Acrophotopsis pumasunam Williams, 2025

Acrophotopsis pumasunam Williams , sp. nov., ♂ ♀

( Figs 86, 91–92 View FIGURES 81–92 , 98 View FIGURES 93–98 , 104, 110 View FIGURES 99–110 , 123–124 View FIGURES 119–124 , 145–147 View FIGURES 125–147 , 172–175 View FIGURES 164–175 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by the epaulet tubercle ( Figs 91–92 View FIGURES 81–92 ), which is spinose and larger than the largest tubercles at the base of T2. The following characters are also diagnostic: the mesonotum has brown brachyplumose setae mesally, the lateral and posterior areas have shorter plumose whitish setae ( Fig. 86 View FIGURES 81–92 ); the T2 disc is covered with brown brachyplumose setae anteriorly, the posterior half of T2 is covered mostly with whitish setae ( Fig. 86 View FIGURES 81–92 ); and the pygidial plate is triangular with densely microreticulate sculpture ( Fig. 110 View FIGURES 99–110 ). Body length 5 mm. MALE. This species can be immediately recognized by the frons with its raised triangular carina directly above the clypeus ( Figs 145–146 View FIGURES 125–147 ). The following characters are also useful for diagnosis: pronotum with suture interrupted between epaulets; metasoma largely blackened, at least around felt lines on T2 ( Figs 123–124 View FIGURES 119–124 ); legs mostly orange-brown, only slightly lighter than mesosomal cuticle ( Figs 123–124 View FIGURES 119–124 ); paramere not flattened throughout its length; and cuspis relatively short without specialized bristles and with elbowed region along outer margin ( Figs 172–173 View FIGURES 164–175 ). Body length 8–11 mm.

Description. Female. Coloration. Body uniformly pale brown, except legs and antennae lighter yellow-brown. Body setae entirely pale silvery, mesosomal dorsum and T2 disc anteriorly each with dark blackish-brown setal patch. Head. Head width 0.9 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.8 × mesonotal width. Frons convex; vertex rounded; frons and vertex areolate-punctate. Eye large, ovate, in lateral view, height 1.25 × width; in anterior view, inner eye margins sub-parallel, malar space 0.9 × eye height, vertex height 0.9 × eye height, interocular distance 2.0 × eye height. Clypeus with mesal tubercle. Genal sculpture areolate; without genal and postgenal carinae. Mandible oblique, bidentate apically; dorsal basal carina terminating in small sharp tooth in basal third; ventrally with large, rounded tooth basally. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Antennal tubercle rounded, with irregular carinae and punctures. F1 length 1.8 × pedicel length; F2 1.6 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosomal length 1.0 × width. Humeral carina mostly obliterated by surrounding areolation margins, terminating in small tubercle; epaulet placed on long sharp tubercle; humeral corner forming distinct angle in dorsal view; lateral pronotal sculpture areolate; setae sparse, brachyplumose; dorsal and lateral surfaces not distinctly separated. Mesosomal dorsum coarsely areolate, intervals reduced to carinae and scattered tubercles; entire mesosomal dorsum with interspersed erect and appressed brachyplumose setae and numerous short bushy plumose setae, except bushy plumose setae absent from anteromesal portion of mesonotum; lacking scutellar scale or defined transverse arcuate carinae. Ratio of transverse distances, in dorsal view, between epaulets, humeral angles, anterior spiracles, widest lateral mesonotal margins, propodeal spiracles, and posterolateral propodeal corners 79:85:99:100:86:83. Vertical mesopleural ridge with coarse areolations; metapleuron and mesopleuron (posterior to ridge) smooth with scattered brachyplumose setae. Propodeum areolate dorsally, evenly rounded into posterior face with shallower areolations; lateral propodeal surface areolate, only slightly fainter than dorsal surface, not clearly differentiated from dorsal and posterior surfaces. Metasoma. T1 shape narrowly petiolate, apical width 0.4 × T2 maximum width; T1 disc areolate-punctate; disc setae interspersed short plumose and long brachyplumose; fringe plumose. S1 with longitudinal ridge. T2 length 1.0 × width; disc areolate throughout with many longitudinal intervals cariniform, basally forming many scattered erect tubercles; disc setae mostly erect brachyplumose in anterior half, with short distinctly plumose setae on posterior half of disc; fringe plumose; T2 felt line ovate, 0.25 × T2 length; posterior felt line edge terminating at 0.6 × T2 length. S2 sculpture similar to T2 sculpture, with basomesal longitudinal punctate ridge. T3–5 disc with interspersed appressed short and erect long simple to brachyplumose setae; fringe setae plumose. Pygidial plate elongate sub-triangular with posterior margin acutely rounded, basal width 1.1 × mesal width, maximum length 1.2 × maximum width; entirely microreticulate.

