Corresponding author: José Albertino Rafael (
Academic editor: Torsten Dikow
Currently,
This study is based on the examination of 60 specimens collected at Reserva Biológica do Gurupi (Rebio Gurupi) (
The morphological terminology and figure abbreviations are based on
The material collected was deposited in the following institutions: Coleção Zoológica do Maranhão (CZMA), Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil; Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG), Belém, Pará, Brazil; and Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
The new species description was based solely on the holotype specimen. The opposite sex, based on paratype specimens, and the variations between individuals are discussed separately. The specimen length was based on the straight distance measured from the frons at antenna level (antenna excluded) to the apex of the abdomen. Wing length is the straight distance measured from the base of the costal vein to the wing apex. Label data are cited in full, including original spelling, enclosed in quotation marks (“”), with punctuation and date transcribed from the top downward. Square brackets ([ ]) are used to indicate information that is not included in the original label. The terminology used follows
The apex of the abdomen was removed and then macerated in heated 85% lactic acid (
Mostly light yellow, slender, and soft-bodied specimens. Thorax and abdomen with yellow bristles. Antenna with three flagellomeres after postpedicel. Wing unusually long; usually with cup cell open, without petiole if cell is closed. Abdomen unicolorous. Female tergite 9 distinctly narrower medially; tergite 10 sub-rectangular
Holotype female. Body length: 8.9 mm. Specimen mostly light yellow. Head (
Thorax with scutum and scutellum light brown to dark yellow, sparsely yellow bristled, with yellow pruinescence. Pleuron slightly clearer than scutum, yellow with light grey to yellow pruinescence.
Legs (
Wing (
Abdomen (
The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to Reserva Biológica do Gurupi, where the specimens were collected.
Brazil, Maranhão.
Pinned, not dissected, in good condition except for a damaged left wing. We chose the best preserved specimen, among the few females collected, as holotype because in most tabanids species the primary types are females.
One female specimen without short appendix on vein R4. Female size varying from 8.6–9.6, mean 9.0 mm (n = 3). Male size varying from 8.0–10 mm, mean 9.1 cm (n = 10).
Bionomics. Light traps are a common method for collecting many male and some female tabanids. All specimens of both sexes of
1 | Frons distinctly widening dorsally and ventrally ( |
|
– | Frons narrow, nearly parallel sided, divergent ventrally or slightly wider dorsally and ventrally. Flagellum not as above. Abdominal tergites with only black bristles or banded with yellowish bristles on posterior margin | 2 |
2 | Frons divergent ventrally ( |
3 |
– | Frons parallel sided ( |
4 |
3 | Frons around 3× as high as narrowest width just below ocelli ( |
|
– | Frons over 4× as high as narrowest width just below ocelli ( |
|
4 | Frons parallel sided ( |
|
– | Frons somewhat parallel sided to slightly divergent dorsally and ventrally ( |
5 |
5 | Cell cup closed, with short petiole. Tergite 9 uniformly wide medially and laterally, and tergite 10 wider medially in dorsal view ( |
|
– | Cell cup open ( |
1 | Distal flagellomere widened ( |
|
– | Distal flagellomere not widened ( |
2 |
2 | Upper eye facets enlarged. Medial margin of gonocoxite nearly straight and phallus ends at level of gonocoxite apex ( |
|
– | Upper eye facets not enlarged. Medial margin of gonocoxite slightly curved and phallus apex ends after gonocoxite apex ( |
3 |
3 | Blackish specimens with blackish wings |
|
– | Yellowish specimens with diffusely brownish wings (as in |
“mobile”light trap placed on a pick-up truck.
We would like to thank: Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) for allowing the use of Reserva Biológica do Gurupi (authorization number 22809–1); Programa de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade (PPBio), and Núcleo Regional do Maranhão (Process number 558287/2009–3) for financial support; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, grant 300305/2007–9) for JAR's fellowship. We also thank M. Sc. Rodrigo M. Vieira for help with imaging of specimens and the following students that helped with field work: Mariana M. Abreu, Jocifran A. Silva and Ernesto Augusto S. Barbosa (Centro de Estudos Superiores de Caxias/Universidade Estadual do Maranhão (CESC/UEMA)).