Ophrynopus caatinguensis, Galdino & Vilhelmsen & Parizotto, 2025

Ophrynopus caatinguensis sp. nov.

lsid:zoobank.org:act: E086BD19-64EB-45E5-AAB8-1AC5D4AE6679

( Figs 11–16 View FIGURES 11–16 )

Description. Holotype female. Body length 9.6 mm; fore wing length 7.3 mm. Integument predominantly black, frons with a dark green metallic hue; maxillary palp, labial palp, and legs ferrugineous, except for the blackish distal region of the hind tibia and tarsomeres. Fore wing with two heavily infuscate areas; proximal one extending from vein C to vein M+Cu and distally to the base of pterostigma; distal one from end of pterostigma to just below vein M, distally extending up to two-thirds of radial cell. Pterostigma black; veins predominantly dark brown to brownish. Hind wing hyaline, slightly infuscated distally; veins ferrugineous ( Fig. 11–13 View FIGURES 11–16 ).

Head. Ocellar corona broad, distance between median ocellus and lateral coronal teeth approximately equal to 2 × diameter of ocellus; ventral coronal tooth larger than remaining teeth. Compound eye contiguous with lateral ocelli; vertex narrow, distance between lateral ocelli 1.5 × as long as distance between compound eyes. Frons areolate-rugose, medially with interspaces with small punctures and denser pilosity; median longitudinal sulcus extending from median ocellus to ventral transverse frontal carina. Lateral longitudinal frontal carina sinuous and reaching ventral transverse frontal carina. Postocular carina extending along complete posterior margin of eye, slightly broader medially. Dense silvery pilosity between posterior margin of eye and postocular carina. Occipital carina ventrally continuous with lateral border of subantennal groove ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 11–16 ). Vertex and gena finely punctate, punctures gradually smaller and sparser posteriorly, and with dense silvery pilosity up to the upper half of gena. Antennomere 9 expanded distally and with carina laterally.

Thorax. Pronotum shorter medially than sublaterally and covered by dense silvery pilosity. Mesoscutum areolate, pits smaller and shallower than on frons, sublaterally with patches of short silvery pilosity; distinctly raised longitudinal carina on the posterior half. Mesoscutellum with sparser punctures than mesoscutum, distance between punctures at least half width of puncture ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 11–16 ). Mesepisternum not carinate, punctures larger and sparser than on mesoscutum, with dense silvery pilosity on upper half ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 11–16 ). Metanotum with median longitudinal carina, covered by dense silvery pilosity. Fore leg with femur about 6 × longer than wide and tibia with one sensilla apicolaterally. Middle tibia with single row of nine pegs; tibial spurs of unequal length; first tarsomere length 1.2 × remaining tarsomeres combined. Hind leg with coxa covered by dense silvery pilosity in upper half; tibia with two rows of pegs, outer row with six pegs, longitudinal carina present laterally and ventrally; tibial spurs of unequal length, inner about half length of outer.

Abdomen. Tergum 1 coarsely punctate with distal margin finely reticulate; laterally with distinct postspiracular and subspiracular carina, with fringe of silvery setae between them. Tergum 2 as long as tergum 3 and tergum 4 combined, with short longitudinal anteromedial carina, rounded smooth areas laterally and with punctures shallower and denser than tergum 1. Terga 3–7 with sparser and shallower punctures than tergum 2. Tergum 8 with dense and imbricate punctation. Terga 2–8 with dense patches of short silvery setae posterolaterally ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 11–16 ). Terga 9 coarsely areolate-rugose anteriorly, punctate-imbricate ventrally, and with short longitudinal carina. Sterna homogenously punctate, pilosity slightly more developed in apical half ( Fig 16 View FIGURES 11–16 ).

Male: Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female. Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina / -9.65769 -38.4903 Copo/Azul, 27.vi–07.vii.2024,/ E. Galdino & P. Costa cols GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Female: Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina / -9.66674 -38.4995, Copo/ Azul, 26.vi–06.vii.2024,/ E. Galdino & P. Costa cols. GoogleMaps Female: Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina / -9.66674 -38.4904 Copo/ Azul, 26.vi–06.vii.2024,/ E. Galdino & P. Costa cols GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The epithet name refers to the Caatinga Biome, the region where the species has been found.

Remarks. Ophrynopus caatinguensis sp. nov. resembles Ophrynopus rupestris in length, green metallic hue of frons, and pilosity on the postocular region. Furthermore, O. rupestris is also known from dry open areas. However, Ophrynopus caatinguensis sp. nov. differs from O. rupestris by not having a posterodorsal depression on the head; presence of a lateral longitudinal frontal carina; pronotum and mesepisternum densely setose; and hind femur with no denticles ventrally.

Ophrynopus caatinguensis sp. nov. also resembles Ophrynopus enigmus ( Vilhelmsen & Smith, 2002) and Ophrynopus gauldi ( Vilhelmsen & Smith, 2002) , previously allocated to Argenthophrynopus, due to the broad silvery setae on many parts of the body; dorsal frontal transverse carina absent; postocular and occipital carina well developed, without dorsal concavity on latter. However, O. caatinguensis differs by having a well developed lateral longitudinal frontal carina, reaching ventral transverse frontal carina; dense pilosity between posterior margin of eye and postocular carina; and mesoscutum with a median longitudinal carina.