Mythicomyia nigra, Ramos-Pastrana & Córdoba-Suarez & Evenhuis, 2025

Mythicomyia nigra sp. nov.

Figs 5–6 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , 11C View FIGURE 11 1 View FIGURE 1

Diagnosis. Male. Proboscis short, less than height to eye; Mesonotum black; crossvein m-m crossvein 2× longer than r-m crossvein; cell m2 narrow, with a spot brown apically; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur; tergite I dark brown, with proximal margin yellowish; tergites II dark brown; tergite III dark brown with distal margin reddish yellow; tergites IV with proximal ½ dark brown and distal ½ reddish yellow; tergite V with basal ⅔ dark brown and distal ⅓ reddish yellow; tergite VI dark brown, with distal margin reddish yellow; tergite VII dark brown; pseudo-surstylus thickened, with apex slightly rounded and lower tip directed downward in lateral view; lateral ejaculatory process with V-shaped, acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view; anterior arms of parameral sheath thin on basal ⅓, thickened on distal ⅔ and with slightly acute apex in lateral view; gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe V-shaped and acute apex backward-directed, distal lobe more or less rectangular-shaped and lower margin slightly rounded in lateral view.

Description. MALE (holotype). Body length 2.1 mm; wing length 0.9 mm. Head ( Figs 5A, B View FIGURE 5 ). Brown; eyes contiguous for 9 facets; ocellar triangle dark brown, gray pruinose, ocelli yellow; frons bare, small and triangular-shaped, entirely whitish, not depressed medially ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ); face whitish yellow; proboscis brown, short, shorter than eye height; occiput brown, with sparse whitish and small setae and gray pruinosity ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Antenna ( Figs 5A, C View FIGURE 5 ) dark brown yellowish pruinose; scape minute; pedicel rounded; first flagellomere conical, about 1.8× longer than width; second flagellomere small, about 1.2× longer than width of first, with small subapical stylus. Thorax ( Figs 5A, D View FIGURE 5 ). Mesonotum black, with brown pruinosity, yellow on postpronotal lobe, interhumeral mark connected to notopleural mark, basal ¾ of notopleuron and postalar callus, with scattered inconspicuous whitish setae; scutellum black, with strong dark brown pruinosity and scattered conspicuous whitish setae ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ); pleura dark brown, gray-yellowish pruinosity, with whitish yellow markings on: proepimeron, proximal ¼ of anepisternum, dorsal ⅓ of katepisternum and dorsal ⅓ of meron ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Legs ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ). Hind coxa with proximal ½ dark brown and distal ½ reddish yellow, mid and fore coxae with proximal ⅓ dark brown and distal ⅓ reddish yellow, all coxae with brown pruinosity; all femora with proximal ½ dark brown and distal ½ yellow; hind femur slightly thickened on basal ½, tibiae with proximal ¼ yellow and distal ¾ light brown; leg I with tarsi I–II yellow, tarsi IV and V black; mid and hind legs with tarsi I, II yellow, tarsi III–V black; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur. Wing ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ). Hyaline, veins slightly tinged with brown color, microtrichose except on; proximal ⅓ of cell br and bm and proximal ⅓ of anal lobe; veins brown; costa, R 1, R 4+5 and CuA a little more stained; costa 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 2× longer than r-m crossvein; crossvein dm-m nearly straight; R 4+5 ending clearly after M 1; vein M 1 slightly curved and downward directed; M 2 sinuous and M 4 with apex curved; cell m 2 narrow, with a spot brown apically; anal cell closed well before wing margin, with a long stalk; CuP evanescent; anal lobed developed; halter entirely yellow. Abdomen ( Figs 5A, G View FIGURE 5 ) with conspicuous whitish setae. Tergite I dark brown, with proximal margin yellowish; tergites II entirely dark brown; tergite III dark brown with distal margin reddish yellow; tergites IV with proximal ½ dark brown and distal ½ reddish yellow; tergite V with ⅔ dark brown and distal ⅓ reddish yellow; tergite VI dark brown, with distal margin reddish yellow; tergite VII entirely dark brown. Terminalia ( Figs 6A–F View FIGURE 6 ). Epandrium elongate, somewhat triangular-shaped, apex flattened in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), oval, with scattered setae dorsally in posterior view ( Figs 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ). Pseudo-surstylus thickened, with margins sinuous, apex slightly rounded and lower tip directed downward in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), triangular-shaped, with acute apex in posterior view ( Figs 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ). Cercus elongated, with scattered setae on the distal margin, except on the lower ⅕ in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), triangular-shaped with scattered setae medially in posterior view ( Figs 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ). Ejaculatory apodeme large, somewhat rounded-shaped, with a lobe medially on upper margin in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), long, thin and with slightly acute apex and directed-forward in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Lateral ejaculatory process with V-shaped, acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), about 0.5× shorter than ejaculatory apodeme, with slightly acute apex, sideways-directed in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Phallus teardrop-shaped in lateral and dorsal view ( Figs 6A–B, E–F View FIGURE 6 ), basiphallus rounded, about 2× longer than distiphallus, distiphallus thin, simple with single apical opening in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Parameral sheath large, simple, with two paired lobed projections divergent in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Anterior arms of parameral sheath thin on basal ⅓, thickened on distal ⅔ and slightly acute apex in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), long, about 0.5× longer than ejaculatory apodeme, sinuous with rounded apex in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe V-shaped and acute apex backward-directed, distal lobe more or less rectangular-shaped and lower margin slightly rounded in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), with appearance of four lobes, two proximal largest and with rounded edges in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). Gonostylus downward-directed, similar in length to cercus, acute apex in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ), somewhat rectangular-shaped and margins slightly sinuous in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ). FEMALE. Unknown.

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).

Etymology. From the Latin nigrum = black, refers to the general black color of the thorax of the specimen ( Figs 5A, D View FIGURE 5 ).

Geographical distribution. Curaçao (Willemstad) ( Fig. 11C View FIGURE 11 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Taxonomic notes. In males Mythicomyia nigra sp. nov. runs to M. pisqa Sánchez & Evenhuis in couplet 15 of the key in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024). It differs from M. pisqa by having the first flagellomere oval ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ) [versus first flagellomere linear-lanceolate, see fig. 74 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; m-m crossvein 2× longer than r-m crossvein ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ) [versus m-m cross vein subequal than r-m, see fig. 75 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; cell m 2 with a spot brown apically ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ) [versus cell m 2 without a spot brown apically, see fig. 75 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; vein CuA ending in lower ½ ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ) [versus vein CuA ending at the edge of the wing, see fig. 75 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; cercus thickened with straight inner margins in posterior view ( Figs 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ) [versus cercus narrowed with sinuous inner margins in posterior view, see figs 80–81 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; ejaculatory apodeme strongly thickened in lateral view ( Figs 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ) [versus ejaculatory apodeme slightly thickened in lateral view, see figs 78–79 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; gonostylus thickened, somewhat rectangular-shaped, sideways-directed in dorsal view ( Figs 6E, F View FIGURE 6 ) [versus gonostylus narrowed, elongate, upward-directed in dorsal view, see figs 82–83 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024).