Hemerodromia rafaeli, Martins & Câmara & Limeira-De-Oliveira, 2025

Hemerodromia rafaeli sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org:act: E7E6B580-F383-42EF-8A09-EF7AA94E4612

( Figs 52–60 View FIGURES 52−60 , 84 View FIGURE 84 )

Etymology. The species epithet is a tribute to Prof. Dr. José Albertino Rafael (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia–INPA) for his important contributions to Brazilian dipterology, especially the family Empididae .

Diagnosis. Predominantly yellow. Cercus enlarged with sharp tip, curved upward distally and ventral surface with inner row of strong spines; epandrium triangular with tip truncated distally; subepandrial sclerite with two short, cylindrical posterior processes.

Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Body length 3.5 mm; wing length 2.3 mm.

Description. Head ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Black; clypeus, palpus and proboscis pale yellow; ocellar triangle with 1 pair of proclinate setae; anterior ocellus larger than posterior ones. Eye shiny black, contiguous centrally on face, with tiny, very inconspicuous setae. Frons brown, about 2.0X longer than wide, covered with dark yellow to pale brown pubescence, with 1 pair of pale yellow setae, same color and nearly as long as facial setae; occiput with pale yellow setae, sparse yellowish-brown pubescence, dense at eye margin. Antenna pale yellow, except paler postpedicel and dark brown appearance of stylus in lateral view; scape short, about half-length of pedicel; pedicel about 2.0X longer than scape; postpedicel about 2.0X longer than maximum width; stylus longer than postpedicel; scape, pedicel and postpedicel with tiny, almost inconspicuous setae. Clypeus with whitish pubescence, palpus with 2–3 pale yellow setae arranged distally; labellum with short, dense pale yellow setae. Proboscis with short distal setae.

Thorax ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Yellow-orange, with small dotted light brown details; medial-dorsal region of prothorax dark brown to black; thorax about 2.0X longer than wide; mesonotum with sparse, weak and short setae.

Legs ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Light yellow to yellow. Foreleg with C1 and F1 subequal in length, T1 about ¼ shorter than F1, t1 about ¼ shorter than T1. Middle and hind legs with coxae, femora, tibiae and tarsi equal in length. F1 with Ff = 6/17/15/6, black denticles arranged in two linear parallel rows located on distal ⅔, closer to each other distally; bordered by two rows of strong setae. T1 ventrally arched, ventral surface with two rows of black spiny setae; T1 with strong spiny seta located on ventrodistal surface. All legs with short, sparse yellow to dark yellow setae on coxae and femora, dense on tibiae and tarsi, except slightly longer setae distally on C1; T1 with row of setae located on posterodorsal surface of distal ½.

Wing ( Fig. 53 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Membrane slightly yellowish, except slightly darker radial sector, veins yellow; R 2+3 long and straight, gently curved distally towards C, 0.7–0.8X distance between tips of R 1 and R 4; bifurcation of R 4+5 acute (~60°); distance from bifurcation of R 4+5 to bifurcation of M 1+2 about 2.0X length of R 4; R 5 about ¾ length of M 1 and nearly as long as M 2. R 5 and M 1 convergent subdistally, but divergent distally; cell bm+dm short, terminating at level of R 1, about 2.0X longer than cell br. Halter whitish yellow.

Abdomen ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Long and slender. Tergites 1–6 brown to dark brown, distinct setae only on posterior margin. Tergites 7–8 and sternites yellow; sternites with pale, scattered setae, stronger on posterior margin; tergite 8 shorter than sternite 8.

Male terminalia ( Figs 54–60 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Entirely brown. Cercus greatly enlarged, with sharp pointed tip, curved upward with serrated medial surface and row of robust posterior distal spines ( Fig. 55 View FIGURES 52−60 ); ventral surface with inner row of strong spines, located medially; left and right cercus closely approximated anterodorsally ( Fig. 56 View FIGURES 52−60 ), setae sparse. Epandrium subshiny, triangular with slightly longer setae near dorsal margin, ¼ distal portion with sparse, almost inconspicuous setae, truncated distally, covered in short setulae ( Figs 54–55, 58 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Surstylus with spine-like setae distally on inner face ( Figs 57, 59 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Hypandrium inflated, subtriangular in ventral view, sclerotized, with short, sparse setae; gonocoxal apodeme short, narrow, extended beyond anterior margin of hypandrium ( Figs 55, 58, 60 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Subepandrial sclerite with two short, cylindrical posterior processes resembling fingers, with tuft of long, strong setae distally ( Figs 59, 60 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Phallus cylindrical, strongly sclerotized, except membranous distal area, covered with tiny dark spines; phallus extending beyond distal portion of hypandrium ( Fig. 60 View FIGURES 52−60 ). Ejaculatory apodeme with lamella reduced ( Figs 58, 59 View FIGURES 52−60 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (pinned, good condition), deposited in CZMA, Brazil, MA[= Maranhão], C.[=Cândido] Mendes, Fazenda 7 irmãos, 01°52′06′′S, 45°45′59.7′′W \ Arm. [=Armadilha] Malaise, 15–30.iv.2019, F. Limeira-de-Oliveira, D. Limeira & J.S. Brito, cols [coletores] \ FLO 5274 GoogleMaps . PARATYPES. Same data as holotype, except \ FLO 5442 (1♂, MZUSP) GoogleMaps ; idem \ FLO 5445 (1♂, INPA) GoogleMaps ; idem \ FLO 5447 (1♂, MPEG) GoogleMaps ; idem, 01–15.v.2019 GoogleMaps , idem \ FLO 5419 (1♂, INPA) GoogleMaps ; idem \ FLO 5420 (pinned, terminalia in glass microvial, good condition: 1♂, CZMA) GoogleMaps ; idem, 15–31.v.2019 GoogleMaps , idem \ FLO 5443 (1♂, MNRJ) GoogleMaps , idem \ FLO 5444 (1♂, CZMA) GoogleMaps ; idem \ FLO 5446 (1♂, CZMA) GoogleMaps .

Variation. Male (n = 5). Body length 2.6–3.1 mm, mean 2.9 mm; wing length 2.0– 2.2 mm, mean 2.1 mm; wing width 0.5–0.6 mm, mean 0.55 mm.

Geographical record. Brazil (Maranhão).

Remarks. Hemerodromia rafaeli sp. nov. resembles H. cercusdilatata in the yellow coloration of the body and enlarged cercus, but differs in having an inner row of spines on the ventral surface of the cercus (absent in H. cercusdilatata ).

Comments. Specimens of H. rafaeli sp. nov. were collected in Cândido Mendes in April and May.