Mythicomyia curacaoensis Ramos-Pastrana & Córdoba-Suarez & Evenhuis 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany
name: Córdoba-Suarez, Eric
name: Evenhuis, Neal L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Mythicomyiidae
Mythicomyia
Mythicomyia curacaoensis

description: Mythicomyia curacaoensis sp. nov.
Figs 1–4, 11C 1
Diagnosis. Male. Proboscis short, less than height to eye; mesonotum entirely dark brown; m-m crossvein equal in length to r-m crossvein; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur; tergite I dark brown, with a band yellowish on proximal margin centrally; tergites II–VII dark brown, with yellowish spot laterally, larger in tergites II and III; pseudo-surstylus thickened, with apex slightly square and lower tip hook-shaped in lateral view; lateral ejaculatory process elongated, with acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view; anterior arms of parameral sheath long, about 1.3× longer than ejaculatory apodeme, curved and with apex rounded and slightly thickened in lateral view; gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe elongated and with apex rounded, distal lobe short, triangle-shaped, acute apex and with two setae apically, in lateral view.
Description. MALE (holotype). Body length 2 mm; wing length 1 mm. Head (Figs 2A, B). Brown; eyes contiguous for 7 facets; ocellar triangle dark brown gray pruinose, ocelli dark yellow; frons bare, small and triangular-shaped, whitish, with upper tip slightly light brown not depressed medially (Fig. 2B); face whitish; proboscis brown, short, less than height of eye; occiput brown, with sparse whitish and small setae and gray pruinosity (Fig. 2A). Antenna (Figs 2A, C) dark brown, yellowish pruinose; scape minute; pedicel rounded; first flagellomere oval, about 1.8× longer than width; second flagellomere small, about 1.2× longer than width of first, with small subapical stylus. Thorax (Figs 2A, D). Mesonotum entirely dark brown, with gray-brown pruinosity on proximal ½, brown pruinosity on distal ½, with scattered inconspicuous whitish setae; postpronotal lobe whitish; scutellum dark brown, with scattered conspicuous whitish setae (Fig. 2D); pleura dark brown, with sparse gray-yellowish pruinosity, with whitish yellow markings on: proepimeron, upper margin of anepisternum and anepimeron, dorsal ⅓ of katepisternum and dorsal ½ of meron (Fig. 2A). Legs (Fig. 2A). Fore and hind coxae entirely brown, middle coxa brown on proximal ½ and whitish yellow on distal ½; fore and mid femora brown on proximal ½ whitish yellow on distal ½, hind femur thickened on basal ½, thin on apical ½, dark brown on proximal ¾ and whitish yellow on distal ¼; tibiae whitish yellow; tarsi I whitish yellow, tarsi II–V brown; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur. Wing (Fig. 1A, 2F). Hyaline, veins slightly tinged with brown to dark yellow color, costal, R 1, R 4+5 and CuA a little more stained; short and microtrichose except on: proximal ⅓ of cell br and bm and proximal ⅓ of anal lobe; costal vein ending slightly beyond R 4+5; vein Sc weak, incomplete, ending slightly beyond origin of Rs origin; Rs evanescent at connection with R 1; R 2+3 arising approximately ⅔ distance from origin of Rs to r-m crossvein; r-m crossvein at basal ⅐ of cell dm; vein separating cells br and bm not evident; cell dm six-sided; crossvein m-m equal in length to r-m crossvein; crossvein dm-m straight; R 4+5 ending slightly beyond M 1; vein M 1 curved basally; M 2 and M 4 nearly straight; CuA sinuous, complete to wing margin; anal cell open in wing margin; CuP evanescent; anal lobe developed; halter knob brown dorsally, whitish ventrally. Abdomen (Figs 2A, G) with conspicuous whitish setae. Tergite I dark brown, with a band yellowish on proximal margin centrally; tergites II–VII dark brown, with spot yellowish laterally, larger in tergites II and III. Terminalia (Figs 3A–F). Epandrium elongate, clearly not membranous, somewhat triangular-shaped, apex slightly flattened in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), semi-circular, with scattered setae dorsally in posterior view (Figs 3C, D). Pseudo-surstylus thickened, with margins sinuous, apex slightly square and lower tip hook-shaped in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), triangular-shaped, with acute apex in posterior view (Figs 3C, D). Cercus elongated, with scattered setae on the upper ¾ in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), triangular-shaped with scattered setae medially in posterior view (Figs 3C, D). Ejaculatory apodeme large, somewhat rounded-shaped in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), long, thin and with slightly acute apex and directed-forward in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Lateral ejaculatory process elongated, with acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), about 0.5× shorter than ejaculatory apodeme, thin basally, thickened medially and with acute apex, sideways-directed in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Phallus teardrop-shaped, in lateral and dorsal view (Figs 3A, B, E, F), basiphallus about 2× longer than distiphallus, distiphallus simple with single apical opening in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Parameral sheath large, simple, with two paired lobed projections divergent in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Anterior arms of parameral sheath long, about 1.3× longer than ejaculatory apodeme, curved and with apex rounded and slightly thickened in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), with apex acute and divergent in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe elongated and with apex rounded, distal lobe short, triangle-shaped, acute apex and with two setae apically, in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), with the appearance of three lobes, the two distal lobes smaller and with rounded edges, the proximal large ones with sinuous edges and proximal margin with apex slightly rounded in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F). Gonostylus downward-directed, similar in length to basiphallus, thickened basally, thin apically, rounded apex and with row of setae on distal margin in lateral view (Figs 3A, B), somewhat triangular-shaped and margins slightly sinuous in dorsal view (Figs 3E, F).
