Microcerella jimi, Santos & Mello-Patiu & Couri & Mulieri, 2025

Microcerella jimi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2498FBD3-3C86-40C8-BD69-55D1CB51D5FE

Figs 9–10 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Male: head without proclinate orbital setae; wings with vein R 1 bare; terminalia with epandrium orange, basiphallus and distiphallus fused dorsally without a dorsal membranous strip ( Fig. 9D View Fig ), and vesica with a superior and inferior projection, the superior one C-like in lateral view and the inferior one with pointed lobes ( Fig. 9D–E View Fig ).

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ jimi ’ (‘jim’ + ‘i’), masculine genitive, is given in honor of Jim O’Hara (CNC).

Type material

Holotype PERU • ♂, abdomen dissected and stored in a microvial with glycerin pinned under the specimen; “ La Huerta, Puno / Peru 3800 m. / 24-28.XI.1955 / L.E. Pena [printed on white paper] // // Microcella / sp. nov.12 near / M. carchia / Det.: J.R. Santos 2022 [printed on white paper] // HOLOTYPE [printed on red paper] // Microcerella jimi sp. nov. / Santos, Mello-Patiu, / Couri & Mulieri 2025 [printed on white paper]”; CNC.

Description

Male (n = 1)

MEASUREMENTS. Length: 9 mm.

HEAD. Parafacial, fronto-orbital plate and postocular orbit dark brown with silvery pruinosity ( Fig. 10A– C View Fig ); facial ridge with setae on lower third; parafacial with row of setulae close to eye, similar in size to subvibrissal setae; frons about 0.32 head width at level of ocellar triangle; frontal vitta blackish ( Fig. 10B–C View Fig ); 9–10 well-developed frontal setae reaching level of apex of pedicel; rows of frontal setae parallel except anteriormost 3 divergent; reclinate orbital seta present, proclinate orbital setae absent; ocellar setae as developed as upper frontals; outer vertical seta 2 × as long as postocular setae; gena and genal groove with silver pruinosity ( Fig. 10A, C View Fig ); gena with black setae; postgena silvery-gray pruinose with black setae; antenna black ( Fig. 10A, C View Fig ); first flagellomere approximately 2 × as long as pedicel; arista micro pubescent on basal half ( Fig. 10C View Fig ); palpus blackish ( Fig. 10A, C View Fig ).

THORAX. Dark brown with silvery pruinosity ( Fig. 10A–B View Fig ); chaetotaxy: acrostichals 2 (anteriormost shorter) + 0, dorsocentrals 2+3, intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 1+2, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 4; postalar wall bare; postalar callus with 2 setae; scutellum with pair of basal and pair of subapical setae, apical setae absent, and discal setae absent; katepisternum with 3 setae almost in straight line; meral setae 7–8; proepisternum bare.

WING. Hyaline, with dark brown veins ( Fig. 10A–B View Fig ); tegula dark brown; basicosta yellowish; vein R4+5 with setulae dorsally at ⅓ of distance to crossvein r-m; vein R1 bare; cell r4+5 open at wing margin; costal spine differentiated; third costal sector bare ventrally.

LEGS. Blackish-brown, pulvilli yellowish-brown ( Fig. 10A View Fig ); mid femur with 2 median anterior setae, row of anteroventral setae, 2 preapical posterior setae, row of posteroventral setae, and without ctenidium; mid tibia with 2 median anterior setae, 2 median posterior setae and 2 posterior setae in apical third; hind trochanter without ventromedian pad of short, spiniform setae.

ABDOMEN. Dark brown with silvery pruinosity; T4 with pair of median marginal setae and pair of lateral marginal setae; T5 with row of marginal setae; ST2–4 with marginal setae more developed than discal setae; ST5 with membranous window, arms approximately 2 × of base length, and dense setae pattern ( Fig. 9A View Fig ).

TERMINALIA. Syntergosternite 7+8 and apex of phallus black, other structures orange; cercus with numerous setae in basal half and sparse setae in apical half; cercal prongs divergent dorsally and rounded ( Fig. 9B–C View Fig ); surstylus almost rectangular, with apical setae ( Fig. 9B View Fig ); pregonite straight and longer than postgonite ( Fig. 9D View Fig ); postgonite with apex rounded and curved and short seta inserted on anterior margin in middle ( Fig. 9D View Fig ); postgonal apodeme short and oval ( Fig. 9D View Fig ); basiphallus and distiphallus fused dorsally without dorsal membranous strip ( Fig. 9D View Fig ); vesica with superior and inferior projection, superior one C-like in lateral view and inferior one with pointed lobes ( Fig. 9D–E View Fig ); juxta distinctly separated from paraphallus with median anterior projection ( Fig. 9D View Fig ); acrophallus formed by median stylus, median process, pair of lateral styli and pair of lateral processes ( Fig. 9D–E View Fig ); median stylus, median process, lateral stylus and lateral process almost straight with lateral stylus with spines in apex ( Fig. 9D–E View Fig ).

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

Microcerella jimi sp. nov. is morphologically similar to M. carchia Pape, 1990 but can be separated by the juxta being apically straight and its median anterior projection having a conspicuous spine in the apical half ( Fig. 9D–E View Fig ), whereas in M. carchia the juxta is apically bilobed and its median anterior projection has no spine ( Lopes 1982: figs 56–58).

Distribution

Peru (Puna).