Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth, 2019

Whitworth, Terry L. & Yusseff-Vanegas, Sohath, 2019, A revision of the genera and species of the Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 4659 (1), pp. 1-146 : 137-138

Mesembrinella velasquezae Whitworth , sp. nov.

( Figs 97–98 , 187–188 , 236 , 279 , 323 , 367 , 408 , 452 , 485 )

Diagnosis. A large fly averaging 15.2 mm (14–16/5) in length. Stem vein bare; distal 2/3 of wing infuscated from costa to vein R 4+5 and also around vein M; dorsum of abdomen without pale tomentose pits; section IV of wing 0.63 of section III; supravibrissal setae bright orange and in a broad cluster ascending about 40% of distance to antennal base; all legs reddish; subcostal sclerite with long, pale setae. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli as in Figs 97–98 . Female terminalia as in Fig. 323 .

Description. Male. Head. Frons narrow, 0.018 (0.015 –0.020 /5) of head width at narrowest. Frons, parafacial, pedicel, first flagellomere and gena orange with pale whitish tomentum; frontal setae ascending about 40% of distance to vertex; frontal vitta obliterated at about 40% of distance to vertex; gena orange with pale tomentum and horizontal row of stout, dark setae at ventral edge, otherwise with few weak, reddish setae; postgena orange with fine golden setae; occiput with dense yellowish tomentum and pale setae; median occipital sclerite shiny dark orange; antenna entirely orange; palpus typical; eye with median facets about 2x size of lateral facets; ocellar triangle small, anterior ocellus about 2x size of posterior ocelli; supravibrissal setae bright orange, forming broad cluster over about 1/2 of distance to antennal base.

Thorax. Dorsum dark orange with four irregular pale tomentose stripes; pleura orange; chaetotaxy: ac 2:1, dc 2:3, ia 0 in most specimens, sometimes a small seta present, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 2:1, meron with long, slender orange setae in form of an inverted L, 1 pair converging ap, sa and lat absent, 1 stout bas, 1 weak pb, 1 disc; subscutellum moderately developed; spiracles large, pale yellow; legs entirely orange. Wing with dark infuscation from costa to vein R 4+5 and around vein M; subcostal sclerite setose; basicosta and tegula orange; section IV 0.63 of section III; discs of upper and lower calypters faintly orange; rim of upper calypter dark with short pale orange setae, rim of lower calypter pale with long pale orange setae.

Abdomen. T1+2 and anterior 2/3 of T3 yellow-orange with whitish tomentum, rear margin of T3 blue-black, dorsum of T4 blue-black, T4yellow orange laterally; T5 entirely blue-black; rear of T4 with row of stout marginal setae, posterior margin of T5 with row of short, fine setae; disc of T5 with dense, medium-long, fine setae only. Terminalia. Surstylus in lateral view with slight backward curve, cercus with apical hook ( Fig. 97 ); in posterior view, bases of cerci broad, then gradually narrowing to tip ( Fig. 98 ); phallus in lateral view as in Fig. 187 ; in dorsal view, hypophallic lobes narrow ( Fig. 188 ); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite and ST6 as in Fig. 236 ; ST2–5 broad, as in Fig. 279 .

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.25 (0.24–0.26/5) of head width at narrowest. T6 of OV shape, posterior edge with an inverted V incision midway; T7 narrowed midway with suture; T8 as separate sclerites; epiproct divided ( Fig. 323 ); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 367 ; spermathecae filiform ( Fig. 408 ); ST1–5 as in Fig. 452 .

Type material. Venezuela, Lara. HOLOTYPE ♂* ( MJMO; Fig. 485 ), labeled: VENEZUELA, Edo. Lara / PN Yacambú-El blanquito / 11-16/03/02 / Leg : -; HOLOTYPE / Mesembrinella / velasquezae / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀: Venezuela, Trujillo. P.N. Guaramacal, 09°19ʹ02ʺN 70°15ʹ48ʺW, 1480 m, 14–20.ii.2002, R. Briceñò, A. Chacán, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly, Proyecto S 1–2000000479 ( INBIO).

