Merucata elliptica (Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert), 2025

Merucata elliptica (Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert) comb. nov.

( Figs 12 View FIGURE 12 , 13 View FIGURE 13 , 14 View FIGURE 14 , 19 View FIGURE 19 )

Martintella elliptica Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2010: 194 View in CoL , figs 1–12. Type locality: Trinidad and Tobago, Maracas .

Diagnosis (male). The species can be segregated from the congeners by mystax composed with dense white macrosetae below, with a few black macrosetae above ( Fig. 12A, C, D View FIGURE 12 ); face wholly covered with golden pruinosity ( Figs 12C View FIGURE 12 , 13C View FIGURE 13 ); 2–3 dorsocentral postsutural macrosetae ( Fig. 12A, D View FIGURE 12 ); 2 postalar macrosetae; base of vein R 4 nearly straight ( Fig. 12E View FIGURE 12 ); anterior surface of femur I mostly covered with short black setae, basal 2/3 of ventral surface with long rows of white and slender setae; basal 1/2 of anterior surfaces of femora II and III mostly covered with short white setae, apical 1/2 mostly with short black setae ( Fig. 12A View FIGURE 12 ); epandrium subtriangular in lateral view, and inner projection somewhat elliptical ( Fig. 14C View FIGURE 14 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ ( NMNH, based on photographs ( Fig. 13 View FIGURE 13 )) labelled as: “ TRINIDAD | Maracas [ca 10°45'31.0"N 61°26'29.1"W] | July 1.15, 62 | J. Maldonado C.” “ HOLOTYPE Martintella | elliptica Scarbrough & | Perez-Gelabert [red label]” “USNMENT | 01071658 ”. GoogleMaps

Additional material examined. Cumbre de Aguirre [ca 10°13'26.2"N 68°16'10.1"W]— CA GoogleMaps , Venezuela, 12- I. 54, 800m ( 1 ♂, dissected, MZUSP) .

Remarks. Merucata elliptica comb. nov. was originally described in Martintella . However, Vieira et al. (2014: 454) already suspected about its placement in that genus and suggested that the generic placement may need additional study. In Martintella the postpedicel is oval (drop-shaped); male sternite 8 has projections or is strongly bulged at posterior margin (see Vieira et al. 2014, figs 24, 35); gonostylus is arched and visible from its base in lateral view (after dissection); phallus is concealed ending in three short prongs down-curved distally (hook-shaped) (Vieira et al. 2014, figs 6, 23, 35); female tergite 8 is more than 2 times the length of tergite 7; and the female sternite 8 is asetose. In contrast, M. elliptica comb. nov. and all new species described here in Merucata gen. nov. possesses the postpedicel lanceolate; male posterior margin of sternite 8 somewhat rectangular or squared (simple and straight, without projections) (e.g., Figs 2J View FIGURE 2 , 5I View FIGURE 5 , 7I View FIGURE 7 ); gonostylus is more or less straight with its base hidden behind gonocoxite (after dissection); phallus is unconcealed, ending in three long prongs (prongs about half the length of phallus) and straight distally; female tergite 8 is only about 1.5 times the length of tergite 7; and female sternite 8 is setose basally. These characters fully justify the transference of this species to the new genus. Thus, the previous generic combination with Martintella cannot be maintained and Merucata elliptica ( Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2010) comb. nov. is a new combination with Merucata gen. nov. herein proposed.

Distribution. Merucata elliptica comb. nov. is the only species recorded outside Brazil, previously registered from Trinidad and Tobago and newly recorded from Venezuela ( Fig. 19 View FIGURE 19 ).