Camptoprosopella equatorialis Shewell 1939
Creators: name: Soares, Matheus M. M.
name: Gaimari, Stephen D.
name: Corrêa-Neto, José De J.
name: Limeira-De-Oliveira, Francisco
name: Rafael, José A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Lauxaniidae
Camptoprosopella
Camptoprosopella equatorialis

description: Camptoprosopella equatorialis Shewell, 1939
(Figs. 1, 2)
Camptoprosopella equatorialis Shewell, 1939: 140.
Type locality: Brazil, Amazonas, Manaus. Holotype male, USNM (examined SDG).
Diagnosis. Easily distinguished from the other lauxaniid species from the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha by the combination of the dark patch over the ocellar triangle strongly contrasting with orange frons (shared with Pachyopella flavida); first flagellomere short, about 2.5X longer than high, mostly orangish yellow with dark brown apex (Fig. 1A–D); face homogeneously yellow (Fig. 1C); ocellar triangle at same level of inner vertical seta (Fig. 1E); surstylus broad and leaf-shaped, 1.5X longer than wide at widest point, with pointed apex (Fig. 2A–C).
Redescription. Head (Figs. 1A–E). Mostly orangish yellow, except surrounding ocellar triangle dark brown; 1.3X higher than long, 1.6X wider than high, 1.1X wider than scutum; eye 1.2X higher than long; gena height (directly below eye) 0.2X eye height. Vertex shiny, rounded; inner vertical seta long and strong, about 3X longer than outer vertical seta, with distance between them about 1/2 that from inner vertical seta to central vertex. Ocellar triangle small, slightly raised, placed slightly in front of vertex, with posterior ocelli at same level as inner vertical seta; ocelli subequal in size and arranged in small equilateral triangle, with few tiny setulae posteriorly. Ocellar setae strong, proclinate and slightly divergent, about 0.6X as long as inner vertical seta. Postocellar setae cruciate, about 0.5X as long as ocellar seta. One row of short postocular setulae. Median occipital sclerite with group of short supracervical setae above occipital foramen. Frons 2X wider than long, flat, curved evenly into facial plane; with 2 strong fronto-orbital setae very close together, posterior seta reclinate, about 2X longer than anterior seta, located at midpoint between inner vertical seta and lunule; anterior seta inclinate, located closer to posterior seta than to lunule; frons not setulose, smooth. Lunule low, narrowly arched. Antenna mostly orangish-yellow, except dark brown on apical 1/3 of outer surface and tip of inner surface and entire arista; scape short, with few tiny apicodorsal setulae; pedicel with 1 long dorsal seta at middle length, with crown of short setae at apex and 3–4 long ventral setae; first flagellomere about 2.5X longer than high, and about 2.5X longer than scape and pedicel combined, with rounded apex; arista dorsobasal on first flagellomere, plumose, with upper rays longest and lower rays uniformly short. Parafacial, face, and gena light yellow, contrasting with orange of frons. Parafacial broad, nearly as wide as face. Face about 1.6X higher than wide. Gena mostly bare, only with row of short setae at ventral edge extended onto lower parafacial, postgena with few long and sparse setae. Clypeus nearly as wide as face, yellow. Maxillary palpus and labellum orangish yellow, except apex of maxillary palpus dark brown, outer edge with row of long and strong setae.
