Akorhexoza tariacurii Huerta & Guarín-Anacona, 2025

Akorhexoza tariacurii Huerta & Guarín-Anacona sp. nov.

( Fig. 1A–G View FIGURE 1 ; 2A, G–J View FIGURE 2 ; 3A–D View FIGURE 3 ; 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Male (slide mounting). MÉXICO, Michoacán, Locality Ihuatzio , GPS: 19º 35’ 13.2’’ N, 101º 37’ 02.4’’ W, 2097 m a.s.l, 29–jun–2022, entomological net, on a Bursera bipinnata shrub, E. MayaElizarrarás, leg., ( CECOM) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 2 females, same data except, GPS: 19º 35’ 22.3’’ N, 101º 37’ 01.4’’ W, 2131 masl, 13–jun–2022, GPS: 19º 35’ 13.2’’ N, 101º 37’ 02.4’’ W, 2097 m a.s.l, 15–jun–2022, C. Cultid-Medina, leg., (ethyl alcohol) ( IEXA-CECOM) GoogleMaps ; Pátzcuaro , 11-jun-2024, on homemade compost; A. Guarín-Anacona, leg., (ethyl alcohol) , 10 females; San Juan Nuevo , avocado grove ‘ Joya del Café’, GPS: 19º 24’ 34’’ N, 102 º 08’ 57’’ W, 2131 m a.s.l, 22-sept-2024, on avocado compost, A. Guarín-Anacona, leg. GoogleMaps , 5 females (ethyl alcohol).

Diagnosis. Male sternite 7 triangular gradually tapering posterior margin; tergite 7 with a deep sublateral emargination; tergum 8 with double pairs of processes; female with tergite 8 + 9 very narrow, “U” shaped.

Description. Male. Body length approximately 1.8 mm. Black species in general color. Head. ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Black, longer than wide; eyes large, holoptic, with short hairs between facets; ommatidia equal in size, in lateral view at level of base of scape, a row of 6 ommatidia disposed from outer to inner ocular margin; three ocelli, equal in size; antennae ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ) dark brown, longer than head–height; scape subsquare, setae disposed along to distal margin; pedicel subcylindrical, flagellomeres covered with microtrichia and sensilla; flagellomeres I–VII twice as wide as long, each bearing a whorl of setae, last flagellomere rounded, as long as 2 preceding ones, bearing whorls of setae; flagellum length, 0.32 mm; frontoclypeus setose; occiput pilose, with one lateral sensilla; small internal sclerotized sclerite at base of labella, as long as palpus; palpus ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ) dark brown, setose, reniform, with subapical sensory pits, length 0.16 mm; labella not observed.

Thorax. Dark brown; mesonotum longer than wide, with dense short pilosity, a row of 18 supraalar setae; scutellum with 8 marginal setae; anterior spiracular sclerite ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ) setose, with 16 setae; rounded spiracle, not longer than high; pleural setae: 17 anepisternal, in upper anterior sclerite; 35 antepronotal; 9 katepisternal; 7 mesepimeral, 4 meral, ca. 40 proepimeral setae.

Legs. ( Fig. 1E–G View FIGURE 1 ). Concolourous with body, tarsi somewhat lighter, especially the posterior ones; 14 comb of setae and two short posteroapical spurs; first tarsomere of legs longer than second.

Wing. ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) length, 2.0 mm, width, 0.8 mm; membrane with dense microtrichia; no macrotrichia on membrane except the usual row along the posterior margin; R 1 and R 4+5 with an irregularly arranged row of short setae dorsally; R 4+5 reaching costa before middle of wing; M fork nearly twice as long as stem, gradually widening towards wing margin; second costal section shorter than first; a false vein present between M 2 and CuA 1; CuA 2 smoothly angled near middle, reaching wing margin. Wing length/section costal 1: 3.0; WL/C2: 8.0; WL/C3: 1.8; WL/C1+C2: 2.2; C extending 0.45 of wing length. Halters brown, bearing a row of 3 setae on the stem.

Abdomen. Tergites darkened, well defined; sternites 1–5 unsclerotized, sternite 6 with small, medial lunula. Tergite 7 ( Fig. 2H–I View FIGURE 2 ) wider than long, length, 0.2 mm, width, 0.5 mm, medially emarginated in posterior margin, and with a pair of deep sublateral emarginations; sternite 7 ( Fig. 2G, J View FIGURE 2 ) longer than wider, length, 0.45 mm, width, 0.20 mm, subtriangular, at the base are connected by a slender sclerite, tapering to margin posterior. Tergum 8 with a double pair of short processes rounded apically ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ). Genital capsule ( Fig. 3A–C View FIGURE 3 ) elongate, gonocoxites short, robust; aedeagus base subrectangular, with a distal process V–shaped; parameres lobulated, bearing a row of distal setae; tergite 9 elongated, sword–shaped, with the distal portion rounded.

Female. Similar to male, except for the following. Body length, 3.5 mm. Head. Antenna with 8 flagellomeres, antenna length, 0.40 mm. Thorax. 16 supraalar setae; anterior spiracular sclerite with 16 setae; pleural setae: 18 anepisternal, in upper anterior sclerite; ca. 30 antepronotal; 9 katepisternal; 5 mesepimeral, 5 meral, ca. 40 proepimeral setae. Wing. Length, 1.7 mm, width, 0.7 mm; wing length/section costal 1: 3.0; WL/C2: 2.0; WL/C3: 1.9; WL/C1+C2: 2.1; C extending 0.47 of wing length. Abdomen. Tergite 7 wider than long, posterior margin emarginated; sternite 7 similar to tergite, wider than long, posterior margin emarginated, with a sclerotized distal band. Terminalia ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Tergite 8 + 9 is very narrow, “U” shaped. Sternite 8 membranous, genital furca long, V– shaped, with a pair of setose lobes in posterior margin (cercus, according to Cook, 1956a); tergite 10 short, setose.

Etymology. The specific name ' tariacurii ' refers to the Pur'hepecha people in honor of Tariacuri, a revered figure in Pur'hepecha mythology and history. Tariacuri is celebrated as one of the foundational leaders of the indigenous Pur'hepecha civilization in present-day Michoacán, Mexico.

Floral records. Bursera cuneata Engl. Burseraceae .

Distribution. México ( Michoacán) ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Comment. The genus is represented by two previously known species, Akorhexoza dampfi (Duda) from USA and México and A. cactivora Cook from México. This new species differs principally by the tergum 8 with a double pair of short processes rounded apically and tergite 7 with a pair of deep sublateral emarginations, both characteristics included in the key to separate the known species. However, other three species undescribed from México (2 species) and Panama (1 species) are present in the Neotropical Region ( Amorim, 2007). Nevertheless, the genus is endemic to Central America ( Amorim, 2009b), although it could have an extended distribution ( Amorim & Brown, 2020). This new species was collected in association with copalillo o cuerecatzundi ( Bursera cuneata ), a Mexican endemic tree species found in oak-tropical deciduous forest transition zones and on basaltic outcrops, and its wood is used for making handicrafts such as decorative masks or for festivities ( Becerra & Yetman, 2024). This is the first time that a Scatopsid has been recorded visiting the flowers of this copalillo tree.