A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae), P. imitator, n. sp., is described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is compared to previously described species and diagnostic notes are presented for separation of Paraberismyia from Berismyia Giglio-Tos

Woodley, Norman E

English

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University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnInsecta Mundi Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville,Florida2015A new species of ParaberismyiaWoodley (Diptera,Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, MexicoNorman E. WoodleySmithsonian Institution, norman.woodley@ars.usda.govFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundiPart of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@Universityof Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska- Lincoln.Woodley, Norman E., "A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico" (2015).Insecta Mundi. 965.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/965CENTER FOR SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY, INC., Gainesville, FLA new species of Paraberismyia Woodley(Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, MexicoNorman E. WoodleySystematic Entomology LaboratoryBeltsville Agricultural Research Center ARS-USDA℅ Smithsonian Institution NHB-168 P. O. Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012, USADate of Issue: December 18, 20150456INSECTA MUNDI A Journal of World Insect SystematicsNorman E. WoodleyA new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae)from Chiapas, MexicoInsecta Mundi 0456: 1–6ZooBank Registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:10EF0A06-E351-4259-A7E5-7CEB013DC051Published in 2015 byCenter for Systematic Entomology, Inc.P. O. Box 141874Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USAhttp://centerforsystematicentomology.org/ Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published on any non-marine arthropod. Topics considered for publication include systematics, taxonomy, nomenclature, checklists, faunal works, and natural history. Insecta Mundi will not consider works in the applied sciences (i.e. medical entomology, pest control research, etc.), and no longer publishes book reviews or editorials. Insecta Mundi publishes original research or discoveries in an inexpensive and timely manner, distributing them free via open access on the internet on the date of publication. Insecta Mundi is referenced or abstracted by several sources including the Zoological Record, CAB Ab-stracts, etc. Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, with completed manuscripts assigned an individual number. Manuscripts must be peer reviewed prior to submission, after which they are reviewed by the editorial board to ensure quality. One author of each submitted manuscript must be a current member of the Center for Systematic Entomology.Chief Editor: Paul E. Skelley, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comAssistant Editor: David Plotkin, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.comHead Layout Editor: Eugenio H. NearnsEditorial Board: J. H. Frank, M. J. Paulsen, Michael C. ThomasReview Editors: Listed on the Insecta Mundi webpageManuscript Preparation Guidelines and Submission Requirements available on the Insecta Mundi web-page at: http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/Printed copies (ISSN 0749-6737) annually deposited in libraries: CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaMuseu de Zoologia, São Paulo, Brazil Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada The Natural History Museum, London, UKMuzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw, PolandNational Taiwan University, Taipei, TaiwanCalifornia Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USAFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USAField Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USAZoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, RussiaElectronic copies (Online ISSN 1942-1354, CDROM ISSN 1942-1362) in PDF format:Printed CD or DVD mailed to all members at end of year. Archived digitally by Portico.Florida Virtual Campus: http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/insectamundiUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, Digital Commons: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-135240Copyright held by the author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com-mons, Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/Layout Editor for this article: Eugenio H. Nearns0456: 1–6 2015A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, MexicoNorman E. WoodleySystematic Entomology LaboratoryBeltsville Agricultural Research Center ARS-USDA℅ Smithsonian Institution NHB-168 P. O. Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012, USAnorman.woodley@ars.usda.govAbstract.  A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae), P. imitator, n. sp., is described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is compared to previously described species and diagnostic notes are presented for separation of Paraberismyia from Berismyia Giglio-Tos.Key words.  