Thorax (Fig. 1A, B, E). Scutum slightly arched, length subequal to width; scutellum about 1/3 as long as scutum, with width at base about 1.8X greater than length; scutum homogeneously orangish yellow, pale yellow on postpronotum through notopleuron; scutellum and pleural region concolorous with scutum. Chaetotaxy: 0+3 dorsocentral setae, anterior seta short and thin, about 1/3 as long as middle seta, located at midpoint between middle seta and transverse suture, middle seta strong, located at midpoint between posterior seta and transverse suture; posterior seta strong, located closer to scutellar suture than to middle seta; prescutellar acrostichal seta present, slightly stronger than anterior dorsocentral seta; 1 postpronotal seta; 2 notopleural setae, in anterior and posterior corners, anterior seta slightly longer than posterior; postsutural intra-alar seta absent; 1 presutural and 1 postsutural supra-alar setae; 2 postalar setae, in anterior and posterior corners; 6–8 irregular rows of acrostichal setulae between dorsocentral setal rows, row of setulae along dorsocentral area, and setulose outside dorsocentral row, notopleuron lacking setulae; proepisternal seta present, small; anepisternal seta along posterior edge of anepisternum, anepisternum otherwise setulose in posterior 2/3; anepimeron bare; 1 katepisternal seta present, katepisternum otherwise with several smaller setulae anterior of seta, and with 2–3 long ventral setae, close to the coxa; 2 pairs scutellar setae, anterior setae subparallel, posterior setae convergent. Legs (Fig. 1A, B). Pale yellow to orangish yellow, slightly darker on distal tarsomeres. Fore femur with 3 long and strong posteroventral setae in apical 1/2, about 1.5X longer than width of femur, posterior and posterodorsal rows of setae from base to apex, shorter and thinner than posteroventral setae; ctenidium absent. Mid femur with anterior row of short and strong setae in apical 1/2, and with 1 short curved posteroventral preapical seta. Hind femur with anteroventral row of short setae in apical 1/3 and 2–3 longer anterodorsal setae. All tibiae with preapical dorsal seta, strongest on mid tibia; mid tibia with 1 longer preapical ventral seta, as long as dorsal seta; hind tibia with 1 short apical ventral spur. Wing (Fig. 1F). Hyaline; sapromyziform; veins mostly pale brown, paler yellow basally. Length 3.0 mm; 2.5X longer than high. Cell dm about 3.8X longer than crossvein dm-m. Crossvein r-m located at midpoint of cell dm. Vein R 4+5 ending at wing tip, slightly divergent from vein R 2+3, and subparallel with vein M 1. Crossvein dm-m straight, located slightly basal to midpoint between crossvein r-m and tip of vein M 1. Vein M 4 about 0.5X as long as crossvein dm-m. Vein CuA+CuP short, about 1/2 as long as vein A 1.
4+5 Abdomen (Fig. 1A). Homogeneously orangish-yellow, slightly tapering after segment 3.Tergites homogeneously covered with short setulae, with row of long and strong setae along posterior margin of each. Sternites pale yellow to white, with sparse fine setae, slightly longer at posterior edges; sternites 2–5 each slightly longer than wide, subequal in width sternite to sternite; sternite 6 as a membranous transverse strip. Male genitalia (Figs. 1G, 2A–E). Pale yellow. Syntergosternite 7+8 simple, bare, transversely saddle-shaped. Epandrium simple, saddle-shaped; mostly bare, with long setae at posterior edge, 1.4X longer than widest point (Fig. 2A–C). Surstylus somewhat leaf-shaped, 1.5X longer than wide at widest point, with pointed apex, with few short setulae (Fig. 2A–C). Subepandrial sclerite subrectangular, about 2X wider than long, with short convexity at posterior margin. Cercus narrow, simple, heavily setose (Fig. 2A–C). Ejaculatory apodeme long and narrow, weakly sclerotized (Fig. 2D). Phallus somewhat bootshaped, with rounded apex, about 1.5X longer than wide (Fig. 2D); opening of distiphallus with short, sclerotized teeth (Fig. 2D, E). Hypandrium a narrow transverse strip, with a short and rounded anterior projection at mid-length (Fig. 2E). Pregonite short and with rounded apex (Fig. 2E). Postgonite about 2X longer than pregonite, with rounded apex, and 1 long lateral seta (Fig. 2D, E).
Female: Similar to male (Fig. 1B). Female terminalia (Fig. 2F–H). Tergite 7 not fused to sternite 7. Tergite 8 divided into two rectangular hemitergites (Fig. 2F). Sternite 8 somewhat hourglass-shaped, heavily setose (Fig. 2G). Epiproct a thin transverse strip, with row of strong setae (Fig. 2F). Hypoproct simple, semicircular, weakly sclerotized at middle of anterior edge, setulose (Fig. 2H). Spermathecae round, with configuration 1+2, paired spermathecae, surface smooth.
