Lamproclasiopa balsamae (Cresson)

Costa, Daniel N. R., Mathis, Wayne N. & Marinoni, Luciane, 2016, A revision of the shore-fly genus Lamproclasiopa Hendel (Diptera, Ephydridae), ZooKeys 631, pp. 1-99 : 40-43

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Ephydridae

Lamproclasiopa balsamae (Cresson) Figs 55-58, 59

Ditrichophora balsamae Cresson 1930: 77.

Discocerina (Basila) balsamae . Cresson 1946: 149 [generic combination, review]. Wirth 1968: 7 [Neotropical catalog]. Mathis and Zatwarnicki 1995: 165 [world catalog].

Lamproclasiopa balsamae . Zatwarnicki and Mathis 2001: 39 [generic combination].

Diagnosis.

This species is easily distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: Small shore flies, body length 1.65-1.85 mm. Head: Frons bi- or tricolored, lacking iridescent microtomentum, ocellar triangle largely and fronto-orbits whitish tan to tan, ocellar triangle with anteromedial, narrow, slightly oval darkened area, triangle broadly extended to anterior margin, parafrons grayish charcoal. Antenna largely yellow, only dorsum of basal flagellomere slightly darkened. Face narrowed at midheight, mostly unicolorous, whitish gray to blackish gray except for mediovertical brown vitta; parafacial creamy white. Gena relatively short, gena-to-eye ratio 0.10. Thorax: Mesonotum with 7 brown vittae, including a medial vitta along acrostichal area (Fig. 57); presutural supra-alar seta well developed. Wing conspicuously patterned with distinct brown spots (Fig. 58); vein R2+3 distinctly angulate subapically, apices angled toward costa; at vertex of angle also bearing a stump vein, another stump vein near middle; costal vein ratio 0.67-0.68; M vein ratio 0.66-0.71. Femora brownish black; forefemur with 4-5 stout, peg-like setae on apical third along posteroventral margin; tibiae largely brownish black, apices yellow; tarsi yellow.

Type material.

The holotype female of Ditrichophora balsamae Cresson is labeled "Puerto Castilla B. F. Hond. 6-V-26. R. H. Painter, Co ["B. F." handwritten /TYPE No. 6365 Ditrichophora BALSAMAE E T Cresson, Jr. [red; "6365 Ditrichophora BALSAMAE" handwritten]/1182." The holotype is double mounted (minuten pin in a block of fine foam), is in excellent condition, and is deposited in the ANSP (6365).

Type locality.

Honduras. Colón: Puerto Castilla (16°0.5'N, 85°57.7'W).

Other specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Gavea (22°58.6'S, 43°13.7'W), Mar 1929, H. Souza Lopes (6♀; IOC).

COSTA RICA. San José: Pedregoso (9° 22.45'N, 83° 43.2'W), D. L. Rounds (1♀; USNM).

EL SALVADOR. La Liberdad: Santa Tecla (12 km NW; 13°45.1'N, 89°22.1'W), Oct 1953, W. B. Heed (1♀; USNM).

Distribution

(Fig. 59). Neotropical: Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Costa Rica (San José), El Salvador (La Liberdad), Honduras ( Colón).

Remarks.

Although very similar and apparently closely related to Lamproclasiopa painteri , this species is distinguished from congeners by the number and entirety of the mesonotal stripes. There are seven longitudinal vittae, including a medial vitta in the acrostichal area.

A male of this species is unavailable, and thus, our diagnosis is incomplete for structures of the male terminalia.