Neolasioptera rolandrae Maia, 2025

Neolasioptera rolandrae Maia , sp. nov.

( Figs. 11-12 View Figure 11 View Figure 12 )

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Diagnosis: Spatula three-toothed, mesal tooth shorter than lateral, four lateral papillae (two with setae and two asetose) on each side, three pairs of setose papillae (larva of 3 rd instar), antennal horns present (conical), facial papillae absent (pupa), male antenna with 13 flagellomeres and female antenna with 15-18 flagellomeres, palpus four-segmented, empodia longer than claws, ovipositor about 5 x as long as 8 th tergite.

Male: Head: eye facets circular, closely appressed, except laterally and at vertex; antenna: scape smashed, pedicel globoid, 13 flagellomeres, 1 st and 2 nd flagellomeres fused, 3 rd- 12 th flagellomeres squarish each with node setulose and neck short and bare, 13 th flagellomere conical, setulose; circumfila composed of two horizontal rings connected by two longitudinal bands ( Fig. 11a View Figure 11 ); mouth parts barely visible in the preparation. Thorax: scutum with two dorsocentral rows of setae, lateral row of setae on each side, scales intermixed; scutellum with setae only in the basal half; anepimeron with a longitudinal row of setae and some scales, other pleura bare; tarsal claws one-toothed, curved beyond midlength, empodia longer than claws ( Fig.11b View Figure 11 ); wing ( Fig. 11c View Figure 11 ): C with break at juncture with R5, Rs reduced to bend on R5, Cu forked. Abdomen: sclerites with basal pair of trichoid sensillae; 1 st- 7 th tergites rectangular with scattered scales, no lateral setae, single posterior row of setae; 8 th tergite with only trichoid sensillae as vestiture; 2 nd- 8 th sternites rectangular, with scattered scales, mesal and posterior row of setae contiguous, several lateral setae, 7 th and 8 th sternites with setae of posterior row more abundant than in the others sternites. Male terminalia ( Fig. 11d View Figure 11 ): gonocoxite cylindrical, setose and setulose; gonostylus claviform, larger basally and tapering towards apex, setulose in the basal half, striated in the distal half, with scattered short setae, and apical claw; cerci entirely setulose, lobes wide, rounded, with several apical setae; hypoproct entirely setulose, simple, convex apically, with apical setae; mesobasal lobes slightly shorter than aedeagus, entirely setulose, with setose papillae on each lobe apically; aedeagus with truncate apically. Measurements (N=1): body length: 2.12 mm long; head 0.27 mm long, smashed laterally; scape smashed; pedicel globoid, 0.030 mm long, 0.03 mm wide, 1 st and 2 nd flagellomeres 0.07 mm long, 3 rd- 7 th flagellomeres 0.04 mm long, 8 th- 10 th flagellomeres 0.03 mm long, 11 th- 13 th flagellomeres 0.02 mm long; mouth parts barely visible in the preparation; wing 1.54 mm long, R5 0.58 mm wide; terminalia: gonocoxite 0.18 mm long, 0.07 mm wide; gonostylus 0.07 mm long, 0.015 mm wide.

Female: Head ( Fig.11e View Figure 11 ): antennae with 15-18 flagellomeres, scape trapezoid, pedicel globoid, 1 st and 2 nd flagellomeres fused; circumfila as in Fig. 11f View Figure 11 , mouth parts: labrum long-attenuate, with three pairs of setae; hypopharynx of the same shape of labrum, with long lateral setulae anteriorly directed; palpus four-segmented, 1 st segment ovoid or cylindrical, shorter than the others, 2 nd- 4 th cylindrical, subequal in length, 2 nd segment larger than the others, labella pointed distally, with lateral and mesal setae. Abdomen ( Fig. 11g View Figure 11 ): sclerites with basal pair of trichoid sensillae; 1 st- 7 th tergites rectangular with scattered scales, no lateral setae, single posterior row of setae, 8 th tergite divided into two longitudinal sclerites, with trichoid sensillae and two posterior setae; 2 nd- 7 th sternites rectangular, with lateral setae, mesal and posterior row of setae, 6 th and 7 th sternites with setae more abundant, 8 th sternite not developed. Ovipositor ( Figs. 12a, b View Figure 12 ) about 5 x as long as 8 th tergite; cerci large, fused, entirely setulose, with thick sensory hairs apically; hypoproct small, delicate, bilobed in ventral view, with pair of setae apically. Measurements: body length 3.10-3.30 mm long; head 0.31- 0.32 mm of diameter (N=3); scape 0.05-0.07 mm long, 0.05 mm wide; pedicel 0.040 mm long, 0.04-0.05 mm wide; 1 st + 2 nd flagellomeres 0.08 mm long; 3 rd- 7 th flagellomeres 0.04 mm long, 8 th flagellomere longer than the others in one specimen ( 0.05 mm long) and as long as the precedent in another; 9 th- 15 th flagellomeres 0.03-0.035 mm long; 16 th flagellomere 0.03 mm long in one specimen and 0.045 in another (in this case it is the last flagellomere), 17 th flagellomere 0.03 mm long, 18 th 0.02 mm long; mouthparts (N=2): maxillary palpus: 1 st segment 0.01-0.03 mm long, 2 nd- 4 th segments 0.04 mm long; hypopharynx 0.09-0.10 mm long; labellum 0.04-0.05 mm long; wing (N=3) 1.55- 1.70 mm long; R5 0.70-0.79 mm long; 8 th tergite 0.15-0.17 mm long (N=3); ovipositor (N=4) 0.72-0.83 mm long.