FEMALE. (Figs 4A–F). Like male, differing in the following aspects: Body length 1.7 mm; wing length 0.9 mm. Head (Figs 4A, B). Brown, except gena, whitish; eyes separated at vertex by approximately 2× distance posterior ocelli; frons with both areas sinuously separated, shiny, slightly depressed medially, with inconspicuous yellow seta scattered (Fig. 4B). Thorax (Figs 4A, C). Mesonotum margins whitish yellow, including oval interhumeral mark; ¾ of notopleuron, supra-alar area and postalar callus whitish; scutellum entirely yellow; pleura with whitish yellow markings on: proepimeron, upper ¼ of anepisternum, upper ¼ of anepimeron, upper ⅓ of katepisternum, upper ⅓ of meron. Legs (Fig. 4A). Same coloration pattern as the male, only the brown coloration is lighter. Abdomen (Figs 4A, D). Tergite I whitish yellow, with two spot dark brown centrally, tergites II–IV dark brown with distal margin whitish yellow, tergite V with proximal ½ dark brown, distal ½ whitish yellow, tergites VI–VII whitish yellow, with proximal margin dark brown. Terminalia (Figs 4E, F). Genital fork U-shaped, anterior margin arched with lower margin slightly acute, inner posterior projection convergent distally, interrupted medially, outer projection simple, long and divergent, projecting posterolaterally (Figs 4E, F); common duct indistinct, basal plate hyaline; sperm pump tubular with smooth surface, rounded and membranous (Figs 4E, F); proximal spermathecal duct about 1.5× longer than sperm pump (Figs 4E, F); distal spermathecal duct about 5× length of proximal duct, translucent (Figs 4E, F); valve indistinct; spermathecal reservoir strongly sclerotized, brown, thin on proximal ½, thickened on distal ²⁄₄ and gradually thinning on distal ¼, at its widest point, about 2× thickness of sperm pump, without glandular trichomes (Figs 4E, F).
Type material. HOLOTYPE. Male: CURAÇAO, Coral Specht, 3 km, E. Willemstad, 8–15.February.1987, W.E. Steiner & J.M. Swearingen Leg. (1 ♂ USNM) / Malaise trap in mesquite-acacia desert scrub near coast (photographed specimen). PARATYPES. idem (12 ♂ USNM); idem (4 ♂ LEUA); idem (4 ♂ BPBM); idem (12 ♀ USNM); idem (4 ♀ LEUA); idem (4 ♀ BPBM).
Etymology. The species name refers to Curaçao, where the holotype was collected (Fig. 4C).
Geographical distribution. Curaçao (Willemstad) (Fig. 4C 1).
Taxonomic notes. In males Mythicomyia curacaoensis sp. nov. runs to M. hyalinipennis in couplet 5 of the key in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024). It differs from M. hyalinipennis by the antennae being dark brown and having pedicel wider than longer (Fig. 2C) (versus antennae black, pedicel as wide as long); hind leg with basitarsus modified, excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur (Fig. 2E) (versus hind leg with basitarsus I unmodified); cercus flattened in lateral view (Figs 3A, B) [versus cercus rounded in lateral view, see fig. 20 in Hall (1976)]; ejaculatory apodeme large, somewhat rounded-shaped in lateral view (Figs 3A, B) [versus ejaculatory apodeme thin basally, thickened apically, with apex slightly truncated in lateral view, see fig. 20 in Hall (1976)]; anterior arms of parameral sheath with rounded apex in lateral view (Figs 3A, B) [versus anterior arms of parameral sheath with acute apex in lateral view, see fig. 20 in Hall (1976)]; gonocoxa subdivided, with apex rounded anterior lobe in lateral view (Figs 3A, B) [versus gonocoxa simple, without a rounded anterior lobe, see fig. 20 in Hall (1976)]. In females M. curacaoensis sp. nov. runs to M. iskay Sánchez & Evenhuis in couplet 12 of the key in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024). It differs from M. iskay by having mesonotum with broad whitish yellow margins, in dorsal view (Fig. 4C) [versus mesonotum with narrow yellow margins, see fig. 34 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; scutellum entirely whitish yellow (Fig. 4C) [versus scutellum yellowish, usually with subtriangular brown suffusion at middle, see fig. 34 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; sperm pump subequal to genital fork and 0.5× shorter than spermathecal reservoir (Figs 4E, F) [versus sperm pump 1.5× as long as genital fork and ⅗ length of spermathecal reservoir, see fig. 37 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; spermathecal reservoir thin on proximal ½, thickened on distal ²⁄₄ and gradually thinning on distal ¼, at its widest point and somewhat acute apex (Figs 4E, F) [versus spermathecal reservoir homogeneous in thickness throughout its length, with a rounded apex, see fig. 37 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)].
description: Published as part of Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany, Córdoba-Suarez, Eric & Evenhuis, Neal L., 2025, First records of Mythicomyia Coquillett, 1893 (Diptera: Mythicomyiidae: Mythicomyiinae) from Central America, with description of three new species and an updated key to Neotropical species, pp. 69-90 in Zootaxa 5621 (1) on pages 70-76, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5621.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/15220029