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

Microcerella grinteri sp. nov.

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Figs 5–6 View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Male: head without proclinate orbital setae; wings with vein R 1 bare; terminalia with epandrium orange ( Fig. 6D View Fig ), basiphallus and distiphallus fused dorsally without a dorsal membranous strip ( Fig. 5C View Fig ), and vesica with a superior and inferior projection, the inferior one with serrated margin ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ).

Etymology

The species epithet ‘ grinteri ’ (‘grinter’ + ‘i’), masculine genitive, is given in honor of Christopher C. Grinter (Collection Manager of Entomology at CAS).

Type Material

Holotype CHILE • ♂, terminalia dissected and stored in a microvial with glycerin pinned under the specimen; “Chile, Santiago Prov. / Farellones , 2600 m. / III.20.1966, M.E. Irwin / 33º21’S. 70º20’W. [printed on white paper] // HOLOTYPE [printed on red paper] // Microcerella grinteri sp. nov. / Santos, Mello-Patiu, / Couri & Mulieri 2025 [handwritten on white paper] // CASENT / 8451582 [printed on white paper]”; CASENT8451582 ; CAS. GoogleMaps

Description

Male (n = 1)

MEASUREMENST. Length: 12 mm.

HEAD. Parafacial, fronto-orbital plate and postocular orbit dark brown with slightly silver pruinosity ( Fig. 6A–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 0.22 × head width at level of ocellar triangle; frontal vitta blackish ( Fig. 6B View Fig ); 11–12 well-developed frontal setae reaching level of apex of pedicel; rows of frontal setae parallel except anteriormost 2 divergent; reclinate orbital seta present, proclinate orbital setae absent; ocellar setae as developed as upper frontals; outer vertical seta undifferentiated from postocular setae; gena and genal groove with silver pruinosity ( Fig. 6A, C View Fig ); gena with black setae; postgena silvery-gray pruinose with blackish setae; antenna black ( Fig. 6A, C View Fig ); first flagellomere approximately 3 × as long as pedicel; arista micro pubescent on basal half ( Fig. 6C View Fig ); palpus blackish.

THORAX. Dark brown with silvery-gray pruinosity ( Fig. 6A–B View Fig ); chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0+0, dorsocentrals 3 (anteriormost shorter) + 3 (the anteriormost shorter), intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 1+3, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 4; postalar wall bare; postalar callus with 2 setae; scutellum with pair of basal and pair of subapical setae, pair of apical setae, and pair of discal setae; katepisternum with 3 setae almost in straight line; meral setae 11; proepisternum bare.

WING. Hyaline, with dark brown veins ( Fig. 6A–B View Fig ); tegula dark brown; basicosta yellowish; vein R 4+5 with setulae dorsally at basal ½ of distance to crossvein r-m; vein R 1 bare; cell r 4+5 open at wing margin; costal spine not differentiated; third costal sector bare ventrally.

LEGS. Blackish-brown, pulvilli yellowish-brown ( Fig. 6A View Fig ); mid femur with 3 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, 1 median posterior seta and 2 posterior setae in apical third; hind trochanter without ventromedian pad of short, spiniform setae.

ABDOMEN. Dark brown with silvery-gray pruinosity and yellowish pruinosity laterally ( Fig. 6A View Fig ); T4 without pair of median marginal setae and pair of lateral marginal setae; T5 with row of marginal setae; ST2–4 with marginal setae slightly more developed than discal setae; ST5 with membranous window, arms approximately 3 × of base length, and dense setae pattern.

TERMINALIA. Syntergosternite 7+8 and apex of phallus and cercus black, other structures orange ( Fig. 6D View Fig ); cercus with numerous setae; cercal prongs divergent dorsally and rounded ( Fig. 5A–B View Fig ); surstylus boomerang-like, with long apical setae ( Fig. 5B View Fig ); pregonite straight, almost same length as postgonite ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); postgonite with apex rounded and curved and short seta inserted on anterior margin near middle ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); postgonal apodeme long and rectangular ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); basiphallus and distiphallus fused dorsally without dorsal membranous strip ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); vesica with superior and an inferior projection, inferior one with serrated margin ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ); juxta distinctly separated from paraphallus with anterior projection ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ); acrophallus formed by median stylus, median process, and pair of lateral styli ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ); median stylus almost straight, median process tubular and lateral stylus slightly curved ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ).

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

Microcerella grinteri sp. nov. is morphologically similar to M. quimaliensis ( Lopes, 1982) but can be separated by the almost straight cercus in lateral view, the hat-like superior projection of the vesica, and the juxta being shorter than paraphallus ( Fig. 5C–D View Fig ); while in M. quimaliensis , the cercus is evidently curved in lateral view, the superior projection of the vesica is stick-like, and the juxta is approximately as long as the paraphallus ( Lopes 1982: figs 48–52).

Distribution

Chile (Santiago).