Pupa ( Fig. 12c View Figure 12 ): Head ( Fig. 12d View Figure 12 ): dorsal plate 2.3-2.8 x wider than long, 1.0-1.3 x longer than apical seta, antennal horns conical, no facial papillae. Thorax: integument smooth, prothoracic spiracle slightly longer than apical setae, cylindrical, outer margin not serrated, trachea ending at apex ( Fig. 12e View Figure 12 ). Abdomen: dorsal spines absent, spicules on dorsal and ventral side, spiracles prominent. Measurements (N=3): body length 2.85-23.12 mm; apical seta 0.07-0.09 mm long; dorsal plate 0.070 -0.085 mm long, 0.18-0.20 mm wide; antennal horn 0.01 mm long; prothoracic spiracle 0.10-0.12 mm long.

Larva of 3 rd instar ( Fig. 12f View Figure 12 ): Body fusiform; integument grainy ventrolaterally, ventral spiculae on the central area of each thoracic segment and 1 st to 7 th abdominal segments Head: cephalic capsule as long as posterolateral apodemes. Thorax: prothoracic spatula long, strongly sclerotized, with three conical teeth, mesal tooth shorter than lateral teeth, lateral arms developed, stalk well developed, anchor-like bases, four lateral papillae on each side, two with setae and two asetose ( Fig. 12g View Figure 12 ). Abdomen: terminal segment with three pairs of setose papillae. Measurements: body length 3.10-3.45 mm (N=2), prothoracic spatula 0.23-0.29 mm long (N=5).

Host Plant: Rolandra fruticosa (L.) Kuntze ( Asteraceae )

Gall: Stem swelling, fusiform, green, with short trichomes, one-chambered (Fig. 188 in Maia et al. (2014).

Etymology. The word “rolandrae ” refers to the genus of the host plant.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Brazil, ES, Santa Teresa, E.B. Santa Lúcia , Trilha Indaiaçu , 09.II.2009, V. Maia col.; paratypes: same data, 1♀; same locality and collector, Trilha do Túmulo , same collector, 18.V.2008, 5 larvae of 3 rd instar, 20.VIII.2009, 2 larvae of 3 rd instar; P.N.M. São Lourenço , 12.VII.2008, same collector, 3 ♀, 3 pupal exuviae; R. B. Augusto Ruschi , 26.VI.2009, V. Maia col., 1 pupal exuviae.

Additional material. Brazil, ES, Santa Teresa, E.B. Santa Lúcia , Trilha Indaiaçu , 23.VI.2007, V. Maia col., 4 larvae of 3 rd instar, 18.V.2008, 2 larvae of 3 rd instar, 20.VIII.2009, 1 pupal exuviae. In all labels the host plant is written as Rolandra sp. (the botanical species was determined posteriorly) .

Geographical distribution: Brazil, ES, Santa Teresa (Atlantic Forest – ombrophilous forest).

Comments: In the Neotropical region, there are 20 species of Neolasioptera previously described associated with Asteraceae ( Gagné and Jaschhof, 2025) . Among them, Neolasioptera rolandrae , sp. nov., N. lapalmae Möhn, 1964 and N. senecionis Möhn, 1964 are the only species whose larvae have three-toothed spatula, being the mesal tooth clearly shorter than the lateral teeth and three pairs of terminal papillae. Neolasioptera rolandrae sp. n. differs from them in the presence of pupal antennal horn (absent in both species), as well as in the number of male and female flagellomeres (males: 15 flagellomeres in N. lapalmae and N. senecionis , and 13 in the new species; females: 23 flagellomeres in N. lapalmae , 20-22 in N. senecionis , and 15-18 in the new species) and relative length of empodia (longer than tarsal claws only in the new species).