Phytobia corona Boucher, 2025

Phytobia corona Boucher , n. sp.

( Figs 12 View FIG ; 13 View FIG )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9E680B5E-336B-4E09-90EA-101D54BAB2A7

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. Guyane • ♂; Mitaraka , sampling site: MIT-E-savane roche 2; 02°13’59.8”N, 54°27’46.5”W; 471 m; open/ partially opened areas; 13-20.VIII.2015; MT (6 m); Pierre-Henri Dalens leg.; sample code: MITARAKA/230 , sorted by M. Pollet; MNHN. GoogleMaps

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name is derived from the Latin “corona ” (crown), referring to the spinose ring-like sclerite on the distiphallus.

DIAGNOSIS. — This species can be distinguished by its bicolorous frons (black posteriorly and orange anteriorly), and the male genitalia, especially the long distiphallus with a spinose sclerite located a little before midpoint.

DISTRIBUTION. — French Guiana.

HOST. — Unknown.

DESCRIPTION

Male

Orbital plate not projecting in front of eye in profile; orbital plate 0.14 × width of frons at midpoint; frons width including orbital plates 0.32 mm at midpoint; lunule small; ocellar triangle extended anteriorly to level of anterior ors; two reclinate ors and two ori: upper ori reclinate and lower ori inclinate; orbital setulae reclinate, in one row; first flagellomere small, rounded apically with short pubescence; arista with long pubescence; gena extremely narrow, at midpoint about 0.03 × maximum eye height ( Fig. 12B View FIG ); clypeus narrow, with upper margin rounded; epistoma absent ( Fig. 12D View FIG ); 3 + 0 dc, with only two posterior ones well-developed, and anterior postsutural dc about 0.30 × length of second dc; prsc present; acrostichal setulae numerous, in about 8-9 rows; mid tibia with two posterolateral setae; wing length 2.3 mm; last section of M 4 approximately 0.7 × length of penultimate section; vein R 4+5 ending close to wing tip; distal margin of R 1 expanded near junction ( Fig. 12A View FIG ).

Colour

Similar to P. dalensi Boucher , n. sp. described below, with following differences: frons mat, bicolorous: black posteriorly at level of ocellar triangle and orange anteriorly ( Fig. 12C View FIG ); orbital plate brownish black to level of upper ori, yellowish below; clypeus black; face yellowish brown; antennae yellow, first flagellomere infuscated with brown ( Fig. 12B, D View FIG ); palpus yellow; mesonotum shiny brown except for posterolateral corner with distinct yellow patch ( Fig. 12E View FIG , visible on one side due to the collapse of the mesonotum); calypter and calypteral margin yellow; fringe brown; abdomen yellow with dark brown spots medially on tergites 3-6 in addition to lateral brown spots on tergites 5-6 ( Fig. 12F View FIG ).

Male genitalia

Distiphallus separated into two long tubules, which are longer than the hypandrium and phallapodeme ( Fig. 13A, B View FIG ) (distiphallus possibly longer than illustrated considering that the distal end appears truncated in the holotype); tubules straight, without distinct curvature; phallus with a ring-like sclerite armed with teeth ( Fig. 13 View FIG A-C); ring-like sclerite located slightly below midpoint ( Fig. 13A View FIG ); distal end of phallus (distal to ring-like sclerite) measuring 0.4 mm (possibly longer, see comment above); distal end of phallus (distal to sclerite) about 3 × longer than basal part (arrows, Fig. 13A View FIG ); mesophallus short, oval, somewhat bean-shaped ( Fig. 13A View FIG ); hypandrium narrow, constricted near midpoint, with distal end bent ( Fig. 13B View FIG , arrow); ejaculatory apodeme with very short stalk and medium-sized blade ( Fig. 13E View FIG ); surstylus, typical of the Phytobia unica group (see above) with multiple spines ( Fig. 13D View FIG ).

REMARKS

This species belongs to the Phytobia unica -group ( Boucher 2010) and is morphologically most similar to P.guatemalensis Sasakawa, 2005 due to its bicolorous frons and the characteristic spinose sclerite on the distiphallus. It differs from P. guatemalensis by the small yellow patch on the posterolateral corner of the mesonotum ( Fig. 12E View FIG ) (mesonotum described as entirely black in P. guatemalensis ), the presence of two posterolateral setae on the mid tibia (only one in P. guatemalensis according to original description) and the longer distiphallus with the spinose sclerite located slightly before the midpoint of the distiphallus. The phallus of P. guatemalensis is shorter and the spinose sclerite is located near the end of distiphallus. This species was listed as morphospecies Phytobia Mit- 5 in Boucher & Pollet (2021).