Paraclius vulcanoae Soares & Capellari & Ale-Rocha 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Soares, Matheus M. M.
name: Capellari, Renato S.
name: Ale-Rocha, Rosaly
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Dolichopodidae
Paraclius
Paraclius vulcanoae

description: Paraclius vulcanoae sp. nov.
(Figs 4, 5, 6, 7)
Diagnosis (males). Clypeus protruding, longer than face and pointed below, ending close to lower eye margin (Figs 4A, 5A, B). Postpedicel wider than long, shorter than scape and pedicel combined; arista-like stylus one segmented, 2X longer than eye height, with lamella at middle and apex, bare, except for dorsal pubescence on lamellae, apical lamella wider than long, truncated at apex (Fig. 4A).
Description. Male (Fig. 4B, holotype). Body length: 5.2 mm; wing: 5.6 mm long, wide: 2 mm. Head (Figs 4A, 5A, B). Distinctly wider than high. Postocular setae white, ending in 1 stronger seta below, 6 upper-most black. Frons rectangular, about 4X wider than long, dark metallic green, obscured by dense silvery pruinosity. Face about 1.25X higher than wide, wider than ocellar tubercle; yellowish gray, covered with silvery pruinosity, mostly evident on sides of face, and yellowish pruinosity at middle. Clypeus protruding, 2X longer than wide and 2X longer than face, lower margin pointed, ending close to lower eye margin; clypeus yellow, covered with yellow pruinosity, clypeal suture inconspicuous. Palpus yellow, subtriangular, with central region bare, shiny, and ventral edge covered with a few yellow setae, lacking apical stronger seta. Proboscis yellow, labellum with a few short pale setae, and 1 stronger seta at apex. One pair of divergent strong ocellar setae and 1 pair of tiny postocellar setae; 1 pair of strong vertical setae; 1 pair of short paravertical setae, slightly longer than upper-most postocular seta. Postcranium dark green, covered with silvery pruinosity, lower margin of postcranium with 6 strong white setae, 1 strong white seta and a few slender white hairs below occiput. Antenna inserted on top of head, orangish yellow, except arista brown; scape 2X longer than pedicel, with apical projection curved apically, dorsal surface covered with short black setae; pedicel shorter than postpedicel, arising dorsally from scape, with crown of setae; postpedicel about 2X wider than long, with rounded apex, covered with short whitish pubescence; arista-like stylus dorsal, arising from upper-edge of postpedicel at middle, one segmented, 2X longer than eye height, with lamella at middle and apex, bare, except for dorsal pubescence on lamellae, apical lamella wider than long, truncated, with whitish pubescence at apex. Thorax (Figs 4B, 5C). Metallic dark green, with weak coppery reflections, except for postpronotal lobe, region above notopleuron and extending to postalar callus brown, mesonotum covered with weak silvery pruinosity, dense on anterior 0.5/6 of mesonotum, lateral margins of postpronotal lobe and entire notopleuron. Scutellum concolorous with mesonotum. Pleura mostly brownish gray, with greenish reflections and covered by silvery pruinosity, except metepisternum (around posterior spiracle yellow); metepimeron gray. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with row of strong black setae; anterior 0.5/6 of mesonotum covered with short black setae; acrostichals biseriate, ending at fourth dorsocentral setae; 6 pairs of dorsocentral setae increasing in length posteriorly; 1 pre-, 1 sutural and 1 postsutural intra-alars; 2 strong supra-alar setae, 1 positioned between postpronotal lobe and notopleuron and 1 near postalar callus; 1 strong and 2 short postpronotals; 2 strong notopleurals, 1 at middle of lower edge and 1 at posterior margin of notopleuron; 1 strong postalar; scutellum with 1 pair of strong medial setae, 1 pair of smaller setae laterad about 1/4 as long as medial scutellars; upper and lower surface of proepisternum with a few short, slender pale setae and lower surface