiput with silvery tomentum and pale silky setae; median occipital sclerite shiny orange; palpus typical; antenna: pedicel and first flagellomere brown with whitish tomentum, setae on pedicel dark brown; eye facets small, median facets slightly larger than lateral facets; ocellar triangle medium-sized, anterior ocellus slightly larger than posterior ocelli; frontal ridge with only 2–3 stout supravibrissal setae at base.

Thorax. Dorsum and pleura bluish with pale tomentum forming faint stripes; chaetotaxy: ac 0:0, dc 1:2, ia 0, ph 1, ppn 2x 2, kat 1:1, meral setae typical, 1 crossed ap, 1 stout bas, 0 disc, usually no other setae on scutellum; subscutellum weakly developed; spiracles medium-sized and brown; anterior spiracular opening long and narrow, gradually widening above (Fig. 6); legs entirely brown except femora orange distally; tarsal claws brown with black tips, pads white. Wing hyaline with narrow yellowish area in costal cell near costa; basal cells and veins darkened; subcostal sclerite with pubescence only; basicosta and tegula brown; section IV 0.16 of section III; upper and lower calypters with rim and disc tan, small area of upper calypter whitish; rim of upper calypter with short reddish-brown setae, rim of lower calypter with long reddish-brown setae.

Abdomen bluish with white tomentum except tip of T5; disc of T5 with only weak, fine setae. Terminalia bright orange (Fig. 492); in posterior view, epandrium with broad suture midway (Fig. 32); epandrium, cerci and surstyli very unusual in shape; in lateral view surstylus long and slender, extending forward under epandrium and curving down and slightly backward; cercus short, slender and straight, widely separated from surstylus (Figs 31–32); phallus in lateral view with long, slender epiphallus gently curved backward (Fig. 121); in dorsal view with narrow hypophallic lobes (Fig. 122); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite and ST6 as in Fig. 203; sternites unusual: ST3–4 small, ST 5 of unusual shape (Fig. 247).

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.186 (0.18–0.20/3) of head width at narrowest. T6 of OU shape, recessed posteriorly midway; T7 unusually wide, weakened midway; T8 as separate sclerites (Fig. 291); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 335; ST1–5 with ST2 large about 3x sclerite ST3 (Fig. 420).

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂* (Venezuela, Yaracuy; MJMO; Fig. 460), labeled: Venezuela. Yaracuy / Cocorote Sector El / Candelo. 1650 m / 4–10/XI/2002 / 10°36ʹ886ʺN 68°82ʹ628ʺW; Cols: R. Briceño; A. / Chacón; J. Clavijo; F. / Díaz; R. Paz.; E. Arcaya; / L. Joly / Proyecto S 1-2000000479 ; HOLOTYPE / Mesembrinella / epandrioaurantia / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀ ♦* (TLW309): same data as holotype except 17–20.x.2001 (MJMO).

PARATYPES: Venezuela, Yaracuy. 1 ♂*, 2 ♂♂♦ (TLW307, 310), 1 ♀, Cocorote, Sector El Candelo, 10°36ʹ886ʺN 66°82ʹ628ʺW, 1600 m, 4–10.xi.2002, R. Briceño et al. (MJMO) ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ ♦* (TLW308), same data except 17–20.x.2001 (MJMO); 1 ♂ ♦ (TLW306), same data except 15–21.x.2001 (MJMO); 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ *, Aragua, Colonia Tovar, 22.xii.1985, P. Kovarik (TAMU) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, same data except 2300 m, 10.iii.1996, sweep, steep forest trail, S.A. Marshall (UGG) .

Distribution. Venezuela.

Remarks. Five specimens (TLW 306–310) were barcoded, and they all grouped together in our analysis (Fig. 488).

Etymology. The species name epandrioaurantia refers to the bright orange tip of the abdomen in both sexes, especially distinctive in males, where the whole epandrium is orange. The name is a combination of the word epandrium and the Latin aurantium (orange).