Neotropical Region, soldier fl y, taxonomy, distribution, identifi cationIntroduction Woodley (1995) described the genus Paraberismyia based on a single new species, P. tzontehuitza Woodley, in the stratiomyid subfamily Beridinae. The genus was subsequently revised (Woodley 2013) with the description of three additional species. All known specimens at the time were from the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico and Totonicapán Department in southwestern Guatemala. During recent work with the closely related genus Berismyia Giglio-Tos, an additional species of Paraberismyia was discovered. Unlike all previously known species, the new one described here is more somber in coloration so it superfi cially resembles species of Berismyia in general appearance. However, the male terminalia of the new taxon are very similar to previously described species of Paraberismyia, which are markedly different from known species of Berismyia. Because overall coloration has been used previously to pragmatically separate Paraberismyia from Berismyia, rather than the more defi nitive characters of the male terminalia, the discovery of the new species described here makes it advisable to point out additional characters that can be used to separate the two genera on a practical level. The most diagnostic feature that I have found to separate the two genera is the coloration of the palpi. In Paraberismyia the palpi are completely pale yellow to orangish in color (Fig. 2, 5), while in Berismyia the second segment of the palpus is completely velvety black (Fig. 4, 6) in all known specimens of the three described species and several that are undescribed. Also, in males of Paraberismyia the lower frons is completely tomentose or has a discrete narrow, vertical medial band that is bare (Fig. 3), and the lower frons of females has a well-defi ned bare area in the shape of an inverted triangle. In Berismyia, both sexes have a more extensive bare area on the medial portion of the lower frons (Fig. 4) so that the tomentose area is more or less restricted to the lateral margins adjacent to the eyes, and in some species the lower frons is almost entirely bare and shiny.Materials and Methods Specimens examined for this study are from the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (CNC); the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Ameri-can Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA (AMNH); and the Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA (USNM). Specimens were examined with a Zeiss Stemi SV 11 stereomicroscope. Male terminalia were dis-sected from specimens relaxed in a humidity chamber for about 24 hours, cleared in hot KOH, neutral-ized with weak acetic acid, and rinsed with water. The terminalia are preserved in a microvial on the specimen pin. Morphological terminology follows that of McAlpine (1981) as modifi ed by Cumming and Wood (2009). Body lengths are given exclusive of antennae.2 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEYTaxonomic TreatmentParaberismyia imitator Woodley, new speciesDiagnosis. Paraberismyia imitator can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by having the abdomen uniformly brown, without yellowish areas medially on tergites (Fig. 1, 2). In my previous key (Woodley 2013: 27), P. imitator will not key to any species because at couplet 2, while cell cup is completely covered with microtrichia, the fi rst tarsomere of the hind leg is completely pale so one can-not proceed to couplet 3. Thus, the key could be modifi ed so that at couplet 1, when choosing “males” it leads to couplet 1a:1a(1). Abdomen completely dark, without pale coloration medially on tergites  ....................................   ..........................................................................................P. imitator Woodley, new species—  Abdomen bicolored, with extensive pale coloration medially on tergites  ..................................2Description. Male. Head: Black, without metallic refl ections; lower frons and face densely silvery gray tomentose, the former with a narrow medial shiny, bare band, occiput also tomentose except for median occipital sclerite, but tomentum is sparser and dark, not strongly contrasting with background coloration, median area of upper frons very sparsely tomentose; upper frons with sparse dark hairs, lower frons and face with brownish pilosity that is about the length of the fi rst antennal segment; gena with pale yellowish-white hairs about as long as those of face, occiput with scattered appressed dark hairs; eye moderately densely pilose, hairs brownish black, slightly less than length of fi rst antennal segment; antenna 0.95 length of head, fi rst two segments and fi rst fl agellomere yellowish, following four fl agellomeres yellow internally, apical fl agellomeres brownish black; fi rst two antennal segments with stiff black hairs, longer hairs on fl agellum black; palpus yellow, with numerous long black hairs, some pale hairs intermixed on basal part of fi rst segment; proboscis brownish yellow. