Merucata Soares, Camargo & Lamas, 2025

Merucata Soares, Camargo & Lamas gen. nov.

Type species: Merucata caipora Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. by present designation. Type locality: Brazil, state of Mato Grosso, Poconé .

Etymology. From the Tupi-guarani meru = fly and cata = savanna-like vegetation, alluding to the known distribution of the genus occurring mainly in the Cerrado biome (Brazilian Savanna). The gender is feminine.

Included species. Merucata caipora Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Tocantins), M. capixaba Scorpione, Soares & Camargo sp. nov. ( Brazil, state of Espírito Santo), M. cerradensis Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, state of Mato Grosso), M. contiae Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, state of Mato Grosso do Sul), M. curupira Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, state of Piauí), M. elliptica ( Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2010) comb. nov. ( Trinidad and Tobago and newly recorded from Venezuela), M. pujoli Scorpione, Soares & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, Federal District), and M. vieirai Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov. ( Brazil, state of Mato Grosso do Sul).

Diagnosis. Head (e.g., Figs 1C, D View FIGURE 1 , 6C, D View FIGURE 6 , 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ). Scape about 2 times longer than pedicel; postpedicel lanceolate, slightly tapered distally, about as long as scape and pedicel combined, apical 2/3 covered with squamiform setae; stylus with two bare elements, slightly longer than postpedicel and abruptly tapered at apex; frons with convergent slopes; face slightly gibbose at lower 1/3 to 1/2 with dorsal margin sloping very gradually to facial plane; mystax dense to sparse, occupying entire facial gibbosity; palpus short, one-segmented. Thorax (e.g., Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 12B, D View FIGURE 12 , 17A, B View FIGURE 17 ). Scutum tumid, 1–6 pairs of postsutural dorsocentral macrosetae (sometimes slightly thinner than other macrosetae of thorax), 2 notopleural macrosetae, 1 supra-alar and 1–2 postalar macrosetae; dorsal anepisternal seta absent, posterior anepisternal setae white; scutellum tumid as scutum, without impressed rim on posterior border; 2 scutellar macrosetae on posterior border, with sparse, fine, short setae on disc; anatergal setae absent; katatergite with row of white or mixed white and black macrosetae, meron + metanepisternum with slender white setae; postmetacoxal bridge absent, postmetacoxal area entirely membranous. Wing (e.g., Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 4E View FIGURE 4 , 8F View FIGURE 8 , 10E View FIGURE 10 ). Cell r 1 closed before wing margin; without costal dilatation; bifurcation of R 4+5 at level or after apex of discal cell; R 5 ending after wing apex; supernumerary stump crossvein on R 4 absent (sometimes present only in one wing, but not forming cell ( Figs 10E View FIGURE 10 , 12E View FIGURE 12 )); cells m 3 and cua closed. Legs (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 10A View FIGURE 10 , 15A View FIGURE 15 ). Femora mostly covered with short white setae (except in M. capixaba sp. nov. with anterior and dorsal surfaces wholly covered with black setae ( Fig. 4A, D View FIGURE 4 )); empodia and pulvilli present. Abdomen (e.g., Figs 1A, B View FIGURE 1 , 2A, B View FIGURE 2 , 3A, B View FIGURE 3 , 10A, B View FIGURE 10 ). Mostly covered with black setae; tergite 1 with distinct macroseta laterally; tergites 2–8 with row of macrosetae at posterior margin (usually longer laterally and diminishing in size towards dorsal posterior margin, sometimes indistinguishable from remaining dorsal setosity); sternites without macrosetae. Terminalia ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 , 5 View FIGURE 5 , 7 View FIGURE 7 , 9 View FIGURE 9 , 11 View FIGURE 11 , 14 View FIGURE 14 , 16 View FIGURE 16 , 18 View FIGURE 18 ). Narrow (as wide as tergite 8 (e.g., Figs 1A View FIGURE 1 , 14A View FIGURE 14 )) or wide (wider than tergite 8 (e.g., Figs 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A View FIGURE 9 )) in dorsal view. Epandrium with inner dorsal process, covered with short spiniform macrosetae, with apicoventral projection in M. curupira sp. nov. ( Fig. 11B, D View FIGURE 11 ); hypandrium usually with posterior row of slender to strong macrosetae (e.g., Figs 2L View FIGURE 2 , 5J View FIGURE 5 , 9K View FIGURE 9 ); phallus divided into three long prongs, encompassing about half of phallus length (e.g., Figs 2G View FIGURE 2 , 5G View FIGURE 5 , 9G View FIGURE 9 ).

Female. Similar to male, except abdomen tapering towards apex and presence of three spermathecae ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ).

Remarks. In the identification key provided by Papavero et al. (2009), the new genus runs to the Myaptex group, based on the following set of characters: antennal stylus bare; subalar sclerite without conical projection; anatergite bare; scutellum with at least one pair of well-developed marginal macrosetae and without an impressed rim; wing with only two submarginal cells; costal section between tips of veins R 5 and M 1 subequal to or much shorter than costal section between tips of veins R 4 and R 5 (i.e., R 5 ends after wing apex); claws acute; abdominal tergites 2–8 with posterolateral macrosetae; male terminalia not forming an angle of 90° with body axis.

Using the most recent key for the Myaptex group of genera ( Soares et al. 2025), Merucata gen. nov. keys to couplets 8 and 9. To avoid ambiguity and facilitate accurate identification, the final two couplets of the key have been revised and updated to accommodate the new genus. This revision was necessary primarily due to variability at the base of vein R 4, which can lead to misidentification. In some species of the new genus, this vein is slightly angled, while in others it appears nearly straight. Additionally, one of the characters used in couplet 8 of the key by Soares et al. (2025), “mystax restricted to middle of face, resembling a mohawk”, was based on a misidentified specimen. The specimen shown in figure 12 (A, B) of that work does not belong to Martintella , but is in fact a representative of Nevadasilus Artigas & Papavero, 1995 .

At first glance, without running the specimens through a key, they may resemble representatives of Eicherax Bigot. However , they can be easily differentiated by the presence of posterolateral macrosetae on abdominal tergites 2–8. The genus may also resemble Eichoichemus Bigot , but differs by the presence of only two submarginal cells and acute claws. Interestingly, the phallus of the new genus is similar in general shape to that of Triorla Parks , with about half of its length composed of three divided prongs, including a similarly shaped short fan-like ejaculatory apodeme directed anteriorly in both genera. However, Triorla can be easily separated from the new genus by the longer distance between tips of veins R 5 and M 1, and absence of ocellar setae.

Distribution. The new genus is mainly distributed in Brazil, ranging from the state of Piauí (Northeast region) to Mato Grosso do Sul (Central-West region), near to the border with Paraguay. It occurs across multiple biomes, including the Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado and Pantanal. Merucata elliptica comb. nov. is the only species recorded outside Brazil; originally described from Trinidad and Tobago, it is newly recorded from Venezuela ( Figs 19 View FIGURE 19 , 20 View FIGURE 20 ).