Halictophagus urucui Kogan, 2012, sp. n.
Creators: name: Kogan, Marcos
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Strepsiptera
Halictophagidae
Halictophagus
Halictophagus urucui

description: Halictophagus urucui sp. n.
(Figures 1 A–J)
Holotype. Male collected in light trap at Coari, Rio Urucú, Amazonas, Brazil, 4°51’56.5” S, 65°0.4’56.6” W; Paulo Bührheim, N. O. Aguiar, and F.A. Penta, coll., 11–18 May, 1991. Specimen dissected and mounted in Hoyer’s, on three slides: slide 1 – right wing, left antenna, tarsus of leg 2; slide 2 – left wing, aedeagus; slide 3– head, thorax and abdomen (see note at end of paper). Set of original digital microphotographs copied onto a DVD, all deposited in the Strepsiptera Collection, INPA, Manaus, Brazil.
Description. Large species, length from tip of frons to edge of 8th abdominal sternite 3.49 mm (Fig. 1 A). Head (Fig. 1 D) 0.85 mm wide measured between edges of eye globes; eyes with 9 large, round eyelets occupying ca. 2/3 of the head’s width dorsally. Margin of frons concave between insertions of antennae. Antenna (Fig. 1 B) sevensegmented; segments III–VI extended laterally with slender flabella; segment I (Fig. 1 Bi) with pointed projection on distal margin; base of segment IV enlarged towards extension of flabellum; segments III–VII, including all flabella, covered with sensorial pits of various shapes and areas. Length of antennal segments (in μm): I = 92; II = 68; III + flabellum = 660; IV + flabellum = 561; V + flabellum = 470; VI + flabellum = 473; VII = 470. Mandible 59.5 μm long, cone-shaped (Fig. 1 C–MD), slightly sinuous; base of maxilla 51.0 μm; palp 77.5 μm; base and palp covered with sensorial trichomes (Fig. 1 C– MX).
Thorax (Figs. 1 D, 1E): pronotum much reduced, totally enclosed within the head space between posterior extension of eyes (Fig. 1 D–PN); mesonotum angular-shaped anteriorly, expanding laterally to connect to metanotum (Fig. 1 D–MN). Metanotum (Fig. 1 E) 1.37 mm long, 3.4 times longer than pro- and mesonotum combined; praescutum (PRS) broadly rounded anteriorly, moderately protruded from scuti (SC); scutellum (SCl) pentagon-shaped with anterior edge pointed and posterior edge slightly rounded; postlumbium broad, mildly constricted in center by inward curvature of both anterior and posterior margins; postscutellum (= postnotum) about as long as the other metanotal components together, broadly rounded posteriorly. Hind wing (Fig. 1 G) span from axillary joint to edge beyond end of R3 = 2.23 mm; R1 converging with Sc at distal tip within a diffusely pigmented area, R2 curved and about half the length of R3; R4 and R5 fused, M1 present, M2 and Cu1 reaching edge of wing; Cu2 developed. Tarsi three-segmented, basal segment elongated in mid- and hind legs (Fig. 1 F–T2); first segment of front tarsi rounded and pad-like (Fig. 1 F–T1), segments II and III of all pairs with well-developed paddle-like, fairly profusely pubescent pads.
Abdominal segments (Figs. 1 H–J) partly sclerotized (Fig. 1 H). The mounted specimen when photographed had terminal segments right rotated about 45o. Sternite VIII long, tapered sharply posteriorly (Fig. 1 I); sternite IX inverted sub-conically shaped with one edge stretched posteriorly and with a dorsal concavity, from center of which protrudes a clubbed cylindrical structure, possibly a greatly modified tergite X; aedeagus (Fig. 1 J) toothed distally, with distal branch at ca. 77o angle with shaft; shaft stout.
Discussion. Halictophagus urucui n. sp. differs from most other species within its zoological region by the shape of the aedeagus, which is similar to that of H. besucheti Luna de Carvalho, but the shaft in H. urucui is stouter and the apical process longer and at a sharper angle with the shaft. In addition, the postlumbium is wider and medially compressed in both front and hind margins. The wings have R4 and R5 fused, M1 present, and C2 well defined; base of front tarsi pad-like; base of antennal segment III with a pointed projection; and base of segment IV swollen towards projection of flabellum. The terminalia, with the long and cupped sternite VIII, the unusual shape of sternite IX and projection of tergite X (Fig. 1 I–Xt), does not seem to have similarity to the terminalia of any other described species.
Etymology. The name urucui relates to Rio Urucú, a tributary of the River Solimões, the type locality of the species.
description: Published as part of Kogan, Marcos, 2012, Two New Species of Halictophagidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) from the Brazilian Amazon Basin, pp. 79-87 in Zootaxa 3517 on pages 81-83, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.282617