Mythicomyia pedernalensis, Ramos-Pastrana & Córdoba-Suarez & Evenhuis, 2025

Mythicomyia pedernalensis sp. nov.

Figs 7–9 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 , 11B View FIGURE 11 1 View FIGURE 1

Diagnosis. Male. Proboscis short, shorter than eye height; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur; mesonotum entirely dark brown; crossvein m-m 0.5× shorter length than rm crossvein; tergite I with proximal ½ whitish and distal ½ dark brown; tergites II–VII dark brown, except a lateral margin yellowish; pseudo-surstylus reduced, with acute apex in lateral view, triangular-shaped, with acute apex in posterior view; lateral ejaculatory process elongated, V-shaped, acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view; anterior arms of parameral sheath long, about 1.3× longer than ejaculatory apodeme, slightly curved sinuous margins and apex slightly acute in lateral; gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe elongated, thickened basally and tapering gradually towards apex, distal lobe somewhat triangular-shaped, and acute apex downward-directed in lateral view.

Description. MALE (holotype). Body length 2.2 mm; wing length 1.1 mm. Head ( Figs 7A, B View FIGURE 7 ). Brown; eyes contiguous for 11 facets; ocellar triangle dark brown gray pruinose, ocelli yellow; frons bare, small and triangular-shaped, whitish, not depressed medially ( Fig. 7B View FIGURE 7 ); face whitish; proboscis light brown, short, shorter less than height to eye; occiput brown, with sparse whitish and small setae and gray pruinosity ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Antenna ( Figs 7A, C View FIGURE 7 ) dark brown yellowish pruinose; scape minute; pedicel rounded; first flagellomere slightly conical, with one lateral margin entirely straight about 1.8× longer than width; second flagellomere small, about 1.3× longer the width of first, with small subapical stylus. Thorax ( Figs 7A, D View FIGURE 7 ). Mesonotum entirely dark brown, with gray-brown pruinosity on proximal ½, brown pruinosity on distal ½ and scattered inconspicuous whitish setae; postpronotal lobe and postalar callus whitish; scutellum dark brown and scattered conspicuous whitish setae ( Fig. 7D View FIGURE 7 ); pleura dark brown, with sparse gray-yellowish pruinosity, with whitish yellow markings on: proepimeron, upper margin of anepisternum, anepimeron, katatergite, upper ½ of katepisternum and meron ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Legs ( Fig. 7A View FIGURE 7 ). Fore and middle coxae with proximal ⅔ brown, distal ⅓ whitish yellow; hind coxa entirely brown; femora with proximal ¾ brown and distal ¼ whitish yellow; hind femur slightly thickened on proximal ½, thin on distal ½; fore tibia with proximal ¼ whitish yellow, distal ¾ light brown; middle and hind tibiae with proximal ⅓ whitish yellow, distal ⅓ brown; tarsi I whitish yellow, tarsi II–V brown; hind leg with basitarsus excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur. Wing ( Fig. 7F View FIGURE 7 ). Hyaline, veins slightly tinged with brown color, microtrichose except on; proximal ½ of costal cell, proximal ⅓ of cell br and bm and proximal ⅓ of anal lobe; veins brown; costa, R 1, R 4+5 and CuA slightly more stained; costa ending at end of R 4+5; vein Sc weak, incomplete, ending slightly beyond origin of Rs; Rs evanescent at connection with R 1; R 2+3 arising approximately ⅔ distance from origin of Rs to rm crossvein; r-m crossvein at basal ⅐ of cell dm; vein separating cells br and bm not evident; cell dm six-sided; crossvein m-m 0.5× shorter length than r-m crossvein; crossvein dm-m slightly straight; R 4+5 ending slightly after M 1; vein M 1 curved; M 2 slightly sinuous, M 4 nearly straight; CuA straight, complete to wing margin; anal cell open in wing margin; CuP evanescent; anal lobed developed; halter knob brown dorsally, whitish ventrally. Abdomen ( Figs 7A, G View FIGURE 7 ) with conspicuous whitish setae. Tergite I with proximal ½ whitish and distal ½ dark brown; tergites II–VII dark brown, except a lateral margin yellowish. Terminalia ( Figs 8A–F View FIGURE 8 ). Epandrium somewhat oval-shaped, apex rounded in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), circular, with scattered setae except on lower ⅓ in posterior view ( Figs 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ). Pseudo-surstylus reduced, with acute apex in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), triangular-shaped, with acute apex in posterior view ( Figs 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ). Cercus elongated, somewhat oval-shaped, with setae on lateral margins in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), somewhat drop-shaped in posterior view ( Figs 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ). Ejaculatory apodeme large, somewhat rectangular-shaped, with sinuous lower margin and rounded apex in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), long, thickened basally and gradually thinning towards the apex and rounded apex in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Lateral ejaculatory process elongated, V-shaped, acute apex and upward-directed in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), about 0.5× shorter than ejaculatory apodeme, with sinuous margins, acute apex and sideways-directed in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Phallus drop-shaped, in lateral and dorsal view ( Figs 8A, B, 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ), basiphallus about 2× longer than distiphallus, distiphallus simple with single apical opening in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Parameral sheath large, simple, with two paired lobed projections divergent and two lobes basally in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Anterior arms of parameral sheath long, about 1.3× longer than ejaculatory apodeme, slightly curved sinuous margins and apex slightly acute in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), with apex rounded and divergent in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Gonocoxa subdivided, with proximal lobe elongated, thickened basally and tapering gradually towards the apex, distal lobe somewhat triangular-shaped, and acute apex downward-directed in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), with appearance of three lobes, one proximal lobe thickened with proximal margin rounded and distal margin sinuous, two distal lobes rounded with margins sinuous in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ). Gonostylus downward-directed, similar in length to ejaculatory apodeme, with acute apex in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), subdivided into two lobes, each lobe thin basally, thickened apically with apex rounded in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ).

