Dasyhelea turnbowi, Grogan, Willliam L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2016

Grogan, Willliam L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2016, The biting and predaceous midges of Guadeloupe (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). II. Species of the subfamily Dasyheleinae, Zootaxa 4184 (2), pp. 201-254 : 249-252

Dasyhelea turnbowi new species

( Figs. 29–30 )

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of Dasyhelea with the following combination of characters: Male with a heart-shaped apex of posteromedian projection of sternite 9 and an aedeagus with a hyaline membrane extending from the distal mesal protuberance of the basal arch to the tips of the posterolateral arms. Female with chaliceshaped subgenital plate and a very small spherical spermatheca with a moderately long, curved, oblique neck.

Male. Head ( Fig. 29 A). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 5–6 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite broad, elliptical, apparently without lower marginal ear-like lobes. Antennal flagellum with flagellomeres 2–9 rhomboid, 10–13 elongate, 10–11 longest, 12 slightly shorter than 10–11, 13 slightly shorter than 12, slightly broader than 10–12 with tapered slender apex. Clypeus ( Fig. 29 B) with 5 pairs of setae; ventral margin with small, narrow posterior notch. Palpus ( Fig. 29 C) light brown, moderately long; segment 3 as long as 4+5 combined with scattered capitate sensilla on basomesal surface; palpal ratio 2.90. Thorax. Dark brown. Scutellum paler with 9 large, 6 smaller setae. Wing ( Fig. 29 D) slender; membrane infuscated, covered with moderately dense macrotrichia; 2nd radial cell long, with very narrow lumen; apex of costa, radius at slight oblique angle with wing margin; fork of CuA1 just anterior of level of mid-portion of 2nd radial cell; anal lobe slightly developed; wing length 1.20 mm, width 0.38 mm; costal ratio 0.51. Abdomen. Dark brown. Genitalia ( Figs. 29 E, 30A). Tergite 9 tapering progressively distally, with broad, rounded apex that extends to apices of gonocoxites; apicolateral process cylindrical, moderately slender with long stout apical seta; cercus near outer base

of apicolateral process, reduced to a closely approximated group of 4 cylindrical lobes with apical setae. Sternite 9 ( Figs. 29 E, 30B) 0.60 length of greatest width, anterior margin rounded; posterior portion with nearly straight posterolateral margins, distal portion sub-triangular with stout, heart-shaped posteromedian projection, tip pointed. Gonocoxite short, stout, 1.40 x longer than broad with short, pointed mesobasal process, distal 2/3 of medial margin with scattered long setae; gonostylus 1.10 x longer than gonocoxite, slender, nearly straight with narrow recurved apex and pointed tip. Gonocoxal apodemes and paramere ( Fig. 30 C) forming a symmetrical structure; gonocoxal apodemes broad proximally, bases greatly recurved, with slender distal portions that are narrowly fused to lateral bases of paramere; paramere short, quadrate, lightly sclerotized with truncate tip. Aedeagus ( Figs. 29 E, 30D) heavily sclerotized, 0.50 length of greatest width; basal arch extending 0.20 of total aedeagus length, anterior margin concave, distal margin convex with short, blunt, mesal protuberance; basal arm broad, apex recurved 75º, tip broadly pointed; posterolateral arms moderately long, apices slightly curved with blunt, ventrally recurved tip; a hyaline membrane extends from tips of posterolateral arms to distomesal protuberance of basal arch.

Female. Head ( Fig. 29 F). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 5 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite ( Fig. 29 G) elliptical, with lower marginal ear-like lobes (barely visible in photograph of allotype). Antennal flagellum dark brown; flagellomeres 2–8 longer than broad, vasiform, 9–12 elongate, vasiform, 13 elongate, slightly broader than 9–12 with greatly tapered apex; antennal ratio 0.89 (n=2). Clypeus ( Fig. 29 G) with 4 pairs of setae. Palpus ( Fig. 29 H) pale brown, slender, moderately long; segment 3 slender, as long as 4+5 combined with 3–4 capitate sensillae on proximal half of mesal surface; palpal ratio 3.00–3.70 (3.35, n=2). Thorax ( Fig. 29 I). Brown. Scutum darker mesally; scutellum pale brown with 8 large, 3 smaller setae. Femora, tibiae pale brown, femorotibial joints dark; tarsomeres 5 infuscated; hind tibial comb with 6 spines; prothoracic tarsal ratio 2.07–2.25 (2.16, n=2), mesothoracic tarsal ratio 2.06–2.25 (2.15, n=2), metathoracic tarsal ratio 2.05–2.11 (2.08, n=2). Wing ( Fig. 29 J) moderately broad; membrane hyaline with dense macrotrichia; 2nd radial cell elongate, reduced to a suture; fork of CuA1 at level just anterior to base of 2nd radial cell; anal lobe well developed; wing length 1.02–1.06 (1.04, n=2) mm, width 0.40–0.42 (0.41 n =2) mm; costal ratio 0.53–0.55 (0.54, n=2). Halter uniformly pale brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 29 K). Dark brown. Subgenital plate chalice-shaped, posterolateral arms stout, slightly curved. Spermatheca very small, spherical, heavily sclerotized, diameter 42 µm, neck moderately long, curved, oblique, length 12 µm.

Distribution. Guadeloupe.

Type material. Holotype male labeled “ Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, NE Pigeon, (16.14404º N, 61.74977º W), 23-V-2012, RH Turnbow, Blacklight trap ” ; allotype female, 1 paratype female, same data as holotype except 18-V- 2012 (holotype, allotype deposited in FSCA; paratype female deposited in MLPA) .

Derivation of specific epithet. We are pleased to name this unusual new species after the collector, Robert H. Turnbow, in recognition of his important contributions to Coleoptera in the Caribbean Region.

Discussion. The holotype male of this new species is very similar to males of D. meloae Díaz & Spinelli, in Díaz et al. (2014) and D. pailemanensis Díaz & Spinelli, in Díaz et al. (2014) from the steppes of Patagonia, by their rounded genitalia, the inner distal margin of gonocoxites with a patch of long, slender setae and symmetrical gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. However, males of D. meloae differ from the holotype male of this new species by their sternite 9 which has a very shallow caudomedian excavation, the gonocoxite has a heavily sclerotized, small anteromesal process that is doubly recurved, and broad, thin, doubly recurved parameres with a very short, slender posterior process. The holotype male of D. pailemanensis differs from this new species by its sternite 9 with a convex caudal margin, much thinner parameres with broadly rounded bases and a much shorter, slender posterior apex, and by the longer, mesally curved posterolateral arms of its aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURE 29. Dasyhelea turnbowi n. sp. Holotype male, A – E, Allotype female, F – K. A, F. head. B, G. frontal sclerite and clypeus. C, H. palpus. D, J. wing. E. genitalia. I. thorax. K. subgenital plate and spermatheca.

FIGURE 30. Dasyhelea turnbowi n. sp. Holotype male. A. genitalia. B. sternite 9. C. gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. D. aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.