with 1 stronger black seta directed anteroventrally; metepisternum with row of a few slender pale setae. Wing (Fig. 5D). Membrane light brown, mostly dark on anterior half of wing, veins brown. Costa ending close wing apex, at vein M 1; R 1 ending at basal 3/8 of wing; R 2+3 nearly straight, R 4+5 slightly curved posteriorly at apex; last section of vein M 1 straight at base, gradually curved towards R 4+5 at apical 6/8; maximum width of cell r 4+5 /length of dm-m: 0.9; bm+dm ending at apical 5/8 of wing, dm-m straight; M 4 and CuA+CuP not reaching wing margin; length of crossvein dm-m/last part of M 4 (“CuAx ratio”): 1.75. Lower calypter yellow with blackish cilia; halter yellow. Legs (Fig. 4B). Yellow, except lateral surface of coxa II, apex of femur III with narrow spot dorsally, tarsus I from apex of It 1, tarsus II from apical 1/3 of IIt 1 and entirely tarsus III brownish. Leg I. Podomere ratios: 60, 55, 31/12/10/8/7. Anterior surface of coxa I covered by silvery pruinosity, with short pale setae, outer edge with 2 strong setae near apex, apical edge with 1 strong and 3–4 less conspicuous setae. Femur I covered by vestiture of short black setae, except ventral surface mostly bare, one anteroventral row of subequally long setae at apical 1/2, 3 conspicuous posterodorsal preapical setae, apicalmost longer than preceding setae. Tibia I with 1 pair of antero- and posterodorsal setae at 2/6, 1 anterodorsal seta at 3/6, 1 dorsal at 3.5/6 and 1 dorsal and 1 posterodorsal preapical. It 1 with 1 short basiventral seta, ventral surface from apex of It 1 to It 4 with pile of whitish setae (MSSC). Leg II. Podomere ratios: 80, 80, 32/20/15/10/8. Anterior surface of coxa II covered by silvery pruinosity and a few short pale setae, outer edge with one row of setae increasing in length from basal 1/3 ending in 2 strong setae, 1 at middle and 1 near apex, apical edge with 3 conspicuous setae. Femur II covered by short vestiture of black setae, except ventral surface mostly bare, with anteroventral row of short setae decreasing in length from base to 3/6, 1 short anteroventral preapical seta, and 1 stronger anterior seta at 5/6, 2 short posteroventral preapical setae. Tibia II with 3 pairs of antero- and posterodorsal setae at 1/6 (about half length of second pair), 1.5/6, and 3.5/6, 1 anterodorsal seta at 2/6, 2 anteroventral setae at 2.5/6 and 4/6, 1 posteroventral seta at 4.5/6, one crown of setae at apex: 1 antero- and 1 posterodorsal, 1 dorsal, 1 antero- and 1 posteroventral. IIt 1 with 1 short basiventral seta. Leg III. Podomere ratios: 80, 98, 33, 35, 22, 14, 10. Apical edge of coxa III with 3–4 longer pale setae, lateral surface with 1 long seta at middle and 1 short at apex. Femur III 1.3X wider than femur II at broadest point, femur III covered by short vestiture of black setae, except ventral surface mostly bare, 1 stronger anterodorsal seta at 4.5/6, and 1 short anteroventral preapical seta, one short ventral to anteroventral row of pale short setae from basal 1/6 to apical 4/6, 2 short posteroventral preapical setae. Tibia III with 3 pairs of antero- and posterodorsal setae, 1 short, about 1/3 as long as second pair at 1/6, 1 at 1.5/6 and 1 at 2.5/6, 1 dorsal seta at 3/6, 1 anterodorsal at 3.5/6, 1 dorsal, 1 ventral and 1 anterodorsal preapical seta, 1 ventral seta at 4.5/6, one row of short, sparse and erected setae from basal 1.5/6 to apical 4.5/6. IIIt 1 with 1 short basiventral seta. Abdomen (Fig. 4B). About 1.5X longer than thorax. Dark brown, with greenish reflections. Tergites 1–5 setose, posterior margin with long and strong setae, with wide lateral patches of silvery pruinosity. Tergite 6 bare. Segment 7 brown, bare, short, well sclerotized. Sternite 8 brown, homogeneously covered with long black setae. Hypopygium (Fig. 6). Epandrium dark brown, subrectangular, about 2X longer than wide (Fig. 6A). Basiventral epandrial lobe long, with rounded apex, and 1 short medioventral seta (Fig. 6A, B). Apicoventral epandrial