Rafaelomyia xavieri Soares & Capellari & Ramos-Pastrana 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Soares, Matheus M. M.
name: Capellari, Renato S.
name: Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Dolichopodidae
Rafaelomyia
Rafaelomyia xavieri

description: Rafaelomyia xavieri Soares & Capellari sp. nov.
(Figs 9, 10)
Diagnosis (males). Body length 3.5–3.7 mm (Fig. 9A); femora mostly yellow, except apical 1/3 of femur III brown to dark brown (Fig. 9A); wing membrane faintly brownish, vein R 2+3 thickened before apex (Fig. 9F); outer branch of cercus with inner long, truncated and bare projection near apex (Fig. 10C, D); hypandrium asymmetrical, somewhat rectangular, apical margin with 2 pointed processes, left process sinuous, curved ventrally and about 2X longer than right process, right process short, directed anteriorly (Fig. 10G, H); phallus lacking preapical process, only narrowing towards apex, basal 1/2 of dorsal edge with a few dentiform processes (Fig. 10F).
Description. Male (Fig. 9A). Body length: 3.5–3.7 mm; wing length: 3.4–3.5 mm, width: 1.1–1.2 mm (n = 2). Head (Fig. 9C). Similar to Rafaelomyia inpa sp. nov. except as noted: Face wider than ocellar tubercle, eyes almost parallel sided. Thorax (Fig. 9A, D). Mostly metallic dark green with bluish reflections. Wing (Fig. 9F). Membrane light brown. R 2+3 nearly straight, thickened before apex; R 4+5 nearly straight, slightly curved posteriorly near apex; M 1 nearly straight and parallel sided with R 4+5; CuAx ratio: 0.4. Legs (Fig. 9A, B). Mostly yellow, except anterior surface of coxa I with short spot near base of outer edge, lateral surface of coxae II and III, tarsus I and II from apical 1/2 of basitarsus and leg III from apical 1/3 of femur III brown to dark brown. Leg I (Fig. 9B). Podomere ratios: 36, 34, 19/7/6/5/5. Femur I with anteroventral row of short sparse setae from base to basal 1/2, 1 longer anteroventral preapical seta, posteroventral row of short erect setae from base to apex, ending in 2 longer setae. Tibia I with 2 anterodorsal conspicuous setae at 1.5/6 and 3.5/6, anterodorsal row of short stout setae from 2/6 to apex, ventral row of long erect setae from 2/6 to apex (MSSC), crown of short stout setae at apex: 1 anterior, 1 antero- and 1 posterodorsal and 1 posterior. Tarsus I: It 1 with posteroventral row of short erect setae from base to apex (MSSC). Leg II (Fig. 9B). Podomere ratios: 38, 37, 23/13/10/6/5. Femur II with anteroventral row of short stout setae, from basal 1.5/6 to apex, ending in 2 more stronger setae, posterior surface mostly bare, with posteroventral row of very short sparse setae, ending in 4 short stout setae. Tibia II with 2 anterodorsal setae at 1.5/6 (long) and 3.5/6 (short), 2 posterodorsal short setae at 1/6 and 3/6, crown of setae at apex: 1 dorsal, 1 antero- and 1 posterodorsal, 1 anteroventral and 1 long ventral seta (about 1/2 as long as IIt 1). Leg III. Podomere ratios: 50, 50, 15/19/12/9/6. Femur III with dorsal row of short setae at basal 1/3, shorter than width of femur at broadest point, 1 long dorsal seta at 5/6, 3 strong ventral setae at basal 1/2, 1 long anteroventral and 1 short posteroventral setae near apex. Tibia III with 4 pairs of long antero- and posterodorsal setae at: 1.5/6, 3/6, 4/6, and apex, 2 anteroventral setae at 2/6 and 4/6, 1 long ventral seta at apex (about 1/2 as long as IIIt 1). Abdomen (Figs 9A, 10A). Mostly dark brown, with weak bluish reflections. Sternite 4 with short concavity at posterior margin. Sternite 6 weakly sclerotized, somewhat subtriangular, with 2 anterior pairs of short setae. Hypopygium (Figs 9E, 10B–H). Pale brownish, somewhat triangular (Figs 9E, 10B). Cercus mostly yellow, about as long as epandrial capsule, divided into two branches (Fig. 10C, D). Outer branch of cercus somewhat digitiform, with rounded apex; inner long, truncated and bare projection near apex, outer edge with row of strong setae; apical edge with long strong setae, apical 1/2 of ventral edge and inner surface covered with a few short, slender yellow setae (Fig. 10C, D). Inner branch short, slender, slightly narrowing towards apex, about 1/2 as long as outer branch; inner edge with slender pale setae, apex with strong black setae (Fig. 10C, D). Surstylus triangular, with pointed apex, about 1/3 as long as epandrial capsule, ventral edge weakly convex, with 2 long setae near base, about 1/2 as long as surstylus and ventral edge with row of short slender setae (Fig. 10B, E). Hypandrium asymmetrical, somewhat rectangular, apical margin with 2 pointed processes, left process sinuous, curved ventrally and about 2X longer than right process; right process short, directed anteriorly (Fig. 10G, H). Phallus about as long as epandrial capsule, narrowing at apex, basal 1/2 of dorsal surface with a few dentiform processes (Fig. 10F). Postgonite noose-shaped, surrounding base of phallus, weakly fused to hypandrial arms (Fig. 10F). Ejaculatory apodeme short and somewhat digitiform, well sclerotized, truncated at apex (Fig. 10F).
Female. Unknown.
Type examined material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 9A) labelled as: “ PERU, Cusco, Quincemil, rio | Araza, 13°21′18″S 70°53′22″ | W, 1000 m, 22–26.viii.2012 | sweep, J.A. Rafael & R.R. Cavichioli ” “HOLOTYPE | Rafaelomyia xavieri | Soares & Capellari [handwritten in red label]” (1 ♂ dissected, MUSM). Holotype condition: Good, not dissect, left postpedicel and left leg III broken off. PARATYPE: Same data as holotype (1 ♂ dissected, INPA).
Etymology. The new species is named after the biologist Francisco Felipe Xavier Filho (INPA) for his essential contribution to the training of hundreds of entomologists and to the collection and discovery of new species of invertebrates in Brazil.
Remarks. Rafaelomyia xavieri sp. nov. is easily recognized by the legs mostly yellow (Fig. 9A, B), femur II with posteroventral row of very short sparse setae, ending in 4 short stout setae near apex (Fig. 9B), vein R 2+3 thickened before apex (Fig. 9F), phallus lacking preapical process and basal 1/2 of dorsal surface with dentiform processes (Fig. 10F).
Distribution. The new species is known to occur only from the type locality in Peru (Fig. 13A, C).
description: Published as part of Soares, Matheus M. M., Capellari, Renato S. & Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany, 2023, Rafaelomyia, a remarkable new genus of South American long-legged flies (Diptera, Dolichopodidae), pp. 151-172 in Zootaxa 5389 (2) on pages 166-170, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5389.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10406732