Microcerella antofagastensis
Larger and slender bifid juxtal projections (in apical view) than in M. curicoensis. Moreover, M. antofagastensis
has shorter internal projections of juxta, hardly visible beyond the ventral (anterior) margins of the juxta in lateral view. The cerci are shorter inM. antofagastensis and not apically sinuous as in M. curicoensis, and the pregonite is broader apically.
Females distinguishable by the shape of the posterior margin of ST 78 which is bilobed.
NEOTROPICAL - Argentina (Catamarca)
Body length = 10-6.67 mm (m = 9.04 mm, n = 10).
Head. Headlength at antennal base 1.04-1.27(m = 1.14, n = 10) head length at vibrissal level. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plates with silvery microtomentum; parafacial plate with a row of setae (stronger at the lower part); fronto-orbital plate with sparse black setulae; postcranium with silvery microtomentum, the upper half of the postcranium (occiput) with black setulae; eyes bare; frontal vitta blackish with bronze tinge; frons at its narrowest point 0.13-0.21 (m = 0.19, n = 10) head width; 10-11 frontal setae, the row of frontals diverging strongly at the level of pedicel; reclinate orbital setae present; inner vertical setae strong and reclinate, outer vertical setae 0.5 x the inner vertical and divergent; ocellar triangle black with silvery microtomentum, with one pair of divergent and proclinate ocellar setae and supplementary setulae; post ocellar and paravertical setae present; postocular setae black in one row; genal groove and genal dilation with silvery microtomentum; postgena with silvery microtomentum; gena and postgena with black setae; face with silvery microtomentum; facial ridge black with silvery microtomentum, with setae and stronger setulae close to vibrissa and Þne setulae reaching the lower half; 6-7 subvibrissal setae; antenna black, first flagellomere black with dark brown
microtomentum, length 0.31-0.37 (m = 0.35, n = 10) head height, arista pubescent with hairs shorter than
largest diameter of arista; palpus blackish with black setae.
Thorax. Black, with silvery microtomentum; prescutum and scutum with intermediate and lateral stripes with silvery microtomentum and three black bands; scutellum with intermediate stripes and apical spot of silvery microtomentum; postpronotal lobe, and anepimeron with spots of silvery microtomentum; notopleuron and anepisternum with spots of golden microtomentum; katepisternum with a spot of silvery microtomentum at upper half, and one spot of golden microtomentum on the inferior part; proepisternum silvery, bare. Chaetotaxy: 1-3 proepisternal setae, and one proepimeral setae not well differentiated, katepisternals three on the same level, postalar wall bare; acrostichals 2-3 (not well differentiated or weak)0, dorsocentrals 3-4 3 (spaced for 3), intra-alars 1 2 (anterior pair weak), supra-alars 2 3 (the middle pair stronger), anterior postpronotal 1, basal postpronotal 2, postalars 2, notopleurals four (two big and two small); scutellum with two pairs of lateral scutellar setae, one pair of weak and cruciate apical sucutellar setae, and a pair discal setae. Wing hyaline, yellowish at basal part, tegula black, whitish basicosta, veins pale brown (yellowish at basal part), R1 bare, R45 setulose in proximal 0.25 or less of distance to r-m, costal spine not differentiated, third costal sector without ventral setae, cell r45 open at wing apex, lower calypteres yellowish. Legs with coxae, trochanter, femora and tibiae with silvery microtomentum; middle trochanter without a ventral pad of short and
stout spines; middle femur without posteroventral ctenidium on its apical portion, with rows of anterior, anteroventral and posteroventral setae; middle tibia with three anterdorsal setae, one anteroventral, two posterodorsal and one posterior setae; hind trochanter with a ventral pad of short and stout spines; hind femur
with rows of anterodorsal, anterior, anteroventral and posteroventral setae; hind tibia with two anterodorsal setae, 1-2 anteroventral seta, and two posterodorsal setae; middle and hind femora, and hind tibiae somewhat
villous; tarsi blackish.
Abdomen. Black; sternites exposed with silvery microtomentum; T12-T5 with dorsal spots of silvery microtomentum; T3-T4 with lateral spots of golden microtomentum; T12-T4 with one pair of lateral marginal
setae; T5 with a complete row of marginal setae; ST2-ST4 with fine setae; ST5 V-shaped, brown, with internal lobes covered with bronze microtomentum and bearing setulae in apical (posterior) portion. Terminalia. Syntergosternite 78 shining black or dark brown, with a median spot of silver microtomentum, having a marginal row of three pairs of strong setae and some smaller basally black hair-like setae; epandrium orange reddish with black hair-like setae (stronger dorsally); cerci reddish with cercal base 1.48-1.84 (m = 1.69, n = 10); cercus slightly curved forward with pointed apex in profile; surstylus covered with somewhat long setae; pregonite broad and curved with few setulae at base; postgonite hook-shaped with one strong setae; phallus with vesica flat and broad, forming a hemispherical dome in lateral view, with a pair of sclerotized spines in ventral surface, and a shallow apico-median incision forming two lobes at apical margin; juxta (or apical plate) well developed with several paired structures: a bifid apicodorsal juxtal process, a pair of less sclerotized juxtal lobes from the apico-lateral juxtal margins, involving the well-sclerotized internal extensions of the apico-dorsal juxtal process; lateral styli and median stylus exposed (lateral view), harpes (or lateral plates) curved upward below the vesica in lateral view.
Body length 6.44-9.99 mm (m = 8.79 mm, n = 10).
Head. Differs from the male by possessing a wider frons 0.34-0.38 (m = 0.36, n = 10) head width; two fronto-orbital proclinate setae; First flagellomere larger, length 0.40-0.47 (m = 0.44, n = 10) head height.
Thorax. Similar to male. Dorsocentrals 31 (preescutelar pair), intra-alars 10, one prepisternal seta strong and proepimeral setae absent. Scutellum without apical an discal setae.
Abdomen. Similar to male, somewhat broader.
Terminalia. Tergite six entire dorsally, large and pointed in lateral view, orange covered with pale golden microtomentum at basal part and silvery microtomentum at distal part, with a complete row of small marginal setae and supplementary short marginal setulae. Sternites covered by T6; ST6 wider than ST5, orange-reddish or blackish, with a row of marginal setae; ST 78 reddish, with a row of setae at midlegth, slightly convex beyond the row of setae (ST8), and with a flattened apical area covered with sparse microsetulae; hypoproct rounded, membranous, not exposed (covered by Sternite 78) with few short setulae; cerci covered by setulae.