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum black with only weakly developed metallic coloration, postpronotal lobe and postalar callus brownish; pleura brownish black, anepimeron and narrow posterior margin of katepisternum more brownish; mesonotum fi nely, densely punctate; thorax with sparse grayish to-mentum present over most of prothorax, remainder of thorax lacking tomentum; scutum and scutellum mostly pilose with long, erect brownish hairs, a little longer than fi rst two antennal segments combined, intermixed with short, pale, semi-appressed hairs on scutum and scutellum, with small posteroventral area of anepimeron, katepimeron, meron, anatergite, mediotergite, and subscutellum bare; hind tarsus with tarsomeres 1–4 moderately infl ated; front leg yellowish with vague brownish coloration at apex of femur and most of tibia (front tarsi missing) brownish; middle leg with similar coloration to front leg but tibia dark yellowish on apical half, tarsi dark blackish brown except fi rst tarsomere is pale yel-lowish with narrow apical area brownish; hind femur yellow with brownish apical half, tibia entirely dark brown, and tarsus blackish brown except fi rst tarsomere entirely pale yellow (Fig. 1, 2) and sec-ond tarsomere yellowish, becoming brownish on apical half; legs short pilose, posterior surfaces of all femora with longer, erect pale hairs, posteroventral surface of hind tibia with scattered longer, erect hairs, coloration of pilosity similar to cuticular ground color; wing hyaline with brownish infuscation anteriorly and apically, veins brownish; cell cup with entire surface covered with microtrichia; halter with basal part of stem yellowish, remainder brownish. Abdomen: Tergites and sternites uniformly brown (Fig. 1, 2); tergites vaguely, almost imperceptibly tomentose, quite shiny, with short, blackish pilosity, lateral margins with a fringe of pale hairs about the length of fi rst two antennal segments, tergites 5 and beyond with some dark hairs intermixed; sternites with short, brownish pilosity. Terminalia: Gonocoxites (Fig. 7) with lateral margins tapering anteriorly, slightly arcuate, with low, broadly rounded process ventral to gonostylus; gonocoxal apodemes short, not reaching anterior margin of genital capsule; synsternite of genital capsule with triangular-shaped process that is nar-rowly rounded at apex; gonostylus (Fig. 7, 8) slightly arcuate, concave medially with triangular process near middle of ventral margin; phallic complex (Fig. 9, 10) trifi d, moderately arcuate in lateral view, INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 • 3A NEW SPECIES OF PARABERISMYIAlateral lobes convergent distally, medial lobe distinctly shorter than lateral lobes; epandrium (Fig. 11) narrow, posterior margin evenly rounded; cercus of moderate width, apex sharply rounded. Length: 6.2 mm.Female. Unknown.Distribution. Known only from the state of Chiapas, Mexico.Type material. Holotype male (CNC), is labeled: “MEX. Chis. 9600ft. Zontehuitz, nr. S. Crist. 25 June 1969 W.R.M. Mason/HOLOTYPE ♂ Paraberismyia imitator Woodley 2015”. The type locality should presumably be: MEXICO: Chiapas, Cerro Tzontehuitz (near San Cristóbal de las Casas), 16°50’N, 92°35’W. The elevation cited on the label indicates a locality near the summit of the peak, which is ac-tually 9514 feet (2900 meters). The holotype is missing both front tarsi and the left middle tarsus. The terminalia are in a microvial with glycerin on the specimen pin. The specimen was possibly mounted from alcohol or got slightly wet, as the wings are a little folded on the posterior margins.Etymology. The species epithet, imitator, is a noun in apposition referring to the fact that this species has the general appearance of a species of Berismyia rather than the other known species of Paraberis-myia.Remarks. Paraberismyia imitator is yet another species of the genus found in the highlands of Chiapas. Remarkably, all known specimens of the genus were collected at only three localities. All four species treated by Woodley (2013) were collected at El Triunfo, Chiapas, in May, 1985. This site is at the southern end of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. One of these, P. tzontehuitza Woodley, had been described earlier (Woodley 1995: 136) from Cerro Tzontehuitz, Chiapas, which is in the Central Highlands. The species described herein is from the same locality. Old specimens of Paraberismyia triunfo were collected in Totonicapán, Guatemala, which is in the Sierra Madre that is essentially a southern extension of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. Given the relatively little amount of collecting that has been done in this region and the number of species already known from this area, it seems very likely that still more species of Paraberismyia will be discovered. It also indicates that the highland regions of Chiapas and adjacent Guatemala are biodiverse and rich in endemic species.Acknowledgments I am grateful to Jeffrey Cumming (CNC) and David Grimaldi (AMNH) for the loan of material. I also wish to thank Nathan Lord (Brigham Young University) for taking the photographic images. Taina Litwak (SEL) prepared the line drawings of the male terminalia, for which I am grateful. I am grateful to Torsten Dikow and Wayne Mathis (both of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC) for providing reviews of the manuscript. