Goniaspis obscurata Duda, 1930

Mlynarek, Julia J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical genus Goniaspis Duda (Diptera: Chloropidae), Zootaxa 2033, pp. 26-40 : 31-33

Goniaspis obscurata Duda, 1930

( Figs. 12–13 )

Goniaspis obscurata Duda 1930: 63 (type locality: Costa Rica: San José, Farm La Caja).

Description: Total length 1.5–2.4 mm. Overall color black; frontal triangle black, shining, extending to anterior margin of frons, with slightly convex margins; ocellar tubercle black, shining; frons brown to black, as long as wide; cephalic setae dark, fronto-orbital setae well-developed; gena black, sparsely microtomentose, 0.1 times eye height; postgena slender, black and shining; face black; scape and pedicel yellow, first flagellomere reniform, yellow, arista black, slender, pubescence twice as long as width of arista at base; palpus yellow, proboscis and clypeus black.

Scutum black, shining, punctate, microtomentose just anterior to scutellum, as long as wide; scutellum black, 1.5 times as wide as long, apical scutellar bristles strong, on small tubercles on dorsal margin of scutellum, lateral scutellar bristles as long and strong as surrounding setae; thoracic pleurites mostly shining black; dorsal margin of anepimeron and lateral region of postscutellum microtomentose. Legs yellow, sometimes with a dark band on hind tibia; hind tibial spur apical, 0.5–0.6 times length of first tarsal segment; femoral organ 2 rows of 3 small tubercles; tibial organ oval, yellow, 0.3 times length of tibia. Wing hyaline, ratio of costal sectors C1: C2: C3: C4 – 1: 1.15: 1.5: 0.6; halter white.

Abdomen black, shining, anteromedial portion of syntergite 1+2 pale, desclerotized; syntergite 1+2 as long as tergites 3 and 4 combined.

Male postabdomen ( Figs. 12–13 ): epandrium wider than high in lateral view, wider than high, with margins diverging ventrally in posterior view, with sparse setae; surstylus short, wide, parallel sided with broadly rounded apex, surstylus with sparse short setae; cercus broad, triangular, ventral projection rounded, cercus with sparse setae and one long posteroventral bristle, cerci separated by wider than high ventral excavation; distiphallus weakly sclerotized.

Type material: Syntypes (13, 1Ƥ) COSTA RICA: 8km W San José, Farm La Caja, 1924 ( ZMHB) (not examined, see Remarks).

Other material examined: ARGENTINA: Tucuman, Lacavera, 23–28.xi.1951, Aczel &.Golbach (13, USNM); Misiones, Posadas, v.1961, N.L.H. Krauss (13, USNM); BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Ouro Preto, iv.1954, N.L.H. Krauss (13, USNM); COSTA RICA: San Jose, Farm La Caja, 8.viii.1911, H. Schmidt (13, USNM); Higuito, San Mateo, P. Schild (43, USNM); Pedregoso, D.L. Rounds (13, USNM); ECUADOR: Tungurahua Prov., Banos, 6000ft., 12.iv.1958, R.W. Hodges (33, USNM); PARAGUAY: Asuncion, vii.1961, N.L.H. Krauss (13, USNM); PERU: Perene, R.C. Shannon (23, USNM).

Remarks: Our descriptions of G. obscurata and G. opaca are based on male specimens only; females of the two species cannot be separated using morphological characters. We examined 39 female specimens of G. obscurata / G. obscura from the following localities: ARGENTINA: Tucuman: Lacavera; Aconguija; BRAZIL: Nova Teutonia; Rio de Janeiro, Barra de Tijuca; Tijuca; Grajau; San Jose dos Campos; Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto; COSTA RICA: Cartago, Dulce Nombre (Vivero Linda Vista); Puntarenas, San Vito (Estacion Biologica Las Alturas); La Suiza de Turrialba; Pedregoso; San José (Farm La Caja); Higuito, San Mateo; ECUADOR: Tungurahua Prov., Banos; EL SALVADOR: Santa Tecla; PARAGUAY: Asuncion; PERU: Monson Valley, Tingo Maria; VENEZUELA: El Valle (LEM, USNM).

Four presumed syntypes of G. obscurata in the Hamburg Museum were destroyed in the Second World War. The two surviving syntypes in the Berlin collection are both damaged ( Wendt, 1975). Because of this we chose not to designate a lectotype for this species.

Figures

FIGURES 12 – 15. Male genitalia. 12 – 13. Goniaspis obscurata. 12. lateral. 13. posterior. 14 – 15. Goniaspis opaca. 14. lateral. 15. posterior. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.