Merucata cerradensis Soares, Camargo & Lamas, 2025

Merucata cerradensis Soares, Camargo & Lamas sp. nov.

( Figs 6 View FIGURE 6 , 7 View FIGURE 7 , 20 View FIGURE 20 )

Diagnosis (male). Mystax occupying 2/3 of face, composed with mixed black and white sparse macrosetae ( Fig. 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ); femur I with ventral rows of dense, long and white setae ( Fig. 6C View FIGURE 6 ); terminalia wider than tergite 8 ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ); inner surface of inner projection of epandrium covered by dense and spiniform setae ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ); gonostylus long, about twice longer than gonocoxite and truncated at apex ( Fig. 7E, J View FIGURE 7 ).

Description. Holotype male ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Body Length: 9.2 mm; wing length: 7.0 mm. Similar to M. caipora sp. nov., except as noted: Head ( Fig. 6C, D View FIGURE 6 ). Mystax occupying 2/3 of face, composed with mixed black and white sparse macrosetae, parafacial setae slender and white. Frons covered with mixed golden and silvery pruinosity, a few long and black orbital setae, ocellar tubercle with 2–3 pairs of long and slender black setae, occipital median setae black; upper-most 5–6 postocular macrosetae black and strong, remaining postocular setae white and slender. Thorax ( Fig. 6A, B View FIGURE 6 ). Antepronotum with row of short, strong and black macrosetae. Scutum covered with short black setae, longer at posterior 1/2, 2–3 postsutural dorsocentral black macrosetae, 2 postalar macrosetae. Scutellum dorsally covered with short black setae. Legs ( Fig. 6A, C View FIGURE 6 ). Wholly black. Leg I. Anterior surface of coxa with dense white and slender macrosetae. Femur covered with short white setae, longer at ventral 2/3, with a few short black setae at apex. Tibia with ventral to posteroventral row of 3–4 white macrosetae. Leg II. Femur covered with short white setae, longer at ventral 1/2, 3 anteroventral short, strong and black setae, except basal most white. Tibia with 3–4 short, strong and white posterior setae, 2 short white dorsal setae at apical 1/2 and 1 white short ventral seta at middle. Leg III. Coxa with 1 short white macroseta near apex. Femur covered with short white setae, longer at base of dorsal and posterior surfaces; a few black short setae at apex; ventral row of 4 short macrosetae, 2 basal most white, 2 short, anterior macrosetae, basal most white. Tibia with antero- and posterodorsal rows of white setae. Wing ( Fig. 6E View FIGURE 6 ). Hyaline, veins brown. Bifurcation of vein R 4 and R 5 at about length of crossvein m-m after apex of discal cell. Abdomen ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ). Mostly black, and silvery pruinosity. Tergite 1, anterior margin of tergite 2, posterolateral margins of tergites 2 and 3, lateral margins of tergites 4–6 and wholly tergite 7 covered with dense silvery pruinosity. Tergites 1–3 wholly covered with white macrosetae, except posterior margins with black macrosetae; tergites 4–6 wholly covered with short black setae, longer at posterior margin; tergite 7 wholly covered with white setae, longer at posterior margin. Sternites wholly covered with silvery pruinosity and short white setae. Tergite 8 and sternite 8 subrectangular with somewhat rounded concavities at anterior margins ( Fig. 7H, I View FIGURE 7 ), sternite 8 setose at posterior margin. Terminalia ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ). Dark reddish-brown and black setose ( Fig. 7A, B View FIGURE 7 ). Epandrium extremely narrow basally broadening towards rounded posterior margin, ovoid in dorsal view with inner epandrial dorsal process arising at mid-length followed by V-shaped indentation ( Fig. 7A–D View FIGURE 7 ); inner epandrial dorsal process with row of short, stout macrosetae ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ); distal posterior margin of epandrium with comb of relative short, stout black macrosetae ( Fig. 7C, D View FIGURE 7 ). Cercus and subepandrial sclerite short and subrectangular. Hypandrium concave and mostly asetose at middle posterior edge, with macrosetae along posterolateral margin ( Fig. 7K View FIGURE 7 ). Gonocoxite subtriangular in lateral view, narrowing towards rod-like rounded apex; somewhat depressed along mid-dorsal length; bearing macrosetae along ventral margin ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ). Gonostylus about twice as long as gonocoxite, subrectangular in lateral view, gentle concave at dorsal margin; apex truncate with rounded corners, possessing indentation at ventral margin subapically ( Fig. 7J View FIGURE 7 ). Ejaculatory apodeme fan-shaped ( Fig. 7G View FIGURE 7 ). Prongs of phallus long, about half its length ( Fig. 7G View FIGURE 7 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( MZUSP) labelled: “ Brasil, Mato Grosso, Parq. | Nac. Chapada Guimarães | 15°25'52"S 55°50'27"W | 03.xi.2008, cerrado | J. C. Almeida col.”; “ HOLOTYPE | Merucata cerradensis | Soares, Camargo & Lamas [red label]” GoogleMaps . Holotype condition: Good, not dissected. PARATYPE. Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Cond. Flor do Cerrado, 15°29'29.7"S 56°04'30.4"W, Malaise 21, 28.x–04.xi.2011, Lamas , Nihei & eq. col. ( 1 ♂, dissected MZUSP) GoogleMaps .

Remarks. The broad distal half of the epandrium resembles that of M. contiae sp. nov., however, the gonostylus with truncate apex ( Fig. 7E, J View FIGURE 7 ) readily distinguishes it from that species. Additionally, M. contiae sp. nov. possesses bicolored femora ( Fig. 8A, D View FIGURE 8 ) while in this species the femora are entirely black ( Fig. 6A View FIGURE 6 ).

Distribution. The new species is only known from the state of Mato Grosso, Central-West Brazil in the Cerrado biome ( Fig. 20 View FIGURE 20 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet cerradensis is derived from Cerrado, the name of the tropical savanna biome that covers much of central Brazil, combined with the Latin suffix -ensis, meaning “originating from” or “inhabiting”. The name refers to the species’ distribution within this biome, especially in areas of Cuiabá and Chapada dos Guimarães , in the state of Mato Grosso.