Male. Coloration. Head, mesosoma, and first metasomal segment uniformly orange-brown; legs and antennae only slightly lighter orange-brown; metasomal segments 2–7 variably darkened, usually with tergal and sternal discs dark brown, somewhat darker than orange-brown to yellowish tergal fringes and lateral margins, sternites often lighter orange-brown. Body setae entirely pale silvery, slightly orange-tinted on mesoscutum. Head. Head rounded, lateral margins of vertex convergent directly behind eye, post-ocular distance 0.75 × dorsal eye length; head width 0.95 × mesonotal width; vertex width 0.85 × mesonotal width. Head smooth with moderately-spaced small punctures; frons with raised triangular longitudinal ridge directly above clypeus. Ocelli large; OOD 1.7 × DLO, IOD 0.75 × DLO. Antennal scrobe with short dorsal carina and small tubercle. Clypeus concave mesally, with moderately-spaced small punctures, with setose upcurved transverse anterior ridge. Scape unicarinate. F1 length 2.7 × pedicel length; F2 length 2.9 × pedicel length. Mandible vertical throughout its length; apically tridentate and widely dilated beyond excision, deeply excised beneath with large rounded ventral tooth; dorsal carina complete, terminating at large inner apical tooth. In lateral view, ratio of eye height, mandibular height at ventral tooth, mandibular height at excision, and mandibular height at inner apical tooth: 45:25:15:21. Mesosoma. Epaulet placed in transverse ovate sulcus that extends nearly to midpoint of pronotum; epaulet sulci only indistinctly interrupted by punctation mesally. Anterior surface of pronotum punctate like dorsal and lateral surfaces. Tegula convex, mostly smooth and impunctate with dense punctures along anterior and inner margins. Mesoscutum densely areolate-punctate; notaulus and parapsis distinct, obliterated from anterior quarter of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum convex, slightly more coarsely areolate than mesoscutum. Propodeum with dorsal, lateral, and posterior surfaces scarcely differentiated,shallowly areolate; without specialized enclosed area.Mesopleuron mostly areolate, areolations mostly obliterated directly above procoxa and mesocoxa; mesosternal area unarmed, with sculpture largely obliterated. Metapleuron virtually smooth, with micropunctures and sparse setae. Mid and hind coxa unarmed. Marginal cell apically acute, 1.3 × length of stigma. Metasoma. T1 elongate sub-petiolate; areolate-punctate with dorsal sculpture distinct; setae sparse, mostly brachyplumose, without plumose fringe. S1 without distinct longitudinal mesal carina. T2 disc punctures sparse, fine; S2 sculpture as on T2, scarcely swollen antero-mesally. T2 felt line linear, 0.55 × T2 length; S2 felt line distinct, 0.25 × T2 felt line length. Pygidial area wider than long, shagreened, not margined laterally, with distinct posterior fringe of short dense setae. Hypopygium wider than long; apical margin emarginate mesally; with raise anterolateral carina. Genitalia. In dorsal view, ratio of apical lengths of genitalic structures from anterior margin of parapenial lobe: free length of paramere, cuspis, digitus, penis valve, parapenial lobe: 100:73:52:51:46. Paramere scarecely dorsoventrally flattened, elbowed near midpoint, with outer fringe of few thickened setae that surpass paramere apex; with inner brush of short dense setae near cuspis apex. Cuspis length 0.5 × free paramere length, dorsoventrally flattened, apically dilated with angular elbowed outer margin; with dense long setae, setae along inner margin thicker than posterior setae, elbowed area with small tuft of especially long setae. Paracuspis short, lobe-like, rounded, densely setose. Digitus cylindrical, asetose. Penis valve height 0.33 × penis valve length, highest sub-basally; with two subequal apical teeth, distance between teeth 0.10 × length of valve, sulcus between teeth shallowly forming approximately right angle; apical margin dorsally with longitudinal row of distinct setae; patch of setae present antero-dorsal to anterior apical tooth; ratio of penis valve height at basal third, medial area, directly anterior to anterior apical tooth, and between apical teeth: 33:32:18:12.

Material examined. Holotype male. MEXICO, Jalisco: Estacion Biologia Chamela , pan traps, 19°29.889'N 105°02.662'W, 30.IV–2.V.2011, J. Rodriguez and K.A. Williams ( EMUS, DNA voucher JP1934) GoogleMaps . Paratypes ( 1 female, 8 males). MEXICO, Jalisco: Careyes , 12.II–19.III.1997, F.D. Parker ( 6♂, CSCA EMUS) ; Estacion Biologia Chamela , pan traps, 19°29.889'N 105°02.662'W, 28–30.IV.2011, J. Rodriguez and K.A. Williams ( 1♀, EMUS) GoogleMaps ; Chamela , malaise trap: 10.X.1985 ( 1♂, EMUS) ; 13.XI.1985 ( 1♂, EMUS) .

Etymology. This species is known mainly from the Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala in Jalisco, Mexico. This site was founded and funded largely by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). The University’s affiliated Football Club, los pumas de la UNAM, is one of the most popular sports teams in Mexico. This species bears the club’s name as it appears in sporting box scores: Pumas UNAM. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Mexico: Jalisco.

Remarks. The sex association of this species is based on males collected at the same site and locality as a female in the Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala in Jalisco, Mexico. This is the second species of the genus known from the Neotropical Biogeographical realm, after Acr. bergi , which occurs at higher elevations further inland.