Phytobia pluviasilvae Boucher, 2025

Phytobia pluviasilvae Boucher , n. sp.

( Figs 16 View FIG ; 17 View FIG )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:729A6EFF-6882-42BA-835A-4544F923F80F

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Guyane • ♂; Mitaraka , near site MIT-A-RBF1, river; 25.III.2015; MT (6 m); leg. Julien Touroult & Eddy Poirier (FR-GU/Mitaraka/2015); sample code: MITARAKA/189 , sorted by Marc Pollet, 2015; MNHN.

ETYMOLOGY. — This species (from sample 189) was collected from a 6 m Malaise trap installed in tropical lowland rainforest over the Alama River ( Boucher & Pollet 2021). The specific name is referring to the habitat of the type specimen (“pluvia” for rain; “silva” for forest).

DIAGNOSIS. — This species differs from all other Neotropical species of Phytobia by the combination of the following characters: wing hyaline; presutural dc present; abdomen largely yellow; legs all brown; scutellum and prescutellar area yellow; anepisternum mostly brown, with a narrow yellow border dorsally; male phallus with two very long and coiled tubules.

DISTRIBUTION. — French Guiana.

HOST. — Unknown.

DESCRIPTION

Male

Orbital plate not projecting in front of eye in profile; frons width including orbital plates 0.38 mm at midpoint; frons becoming narrower anteriorly; orbital plate 0.17 × width of frons at midpoint; lunule small, wide and low, with silvery pubescence ( Fig. 16B View FIG ); frons and orbital plate mat; ocellar triangle small, not extending beyond anterior ocellus; two (three on one side) reclinate ors and two inclinate ori; orbital setulae reclinate, in one row; first flagellomere small, rounded apically with short white pubescence; arista long with short pubescence; gena narrow, at midpoint about 0.04 × maximum eye height; clypeus narrow, widely open with upper margin rounded; small epistoma present ( Fig. 16D View FIG ); 4+1 dc with only two posterior ones well-developed, all other dc less than half the size of posterior ones; prsc absent; acrostichal setulae numerous, in about 9-10 rows; fore femur with a row of three long ventrolateral setae in addition to a few shorter ones; mid tibia with two posterolateral setae; wing length 2.28 mm in male; last section of M 4 approximately 0.83 times length of penultimate; vein R 4+5 ending very close to wing tip; subcostal vein extending to costa independently from R 1 and distal margin of R 1 straight, not expanded near junction ( Fig. 16C View FIG ).

A B C D E F

Colour

Frons mat black with small reddish spot near lunule; orbital plate mat brown with small yellow patch anteriorly ( Fig. 16B View FIG ); antennae brown; clypeus dark brown, subshining; palpus and face brown. Mesonotum brown except for largely yellow prescutellar area and yellow scutellum ( Fig. 16E View FIG ); brown area of mesonotum separated into two bands laterally ( Fig. 16E View FIG ); postpronotum yellow with large brown spot centrally ( Fig.16A View FIG ); notopleuron yellow; anepisternum mostly brown except for narrowly yellow area dorsally; all other pleura brown; legs brown ( Fig. 16A View FIG ); halter yellow; calypter, margin and fringe brown. All abdominal tergites yellow with brown spots medially and laterally ( Fig. 16F View FIG ).

Male genitalia

Phallus divided into two very long and coiled tubules ( Fig. 17A, B View FIG ); hypandrium narrow, U-shaped and without apodeme ( Fig. 17B View FIG ); postgonites well-developed; surstylus ( Fig. 17B View FIG , inset) with a few long hairs and separated from epandrium by suture; ejaculatory apodeme with small blade ( Fig. 17C View FIG ).

REMARKS

Although the narrow, elongated hypandrium is unusual for this genus (broadly rounded in most Phytobia ) and the phallus of this species is most similar to some Neotropical species of Japanagromyza , this new species belongs to the genus Phytobia on the basis of wing venation, the shape of the surstyli, the presence of 4+ 1 dc, and the presence of postgonites. This species was identified as morphospecies Phytobia Mit- 1 in Boucher & Pollet (2021).