Neosilba pradoi
Paramere shape and the spiculose glomerule-like structure at the
end of “C” shaped base of aedeagus are the most distinctive features of N. pradoi sp. nov.
Neosilba pradoi sp. nov. is morphologically closely related to N. bella Strikis & Prado, 2008 and to
N. bifida Strikis & Prado, 2005, forming another complex of cryptic species in the genus Neosilba. These species
can only be surely separated through the analysis of male genitalia.
Male. Body size 4.53 mm. Head. Frons narrowed toward lunule, wider than long, 1.83 mm wide and 1.36 mm long, length/width ratio 0.743. Lunule with 10 setulae, 5 at each side. Ocellar plate with 5 strong bristles, 2 strong bristles bellow ocellar plate and 4 strong bristles above ocellar plate. Antenna with one prominent bristle in the second segment, first flagelomere 814.64 μm long and 200 μm wide, length/ width ratio 4.07; arista not densely plumose, longer than first flagelomere, 1 mm long; arista length/first
flagelomere length ratio 1.22. Palpus large and broad Thorax. Mesonotum with a row of 7 aligned posterior bristles, 6 of which very strong, and 5 anterior bristles. Scutellum with 2 strong apical bristles with 2 setae between it, 2 laterals bristles, one at each side, 6 marginal setae at left side of scutellum and 5 at right side. Dorsum of thorax setulose with 10 strong bristles. Wings. Hyaline, 4.20 mm long and 1.85 mm wide, length/ width ratio 2.27, with yellowish veins and calypteres white, with white fringes and a cluster of 4
to 6 setae at fold.
Male terminalia. Small in size, total length of terminalia in lateral view 1.13 μm and maximum width 428.07 μm, length/width ratio 2.65; epandrium short (Fig.1), a little more long than wide, 449.29 μm long and 416.41 μm wide, length/ width ratio 1.08, with long hairs at end; in lateral view surstylus is not visible and has 6 prensisetae at each side at its end easily seen in;ventral view (Fig. 2). Paramere lobose with a few setae in ventral view (Fig. 3), gonopod pilose (Fig. 3), aedeagus fine and slender until apex after the “C”
shaped base of aedeagus, ending just after surstylus (Figs. 2, 4), posterior end of “C” shaped base of aedeagus with a spiculose glomerule like structure (Fig. 3) very spiculose in lateral view (Fig. 4). Female. As male except for sexual characters. Ovipositor small, 1.17 mm long, and very conspicuous at tip, what makes it useful for identification (Fig. 5), because is very different from others species.