Agrophaspidium flavimana Wheeler and Mlynarek

Wheeler, Terry A. & Mlynarek, Julia J., 2008, Systematics of Agrophaspidium, a new genus of Neotropical Chloropidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 1926, pp. 41-52 : 43

Agrophaspidium flavimana Wheeler and Mlynarek , sp. n.

( Figs. 1, 3 , 5–10 )

Description: Total length 1.7–2.0mm. Frons yellow anteriorly, dark brown posteriorly; frontal triangle in male almost reaching anterior margin of frons ( Fig. 6 ), shining except for anterior apex; frontal triangle in female reaching anterior margin of frons, entirely shining; ocellar tubercle black, shining; 5 distinct, strong fronto-orbital setae ( Figs. 5–6 ); 3–4 long interfrontal setulae anterior or anterolateral to frontal triangle, strongest pair at anterior margin of frons; ocellar bristles shorter than postocellars or verticals; inner vertical bristle stout, proclinate; outer vertical bristle longer and stronger than inner verticals or postocellars; eye large, bare; genal height 0.08–0.1 times eye height; vibrissa twice as long as genal setae; postgena brown, sparsely pollinose; occiput brown, sparsely pollinose; face pale, densely pollinose; antenna pedicel small, darker than first flagellomere; first flagellomere yellow, darker at insertion of arista; arista slender, black; proboscis brown, pollinose, palpus brown.

Scutum brown, shining; postpronotum brown, sparsely pollinose, 1 postpronotal bristle stronger than others; scutellum mostly yellow, brown anteriorly near junction with scutum; scutellar projections distinct but short, yellow ( Fig. 3 ); scutellar bristles strong, dark, twice as long as scutellar projections, other setulae sparse, pale; thoracic pleurites brown, mostly shining. Legs yellow except for dark brown band around middle of all femora and tibiae and distal three tarsomeres dark brown. Wing: ratio of second to third costal sectors 1.2–1.3:1; halter yellow. Abdomen brown, subshining.

Male postabdomen: epandrium expanded ( Fig. 8 ); wider than dorsal pregenital sclerite; surstylus with short, triangular outer lobe and quadrate inner lobe bearing patches of dense setulae ( Figs. 9–10 ); hypandrium subquadrate, as long as high; cercus elongate, straight, clavate in lateral view ( Fig. 8 ), triangular in posterior view, extending ventrally almost to ventral apex of surstylus ( Fig. 10 ).

Type material: Holotype ɗ: COSTA RICA: Heredia, La Selva Biological Station (10°26’N 84°01’W), sweep STR trail, 09.ii.2003, S.E. Brooks (LEM). Paratypes: COSTA RICA: La Suiza de Turrialba, July, P. Schild (1ɗ, USNM), Higuito, San Mateo, P. Schild (1Ψ, USNM).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin flavus (yellow) and manus (hand), referring to the colour of the scutellum.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1. Agrophaspidium flavimana, wing. 2. Agrophaspidium monticola, scutellum. 3. Agrophaspidium flavimana, scutellum. 4. Agrophaspidium pollinosum, scutellum.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Agrophaspidium flavimana. 5. male head, lateral. 6. male head, dorsal. 7. male abdomen, lateral. 8. male genitalia, lateral. 9. male genitalia, ventrolateral. 10. male genitalia, posterior. Abbreviations: cer—cercus; epdepandrium; i sur — inner surstylar lobe; o sur—outer surstylar lobe. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.