Downeshelea costaricensis, Santarém & Borkent & Spinelli & Felippe-Bauer, 2018

Santarém, Maria Clara Alves, Borkent, Art, Spinelli, Gustavo & Felippe-Bauer, Maria Luiza, 2018, New Neotropical species of Downeshelea Wirth and Grogan and redescription of D. multilineata (Lutz) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (9 - 10), pp. 509-540 : 518-521

Downeshelea costaricensis sp. nov.

( Figures 3a–h , 8f–g , 10 )

Diagnosis

Male. The only species of Downeshelea in the Americas with the following combination of features: gonostylus 0.58–0.66 length of gonocoxite; parameres fused for 0.29–0.34 of total length; stem broad, sinuous, expanded apicolaterally, distal portion slightly curved ( Figure 8g ); aedeagus subrectangular, hyaline on midportion, basal arch U-shaped, extending to 0.22–0.26 of total length ( Figure 8f ).

Female. The only species of Downeshelea multilineata group in the Americas with medium-sized wing (1.02–1.15 mm) ( Figure 3d ); midtarsomere 1 with 4–5 ventral spines; hind tibia uniformly brown; two subequal spermathecae ( Figure 3h ).

Description

Male. Head. Eyes slightly contiguous in lower area, antennal ratio 0.90–0.99 (0.95, n = 10); palpal ratio 1.83–2.80 (2.31, n = 10) ( Figure 3b ).

Thorax. Brown, without definite pattern in slide-mounted specimens. Wing ( Figure 3a ) with greyish spot over CuA 1, CuA 2 extending into cua 1, anal cell, reaching wing margin; 2 nd radial cell 2.3 times longer than 1 st; wing length 0.95–1.10 (1.06, n = 10) mm; breadth 0.35–0.40 (0.37, n = 10) mm; costal ratio 0.68–0.77 (0.74, n = 10). Halter pale with distal portion of knob darker. Legs ( Figure 3c ) brown, fore-, mid- tibiae slightly paler on basal portion, hind femur darker on distal third. Fore-, hind tarsomere 1 with one basal, one apical spine; midtarsomere 1 with two basal, two apical, 4–5 other ventral spines; apical spines of tarsomeres 2–4 of fore-, mid-, hind legs: 1–1–1, 2–2–2, 1–1–1; fore tarsal ratio 2.15–2.40 (2.27, n = 10), mid tarsal ratio 2.33–2.74 (2.55, n = 10), hind tarsal ratio 2.00– 2.17 (2.06, n = 10); claws 0.33–0.46 (0.40, n = 10) length of their respective tarsomere 5.

Abdomen. Dark brown. Terminalia ( Figure 8f ): tergite 9 with quadrate apex, apicolateral process elongate, slender; sternite 9 straight anteriorly, posterior margin with moderately convex median lobe bearing 4–5 long setae. Gonocoxite 1.71–2.50 (2.27, n = 10) times longer than basal width; gonostylus 0.58–0.66 (0.62, n = 10) length of gonocoxite. Parameres ( Figure 8g ) 0.93–1.05 (0.97, n = 10) times longer than aedeagus, fused for 0.29–0.34 (0.30, n = 10) of total length; knob bulbous; stem broad, sinuous, expanded apicolaterally; distal portion slightly curved, 0.66–0.80 (0.74, n = 10) of total length. Aedeagus subrectangular, strongly sclerotised, hyaline only on midportion, basal arch U-shaped, extending to 0.22–0.26 (0.24, n = 10) of total length; distal portion with deep mesal excavation terminating in two strong pointed, serrate processes.

Female. Similar to male with usual sexual differences; antennal ratio 0.97–1.12 (1.04, n = 8) ( Figure 3g ); palpus as in Figure 3e , palpal ratio 1.83–2.40 (2.03, n = 8); mandible with 10 teeth. Wing as in Figure 3d ; wing length 1.02–1.15 (1.09, n = 8) mm; breadth 0.40–0.47 (0.43, n = 8) mm; costal ratio 0.78–0.82 (0.80, n = 8). Fore, hind tarsomere 1 with one basal and one apical spine; midtarsomere 1 with two basal, two apical, 4–5 other ventral spines; apical spines of tarsomeres 2–4 of fore-, mid-, hind legs: 1–1–1, 2–2–1, 1–1–2; fore tarsal ratio 2.18–2.52 (2.35, n = 8), mid tarsal ratio 2.40–2.90 (2.65, n = 8), hind tarsal ratio 2.13–2.44 (2.22, n = 8); fore-, mid- leg claws 0.50–0.75 (0.63, n = 8) length of their respective tarsomeres 5; hind leg claw about 0.89–1.20 (1.07, n = 8) as long as tarsomere 5 ( Figure 3f ). Abdomen with genital sclerite elongated, tapering to rounded tip. Two subequal spermathecae ( Figure 3h ), measuring 45–55 (50, n = 7) by 40–42.5 (42, n = 5) µm and 43–50 (48, n = 7) by 35–45 (40, n = 6) µm. Third rudimentary spermatheca of nearly 7.5 µm.

