Herrera freiae Sanborn 2019, n. sp.

Herrera freiae n. sp.

(Fig. 15)

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype. “ BOLIVIA, S. Cruz / Dpt. 4 km N Bermajo (sic) / 10–12. XII. 2015 Wappes / Kuckartz & Skillman // Refugio los Volcanes / EL 1045–1350m / 18º06’ S 63º 36’ W ” one female (FSCA).

REMARKS. The relatively large size, long radiating piceous pile, and markings distinguish this species from other species of Herrera in Bolivia. The short anal vein 3 in the hind wing is unique to the species.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named for the late Sr. John Karen Frei, O.P., Ph.D., (1936–2012) the former dean of my school, university vice president and epiphytic biologist. She mentored me as a faculty member, was a staunch supporter of my research endeavors, and always found a way to obtain the equipment I needed so that I could perform my research.

DESCRIPTION. Ground color of head and thorax pale yellow-green, abdomen tawny and castaneous marked with piceous. Green may predominate in fresh specimens as there is some green on the costal margin and base of the fore wing.

Head. Head as wide as mesonotum, ground color with median ocellus surrounded by castaneous, lateral ocelli surrounded by piceous with mark extending anteromedially from posterior margin, piceous posterior to eye. Ocelli ochraceous, eyes castaneous. Head with short silvery pile, longer silvery pile posterior to eye, dorsum radiating long piceous pile. Ventral head ground color. Postclypeus centrally sulcate from anterior to posteroventral margin to around apex, with ten transverse ridges, short silvery pile on lateral margin, radiating long piceous pile, more dense on dorsal surface. Anteclypeus ground color. Ventral head and lateral anteclypeus with short silvery and long white pile. Mentum ground color with castaneous midline, labium castaneous proximally with piceous tip, reaching to anterior of hind coxae. Scape and proximal half of pedicel ground color, remaining antennal segments castaneous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax ground color. Pronotum with transverse piceous mark in posterior ambient fissure on midline, sparse silvery pile on disc, denser in fissure, radiating long piceous pile. Pronotal collar ground color radiating long piceous pile, sparse silvery pile laterally. Mesonotum ground color, piceous marks on either side of parapsidal suture not reaching anterior margin, expanding in posterior of submedian sigilla, piceous mark on anteromedial submedian sigilla connected to posterior mark by castaneous fascia, piceous semicircular mark on either side of midline anterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation including scutal depressions laterally, fusing medially and extending anteriorly along midline terminating between posterior submedian sigillae, castaneous spot posterior to lateral sigillae extending posteromedially to cover posterior mesonotum, castaneous fascia on posterior medial wing groove. Metanotum ground color with castaneous spot on anterolateral margin and piceous lateral posterior margin. Short silvery pile on disc, longer pile between anterior arms of cruciform elevation, posterior to anterior arms of cruciform elevation, on posterior half of lateral mesothorax, posterior mesothorax, radiating from posterior wing groove, and on posterior metanotum. Long piceous pile radiating from mesothorax. Ventral thoracic segments ground color with long and short silvery pile, radiating long piceous pile.

Wings. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline, with eight and six apical cells respectively. Venation ground color, becoming piceous distally, except piceous proximal and castaneous distal anal vein 2 + 3, pterostigma present. Paired linear infuscation in apical cells 3–8, apical cell 2 with two long infuscation marks medially and two short marks lateral to these in the distal apical cell. Wing margin infuscated, marginal area with linear infuscations appearing to extend from apical cells. Basal membrane grayish margined with piceous, piceous spot on base. Hind wing venation ground color becoming piceous distally, except castaneous radius posterior, median cubitus posterior, anal vein 2 and anal vein 3. Anal vein 3 very short, about one quarter the length of anal vein 2, forming small anal cell 3 and plaga. Anal cell 3 and plaga gray, anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3, anal cell 1 along anal vein 2 margined with gray. Wing margin infuscated, marginal area distal to apical cells 1–5 with linear infuscation.