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this pub-lication is solely for the purpose of providing specifi c information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the USDA. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.Literature CitedCumming, J. M., and D. M. Wood. 2009. Adult morphology and terminology. Chapter 2. p. 9–50. In: Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley, and M. A. Zumbado (eds.). Manual of Central American Diptera, Volume 1. NRC Research Press; Ottawa, Canada. 714 p.McAlpine, J. F. 1981. Morphology and terminology – adults. Chapter 2. p. 9–63. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth, and D. M. Wood (coordinators). Manual of Nearctic Diptera, Volume 1, Monograph No. 27. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada; Ottawa, Canada. 674 p.4 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEYWoodley, N. E. 1995. The genera of Beridinae (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington 16: 1–231.Woodley, N. E. 2013. A revision of the Neotropical genus Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratio-myidae, Beridinae) with three new species. ZooKeys 353: 25–45.Received September 25, 2015; Accepted November 22, 2015.Review Editor Gary Steck. Figures 1–3. Holotype male of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 1) Dorsal habitus view. 2) Left lateral habitus view (mirror image). 3) Anterior view of head. Figure 4. Male of Berismyia fusca Giglio-Tos. 4) Anterior view of head.INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 • 5A NEW SPECIES OF PARABERISMYIAFigure 5. Holotype male of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 5) Lateral view of head (mirror image). Figure 6. Male of Berismyia fusca Giglio-Tos. 6) Lateral view of head.6 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEYFigures 7–11. Male terminalia holotype of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 7) Genital capsule, dorsal view. 8) Gonostylus, lateral view. 9) Phallic complex, dorsal view. 10) Phallic complex, left lateral view. 11) Epandrium and postgenital segments, dorsal view. Abbreviations: c, cercus; ep, epandrium; ga, gonocoxal apodeme; gc, gonocoxite; gs, gonostylus; pps, posteromedial process of synsternite.

A new species of \u3ci\u3eParaberismyia\u3c/i\u3e Woodley
(Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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Insecta Mundi Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville,Florida
2015
A new species of ParaberismyiaWoodley (Diptera,
Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico
Norman E. Woodley
Smithsonian Institution, norman.woodley@ars.usda.gov
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi
Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Entomology Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Systematic Entomology, Gainesville, Florida at DigitalCommons@University
of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Insecta Mundi by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska
- Lincoln.
Woodley, Norman E., "A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico" (2015).
Insecta Mundi. 965.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/insectamundi/965
CENTER FOR SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY, INC., Gainesville, FL
A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley
(Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico
Norman E. Woodley
Systematic Entomology Laboratory
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center ARS-USDA
℅ Smithsonian Institution NHB-168 
P. O. Box 37012 
Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
Date of Issue: December 18, 2015
0456
INSECTA
 MUNDI A Journal of World Insect Systematics
Norman E. Woodley
A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae)
from Chiapas, Mexico
Insecta Mundi 0456: 1–6
ZooBank Registered: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:10EF0A06-E351-4259-A7E5-7CEB013DC051
Published in 2015 by
Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc.
P. O. Box 141874
Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USA
http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/
 Insecta Mundi is a journal primarily devoted to insect systematics, but articles can be published on any 
non-marine arthropod. Topics considered for publication include systematics, taxonomy, nomenclature, checklists, 
faunal works, and natural history. Insecta Mundi will not consider works in the applied sciences (i.e. medical 
entomology, pest control research, etc.), and no longer publishes book reviews or editorials. Insecta Mundi publishes 
original research or discoveries in an inexpensive and timely manner, distributing them free via open access on 
the internet on the date of publication.
 Insecta Mundi is referenced or abstracted by several sources including the Zoological Record, CAB Ab-
stracts, etc. Insecta Mundi is published irregularly throughout the year, with completed manuscripts assigned 
an individual number. Manuscripts must be peer reviewed prior to submission, after which they are reviewed by 
the editorial board to ensure quality. One author of each submitted manuscript must be a current member of the 
Center for Systematic Entomology.
