Cryptosophia, Santis, 2018

Cryptosophia View in CoL gen. nov.

Etymology. Feminine name derived from the combination of the Greek adjective “ krypto ” (= hidden), and the generic name Sophia , in reference to the meron with pale yellow setae almost indistinguishable from the yellow integument.

Type species. Cryptosophia aurulenta View in CoL sp. nov., by present designation.

Diagnosis. Head with occiput clearly swollen medially. Thorax with short setae; proepisternal seta lacking; anepisternum with pale yellow setae (but one paratype with 2–3 black setae); meron with pale yellow setae, almost indistinguishable from the yellow integument; scutellum with one pair of weak, short and straight apical setae. Fore, mid and hind coxae with anterior surface bare. Abdomen with tergites III to V entirely pale yellow, without lateral marginal setae. First instar larva with segments 5 to 11 with small and subrectangular plates dorsally (without a pore), each with a spine-like projection on posterolateral surface .

Description. Coloration. Occiput with golden pruinosity, but dorsal 1/4 light brown, with surrounding golden pruinose vitta along median occipital sclerite. Median occipital sclerite light brown. Occiput with short and pale setulae. Head with pale golden pruinosity, with anterior part of gena light brown. Face dark yellow. Thorax with prescutum mostly light brown, with golden pruinosity on postpronotal lobe, forming an anterodorsal spot adjacent to postpronotal lobe, and on median vittae and posterior horizontal vittae; postscutum mostly light brown, with golden pruinosity in the form of a triangle (reaching posterior margin), and with a paired lateral vitta slightly fading to light brown (ground color) anteriorly; postalar callus with golden pruinosity anteriorly ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Scutellum golden pruinose, with anterior horizontal vittae light brown. Subscutellum and postnotum light brown. Wing hyaline. Anepisternum with pale yellow setae (but one paratype with 2–3 black setae) setae. Meron with pale yellow setae, almost indistinguishable from the yellow integument. Thorax light brown with golden pruinosity. Anepimeron with two irregular light brown spots. Anterior (plus adjacent area) and posterior spiracles light brown. Abdomen mostly pale yellow, but syntergite I+II with a light brown median longitudinal stripe covering about anterior 1/4.

Head ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ). Occiput clearly swollen medially. Fronto-orbital plate with 5 to 6 pairs of proclinate frontal setae, lowermost frontal seta not reaching antennal insertion. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial bare. Frontal vitta somewhat widened anteriorly. Facial ridge with 1 setula in lower third. Lower facial margin not protruding, invisible in profile. Gena height about 5.5 x eye height. Vibrissa long, inserted at level of lower facial margin. Five to 7 subvibrissal setae.

Thorax ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ). Acrostichal setae 0+0. Dorsocentral setae 3–4+4, first post-sutural seta weak. Proepimeron with 1 weak and short seta. Meron with 2–4 setae. Anepisternum with 3–6 weak setae. Scutellum with one pair of weak basal, one pair of long and divergent subapical, and one pair of weak, short and straight apical setae. Subscutellum not well developed (in contrast to the well-developed subscutellum usually present in Tachinidae ). Postmetacoxal area membranous. Wing. Costal vein with only one strong and long seta. M vein bent towards vein R 4+5 at an angle of less than 90º, and somewhat convex after bend. Legs. Fore tarsus enlarged, compressed laterally, and nearly as long as tibia. Fore, mid and hind coxae with anterior face bare, with setae only in distal margin; hind tibia with one seta on posterodorsal margin.

Abdomen ( Fig. 2A–B View FIGURE 2 ). Syntergite I+II with mid-dorsal longitudinal depression extending to posterior margin. Sternites II to V absent (wholly membranous).

First instar larva. Segments 5 to 11 with small and subrectangular plates dorsally (without a pore), each with a spine-like projection on posterolateral surface.