FEMALE. ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 ). Like male, differing in the following aspects: Body length 2 mm; wing length 0.9 mm. Head ( Figs 9A, B View FIGURE 9 ). Brown, except gena, whitish; eyes separated at vertex by approximately 1.5× distance posterior ocelli; frons shiny, slightly depressed medially, with inconspicuous yellow setae scattered ( Fig. 9B View FIGURE 9 ). Thorax ( Figs 9A, C View FIGURE 9 ). Mesonotum brown; scutellum entirely yellow; lower ½ of notopleuron, supra-alar area and postalar callus whitish; pleura with whitish yellow markings on: proepimeron, upper ½ of anepisternum, distal margin of anepimeron, dorsal ⅓ of katepisternum, dorsal margin of meron. Legs ( Fig. 9A View FIGURE 9 ). Same pattern as males, only differing in lighter brown coloration. Abdomen ( Figs 9A, D View FIGURE 9 ). Tergite I whitish yellow, with two dark brown bands, tergites II–IV dark brown with distal margin whitish yellow, tergite V with proximal ½ dark brown and distal ½ whitish yellow, tergites VI–VII whitish yellow, with proximal margin dark brown. Terminalia ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ). Genital fork V-shaped, anterior margin arched with lower slightly acute, inner posterior projection convergent distally, interrupted medially, outer projection simple, short and divergent, projecting posterolaterally ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ); common duct indistinct, basal plate hyaline; sperm pump tubular with sclerosed surface, with apex widened, flattened and surrounded by smooth, transparent membrane that surrounds it ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ); proximal spermathecal duct translucent, about 3× longer than sperm pump ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ); distal spermathecal duct translucent, about 2× length of proximal duct, thickening at apex ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ); valve indistinct; spermathecal reservoir strongly sclerotized, brown, rhomboid-shaped, with apex slightly rounded, about 6× thickness of sperm pump at widest point, without glandular trichomes ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ).

Type material. HOLOTYPE. Male: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Pedernales, Cabo rojo, 17–55N/71–39W / 10m, 27.July.1990, J.E. Rawlins, C.W. Young, S. Thompson Leg. (1 ♂ CMNH) (photographed specimen) . PARATYPES. idem (1 ♀ CMNH) (photographed specimen) ; idem (1 ♀ CMNH) ; idem (1 ♀ LEUA) ; idem (1 ♀ BPBM) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is in apposition and refers to the name of the locality where holotype has been collected ( Fig. 11B View FIGURE 11 ).

Geographical distribution. Dominican Republic (Pedernales) ( Fig. 11B View FIGURE 11 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Taxonomic notes. In males Mythicomyia pedernalensis sp. nov. runs to M. huk Sánchez & Evenhuis in couplet 6 of the key in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024). It differs from M. huk by having first flagellomere slightly conical ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ) [versus first flagellomere linear-lanceolate, see figs 1–2, 4 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; second flagellomere about 1.3× longer the width of first ( Fig. 7C View FIGURE 7 ) [versus second flagellomere about 2× longer the width of first, see figs 1–2, 4 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; hind leg with basitarus modified, excavated near base on ventral surface, preceded by a short spur ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 ) [versus hind leg with basitarsus unmodified, see fig. 1 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; cercus elongated, somewhat oval-shaped, with setae on lateral margins in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ), somewhat drop-shaped in posterior view ( Figs 8C, D View FIGURE 8 ) [versus cercus triangular-shaped, with scattered setae on the upper half in lateral view, see figs 7–8 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024); pad-shaped in posterior view, see figs 9–10 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; epandrium somewhat oval in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ) [versus epandrium somewhat triangular in lateral view, see figs 7–8 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; ejaculatory apodeme strongly thickened in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ) [versus ejaculatory apodeme slightly thickened in lateral view, see figs 7–8 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; anterior arms of parameral sheath with acute apex in lateral view ( Figs 8A, B View FIGURE 8 ) [versus anterior arms of parameral sheath with rounded apex in lateral view, see figs 7–8 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; gonostylus sideways-directed, sub divided into two lobes, each lobe thin basally, thickened apically with rounded apex in dorsal view ( Figs 8E, F View FIGURE 8 ) [versus gonostylus upward-directed, thickened basally, thin apically with acute apex in dorsal view, see fig. 12 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]. Females of M. pedernalensis sp. nov. run to M. iskay Sánchez & Evenhuis in couplet 12 of the key in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024). They differs from M. iskay by having genital fork V-shaped, anterior margin arched with lower slightly acute ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ) [versus genital fork U-shaped, anterior margin arched with lower margin truncated, see fig. 37 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; proximal spermathecal duct about 2× shorter than distal and ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ); [versus proximal spermathecal duct about 11× shorter than distal, see fig. 37 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)]; spermathecal reservoir short and thickened rhomboid-shaped ( Figs 9E, F View FIGURE 9 ) [versus spermathecal reservoirs thin and elongate digitiform-shaped, see fig. 37 in Sánchez & Evenhuis (2024)].