Lycopale mendozai, Montoya, 2024

Lycopale mendozai sp. nov.

( Figs 5 View Fig , 6 View Fig , 9g View Fig , 10–11 View Fig View Fig )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Adult J, pinned. Original label: “COLOMBIA, Antioquia, Belmira, Cabaña Cabildo Verde, El Morro-Alto de La Gallina” / “ 6,634233, -75,658654, 2966–3020 m ” / “ 2–13.xii.2017, A. L. Montoya ” “ HOLOTYPE / Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. / Montoya 2023” [red, handwritten except first line] ( CEUA 103237 , dissected) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: COLOMBIA: Antioquia,Belmira, Cabaña Cabildo Verde, El Morro-Alto de La Gallina, 6.634233, -75.658654, 2966–3020 m, Bosque, Red entomológica [Net], 4–14.xii.2016, A. L. Montoya; J. Torres; J. D. Carmona (1 ♀, CEUA 103271); Antioquia, Belmira, Cabaña Cabildo Verde, El Morro-Alto de La Gallina, 6.634233, -75.658654, 2966–3020 m, Paramo, Net,ex Gaiadendron punctatum (Ruiz & Pav.) G.Don , 25.iii.–5.iv.2017,A. L. Montoya; C. Rodríguez; J. D. Carmona (1 ♀, CEUA 97946, ZFMK-DNA-FD19584738, GenBank PP 979581); Antioquia, Belmira, Vereda Río Arriba, Sector Laguna de Sabanas, 6.640931, -75.665335, 2850–2950 m, Forest,Red entomológica [Net], flying around the Bromeliad species, Guzmania coriostachya (Griseb.) Mez ( Bromeliaceae Juss. ), 16.–27.ix.2017,A. L.Montoya (2 JJ, CEUA 95141-95142);Sonsón,Vereda Nori Cerro Nori, 5.809667, -75.269028, 2840–2853 m, Bosque, Red entomológica [Net], 25.xi–5.xii.2018, A.L. Montoya;A.M. Echeverry (1 ♀, CEUA 114201).

Length. Body 8.2–9.1 mm; wing 8.4–8.8 mm.

Diagnosis. Lycopale mendozai is similar in appearance to Lycopale lipoflava , but can be separated from it by eye pilose ( Figs 6a–b View Fig , 4a–c View Fig ); scutum dull black, with two submedial whitish grey pruinose vittae in the basal half ( Fig. 9g View Fig ); pre-scutellum without vitta or tomentose hairs ( Fig. 9g View Fig ); wing hyaline except for brown on anterior margin ( Fig. 9g View Fig ); abdomen shiny black, second to fourth terga with yellow apical margin ( Figs 6b–c View Fig , 7a View Fig , 9g View Fig ).

Description. Male. Head ( Figs 6a–b View Fig , 4a–c View Fig ). Face black, facial vitta black, white pruinose before frontal prominence; gena black, yellow whitish pilose and pruinose; frontal triangle white, white and black pilose; vertical triangle black, grey pruinose, black pilose; eyes pilose, narrowly dichoptic, separated from eye margin by more than ocellus width; occiput black pruinose and pilose on dorsal 1/4 and white pruinose and pilose on ventral 3/4. Antenna: black; arista light yellow and pubescent.

Thorax ( Figs 6b–d View Fig , 7c View Fig , 9g View Fig ). Scutum dull blue-black pruinose and pilose; postpronotum black pruinose and pilose; scutum with two submedial whitish grey pruinose vittae from base, reaching 3/4 of scutum length; transversal suture without vitta or tomentose pile; pre-scutellum extensively black, without vitta or tomentose pile; postalar callus black and golden pilose; pleuron dark blue, grey white pruinose, white pilose, except for black pile on posterior anepisternon and anterior anepimeron dorsally; scutellum black, black pilose; calypter black, black pilose marginally; plumula white; halter pedicel dark brown; capitulum dark brown.

Wing ( Figs 6b–e View Fig , 7b–d View Fig ). Hyaline except for brown anterior half; microtrichose, except for bare areas on posterior half of cells cup and dm, bare extensively on cell bm; alula bare basomedially; tegula black pilose and basicosta orange pilose.

Legs ( Figs 6a–b View Fig , 7a View Fig ). Black, golden pilose, metafemur with some black pile on apicodorsal 1/4.

Abdomen ( Figs 6b–c View Fig , 7a View Fig , 9g View Fig ). Shiny yellowish white pilose; first tergum grey pruinose, with long yellowish- -white pile; second to fourth terga black, narrowly yellow on apical margin, yellowish white pilose; male genitalia as Fig. 6 View Fig .

Female ( Figs 5d–f View Fig ). Similar to the male, except for normal sexual dimorphism and: the brown anterior half of the wing is darker than in male, abdomen mostly covered with black pile. Body length 7.3–8.1 mm; wing length 8.0–8.6. Differential diagnosis. Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. keys out to Lycopale lipoflava in the keys of THOMPSON (2012). Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. can be separated from Lycopale lipoflava by eye pilose (versus eye bare in L. lipoflava ); scutum dull black, with two submedial whitish grey pruinose vittae in the basal half, Fig. 9g View Fig (versus scutum without pruinose maculae in L. lipoflava , Fig. 9f View Fig ); transverse suture without vitta or tomentose pile, Fig. 9g View Fig (versus transverse suture with a row of short yellow tomentose pile in L. lipoflava , Fig. 9f View Fig ); pre-scutellum without vitta or tomentose hairs, Fig. 9g View Fig (versus pre-scutellum with vitta and a prominent patch of golden tomentose hairs in L. lipoflava , figure 9f); wing hyaline except for brown anterior part (versus wing hyaline in L. lipoflava ).

Etymology. The specific epithet “ mendozai ” is given in honor of the Colombian writer, Mario Mendoza Zambrano, one of the greatest exponents of the new Latin-American narrative. His visceral writing narrates everyday stories in brutal, ruthless, fast, sarcastic, critical and direct literature. His writings describe misty cities and their gloomy, enigmatic and mad characters throughout the crime, mystic, underground and prophetic surrealism into agile and concise prose of fantastic novels. His writings are aimed primarily at young people, inviting them to learn to think about complexities, becoming a true pleasure to read, characterized by its rhythm and hyperrealistic aesthetic. The dark colors and yellow tints of the new species evoke the magnificent black mood and colored sarcasm that is highlighted in the stories of his dark, gloomy, mysterious, and enigmatic characters. This beautiful flower fly species that inhabits the Colombian pristine forest and Paramo ecosystems was named after him in gratitude and recognition of his legacy for future generations.

Distribution and natural history. Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. occurs in sympatry with L. radioheadi sp. nov. in the Magdalena Valley montane forests in northwestern Colombia. Part of the type material of Lycopale mendozai sp. nov. was collected inside a forest flying around the native bromeliad, Guzmania coriostachya (Griseb.) Mez ( Bromeliaceae ) ( Fig. 1H View Fig ).