Chief Editor: Paul E. Skelley, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.com
Assistant Editor: David Plotkin, e-mail: insectamundi@gmail.com
Head Layout Editor: Eugenio H. Nearns
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Printed copies (ISSN 0749-6737) annually deposited in libraries: 
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Museu de Zoologia, São Paulo, Brazil 
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Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warsaw, Poland
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, FL, USA
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0456: 1–6 2015
A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, 
Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico
Norman E. Woodley
Systematic Entomology Laboratory
Beltsville Agricultural Research Center ARS-USDA
℅ Smithsonian Institution NHB-168 
P. O. Box 37012 
Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
norman.woodley@ars.usda.gov
Abstract.  A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae), P. imitator, n. sp., is 
described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is compared to previously described species and diagnostic notes 
are presented for separation of Paraberismyia from Berismyia Giglio-Tos.
Key words.  Neotropical Region, soldier fl y, taxonomy, distribution, identifi cation
Introduction
 Woodley (1995) described the genus Paraberismyia based on a single new species, P. tzontehuitza 
Woodley, in the stratiomyid subfamily Beridinae. The genus was subsequently revised (Woodley 2013) 
with the description of three additional species. All known specimens at the time were from the state 
of Chiapas in southern Mexico and Totonicapán Department in southwestern Guatemala.
 During recent work with the closely related genus Berismyia Giglio-Tos, an additional species of 
Paraberismyia was discovered. Unlike all previously known species, the new one described here is more 
somber in coloration so it superfi cially resembles species of Berismyia in general appearance. However, 
the male terminalia of the new taxon are very similar to previously described species of Paraberismyia, 
which are markedly different from known species of Berismyia.
 Because overall coloration has been used previously to pragmatically separate Paraberismyia from 
Berismyia, rather than the more defi nitive characters of the male terminalia, the discovery of the new 
species described here makes it advisable to point out additional characters that can be used to separate 
the two genera on a practical level. The most diagnostic feature that I have found to separate the two 
genera is the coloration of the palpi. In Paraberismyia the palpi are completely pale yellow to orangish 
in color (Fig. 2, 5), while in Berismyia the second segment of the palpus is completely velvety black (Fig. 
4, 6) in all known specimens of the three described species and several that are undescribed. Also, in 
males of Paraberismyia the lower frons is completely tomentose or has a discrete narrow, vertical medial 
band that is bare (Fig. 3), and the lower frons of females has a well-defi ned bare area in the shape of 
an inverted triangle. In Berismyia, both sexes have a more extensive bare area on the medial portion 
of the lower frons (Fig. 4) so that the tomentose area is more or less restricted to the lateral margins 
adjacent to the eyes, and in some species the lower frons is almost entirely bare and shiny.
Materials and Methods
 Specimens examined for this study are from the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Agriculture 
and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (CNC); the Division of Invertebrate Zoology, Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA (AMNH); and the Department of Entomology, 
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA (USNM).
 Specimens were examined with a Zeiss Stemi SV 11 stereomicroscope. Male terminalia were dis-
sected from specimens relaxed in a humidity chamber for about 24 hours, cleared in hot KOH, neutral-
ized with weak acetic acid, and rinsed with water. The terminalia are preserved in a microvial on the 
specimen pin. Morphological terminology follows that of McAlpine (1981) as modifi ed by Cumming and 
Wood (2009). Body lengths are given exclusive of antennae.
2 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEY
Taxonomic Treatment
Paraberismyia imitator Woodley, new species
Diagnosis. Paraberismyia imitator can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by having 
the abdomen uniformly brown, without yellowish areas medially on tergites (Fig. 1, 2). In my previous 
key (Woodley 2013: 27), P. imitator will not key to any species because at couplet 2, while cell cup is 
completely covered with microtrichia, the fi rst tarsomere of the hind leg is completely pale so one can-
not proceed to couplet 3. Thus, the key could be modifi ed so that at couplet 1, when choosing “males” 
it leads to couplet 1a:
1a(1). Abdomen completely dark, without pale coloration medially on tergites  ....................................  