Legs. Ground color except castaneous tip of tibiae, metatarsi, distal pretarsus, and distal pretarsal claws, with long silvery and piceous pile radiating from legs. Fore femora with proximal spine longest and most oblique, secondary spine slightly angled with curved tip, longer than tertiary spine, tertiary spine angled less than primary spine, and very small apical spine emerging from distal base of tertiary spine. Spines dark castaneous at base with lighter area proximal to piceous tip except completely piceous apical spine. Tibial spurs and comb castaneous with dark castaneous tips.

Operculum. Female operculum ground color with dark castaneous spot on medial and lateral base, lateral operculum bent at approximate right angle, lateral margin short, semicircular connecting to straight posterior margin, medial margin with rounded terminus reaching medially to medial meracanthus, anteromedial margin parallel to posterior margin before curving to base, not covering tympanal cavity, covered with and radiating long silvery pile. Female meracanthus broadly triangular, pointed, extending beyond posterior margin of operculum, ground color.

Abdomen. Tergite tawny medially, castaneous laterally, tergite 2 tawny with castaneous posterior medially and piceous dorsolateral posterior margin, tergites 3–7 tawny with castaneous posterior medially and piceous dorsolateral and medial posterior margin, amount of castaneous increasing in posterior tergites, tergite 8 castaneous with piceous dorsolateral posterior margin, covered with silvery pile, more dense laterally and on posterior margin, longer piceous pile on lateral tergites 5–9, denser in posterior tergites. Female abdominal segment 9 castaneous, dorsal beak darker, silvery pile dorsally and radiating long piceous pile ventrally and laterally. Dorsal beak bent curved dorsally, longer than gray and piceous anal styles, posterior margin of abdominal segment 9 sinuate. Sternite 1 ground color, sternite II ground color with castaneous mark laterally, sternite III ground color with transverse castaneous mark on posterior midline, piceous on posterior margin medially, sternites IV–VII proportion of castaneous increases so that sternites VI and VII castaneous with piceous posterior margin on midline, epipleurites ground color with castaneous posterior, proportion of castaneous increasing in posterior epipleurites, sternites covered with short and long silvery pile. Female sternite VII with deeply curved notch almost reaching anterior margin, margin of notch extending to point posteriorly producing small triangular extension beyond lateral posterior margin, lateral posterior margin straight, transverse.

Genitalia. Gonocoxite IX tawny. Female gonapophyses VIII and IX dark castaneous, gonapophysis X dark castaneous with piceous tip extending beyond dorsal beak with radiating piceous pile.

Male is unknown.

MEASUREMENTS (MM). N = one female. Length of body: 19.8; length of fore wing: 25.1; width of fore wing: 8.15; length of head: 3.3; width of head including eyes: 5.95; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 7.35; width of mesonotum: 5.95

DIAGNOSIS. Herrera freiae n. sp. can be distinguished from H. concolor n. sp., H. criqualicae n. comb., Herrera melanomesocranon n. sp. and H. phyllodes n. sp. by the lack of or reduced markings in these species. Herrera quinimaculata (Sanborn, 2011a) n. comb. can be distinguished by the five piceous spots on the dorsal mesothorax. Herrera guianaensis (Sanborn, 2011a) n. comb. can be distinguished by the piceous markings surrounding the majority of the lateral sigillae connecting to the transverse piceous mark anterior to the cruciform elevation and the longitudinal piceous stripes on the postclypeus. The primarily piceous bodies distinguish H. lugubrina lugubrina (Stål, 1864) and H. laticapitata Davis, 1938 from this new species. The lack of piceous on the head and the noncontrasting abdomen distinguishes this new species from H. ancilla (Stål, 1864), H. coyamensis Sanborn 2007a, and H. umbraphila Sanborn & Heath, 2014. The Cuban H. infuscata Sanborn, 2009a has infuscation on the apex of the fore wings. Herrera turbida Jacobi, 1907, H. lugubrina compostelensis Davis, 1938 and H. sigillata Sanborn, 2018c lack a piceous mark in the pronotum ambient fissure. The piceous mark in the pronotal ambient fissure extends the entire length of the fissure in H. nigrotorquata Sanborn, 2018c and H. signifera n. sp. but is restricted to the dorsal midline in this new species. Finally, H. humilistrata Sanborn & Heath, 2014, is heavily marked with piceous on the head, prothorax and mesothorax with green posterior abdominal tergites.

DISTRIBUTION. The species is known only from the holotype specimen collected in central Bolivia.