PARATYPES: Venezuela, Lara. 1 ♂, PN Yacambu, El Blanquito , 11–16.iii.2002, R. Briceño, A. Chacón, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly, Proyecto S1–2000000479 ( MJMO) . Trujillo. 1 ♂*, 1 ♀ *, 1 ♀, P.N. Guaramacal, 09°19ʹ02ʺN 70°15ʹ48ʺW, 1480 m, 14–20.ii.2002, R. Briceño, A. Chacán, J. Clavijo, F. Díaz, R. Paz., E. Arcaya, L. Joly ( MJMO) ; 1 ♀ *, 1 ♀, P.N. Guaramacal , 15–20.x.2001, [no collector] ( MJMO) ; 2 ♂♂, Barinis, San Isidro , 14 km Sur La Soledad, 1500 m, 30–31.v.1975, R.E. Dietz ( MIZA) .

Distribution. Venezuela.

Remarks. Amplification of barcodes was attempted for six specimens, but failed for all.

Etymology. The species name velasquezae was chosen in honor of Yelitza Velásquez, a Venezuelan entomologist who provided much of the material from Venezuela examined for this project.

Figures

FIGURES 93–98. Left lateral and posterior views of epandrium, cerci and surstyli of Mesembrinella spp. 93–94. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 95–96. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 97–98. M. velasquezae sp. nov.

FIGURES 183–192. Left lateral and dorsal views of phallus of Mesembrinella. 183–184. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 185–186. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 187–188. M. velasquezae sp. nov. 189–190. M. anomala (Guimar„es). 191–192. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich).

FIGURES 236–238. Male terminalia of Mesembrinella spp. (a = T6, STS7+8; b = pre- and postgonite; c = ejaculatory sclerite; d = ST6; e = hypandrium). 236. M. velasquezae sp. nov. 237. M. anomala (Guimar„es). 238. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich).

FIGURES 266–279. Male sternites of Mesembrinella spp. 266. M. currani Guimar„es. 267. M. cyaneicincta (Surcouf). 268. M. flavicrura Aldrich. 269. M. longicercus sp. nov. 270. M. peregrina Aldrich. 271. M. pictipennis Aldrich (ST5 only). 272. M. quadrilineata (Fabricius). 273. M. randa (Walker). 274. M. semihyalina Mello. 275. M. serrata sp. nov. 276. M. socors (Walker). 277. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 278. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 279. M. velasquezae sp. nov.

FIGURES 318–323. Female terminalia (T6–T8, epiproct, cerci) of Mesembrinella spp., dorsal view. 318. M. semihyalina Mello. 319. M. serrata sp. nov. 320. M. socors (Walker). 321. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 322. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 323. M. velasquezae sp. nov.

FIGURES 350–369. ST6–8 and hypoproct of Mesembrinellidae. 350. M. bicolor (Fabricius). 351. M. brunnipes Surcouf. 352. M. bullata sp. nov. 353. M. chantryi sp. nov. 354. M. currani Guimar„es. 355. M. cyaneicincta (Surcouf). 356. M. flavicrura Aldrich. 357. M. longicercus sp. nov. 358. M. peregrina Aldrich. 359. M. pictipennis Aldrich. 360. M. quadrilineata (Fabricius). 361. M. randa (Walker). 362. M. semihyalina Mello. 363. M. serrata sp. nov. 364. M. socors (Walker). 365. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 366. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 367. M. velasquezae sp. nov. 368. M. anomala (Guimar„es). 369. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich).

FIGURES 401–410. Spermathecae of Mesembrinellidae. 401. Mesembrinella quadrilineata (Fabricius). 402. M. randa (Walker). 403. M. semihyalina Mello. 404. M. serrata sp. nov. 405. M. socors (Walker). 406. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 407. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 408. M. velasquezae sp. nov. 409. M. anomala (Guimar„es). 410. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich).

FIGURES 439–453. Female sternites of Mesembrinella spp. 439. M. currani Guimar„es. 440. M. cyaneicincta (Surcouf). 441. M. flavicrura Aldrich. 442. M. longicercus sp. nov. 443. M. peregrina Aldrich. 444. M. pictipennis Aldrich. 445. M. quadrilineata (Fabricius). 446. M. randa (Walker). 447. M. semihyalina Mello. 448. M. serrata sp. nov. 449. M. socors (Walker). 450. M. townsendi Guimar„es. 451. M. umbrosa Aldrich. 452. M. velasquezae sp. nov. 453. M. anomala (Guimar„es).

FIGURES 484–487. Lateral habitus and labels of holotypes. 484. M. umbrosa Aldrich (USNM). 485. M. velasquezae sp. nov. (MJMO). 486. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich) (USNM). 487. M. guaramacalensis sp. nov. (MJMO).