Hoplocheiloma dominica, Marshall, 2011

Marshall, S. A., 2011, A review of the genus Hoplocheiloma Cresson (Diptera: Micropezidae), Zootaxa 2806 (1), pp. 1-23 : 3-5

Hoplocheiloma dominica new species

Figs. 1–4

Body length 5–10mm. Wing length 4–5mm. General colour: Head and most of thorax orange, upper half of katepisternum and posterior margin of anepisternum with large silvery-grey patches ( Fig. 3 ), proepisternum with a transverse black band just above the long, golden ventral proepisternal setae.

Head: Frons uniformly orange, frontal vitta broad, dull (microsetulose) and tapered anteriorly; orbital strips subshining; two small frontal setae, a larger orbital and large inner vertical and outer vertical setae. Ocellar triangle black. Clypeus pale yellow-orange laterally, middle part orange with two stout setae and a few small setulae, posterolateral portions of clypeus densely covered with fine white setulae. Lunule with a few scattered black setulae, face weakly sclerotized and pale, densely microsetulose. Palpus well developed, about 0.8 times as long as clypeus in lateral view, almost parallel-sided, slightly expanded apically, with only small setae.

Thorax: Both sexes with a uniform row of minute acrostichal and dorsocentral setulae, anterior dorsocentral setulae of male slightly enlarged, those of female not enlarged or thickened. One large prescutellar dorsocentral seta only. Notopleuron with a single large posterior seta and a smaller anterior seta (absent on one male paratype).Vertical rows of katepisternal setae golden, ventral apex of katepisternum with two long thick setae and one long thin seta.

Legs: Fore coxa densely covered with white microsetulae on anterior surface, bare and reddish brown on most of posterior surface. Fore femur brown with broad basal and preapical yellow bands. Fore tibia black, tarsomere one of foreleg white, other fore tarsomeres black; mid and hind femora mostly orange-brown with a narrow distal dark band, mid and hind tibiae black, basal two thirds of first tarsomere of mid and hind legs white, tarsomeres otherwise black ( Fig. 1 ).

Wing with a distinct circular discal spot (the incomplete discal band), a smaller preapical band crossing R 4+5, and a small indistinct basal spot; otherwise clear ( Fig. 4 ). R 2+3 ending as far beyond plane of dm-cu as length of dmcu ( Fig. 1 ).

Abdomen: Tergite one brown, other tergites black, tergites 1 and 2 fused but delineated by a band of silvery microsetulae. Tergite 1 with long pale lateral and dorsolateral setae, other tergites with small black setulae only.

Female abdomen: Pleuron darkly pigmented on dorsal half only ( Fig. 3 ). Tergite 7 with a prominent central pale area. Oviscape shining except for basal silvery white densely microsetulose area that is penetrated by a dorsomedial shining strip. Paired spermathecae mushroom-shaped with a long, convoluted broad stem; single spermatheca elongate-cylindrical with a short, narrow neck; duct of single spermatheca slightly shorter than duct of pair ( Fig. 2 ).

Male abdomen: Pleuron with dark areas of segment 5 extending continuously to genital fork; segment 2 with a small but prominent circular bulge (pleural sac) adjacent to edge of tergite ( Fig. 1 ). Epandrium yellow, contrasting with black pregenital segments. Genital fork long and narrow, arms converging distally with entire inner surface covered with short, stout spines; basal part of fork medially carinate, carina continuous with trough between fused basal halves of arms. Internal genitalia not observed.

Type material. HOLOTYPE and one paratype: DOMINICA: Parish of St. Peter , 1km N Colihaut, Ray Anse Liane, Malaise trap in dry deciduous forest, 100m, 16/17.2004, M.E. Erwin, M.B. Shepard, E. Benson, G. Carner, 15 º 50’ N, 61 º 28.3’ W (♂, USNM). OTHER PARATYPES: DOMINICA: Parish of St. John , Cabrits National Park , Malaise trap in dry deciduous forest wash, 50m, 19–20.iii.2003, M.E. Erwin, M.B. Shepard, 15 º 29.5’ N, 61 º 27.7’ W (♂, USNM); Parish of St. Mark, 4km N Soufriere, Malaise trap in dry wash of deciduous forest, 75m, 7– 19.iii.2003, M.E. Erwin, M.B. Shepard, E. Benson, G. Carner. 15º 14.3’ N, 61º 22’ W (♀, USNM); Clarke Hall, 24.iii., 27.ii, 25.ii.1964, Dale F. Bray (2 ♀, 1 ♂, MTEC) .

Comments. The wing pigmentation and restricted distribution of this species render it easily identified. Because this species is so distinctive, and because it is known only from so few specimens, no males were dissected and the internal male genitalia are not illustrated. Hoplocheiloma dominica is probably closely related to H. rhytisma from Montserrat, a slightly larger species with a more extensive discal wing spot.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Hoplocheiloma dominica new species. 1, male habitus, left lateral; 2, spermathecae and associated structures; 3, female thorax and abdomen, right lateral; 4, male, wing pigmentation.