Agrophaspidium minutum 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 : 45-46

Agrophaspidium minutum Wheeler and Mlynarek , sp. n.

( Figs. 11–13 )

Description (male only): Total length 1.5–1.6mm. Frons brown, yellow at anterior margin; frontal triangle almost reaching anterior margin of frons, shining except for anterior apex; ocellar tubercle brown, shining; 8– 9 short fronto-orbital setae; 5 interfrontal setae, strongest pair at anterior margin of frons; ocellar bristles short, convergent; postocellar bristles strong, black, short; inner vertical bristle proclinate, dark; outer vertical bristle strong, black, similar to postocellar bristle; eye bare; genal height 0.09–0.11 times eye height; vibrissa stronger than genal setae; postgena narrow, brown; occiput brown, pollinose; face pale, pollinose; antenna pedicel yellow; first flagellomere yellow; arista brown, short pubescent; proboscis slender, yellow; palpus yellow.

Scutum mostly shining; postpronotum brown, with 1 long postpronotal setae; scutellum dark, marginal projections well-developed, pollinose; apical tubercles 0.2 times length of scutellum; sub-apical tubercles same size as apical tubercles; apical scutellar bristles 1.4 times length of tubercles, scutellar setulae pale; thoracic pleurites shining. Legs yellow except for wide brown band around middle of all femora and tibiae. Wing: ratio of second to third costal sectors 1.9–2.0:1; halter yellow with darker base. Abdomen brown.

Male postabdomen: epandrium small ( Fig. 11 ); surstylus as large as epandrium, outer lobe slightly branched apically ( Fig. 12 ), inner lobe absent; cercus simple, quadrate in lateral view ( Fig. 12 ), narrow, triangular in posterior view ( Fig. 13 ); phallus slender, blunt ended.

Type material: Holotype ɗ: PANAMA: Canal Zone, E shore Gatun Lake, near Colón, 2–14.vii.1979, humid forest, Tree 2, E.C. Broadhead, canopy fogging (USNM). Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Higuito, San Mateo, P. Schild (2ɗ, USNM); PANAMA: Canal Zone, E shore Gatun Lake, near Colón, 2–14.vii.1979, humid forest, Tree 4, E.C. Broadhead, canopy fogging (1ɗ, USNM); Canal Zone, E shore Gatun Lake, near Colón, 2–14.vii.1979, humid forest, Tree 7, E.C. Broadhead, canopy fogging (2ɗ, USNM).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin minutus (small), referring to the small male genitalia in this species.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 13. Agrophaspidium minutum. 11. male abdomen, lateral. 12. male genitalia, lateral. 13. male genitalia, posterior. Abbreviations: cer — cercus; ph— phallus; sur—surstylus. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.