Rafaelomyia exu 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 exu

description: Rafaelomyia exu Soares & Capellari sp. nov.
(Figs 3–4)
Diagnosis (males). Body length 3.3–4.0 mm (Fig. 3A); femora mostly brown to dark brown except base and apex of all femora yellow (Fig. 3A); femur II with antero- and posteroventral rows of long and strong setae (Fig. 3B, D); vein R 2+3 thickened at middle (Fig. 3F); cercus unbranched (Fig. 4C, D); hypandrium with a deeply concavity at apex, forming two narrow lobes, each lobe with pointed apex (Fig. 4H, I); phallus trident-shaped at apex, lateral processes of phallus bifurcated at apex (Fig. 4G).
Description. Male (Fig. 3A). Body length 3.3–4.0 mm; wing length: 3.1–3.5 mm, width: 0.9–1.0 mm (n = 5). Head (Fig. 3A). Similar to Rafaelomyia inpa sp. nov. except as noted: face slightly narrowing at middle, as wide as ocellar tubercle; arista-like stylus about 3/4 as long as eye height. Thorax (Fig. 3C). Mesonotum mostly metallic dark green. Wing (Fig. 3A, F). Mostly hyaline, slightly brownish on anterior margin; R 2+3 thickened at middle. Legs (Fig. 3A, B, D). Mostly brown to dark brown, except apex of coxa I, all trochanters and base and apex of all femora yellow to dark yellow. Leg I (Fig. 3B). Podomere ratios: 37, 31, 20/6/5/4/4. Outer edge of coxa I with row of long sparse setae, apical edge with 3–4 slender setae. Femur I with antero- and posteroventral rows of short slender setae, ending in 1–2 posteroventral longer preapical setae. Tibia I with 2 short anterodorsal setae at 2/6 and 3.5/6 and 5.5/6 and 1 dorsal longer preapical seta, ventral row of long setae from basal 1.5/6 to apex, about as long as diameter of tibia (MSSC). It 1 with posteroventral row of short erect setae, slightly longer than width of podomere (Fig. 3B), with anterior row of long setae from base to basal 1/2, decreasing in length towards apex (all MSSC). Leg II. Podomere ratios: 37, 35, 22/11/8/5/4. Femur II with anteroventral row of strong setae decreasing in length from base to apical 4/6, 1 long anteroventral preapical seta, with 1 strong posteroventral seta at basal 1.5/6 followed by row of short setae increasing in length at apical 5/6 (all MSSC) (Fig. 3B, D). Tibia II with 3 pairs of short antero- and posteroventral setae at 1.5/6 and 3.5/6 and 1 preapical, 2 ventral setae, 1 short at 3/6 and 1 long at apex (about 1/2 as long as IIt 1). Leg III. Podomere ratios: 56, 55, 14/18/14/9/6. Femur III with 1 strong ventral seta at basal 2/6 followed by thinner curved seta (MSSC) (Fig. 3D), with dorsal row of long erect setae decreasing in length from base to apical 4/6, followed by long dorsal seta, 1 short antero- and 1 short posteroventral preapical setae. Tibia III with 4 pairs of antero- and posterodorsal setae at: 1.5/6, 3/6, 4.5/6 and apex, 3 ventral setae, 2 short at 2.5/6 and 4/6, 1 longer at apex (about 2/3 as long as IIIt 1). Abdomen (Fig. 3A, E, 4A). Mostly metallic green with bluish reflections. Tergite 6 with 2–3 lateral rows of strong setae. Sternites 1–4 unmodified, sternite 5 divided into two long narrow hemitergites, sternite 6 short, subrectangular, with 1 long posterior seta. Hypopygium (Figs 3E, 4B–I). Mostly pale brown, somewhat subtriangular, with 1 epandrial seta. Cercus mostly pale brown, unbranched, 2X longer than epandrial capsule (Figs 3E, 4B). Cercus somewhat digitiform, with rounded apex, and inner wide basal process, with pointed projection at middle, outer surface covered with long setae, increasing in length at apex, dorsal edge with row of long sparse setae, inner surface covered with short, slender pale setae (Fig. 4C, D). Surstylus somewhat quadrangular, with truncated apex, about 1.5/4 as long as epandrial capsule, inner edge with 1 long seta, ventral edge with long slender setae (Fig. 4B, E). Hypandrium with deeply concavity at apex, forming two narrow lobes, each lobe with pointed apex (Fig. 4H, I). Phallus as long as epandrial capsule, trident-shaped at apex, lateral processes of phallus bifurcated and sharpened at apex (Fig. 4F, G). Postgonite noose-shaped, surrounding base of phallus, fused to hypandrial arms (Fig. 4F). Ejaculatory apodeme short and somewhat digitiform, well sclerotized, slightly narrowing at apex (Fig. 4F).
Female. Unknown.
Type examined material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Fig. 3A) labelled as: “ PERU: Cusco, Quincemil | Rio Araza, 13°21′18″S | 70°53′22″W, 1000 m | 22–26.viii.2012 sweep | JA Rafael, RR Cavichioli” “HOLOTYPE | Rafaelomyia exu | Soares & Capellari [handwritten in red label]” (MUSM). Holotype condition: Good, not dissected, right IIIt 2– 5 broken off and left wing damaged. PARATYPES: Same data as holotype (3 ♂, one dissected, MUSM; 3 ♂, INPA).
Remarks. Rafaelomyia exu sp. nov. is easily recognized by the femur II with antero- and posteroventral rows of strong setae (Fig. 3D), male cercus unbranched (Fig. 4C, D), surstylus truncated at apex (Fig. 4E) and the phallus trident-shaped in ventral view (Fig. 4G).
Etymology. The new species is named after the Orisha Exu, the messenger spirit in the pantheon of deities of Afro-Brazilian religions. It alludes to the phallus reminiscent of a trident (Fig. 4G), an object commonly used in Exu’s representations. Treated as a noun in apposition.
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 157-160, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5389.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10406732