Specimens examined

Holotype male adult, labeled ‘ Holotype Downeshelea costaricensis Santarém, Borkent, Spinelli and Felippe-Bauer , COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, Nosara, R. Privada Nosara, Estación , 5m, 15 June 2004, D. Briceno col, red de barrido. LN217060 352800 #77328’ ( MNCR); allotype female adult, labeled ‘ Allotype Downeshelea costaricensis Santarém, Borkent, Spinelli and Felippe-Bauer , COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, Nandayure , Manglar Jabilla. 05m. 23 June 2004, D. Briceno, M. Moraga cols, Red Noyes. LN198600 394500 #77424’ ( MNCR) . Paratypes labeled as follows: 4 males, 4 females, same data as holotype (1 male, 1 female CCER; 2 males, 2 females MNCR; 1 male, 1 female CNCI); 2 males, 4 females, same data except ‘ Río Nosara’ ( MNCR); 1 male, 5 females, same data except ‘ Red Noyes’ ( MNCR); 7 females, same data except ‘ Desembocadura Rio Nosara , Red de golpe, Y . Cardenas. ’ ( MNCR) ; 2 males, same data except ‘ 13–17 June 2004, Malaise, B . Gamboa, D. Briceno, M. Moraga, Y. Cardenas’ ( MNCR); 5 females, same data as allotype (3 MNCR, 2 CNCI); 1 female, same data except ‘ 19–24 June 2004, Malaise, Porras, Gamboa, Briceno, Moraga, Cardenas’ ( MNCR); 1 female, ‘ Guanacaste, Refugio Vida Silvestre Ostional, Playa Ostional , 5m, 13 June 2004, light trap, Gamboa, D . Briceno, M. Moraga, Y. Cardenas’ ( MNCR); 1 female, ‘ Limón, Parque Nacional Cahuita, Sector Puerto Vargas , frente a casa administrativa, 5m, 17 May- 18 June 2002, Malaise, E . Rojas’ ( MNCR); 2 males, 1 female, ‘ Puntarenas, Camaronal, Puesto MINAE, 5m, 19–24 June 2004, Malaise, Cardenas, Gamboa, Porras, Briceno, Moraga’ ( MNCR); 1 female, ‘ Puntarenas, Tarcoles , 01 July 1993, A . Borkent col .’ ( CNCI); 1 male, same data except ‘ 2 km Tivives, 24 August 1993 ’ ( CNCI); 2 males, ‘ Puntarenas, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio , 17 July 1993, A . Borkent’ ( CNCI); 1 male, 1 female, ‘ Puntarenas, Golfito, Mano bonito, mangrove, 50–100m, 22–29 April 2004, Malaise, Porras, Gamboa, Briceno, Moraga’ ( CCER) .

Distribution and bionomics

This species is restricted to Costa Rica (Guanacaste, Limón and Puntarenas provinces) ( Figure 10 ) . It has been found in coastal and mangrove areas in Costa Rica from 5 m to 100 m above sea level .

Etymology

This species is named after Costa Rica, the country from which the described specimens were collected.

Figures

Figure 3. Downeshelea costaricensis sp. nov. Male: (a) wing; (b) head, anterior view; (c) fore, mid, hind legs (left to right). Female: (d) wing; (e) palpus; (f) fore, mid, hind tarsomeres (bottom to top); (g) head, anterior view; (h) apex of female abdomen, ventral view.

Figure 8. Downeshelea multilineata (Lutz), (a) male terminalia with aedeagus; (b) parameres. Downeshelea casimirensis sp. nov. (c) male terminalia; (d) aedeagus; (e) parameres. Downeshelea costaricensis sp. nov., (f) male terminalia with aedeagus; (g) parameres. Downeshelea eclectica sp. nov., (h) male terminalia with aedeagus; (i) parameres.

Figure 10. Geographic distribution of species in the Downeshelea multilineata species group.