Tapantia bicasa, Brown, Brian V. & Kung, Giar-Ann, 2004

Brown, Brian V. & Kung, Giar-Ann, 2004, Two new genera of Phoridae (Insecta: Diptera) from the Neotropical Region, Zootaxa 554, pp. 1-7 : 3-4

Tapantia bicasa new species

Figs. 1–4 .

Description. Body length 2.2 mm. Wing length 2.4 mm. Frons ( Fig. 1 ) subequal in height and width, dark brown, with 12 large, relatively long (especially postocellar) setae. Homology of setae on ventral half of frons unknown; either 1) supra­antennal setae absent and their place occupied by ventral interfrontal setae, with ventral fronto­orbital setae displaced away from eye margin near midline, or 2) ventral fronto­orbital setae absent and one pair of divergent, dorsally­directed supra­antennal setae present. Flagellomere 1 dark brown, oval, slightly pointed apically, arista subapical. Palpus dark brown, with numerous setae and prominent white sensilla. Proboscis yellow, slightly elongate. Thorax dark brown; scutal setae elongate. Notopleural cleft absent. Scutellum triangular, with short outer pair and long inner pair of setae. Anepisternum without furrows, bare; spiracle large. All legs elongate, yellow­brown, except apex of hind femora gradually darkened. Tibiae without dorsal, longitudinal setal palisades. Foretibia with 1 long anterodorsal seta slightly basal to midlength. Midtibia with basal pair of longer anterodorsal and shorter posterodorsal setae and one anterior seta near apex that is slightly longer than width of tibia at its insertion; midtibia also with three dorsal, transverse combs of setae (ctenidia) on apical one­third, although they are not as heavily sclerotized as in other phorids possessing such ctenidia (e. g. Hypocera Lioy , some Chaetopleurophora Schmitz ); apical to ctenidia is small, dorsal, bare area. Hind tibia with long anterodorsal seta at basal one­third and small anterior seta near apex. Inner face of hind femur unmodified. Wing ( Fig. 2 ) with short costal setae. Wing vein R2+3 absent, although dark pigment present in its usual place. Base of Rs with one seta. Halter dark brown. Abdominal tergites dark brown. Venter of abdomen gray, setose. Male terminalia ( Fig. 3–4 ) dark brown, with epandrial ring at base of cerci; epandrium otherwise continuous below cerci. Left lobe of hypandrium with large, curved excision ( Fig. 3 ). Right side of epandrium with large posterior seta ( Fig. 4 ). Cerci relatively long; hypoproct broad in ventral view; both cerci and hypoproct dark brown.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype. ɗ, COSTA RICA: Cartago: Tapanti, 9.78°N, 83.78°W, 17–20.vii.2000, S. Ashe, R. Brooks, FIT #192, 1200m [barcode label: LACM ENT 072941]. Deposited in Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

2

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Tapantia bicasa new species. 1. Head. 2. Wing. 3. Male terminalia, left side. 4. Male terminalia, right side.