Material examined. BRAZIL, Pernambuco, Fernando de Noronha: 03º51′30″S – 32º25′50″W, 20–27.ii.2020, varredura [sweeping], J.A. Rafael, P.C. Grossi, F.L. Oliveira (1 ♂, INPA); same data, except interc voo [glue flight intercept trap] (1 ♀, INPA); Capim-Açu, 03°51′17″S – 32°26′26″W, 24.vi–08.vii.2019, Malaise trap, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & L.C. Castro (1 ♀, INPA); Sancho, 03°51′17″S – 32°26′26″W, 7–21.viii.2019, Malaise trap, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & L.C. Castro (1 ♀, INPA); same data, except 10–23.i.2020 (1 ♀, INPA); Sueste Mangue, 03°51′30″S – 32°25′50″W, 20–27.ii.2020, Malaise trap, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & P.C. Grossi (4 ♂, 2 dissected, 26 ♀, 3 dissected, INPA); Trilha Atalaia, 03º51′30″S – 32º25′50″W, 20–27.ii.2020, Malaise trap, J.A. Rafael, P.C. Grossi, F.L. Oliveira (1 ♂, INPA); same data, except varredura [sweeping] (1 ♀, INPA); Trilha Sancho, 3°51′30″S – 32°25′50″W, 01–09.vi.2019, Shannon, J.A. Rafael, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira & D.M.M. Mendes (1 ♂, dissected, INPA).
Remarks. Camptoprosopella equatorialis can be easily recognized among the species occurring in Fernando de Noronha by the characters given in the key above. Among the four species known from the area, this is most similar to Pachyopella flavida, with which it shares the generally orangish yellow habitus, with a dark brown ocellar patch and strongly inclinate anterior fronto-orbital setae. The species is easily differentiated by having a short first flagellomere (elongated in Pa. flavida), a uniformly yellow face (with a central brown spot in Pa. flavida), a weak anterior dorsocentral seta located at midpoint between the middle seta and transverse suture (strong anterior seta close to transverse suture in Pa. flavida), and genitalic differences. The type locality is Manaus, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, but the species is also known from Colombia and Peru (Gaimari & Silva 2020). This species was described from a single damaged male specimen (Steyskal 1971). It was recorded only recently from Fernando de Noronha (Rafael et al. 2020) and this is the only oceanic island where it has been recorded.
After nine months we collected 40 specimens in Fernando de Noronha, most of them (33) at Sueste mangrove. Camptoprosopella equatorialis was the least abundant lauxaniid species in Fernando de Noronha, representing 0.02% of the specimens collected throughout the nine months using interception traps, light traps and sweeping nets. During a short period, seven days (20–27.ii.2020), one large interception trap, Gressit & Gressit model, was mounted at mangrove and 33 specimens of C. equatorialis were collected, four times more than in all other traps together during nine months (8 specimens).
Distribution. Brazil (states of Amazonas and Pernambuco), Colombia and Peru.
Discussion. The genus Camptoprosopella has 41 currently valid species, 22 of them in the Neotropics. Steyskal (1971) found that the current species was reared from cassava, Maninhot utilissima, in Colombia —very likely associated with decaying leaves. At least one species of the genus is known to feed in leaf litter of Prunus and Acer, and another as a scavenger associated with Opuntia prickly-pear cactus, but more generally this genus is thought to feed on decaying grasses, leaves and plant debris along forest margins (Miller 1977). The morphology of the immature stages for one species is discussed by Miller & Foote (1976). Broadhead (1984) discusses the adult mouthpart morphology adaptations for fungal grazing in one species.
description: Published as part of Soares, Matheus M. M., Gaimari, Stephen D., Corrêa-Neto, José De J., Limeira-De-Oliveira, Francisco & Rafael, José A., 2024, Insect (Hexapoda) diversity in the oceanic archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil: Lauxaniidae (Diptera), pp. 1-23 in Zootaxa 5537 (1) on pages 4-7, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5537.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14239256