Mesorhaga sarukhani Bickel

Bickel, Daniel J., 2007, The Mesoamerican Mesorhaga (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a taxonomic conspectus of the New World fauna, Zootaxa 1411, pp. 47-67 : 55-57

Mesorhaga sarukhani Bickel ( Fig. 1 e)

Type material. Holotype, ɗ, Paratypes 28 ɗ, 27 Ψ, COSTA RICA: PUNTARENAS: Monteverde, 1500 m, 25– 30.viii.1992, pan traps, D. M. Wood (Holotype, 3 ɗ, 3Ψ paratypes, INBIO; remaining material CNC).

Additional material: COSTA RICA: 3 ɗ, 8 Ψ, PUNTARENAS: Monteverde, 1500 m, 20–24.vi.1986, W. Hanson & G. Bohart ( EMUS).

Description. Male: body length: 4.1–4.2 mm; wing: 4.3 x 1.6 mm.

Head: 6 strong postvertical setae present, 3 in line with postoculars, with 3 long setae anteriad; strong proclinate vertical present on lateral frons; vertex, frons, face, and clypeus dark metallic blue-green, with orientated silvery pruinosity, clypeus narrowed distally; palp dark brown with strong apical seta; proboscis brown; antenna black; pedicel with long ventral seta, about half length of arista; ventral postcranium with abundant white setae.

Thorax: metallic green with bronze reflections; setae black; pleura with some grey pruinosity; 6–7 ac setae present, with irregular pairing, almost uniseriate; lateral scutellar setae almost two thirds as median setae.

Legs: all coxae, basal three-quarters of FI and FII, and all FIII dark brown; distal quarter of FI and FII, all tibiae and basitarsi I and II, yellow; distal tarsomeres I and II and all tarsus III dark brown; CI and CII with black anterolateral setae; CIII with strong, black lateral seta and some shorter setae. I: 5.0; 4.8; 2.8/ 1.2/ 0.8/ 0.7/ 0.6; FI with av and pv pale setae on basal three-quarters, distally bare; TI with short ventral near 1/2 and weak dorsal near 3/5, sometimes with weak pd seta near 1/ 5. II: 6.0; 6.3; 4.0/ 1.7/ 1.3/ 0.7/ 0.5; FII with rows of av and pv setae, white in basal four-fifths, black in distal fifth; TII with ad setae at 1/6, 1/2 and apically, pd setae at 1/5, 2/3, and apically, ventral setae at 1/4, 3/5, and apically. III: 6.5; 7.6; 2.6/ 2.3/ 1.2/ 0.8/ 0.6; FII with av and pv setae, white in basal three-quarters, black in distal quarter; TIII with apical ventral seta. Wing: with faint brown tint; vein M with gentle, right-angle curve at 1/3 between dm-cu crossvein and wing apex; CuAx ratio: 1.2; lower calypter yellow, with black rim, and fan of black setae; halter yellow, with club infuscated.

Abdomen: terga metallic blue-green, with bronze reflections and matt brown areas with metallic reflections at tergal overlap between segments 2–6; tergum 1 with black marginal setae; segments 6, 7 and hypopygium dark brown; hypopygium ( Fig.1 e); phallus and hypandrium elongate and narrow, with phallus extending only slightly beyond the hypandrial apex; epandrial lobe ovate, with setae at 2/5 and 3/4; surstylus with 3 arms and setae as figured; cercus only slightly curved and tapering, with some strong, dark, lateral setae basally, with longer setae on ventral surface.

Female: similar to male except: wing: 3.5 x 1.3; ocellar tubercle not so prominent; with only 3 strong postvertical setae in line with postocular setae; ventral seta on pedicel about one third length of arista.

Remarks. Mesorhaga sarukhani is known only from collections made around 1,500 m in forests at Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Mesorhaga sarukhani is named in honor of Dr. José Sarukhán, for his outstanding work as a tropical ecologist, academic administrator, promoter of conservation in Mexico, supporter of INBio’s development, and participant in the creation of the National Commission for the Understanding and Use of Biodiversity in Mexico.

Mesorhaga hule n. sp. ( Fig. 1 g)

Type material. Holotype ɗ, paratype #m, COSTA RICA: ALAJUELA: R.V.S. Bosque alegre, Laguna Hulé , 700–800 m, 28.iii.2004, red de golpe, W. Porras (Holotype, INB0003926226; paratype, INB0003926297, INBIO).

Description. Male: body length: 4.9 mm; wing: 4.4 x 1.4 mm.

Head: 3 strong postvertical setae present as continuation of postocular row; strong proclinate vertical present on lateral frons; vertex, frons, face, and clypeus dark metallic blue-green, and with orientated silvery pruinosity; clypeus narrowed distally and adjacent to margins of eyes; palp dark brown with black apical seta; proboscis dark brown; antenna black; arista dorsal, about as long as head height; ventral postcranium with abundant white setae.

Thorax: metallic green with bronze reflections; setae black; pleura with some grey pruinosity; 3 pairs long ac present, with shorter, paired setulae anteriad; lateral scutellar setae about three quarters as long as median setae.

Legs: all coxae, trochanters, most of FI and FII, and all of FIII dark brown; femoral “knees”, tibiae, and basitarsi I and II yellowish; distal tarsomeres I and II dark brown; tibia and tarsus III brown; CI and CII with black anterolateral setae; CIII with strong, black lateral seta and some shorter setae; I: 5.0; 5.3; 3.6/ 1.5/ 1.1/ 0.6/ 0.6; FI with short av and pv setae, white in basal third, black on distal two thirds; TI with pd row of longer than normal brownish setae, with 4 -5 slightly longer black setae spaced among them. II: 6.0; 6.2; 3.9/ 1.6/ 1.2/ 0.4/ 0.4; FII with long av and pv setae, white in basal third, black on distal two thirds; TII with ad – pd setal pair near 1/3, ad at 3/5, pd at 1/2, and with ad, av and pv apical setae. III: 6.5; 7.5; 3.0/ 2.2/ 1.5/ 0.7/ 0.5. FIII with av and pv setae, white in basal half, black on distal half.

Wing: with faint smoky color; vein M with gentle right-angle bend at 2/5 between dm-cu crossvein and wing apex, and with short external stub vein at bend; distal CuA1 slightly curved towards wing apex; CuAx ratio: 0.9; lower calypter dark brown with black rim, and fan of black setae; halter brownish.

Abdomen: terga metallic blue-green, with matt brown band near tergal overlap; vestiture black, short, dark setae dorsally, and longer laterally; sternum 8 with long black setae; hypopygium ( Fig. 1 g) black; phallus and hypandrium elongate and narrow, and phallus with subapical serrations; epandrial lobe broadly ovate, with strong setae at 1/2 and 3/4; cercus with strong lateral seta near bend, and apically expanded with some strong setae on inner margin.

Female: unknown.

Remarks. Mesorhaga hule is known from 700 – 800 m elevation in Alejuela province, Costa Rica. The wing has a faint smoky tint, and in this species can be recognized by a number of diagnostic non-gentialic characters, noted in the key. The specific epithet hule is from “ Hulé ”, a place name of indigenous origin and should be regarded as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mesorhaga lacrymans Parent: a. hypopygium, left lateral. b. male distal tarsus I, dorsal. c. male wing, dorsal. M. cocori n. sp.: d. hypopygium, left lateral. M. sarukhani n. sp.: e. hypopygium, left lateral. M. funebris Parent: f. hypopygium, left lateral. M. hule n. sp.: g. hypopygium, left lateral.