Baeocera ardua, Groll, 2025

Baeocera ardua sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B0B23CC-680A-44F3-86B5-32EDD6D5F138

Figs 1A–B, G View Fig , 25–28 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig

Diagnosis

Small, body length: 1.11 mm. Not strongly oblong in dorsal view; dark brown. Mesepimeron width approximately 0.75 of the mesanepisternum width, and 3.18 × as wide as long. Submesocoxal lines arcuate and punctate. Basal striae connected to sutural and reaching approximately the outer 2.12/3 of the basal width. Parameres thin, lobed posteriorly, tip oblong. Female unknown.

Etymology

The species epithet is a Portuguese adjective in apposition, meaning ‘difficult’, ‘hard’, referring to the challenging study of this morphologically uniform group, and in particular this species.

Material examined

Holotype

BRAZIL • ♂ *; Minas Gerais, Viçosa, EPTEA Mata do Paraíso ; 10 Mar. 2022; E. von Groll et al. leg.; “Falcon 26 / Em Ceratiomyxia fruticulosa em Pinus / Dissecado em 21.x.2022 / HOLOTYPUS ♂ ”; CELC. ( Fig. 25D–E View Fig )

Paratype

BRAZIL • 1 ♂ **; same collection data as for holotype; CELC .

Description

COLOURATION. Dark brown; mouthparts, antennomeres I–VI, and legs ochreous; tarsi, posterior part of abdominal ventrites yellow ( Fig. 25A–C, F View Fig ).

HEAD ( Fig. 25F–O View Fig ). Frons finely punctate; pubescence fine ( Fig. 25F View Fig ). Labrum almost straight posteriorly; laterals rounded ( Fig. 25J View Fig ). Mandibles not strongly curved; tooth somewhat elongate ( Fig. 25K–L View Fig ). Maxillary palpomere III somewhat oblong ( Fig. 25M View Fig ). Labial palpomeres elongate and very thin; palpomere II curved; mentum concave posteriorly ( Fig. 25N View Fig ). Gular pores absent ( Fig. 25O View Fig ). Antennae ( Fig. 25H–I View Fig ) elongate, antennomeres III–VI thick; antennomere VII longer than VIII; XI elongate, with sides parallel; antennomere proportions (n= 2): I 75/32: II 62/32: III 33/14:IV 47/14: V 51/15: VI 47/16:VII 57/22: VIII 50/23: IX 72/33:X 75/38: XI 110/34.

PROTHORAX ( Fig. 26A–E, I View Fig ). Punctation moderately sparse and fine; pubescence sparse ( Fig. 26A View Fig ). Pronotum constricted laterally. Hypomeron poorly pubescent ( Fig. 26I View Fig ). Prosternal process strongly acute in lateral view ( Fig. 26C View Fig ). Profurca tapering apically ( Fig. 26E View Fig ).

MESOTHORAX ( Fig. 26F–I View Fig ). Scutellum visible in dorsal view, wider than long; tip rounded ( Fig. 26F View Fig ). Mesoventral lines strongly curved ( Fig. 26G View Fig ). Mesepimeron about 3.18 × as wide as long, and about 0.75× the width of the mesanepisternum ( Fig. 26I View Fig ). Mesoventral process truncated in lateral view ( Fig. 26H View Fig ).

METATHORAX ( Fig. 26G–I View Fig ). Metaventrite smooth, shining, pubescence moderately sparse laterally ( Fig. 26I View Fig ). Submesocoxal lines arcuate and punctate; submesocoxal area length: 0.05–0.06 mm ( Fig. 26G–I View Fig ). Metanepisternal suture dashed, curvature variable ( Fig. 26H–I View Fig ). Metanotum with alacrista trapezoidal-shaped, with distinct sides; scutoscutellar suture elongate and slightly longer than apodeme ( Fig. 26J View Fig ). Stalk of metendosternite narrower than arms ( Fig. 27A–B View Fig ).

WINGS ( Figs 25A View Fig , 27C–D View Fig ). Elytra tapering toward apex; punctation moderately coarse and sparse. Basal striae connected to sutural, impunctate, and reaching approximately the outer 2.12/3 of the basal width ( Fig. 26A View Fig ). Lateral striae fine, impunctate, and curved near humeral region ( Fig. 26I View Fig ).

LEGS. Thin, elongate, not microsculptured ABDOMEN. Submetacoxal lines with sparse and coarse punctures ( Figs 25B View Fig , 26I View Fig ). Ventral surface shining; pubescence dense; punctures fine. Propygidium dense and coarsely punctate; micropunctured; pubescence dense ( Fig. 28A View Fig ).

Males Pro- and mesotarsomeres I–III widened, bearing tenent setae ( Fig. 27F–K View Fig ). Sternite VIII with a large posterior projection ( Fig. 28B View Fig ). Tergite VIII with a small posterior projection ( Fig. 28C View Fig ). Tergite IX with strongly curved ventral struts ( Fig. 28D View Fig ). Sternite IX slightly constricted centrally, microsculptured ( Fig. 28E View Fig ). Tergite X triangular ( Fig. 28F View Fig ).

AEDEAGUS ( Fig. 28G–Q View Fig ). Median lobe poorly sclerotized; basal bulb longer than apical lobe; apex truncate ( Fig. 28H View Fig ). Parameres also poorly sclerotized, but more than median lobe; thin, with a lobe near apex, tip wide ( Fig. 28G, J, N–O View Fig ). Sclerite of internal sac with distinct curvatures, flagellum thin ( Fig. 28K–M, P–Q View Fig ).

MEASUREMENTS (n= 2, including holotype; in mm; * =invariant). TL 1.11 *, SY 0.10 *, HW 0.31–0.32 (0.32 ± 0.01), IS 0.15–0.16(0.16 ±0.01),WA 0.07 *, PL 0.43–0.44(0.44 ± 0.01),PA 0.31–0.36 (0.34 ± 0.04), PB 0.63–0.67 (0.65 ± 0.03), SL 0.02 *, SW 0.04 *, EI 0.69–0.70 (0.70 ± 0.01), EL 0.76–0.78 (0.77± 0.01), EW 0.32–0.34 (0.33± 0.01), EH 0.30–0.33 (0.32 ± 0.02), MsW 0.15–0.16 (0.16 ±0.01), MeL 0.04–0.05 (0.05 ± 0.01), MeW 0.12 *, MB 0.10 *, MC 0.27–0.28 (0.28± 0.01), ML 0.05–0.06 (0.06 ± 0.01), VL 0.13– 0.15 (0.14 ± 0.01), PrF 0.29–0.30 (0.30 ± 0.01), PrT 0.24 *, MsF 0.32–0.37 (0.35± 0.04), MsT 0.29 *, MtF 0.38 *, MtT 0.35–0.36 (0.36 ± 0.01).

Host

Collected from Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa on a fallen Pinus sp. tree ( Fig. 1G View Fig ).

Remarks

Similar to B. bottine sp. nov. but differs by the smaller size, the submetacoxal line less arcuate, the femora not distinctly darker near the coxae, the slender antennomeres, and by the more elongate and parallel antennomere XI. Regarding the male terminalia, B. ardua sp. nov. can be separated by the wider apical projection of sternite VIII, the more parallel sides of tergite IX, and by the lobed parameres.

Distribution

Mata do Paraíso, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, campus of Viçosa, state of Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil ( Fig. 1A–B View Fig ).