lobe wider than long, somewhat fan-shaped, slightly shorter than cercus, outer edge with 2 short setae (Fig. 6B, C). Hypandrium divided in two asymmetrical short arms, left arm curved, with well sclerotized hook-shaped apex, right arm sinuous, slightly narrowing at apex, both shorter than phallus (Fig. 6B, C). Basal 2/3 of phallus tubular, widening apically, with 1 long right lateral process, branched at apex (Fig. 6B, C, G). Ventral lobe of surstylus longer than dorsal lobe, somewhat digitiform, narrowing at apex, with 1 short dorsal seta at basal 1/3 and 1 long apical seta (Fig. 6C, F). Dorsal lobe of surstylus with 1 short dorsal digitiform projection near base, apex bifurcated, ventral projection short and rounded, dorsal projection long and mostly membranous (Fig. 6C, E). Postgonite plain, shorter than ventral lobe of surstylus, slightly curved ventrally and weakly sclerotized at apex (Fig. 6C, F). Sperm pump shorter than epandrium, but as long as ejaculatory apodeme, almost tubular, folded back on itself (Fig. 6B, C). Ejaculatory apodeme sinuous, well sclerotized and laterally flattened (Fig. 6B, C). Cercus yellow with apical margin dark brown, subrectangular, with short apical projection, covered with yellowish setae (Fig. 6A, D). Female. Unknown.
Type material. HOLOTYPE ♁, labelled: “[BRAZIL] São Paulo | Campos do Jordão [ca 22°44′17.3″S 45°36′35.7″W] | 29.xii.1944 | F. Lane col.”; “25657”; “ Sybistroma | americana | Schin.” [handwritten]; “O gen. Sybis | troma é | Europeu | A espécie | america- | na deve | ser um no- | vo gênero” [The genus Sybistroma is European, and the species americana should be a new genus] [handwritten]; “ HOLOTYPE | Paraclius vulcanoae | Soares, Capellari & Ale-Rocha [red label]” (MZUSP). Holotype in good condition, terminalia dissected and stored in microvial on the same pin, both wings damaged, right IIIt 5 broken off.
Remarks. This species is closely related to Paraclius americanus comb. nov. as discussed above (see “Remarks” under P. americanus comb. nov.). The new species can be differentiated by lower margin of clypeus pointed (Figs 4A, 5A) (lower margin of clypeus straight in P. americanus comb. nov. (Fig. 1D)), basiventral epandrial lobe rounded at apex, apicoventral epandrial lobe wider than long, somewhat fan-shaped (Fig. 6B, C) (basiventral epandrial lobe hook-shaped and apicoventral epandrial lobe longer than wide in P. americanus comb. nov. (Capellari 2013, fig. 5)). In addition, the two species share a sperm pump folded over itself, but evidently shorter in P. vulcanoae sp. nov. (Fig. 6C). Grichanov (1998) suggested that differences in the orientation of the hypandrium-phallus apparatus in species of Acropsilus Mik might be due by copulation (hypandrium and phallus would lay perpendicularly to each other after copulation). In a similar way, the shorter sperm pump in P. vulcanoae sp. nov. compared to that of P. americanus comb. nov. could be a by-product of copulation, including the perpendicular orientation of hypandrium and phallus seen in the holotype (Fig. 6A, B), as presumed by Grichanov (1998) for mated specimens of Acropsilus.
Etymology. The new species is named after Maria Aparecida Vulcano (in memoriam), who was one of the precursors of the MZUSP Diptera collection during the 1940s. She wrote the handwritten label on the holotype mentioned above and the patronym acknowledges her insight while first identifying the specimen.
Distribution. Brazil (state of S„o Paulo).This species is known to occur only in the Atlantic Forest biome (Fig. 7).
description: Published as part of Soares, Matheus M. M., Capellari, Renato S. & Ale-Rocha, Rosaly, 2023, Species of Paraclius Loew (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) with bi-lamellate antennal stylus: new combination, new synonym, and two new species, pp. 37-51 in Zootaxa 5231 (1) on pages 44-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5231.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7574093