Anthrax baliopteros Marston 1970

Anthrax baliopteros

MALE.—Integument mostly black, grayish to brownish pruinose; bases of femora, tibiae, proximal tarsal segments, apices of abdominal segments, and genitalia reddish orange. Front with fine black setae and lanceolate, semierect scales, yellowish white above and on each side of antennae, gold elsewhere. Face with mixed black and gold setae extending almost to antennae medially; few lanceolate, erect white scales along oral margin. Occiput with sparse black setae and linear and lanceolate, recumbent scales, white below emargination of eye, gold above; fringe of pile on posterior margin black behind gold scales, white behind vertex, mixed brown and white behind white scales. Antennae black, first two segments with black and white setae; first segment short, about as wide as long; second segment biscuit shaped, about half as long as wide; third segment with bulbous basal portion small, narrower than second segment, about as long as styliform portion which is twice as long as style.

Mesonotum with fine black setae and linear, recumbent gold and white scales; margins with semierect gold and white scales. Scutellum with fine black setae and linear scales, black in submedial spots, mixed gold and white on anterior margin, gold elsewhere. Mesopleuron, sternopleuron, and anterior part of pteropleuron with white setae and scales, mesopleuron with some gold macrochaetae above. Prosternum, propleuron, and anterior margin of mesonotum with white pile, few black setae present on latter. Postalar tuft of pile mixed gold and white. Metapleuron bare. Coxae with yellowish-white setae and white scales.

Wing (Plate 6b) hyaline with brown maculation; dark spots present in cell R1 below tip of subcosta, at bases of cells R2+3 and R5, and extending from base of cell Cu1 to base of cell R1; lighter spots at base of cell R4 and extending along vein R4 two thirds of way to apex, at base of cell M1 and along vein M2 and m crossvein, at base of cell 2M2, and apically in cell 1A; faint subhyaline areas near apices of veins M1 and Cu1. Cells C and Sc, and base of wing lightly infuscated, base of cell M darker. Veins R2+3 and R4 with basal spurs about as long as basal sections. Contact of cells 1M2 and Cu1 twice as long as base of cell Cu1. R–m crossvein at basal two-fifths of cell 1M2; vein R2+3 arising opposite. Anal margin of wing well developed, alula broad with rounded posterior margin.

Legs with ovate-truncate scales, yellow anterodorsally at apices of femora, white elsewhere. Middle femur with anteroventral row of macrochaetae; posterior femur with complete anteroventral and posteroventral rows of macrochaetae and scattered macrochaetae anterodorsally toward apex.

Lateral margins of first abdominal tergum with dense white pile, with few black hairs posteriorly; posterior margin with few linear white scales on lateral thirds. Lateral margins of second tergum mostly with white pile, few semierect, lanceolate, yellowish-white scales posteriorly; lateral margins of terga three and four with short, lanceolate, erect black scales anteriorly and semierect, lanceolate, yellowish-white and yellow scales posteriorly; lateral margins of terga five, six, and seven with few black and yellow setae and some recumbent, lanceolate cuneate, white scales. Disc of second tergum with mixed gold and white, linear scales, predominantly gold posteriorly, two small submedial spots of linear black scales near posterior margin; terga three and four with linear gold scales on lateral and posterior margins, with linear yellow scales medially and linear black scales elsewhere; terga five and six with small submedial spots of linear black scales, with mixed yellow and white, lanceolate scales medially and laterally, and linear gold scales between black and light scales; seventh tergum with mixed yellow and white, lanceolate scales medially, a few black scales submedially, linear gold scales sublaterally and a few lanceolate cuneate, yellow scales laterally. Venter with fine gold setae and small white scales.

MALE GENITALIA (Figure 131).—Gonocoxites broad basally, tapering to acute apices in both dorsal and lateral view; medial sulcus shallow, narrow, setae scattered from near apices to base. Basal segment of gonostylus simple, slightly rounded dorsally in lateral view, with small setaceous lobes apically in ventral view. Distal segment of gonostylus projecting dorsolaterally, dactylate with anterior margin narrowing postmedially to transversely broadened, sharply rounded apex. Dorsal part of apex of epiphallus with large, preapical, basally directed sharp spine in back of a deep, broad mesal emargination. Ventrolateral part of apex of epiphallus extending downward and backward from dorsal part, not notably modified. Dorsal bands simple. Base of aedeagus narrowly bulbous, tapering gradually to junction with ventral bands. Epandrium about one-third narrower than high, with coarse setae apically. Cerci not heavily sclerotized, with fine setae.

FEMALE.—Similar to male. Scales on front white below, yellowish white above. Postalar tuft of pile entirely white. Maculation of wings somewhat darker; fusion of cells 1M2 and Cu1 only 1.5 times as long as width of base of cell Cu1. Femora entirely yellow except for dorsoapical parts of posterior pair; macrochaetae on posteroventral side of posterior femur restricted to apex. Gold scales more extensive and yellow and white scales less extensive on abdomen.

VARIATION.—The only other specimen of this species available, a male, is similar to the holotype except that its wings have slightly less extensive pigment.

DISTRIBUTION.—The three specimens available indicate that baliopteros probably occurs throughout the drier tropical and subtropical areas of southern Brazil and Uruguay, and possibly into northeast Argentina and southern Paraguay.

HOLOTYPE.—, Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1 March 1961 (N. Marston–1) USNM).

ALLOTYPE.—, same data as holotype (USNM).

PARATYPE.—, Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, I–17–18–1941 (M. Carrera) (26146) (SASP).