Dasyhelea waughi, 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 : 228-231

Dasyhelea waughi new species

( Figs. 15–16 )

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the leptobranchia group with males having an elongate triangular distal portion of sternite 9 with a truncate apex and an H-shaped aedeagus. Females with a uniformly dark brown halter, a triangular disjunct anterior portion of the subgenital plate and a small ovoid spermatheca with a short, stout neck.

Male. Head ( Fig. 15A ). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the length of 3–4 ommatidia. Antennal flagellum with flagellomeres 2–9 rhomboid, 10–13 elongate, 11 longest; flagellomeres 2–10 with whorl of long sensilla chaetica comprising the dense plume that extends to midportion of flagellomere 13; antennal ratio 1.11. Palpus moderately short; segment 3 short with scattered captitate sensilla on anteromesal surface; palpal ratio not obtainable due to flattened, distorted segment 3. Thorax. Dark brown. Scutellum with 6 large setae. Prothoracic tarsal ratio 2.28, mesothoracic tarsal ratio 2.33, metathoracic tarsal ratio 2.33. Wing ( Fig. 15B ) moderately slender; membrane hyaline with sparse macrotrichia, devoid of macrotrichia below wing base and base of r-m crossvein; 2nd radial short with narrow lumen; apex of costa, radius perpendicular to wing margin; fork of CuA1 just beyond level of apex of costa, radius; anal lobe moderately well developed; wing length 0.74 mm, width 0.26 mm; costal ratio 0.50. Abdomen very dark brown. Genitalia ( Figs. 15C , 16 A). Tergite 9 tapering abruptly distally, apex moderately narrow, rounded, extending 2/3 length of gonocoxites; apicolateral process slender, with large apical seta; cercus conspicuous, slender, located at base of apicolateral process with 4 moderately long setae. Sternite 9 ( Figs. 15C , 16 B) 0.45 length of greatest width; distal portion elongate, triangular, tip truncate, folded ventrally; posterolateral margins irregular. Gonocoxite straight, 1.80 x longer than broad, broadest at mid-length; gonostylus 0.88 length of gonocoxite, proximal half broad, pilose, tapered distally, distal half slender, smooth, curved, apex narrowed, tip pointed. Gonocoxal apodemes and paramere ( Figs. 15C , 16 C) forming an asymmetrical structure; proximal portions of apodemes broad, extreme bases recurved 60º; distal portions more slender with mesal rounded tubercle; right apodeme barely contacting pointed base of paramere; left apodeme broadly contacting paramere; proximal 2/3 of paramere moderately broad at mid-length, extreme base slender, slightly recurved, distal 1/3 bent sharply ventrolaterad, tapered distally, more or less leaf–shaped, tip pointed. Aedeagus ( Figs. 15C , 16 D) heavily sclerotized, H-shaped, 0.80 length of greatest width; basal arch broadly concave, extending to 0.40 of total aedeagus length; basal arms slightly divergent; distal margin with several small median teeth; posterolateral arms stout, slightly curved, apices mesally directed, tips rounded.

Female. Head ( Fig. 15D ). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 3 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite ( Fig. 15E ) elongate, ellipsoid with lower marginal ear-like lobes. Antennal flagellum dark brown; flagellomeres 2–8 vasiform, progressively increasing in length, 9–12 more elongate vasiform, 13 longest, with slender tapered apex; antennal ratio 0.86. Clypeus ( Fig. 15F ) with 5 pairs of setae. Palpus ( Fig. 15G ) dark brown; segment 3 slender, moderately long with 5–6 capitate sensillae on basal half of mesal surface; palpal ratio 4.00. Thorax. Uniformly dark brown. Scutellum with 6 large setae. Femora, tibiae dark brown, tarsomeres 1–4 slightly paler, tarsomeres 5 infuscated; hind tibial comb with 6 spines; prothoracic tarsal ratio 2.13, mesothoracic tarsal ratio 2.43, metathoracic tarsal ratio 2.07. Wing ( Fig. 15H ) moderately broad; membrane infuscated, covered with dense macrotrichia; 2nd radial cell reduced to short suture; fork of CuA1 just beyond level of apex of costa, radius; anal lobe moderately well developed; wing length 0.86 mm, width 0.38 mm; costa short, costal ratio 0.39. Halter uniformly dark brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 15I ). Dark brown. Subgenital plate disjunct; anterior portion triangular; posterior portion somewhat rectangular with deep posterior arch; posterolateral arms slender, slightly curved. Spermatheca heavily sclerotized, slightly ovoid, length/width 46 x 40 µm, neck short, moderately broad, length 6 µm.

Distribution. Guadeloupe.

Type material. Holotype male, allotype female labeled “ Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, NE Pigeon, 16.14404º N, 61.74977º W, 23-V-2012, RH Turnbow, Backlight trap ” (deposited in FSCA) .

Derivation of specific epithet. This new species is dedicated to William T. Waugh, who shared an office with the senior author during graduate school at the University of Maryland, and in recognition of his important contributions to the taxonomy of Dasyhelea in North America (Waugh & Wirth 1976) and the Neotropics (Wirth & Waugh 1976).

Discussion. Characters for distinguishing D. waughi n. sp. from D. juanae n. sp. are provided in the discussion section of the latter species. Dasyhelea waughi is also similar to D. messersmithi by its distal 1/3 of the paramere which is folded ventrolaterad and leaf-shaped, the single posterolateral arms of the aedeagus and the ovoid spermatheca with a straight neck. However, males of D. messersmithi differ from the holotype male of D. waughi by their convex sternite 9 and straight gonostylus. Whereas females of D. messersmithi differ from the allotype female of D. waughi by their yellow scutellum and the club-shaped anterior portion of their subgenital plate.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Dasyhelea waughi n. sp. Holotype male. A. genitalia. B. sternite 9. C. gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. D. aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.

FIGURE 15. A – I. Dasyhelea waughi n. sp. Holotype male, A – C, Allotype female, D – I. A, D. head. B, H. wing. C. genitalia. E. frontal sclerite. F. clypeus. G. palpus. I. subgenital plate and spermatheca.