Argentinomyia serendipia Montoya sp. nov.

Proposed standard English name: Fortunate long-antennae flower fly.

Argentinomyia sp. 17b by Montoya, unpublished

(Figs 74, 75 and 91B

Type material. HOLOTYPE. Adult male, pinned, deposited at Colección Entomológica Universidad de Antioquia. Original label: “ COLOMBIA, Antioquia, Belmira, Páramo Santa Inés, Cabaña Cabildo Verde, El Morro-Alto de La Gallina ” / “ 6,632639, -75,645267 ” / “ 3170–3200 m, Páramo, Trampa Malaise” / “ 4-14.ii.2017, A. L. Montoya, C. Rodríguez, J. D. Carmona ”. “HOLOTYPE / Argentinomyia serendipia / Montoya 2023” (CEUA 98284). Identified as Argentinomyia sp. 17a by Montoya 2019. PARATYPES. COLOMBIA, Antioquia, Belmira, Páramo Santa Inés, Cabaña Cabildo Verde, El Morro, Alto de La Gallina, Páramo, Malaise Canopy #2, 6,632 639, -75,645267, 3170– 3200m, 4-14.ii.2017, A. L. Montoya Leg (3♂, CEUA 98384, 138732, 138730, dissected). Sonsón, Vereda Nori Cerro Nori, 5,812 861, -75,268444, 3045 m, Páramo, Net, 23.vi-2.vii.2018, J. P. Carmona; J. Sauceda; J. Vallejo (2♂, CEUA 103410, 138731).

Length (n= 4): Body, 6.5 mm; Wings, 7.0 mm.

Diagnosis. Body mainly black. Black antenna; frontal triangle dark pollinose; metanotum with mixed black and gold hairs before the notopleural suture; legs black, except pro- and mesotibiae yellow on apical 1/5 and basal 1/3; terga 3 rd and 4 th with a pair of small rectangular maculae extending 1/6 of tergum length and restricted to basolateral margins of tergites; surstylus larger than the epandrium with dorsal margin slightly concave, the apicodorsal edge rounded; dorsal area of the apex of hypandrium (superior lobes) extending dorsally backward, with a small sclerotized inner spur; aedeagal lobe circular, apex rounded; the base of the aedeagus globose.

Description. MALE. Head (Fig. 74A): Face black, sides yellow golden pilose and pollinose. Frontal triangle with transversal dark brownish pollinose, black pilose. Gena black, white pollinose and pilose. Ocellar triangle opaque, with a velvety brown cross band black pilose. Occiput white pollinose, white pilose on dorsal 2/3 and black pilose on ventral 1/3. Antenna black, short, ratio 1.0:1.3:2.5; basoflagellomere apically rounded and longer than the scape and pedicel; arista black, black pilose. Thorax (Figs 74B–C): Bluish gray, yellow pilose and pollinose; with two grayish vitae in the anterior half, just before the notopleural suture. Pleura bright bluish, golden pollinose, scattered whitish-golden pilose. Metanotum with mixed black and gold pile. Wing (Fig. 74C): Smoky brown, stigma brown, microtrichose; calypter wholly brown; plumule white; halter white, capitulum white. Legs (Fig. 74C): Black, except pro- and mesotibiae yellow on apical 1/5 and basal 1/3; pile yellow basally and black apically, coxae brown. Abdomen (Fig. 74B–C): Parallel sides, with a pair of small rectangular maculae on terga 3 rd and 4 th extending 1/6 of tergum length and restricted to basolateral margins of tergites, yellow pilose, except black pilose on median apical region of each segment; male genitalia: surstylus in lateral view (Fig. 80A) larger than the epandrium with dorsal margin slightly concave, the apico-dorsal edge rounded; dorsal area of the apex of hypandrium (superior lobes) in lateral view (Fig. 75A) extending dorsally backward, with a small sclerotized inner spur; aedeagal lobe in ventral view (Fig. 75C) circular, apex rounded; the base of the aedeagus globose.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Taxonomic notes. Argentinomyia serendipia sp. nov. is similar in appearance to A. teresae sp. nov. from which it differs in the antenna black; frontal triangle dark pollinose (Figs 74A, C); terga 3 rd and 4 th with a pair of small rectangular maculae extending 1/6 of tergum length and restricted to basolateral margins of tergites (Fig 74B). In A. teresae sp. nov. the antennae brownish, orange ventrally; frontal triangle golden pollinose (Figs 79A, C); terga 3 rd and 4 th with a pair of small basolateral rectangular maculae extending 1/3 of tergum length (Fig 79B). Based on males, A. serendipia sp. nov. differs from A. teresae sp. nov. in having the surstylus in lateral view (Fig. 75A) larger than the epandrium [versus surstylus shorter than the epandrium in A. teresae sp. nov. (Fig. 80A)]; dorsal area of the apex of hypandrium (superior lobes) in lateral view (Fig. 75A) extending dorsally backward with a small sclerotized inner spur [versus no extending dorsally backward, without a small sclerotized inner spur in A. teresae sp. nov. (Fig. 80A)] (see “diagnosis” under each species or key).

Etymology. The name “ serendipia ” is a noun in apposition, which comes from the English word “serendipity”: a lucky, spontaneous and unexpected discovery that happens happily or beneficially without looking for it. This name was selected based on three features. First of all, the discovery of the species was fortuitous, since it was found during the search for additional material of the new species A. teresae sp. nov. in its type locality. Second, the unique structure of the male genitalia confirmed it as a new species. Thirdly, the name also alludes to the full inspiration and positive vibes that the first author has received from a being of light.

Remarks. It is highlighted that A. serendipia sp. nov. and A. teresae sp. nov. are sympatric, collected from the same type locality in the Páramo complexes Belmira, located in northwestern Tropical Andes.

Geographical range. Argentinomyia serendipia sp. nov. (n= 6) is known to occur in two localities in the massif of the Central Cordillera in northwestern Colombia (Antioquia) (Fig. 91B). The species is endemic to the North Andes domain, probably confined to high‐altitude cloud Andean forests in the Magdalena province (3170–3200m) and may be abundant above 3000 m.