Mberu lopesi Silva, Capellari & Oliveira, 2025, sp. nov.

Mberu lopesi sp. nov. (Figs 6, 22B–D) Description. Male. Body length: 1.79–2.26 mm. Wing length: 1.87–2.11 mm long, 0.49–0.72 mm wide (n = 10). Similar to M. altamiro sp. nov. in both general habitus and chaetotaxy, except as noted. Head (Fig. 6B, C, D). Eyes touching on face (Fig. 6B); one pair of oc s as long as vt s. Scape brown; postpedicel about 1.6 times longer than basal width; stylus about 5.6 times longer than postpedicel. Thorax (Fig. 6C). Six dc setae, increasing in size posteriorly, posteriormost three conspicuously longer than anteriormost setae. Wing (Fig. 6F). Membrane hyaline. R 4+5 and M 1 converging beyond dm-m, parallel near wing apex. RMx ratio = 4.7, CuAx ratio = 0.04. Legs (Fig. 6A–E). Mostly yellow, brown at anterior surface of coxa I, basal 2/3 of femur I, tibia II at apex, IIt1 at apex, IIt2–5, tibia III at apex, IIIt1 at apex and IIIt2–5. Leg I. Apex of coxa I with ventral comb of white seta; base of femur I with 4–5 small, white pv setae, decreasing in size towards apex, with anterior bush-like comb of white setae (Fig. 6D), apex of femur I with 2–3 strong, dorsal setae, apex of femur I with 2–3 strong, dorsal setae (all MSSC); tibia I with row of three brown ad setae on basal half, decreasing in size towards apex (MSSC). Leg II. Coxa II with 4–5 white setae anteriorly, increasing in size towards apex, bare laterally (Fig. 6C); femur II without ad row of setae along apical third (Fig. 6E), ventral surface completely bare, except anteroventral row of 12–13 pale setae, strongly decreasing in length towards apex, ending in one sinuous, brown av (all MSSC); tibia II without row of ventral setae (Fig. 6E). Leg III. Femur III without dorsal row of dark setae, with ad row of pale setae decreasing in size towards apex. Relative podomere ratios: I: 14.3/ 11.2/ 7.7/ 2/ 1.3/ 1/ 1.1; II: 10.1/ 10.3/ 8.7/ 3.3/ 1.2/ 1; III: 7.1/ 9/ 3.4/ 3.3/ 1.9/ 1.1/ 1. Abdomen. As in M. altamiro sp. nov. Hypopygium. As in M. altamiro sp. nov. (Fig. 2) (see Discussion). Female. Body length: 2.03–2.50 mm. Wing: 1.79–2.05 mm long, 0.58–0.72 mm wide (n = 10). Habitus similar to male, except for MSSCs and as noted. Head. Eyes not touching on face; face slightly broader (about as broad as ocellar tubercle), slightly wider towards apex, clypeal suture evident. Wing. S-shaped curve of M 1 less pronounced (Fig. 6G). RMx ratio = 3, CuAx ratio = 0.2. Legs. Coxa I covered by short, scattered white setae anteriorly; tibia II with two ad seta at 1/3 and 2/3, one pd, one ad, one av and one ventral seta at apex. Relative podomere ratios: I: 12.6/ 10.1/ 6.1/ 3.2/ 1.7/ 1/ 1.2; II: 10.5/ 10.2/ 7.4/ 3.3/ 2/ 1.4/ 1; III: 12.9/ 14/ 4.9/ 4.6/ 2.4/ 1.5/ 1. Abdomen (Fig. 22 B–D). Tergites 1–5 with short vestiture of black setae. Oviscapt as in M. bodoquena sp. nov. Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, “ BRAZIL, GO [Goiás], Varjão | Chácara [Farm] N. Sra. Aparecida | Malaise - Mata [Semideciduous Seasonal Forest] | -17.032533, -49.554281 [17°01′57.1″S 49°33′15.4″W] | 27.vi.2021 - 08.viii.2021 | Col. Lopes W.R. ”; “HOLOTYPE | Mberu lopesi | Silva, Capellari & Oliveira [red label]” (MZUSP). Holotype in good condition, genitalia not dissected. PARATYPES. Brazil. Goiás. Same data as holotype (3 ♂, 1 ♀, MNRJ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ZUFG). Mato Grosso do Sul. Aquidauana. Res. Ecol. UEMS, 20º25′59″S 55º39′20.8″W, Floresta Estacional Decidual, malaise 4, 27.viii–11.ix.2011, Lamas, Nihei et al. Leg. (9 ♂, 15 ♀, MZUSP). Etymology. Named after the Brazilian dipterist Welinton Ribamar Lopes (in memoriam), who collected the type series of this species and was one of the professors who most helped the first author in his career at UFG. Remarks. Mberu lopesi sp. nov. is distinguished from all other species of the pepocatu group by its small body size (about 2 mm while other species of the group have body size greater than 2.30 mm), vein M 1 S-shaped, parallel to R 4+5 at apex (Fig. 6F) (vein M 1 gently bent and converging to R 4+5 near wing apex in other species of group) and by lacking the ad row of setae on femur II and anterior on tibia II (present in other species of group) (Fig. 6E). Distribution (Fig. 24). Brazil: states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul (Cerrado biome). Comments. Mberu lopesi sp. nov. is one of the morphospecies collected in Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil) during the SISBIOTA-Diptera Brazilian Network (see Lamas et al. 2023).