 ..........................................................................................P. imitator Woodley, new species
—  Abdomen bicolored, with extensive pale coloration medially on tergites  ..................................2
Description. Male. Head: Black, without metallic refl ections; lower frons and face densely silvery 
gray tomentose, the former with a narrow medial shiny, bare band, occiput also tomentose except for 
median occipital sclerite, but tomentum is sparser and dark, not strongly contrasting with background 
coloration, median area of upper frons very sparsely tomentose; upper frons with sparse dark hairs, 
lower frons and face with brownish pilosity that is about the length of the fi rst antennal segment; gena 
with pale yellowish-white hairs about as long as those of face, occiput with scattered appressed dark 
hairs; eye moderately densely pilose, hairs brownish black, slightly less than length of fi rst antennal 
segment; antenna 0.95 length of head, fi rst two segments and fi rst fl agellomere yellowish, following 
four fl agellomeres yellow internally, apical fl agellomeres brownish black; fi rst two antennal segments 
with stiff black hairs, longer hairs on fl agellum black; palpus yellow, with numerous long black hairs, 
some pale hairs intermixed on basal part of fi rst segment; proboscis brownish yellow.
 Thorax: Scutum and scutellum black with only weakly developed metallic coloration, postpronotal 
lobe and postalar callus brownish; pleura brownish black, anepimeron and narrow posterior margin 
of katepisternum more brownish; mesonotum fi nely, densely punctate; thorax with sparse grayish to-
mentum present over most of prothorax, remainder of thorax lacking tomentum; scutum and scutellum 
mostly pilose with long, erect brownish hairs, a little longer than fi rst two antennal segments combined, 
intermixed with short, pale, semi-appressed hairs on scutum and scutellum, with small posteroventral 
area of anepimeron, katepimeron, meron, anatergite, mediotergite, and subscutellum bare; hind tarsus 
with tarsomeres 1–4 moderately infl ated; front leg yellowish with vague brownish coloration at apex 
of femur and most of tibia (front tarsi missing) brownish; middle leg with similar coloration to front 
leg but tibia dark yellowish on apical half, tarsi dark blackish brown except fi rst tarsomere is pale yel-
lowish with narrow apical area brownish; hind femur yellow with brownish apical half, tibia entirely 
dark brown, and tarsus blackish brown except fi rst tarsomere entirely pale yellow (Fig. 1, 2) and sec-
ond tarsomere yellowish, becoming brownish on apical half; legs short pilose, posterior surfaces of all 
femora with longer, erect pale hairs, posteroventral surface of hind tibia with scattered longer, erect 
hairs, coloration of pilosity similar to cuticular ground color; wing hyaline with brownish infuscation 
anteriorly and apically, veins brownish; cell cup with entire surface covered with microtrichia; halter 
with basal part of stem yellowish, remainder brownish.
 Abdomen: Tergites and sternites uniformly brown (Fig. 1, 2); tergites vaguely, almost imperceptibly 
tomentose, quite shiny, with short, blackish pilosity, lateral margins with a fringe of pale hairs about 
the length of fi rst two antennal segments, tergites 5 and beyond with some dark hairs intermixed; 
sternites with short, brownish pilosity.
 Terminalia: Gonocoxites (Fig. 7) with lateral margins tapering anteriorly, slightly arcuate, with 
low, broadly rounded process ventral to gonostylus; gonocoxal apodemes short, not reaching anterior 
margin of genital capsule; synsternite of genital capsule with triangular-shaped process that is nar-
rowly rounded at apex; gonostylus (Fig. 7, 8) slightly arcuate, concave medially with triangular process 
near middle of ventral margin; phallic complex (Fig. 9, 10) trifi d, moderately arcuate in lateral view, 
INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 • 3A NEW SPECIES OF PARABERISMYIA
lateral lobes convergent distally, medial lobe distinctly shorter than lateral lobes; epandrium (Fig. 11) 
narrow, posterior margin evenly rounded; cercus of moderate width, apex sharply rounded.
 Length: 6.2 mm.
Female. Unknown.
Distribution. Known only from the state of Chiapas, Mexico.
Type material. Holotype male (CNC), is labeled: “MEX. Chis. 9600ft. Zontehuitz, nr. S. Crist. 25 June 
1969 W.R.M. Mason/HOLOTYPE ♂ Paraberismyia imitator Woodley 2015”. The type locality should 
presumably be: MEXICO: Chiapas, Cerro Tzontehuitz (near San Cristóbal de las Casas), 16°50’N, 
92°35’W. The elevation cited on the label indicates a locality near the summit of the peak, which is ac-
tually 9514 feet (2900 meters). The holotype is missing both front tarsi and the left middle tarsus. The 
terminalia are in a microvial with glycerin on the specimen pin. The specimen was possibly mounted 
from alcohol or got slightly wet, as the wings are a little folded on the posterior margins.
