Metatrichia venezuelensis, Winterton, Shaun L. & Woodley, Norman E., 2009

Winterton, Shaun L. & Woodley, Norman E., 2009, New species of Metatrichia Coquillett (Diptera: Scenopinidae) from Australia and Venezuela, Zootaxa 2094, pp. 42-51 : 45-49

Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D4C42A6B-2E8A-45A7-8135-427438F1C21B ( Figs. 4–7 , 8 C–D)

Type material. Holotype male, VENEZUELA: Guarico, 10 km E. of Calabozo, 18.iii.1982, G.F & J.F. Hevel ( NMNH).

Paratypes, VENEZUELA: 3 females, Guarico, 10 km E. of Calabozo, 18.iii. 1982, G. F & J.F. Hevel ( NMNH).

Diagnosis. Thorax black with pale brownish areas on pleura and yellowish-cream colouration on postpronotal lobes, postalar calli, a narrow notopleural stripe, and posterior part of anepimeron and anterior part of katatergite; head with lower frons and face pale cream coloured; head and body with extensive white scale-like setae; abdomen tan coloured, without ivory-white patch on tergites.

Description. Body length: male 4.0 mm, female 3.9–5.0 mm. Head. Glossy black, lower frons and face pale cream-white coloured, light brown around base of antenna; white scale-like setae on frons, ocellar tubercle and occipital margins; frons narrowed dorsally so that eyes briefly contiguous in male, female frons wider than ocellar tubercle at narrowest point and slightly protruding anteriorly; ocellar tubercle raised; occiput flat to slightly concave; male with postocular ridge narrow, without macrosetae, female with postocular ridge broad, rounded and covered with white scale-like setae; gena covered with short pale setae; parafacia narrow, glabrous; mouthparts well developed, dark brown; antenna light brown, overlain with very short silvery pubescence. Thorax. Prothorax largely tan, scutum, scutellum, most of anepisternum, entire katepisternum, anterior part of anepimeron and lower part of meron black, yellowish-cream colouration present on postpronotal lobe, postalar callus, a narrow notopleural stripe that extends onto dorsal portion of anepisternum and katatergite; scutum, scutellum, anepisternum, and katepisternum overlain with silver-white, scale-like setae; coxae, and legs brown with pale setae on coxae and femora, tarsomeres pale basally; haltere stem light brown with cream knob; wing whitish in male with pale veins, hyaline with darker veins in female. Abdomen. Light tan-brown, paler laterally, overlain with very short glaucous pubescence dorsally, without any scale-like setae; posterior margins of tergites 1–7 cream coloured, short pale setae laterally. Male genitalia ( Figs. 8 C–D): Epandrium sub-triangular in lateral view, halves not completely covering gonocoxites ventrally, sclerotised along posteromedial margins; cerci tubular around hypoproct; gonocoxite with narrow, medially directed triangular process along ventral surface; gonocoxal apodeme relatively broad and spatulate in lateral view; gonostylus narrowly triangular; hypandrium in two halves, posteriorly directed knob-like process medially; distiphallus short, broad with briefly narrowed apex, bifurcating arms of distiphallus slightly divergent in ventral view; ventral apodeme deflexed ventrally; ejaculatory apodeme large, spatulate.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country of origin of this species.

Comments. We are presenting a key here to the extant species of Metatrichia from the New World, primarily to show the differences between M. venezuelensis and the other two species found in the region, M. bulbosa and M. robusta . However, we are cognizant of the fact that additional Neotropical Metatrichia species remain undescribed, as noted below.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.: Holotype male, dorsal. Body length = 4.0 mm.

FIGURE 5. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.: Holotype male, lateral. Body length = 4.0 mm.

FIGURE 6. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.: Paratype female, dorsal. Body length = 4.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.: Paratype female, lateral. Body length = 4.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Metatrichia dhimurru sp. nov.: A, male genitalia, dorsal view; B, same, lateral view. Metatrichia venezuelensis sp. nov.: C. male genitalia, dorsal view; D, same, lateral view. Abbreviations: c, cercus; d, distiphallus; e, epandrium; ea, ejaculatory apodeme; ga, gonocoxal apodeme; gs, gonostylus; gx, gonocoxite; hy, hypandrium; va, ventral apodeme. Scale lines: 0.2 mm.