Forcipomyia (Trichohelea)

Marino, Pablo I. & Spinelli, Gustavo R., 2004, Descriptions of the Patagonian species of the subgenus Trichohelea of Forcipomyia, with a key to the Neotropical species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Journal of Natural History 38 (17), pp. 2251-2262 : 2253-2254

Key to Neotropical species of the subgenus Forcipomyia (Trichohelea)

1 Females ( F. aeronautica , F. baueri , F. danaisi , F. goniognatha , F. intrepida , F. leptognatha , F. limnetis , F. macheti , F. mexicana , F. opilionivora , F. roubaudi , F. sayhuequei , F. tehuelche , F. trinidadensis )................. 2

– Males ( F. goniognatha , F. leptognatha , F. limnetis , F. tehuelche )..... 15

2 Costa extending to two-thirds of total wing length... F. opilionivora (Lane)

– Costa barely produced beyond half of total wing length (if costal ratio 0.62, tarsal claws bifid from the base).................... 3

3 Flagellomere 8 elongated, nearly as long as flagellomere 9; AR 0.90; third palpal segment very slender............ F. danaisi (Floch and Abonnenc)

– Flagellomere 8 distinctly shorter than flagellomere 9; AR 1.48–2.50; third palpal segment stout........................ 4

4 Tarsal claws simple, not bifid................. 5

– Tarsal claws bifid................... 13

5 Flagellomeres 1–8 very short, laterally expanded; AR 2.40–2.50...... 6

– Flagellomeres 1–8 nearly as long as greatest breadth; AR 1.48–1.78..... 7

6 Third palpal segment with proximal sensory pit..... F. intrepida Macfie

– Third palpal segment with distal sensory pit.. F. macheti Clastrier and Legrand

7 Tarsal claws slender, as long as or slightly longer than fifth tarsomere.... 8

– Tarsal claws stouter, shorter than fifth tarsomere........... 9

8 Tarsal claws slightly curved; legs pale brown; halter creamy white......................... F. trinidadensis Saunders

– Tarsal claws deeply curved; legs dark brown; halter dark brown.......................... F. aeronautica Macfie

9 Mandible with rounded apex................ 10

– Mandible tapering to pointed apex.............. 12

10 Tarsal claws with basal tooth; halter knob dark brown........ 11

– Tarsal claws without basal tooth; halter knob white..... F. baueri Wirth

11 Mandible with 15 teeth; third palpal segment slightly swollen with small, deep sensory pit................... F. mexicana Wirth

– Mandible with 21 teeth; third palpal segment greatly swollen with large, shallow sensory pit.............. F. roubaudi Clastrier and Delécolle

12 Maxilla abruptly bent on distal portion.. F. goniognatha Wirth and Messersmith

– Maxilla straight on distal portion... F. leptognatha Wirth and Messersmith

13 Tarsal claws bifid at extreme apex; CR 0.55; third palpal segment with deep sensory pit........................ 14

– Tarsal claws bifid from the base; CR 0.62; third palpal segment with shallow sensory pit................... F. sayhuequei sp. n.

14 Scutum dark brown with narrow pale longitudinal admedian stripes; legs dark brown.............. F. limnetis Ingram and Macfie

– Scutum brown, without admedian stripes; legs pale brown.. F. tehuelche sp. n.

15 Aedeagus stout with rounded blunt tip, without distal processes..... 16

– Aedeagus tapering to pointed tip, with distal processes........ 17

16 Gonocoxite 3 times longer than broad; basal arch extending to half of total length; lateral arms of parameres strongly divergent.... F. limnetis Ingram and Macfie

– Gonocoxite 2.2 times longer than broad; basal arch extending to one-third of total length; lateral arms of parameres parallel... F. leptognatha Wirth and Messersmith

17 Sternite 9 with narrow, shallow caudomedian excavation; aedeagus tapering to pointed tip, with a pair of subapical, very short, lateral pointed processes........................... F. tehuelche sp. n.

– Sternite 9 with broad, deep caudomedian excavation; aedeagus with a median process split distally forming an elongated forked process projecting well beyond distal portion........... F. goniognatha Wirth and Messersmith