Etymology. The species epithet, imitator, is a noun in apposition referring to the fact that this species 
has the general appearance of a species of Berismyia rather than the other known species of Paraberis-
myia.
Remarks. Paraberismyia imitator is yet another species of the genus found in the highlands of Chiapas. 
Remarkably, all known specimens of the genus were collected at only three localities. All four species 
treated by Woodley (2013) were collected at El Triunfo, Chiapas, in May, 1985. This site is at the southern 
end of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. One of these, P. tzontehuitza Woodley, had been described earlier 
(Woodley 1995: 136) from Cerro Tzontehuitz, Chiapas, which is in the Central Highlands. The species 
described herein is from the same locality. Old specimens of Paraberismyia triunfo were collected in 
Totonicapán, Guatemala, which is in the Sierra Madre that is essentially a southern extension of the 
Sierra Madre de Chiapas. Given the relatively little amount of collecting that has been done in this 
region and the number of species already known from this area, it seems very likely that still more 
species of Paraberismyia will be discovered. It also indicates that the highland regions of Chiapas and 
adjacent Guatemala are biodiverse and rich in endemic species.
Acknowledgments
 I am grateful to Jeffrey Cumming (CNC) and David Grimaldi (AMNH) for the loan of material. 
I also wish to thank Nathan Lord (Brigham Young University) for taking the photographic images. 
Taina Litwak (SEL) prepared the line drawings of the male terminalia, for which I am grateful. I am 
grateful to Torsten Dikow and Wayne Mathis (both of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC) 
for providing reviews of the manuscript. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this pub-
lication is solely for the purpose of providing specifi c information and does not imply recommendation 
or endorsement by the USDA. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Literature Cited
Cumming, J. M., and D. M. Wood. 2009. Adult morphology and terminology. Chapter 2. p. 9–50. In: 
Brown, B. V., A. Borkent, J. M. Cumming, D. M. Wood, N. E. Woodley, and M. A. Zumbado (eds.). 
Manual of Central American Diptera, Volume 1. NRC Research Press; Ottawa, Canada. 714 p.
McAlpine, J. F. 1981. Morphology and terminology – adults. Chapter 2. p. 9–63. In: McAlpine, J. F., 
B. V. Peterson, G. E. Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth, and D. M. Wood (coordinators). Manual 
of Nearctic Diptera, Volume 1, Monograph No. 27. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada; Ottawa, 
Canada. 674 p.
4 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEY
Woodley, N. E. 1995. The genera of Beridinae (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). Memoirs of the Entomological 
Society of Washington 16: 1–231.
Woodley, N. E. 2013. A revision of the Neotropical genus Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratio-
myidae, Beridinae) with three new species. ZooKeys 353: 25–45.
Received September 25, 2015; Accepted November 22, 2015.
Review Editor Gary Steck. 
Figures 1–3. Holotype male of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 1) Dorsal habitus view. 2) Left lateral habitus view 
(mirror image). 3) Anterior view of head. Figure 4. Male of Berismyia fusca Giglio-Tos. 4) Anterior view of head.
INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 • 5A NEW SPECIES OF PARABERISMYIA
Figure 5. Holotype male of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 5) Lateral view of head (mirror image). Figure 6. Male 
of Berismyia fusca Giglio-Tos. 6) Lateral view of head.
6 • INSECTA MUNDI 0456, December 2015 WOODLEY
Figures 7–11. Male terminalia holotype of Paraberismyia imitator, n. sp. 7) Genital capsule, dorsal view. 8) 
Gonostylus, lateral view. 9) Phallic complex, dorsal view. 10) Phallic complex, left lateral view. 11) Epandrium and 
postgenital segments, dorsal view. Abbreviations: c, cercus; ep, epandrium; ga, gonocoxal apodeme; gc, gonocoxite; 
gs, gonostylus; pps, posteromedial process of synsternite.


https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1964&amp;context=insectamundi

A new species of \u3ci\u3eParaberismyia\u3c/i\u3e Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) from Chiapas, Mexico

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