Dasyhelea juanae, 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 : 223

Dasyhelea juanae new species

( Figs. 11–12 )

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the leptobranchia group with males having the aedeagal posterolateral arms elongate, very slender, with slightly convergent apices. Females with large globular spermatheca with long, slender neck; and a divided subgenital plate, with club-shaped anterior portion, posterior portion with anteromedian ovoid section with lumen, and slender, recurved basal arms.

Male. Head ( Fig. 11 A). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 4–5 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite elliptical with 2 small lower marginal ear-like lobes. Antennal flagellum brown with flagellomeres 2–9 rhomboid, 10–13 elongate, 10–12 slightly longer than 13; antennal ratio 0.77–0.92 (0.82, n=5). Palpus ( Fig. 11 B) moderately long; segment 3 slender, slightly longer than 4+5 combined with scattered capitate sensilla; palpal ratio 3.37–4.85 (4.08, n=4). Thorax. Dark brown. Scutellum with 5 large setae. Wing ( Fig. 11 C) slender; membrane hyaline with moderately dense macrotrichia; apex of costa, radius perpendicular to wing margin; fork of CuA1 just beyond level of apex of costa, radius; wing length 0.86–0.90 (0.88, n=3) mm, width 0.23–0.30 (0.27, n=3) mm; costal ratio 0.41–0.43(0.42, n=3) mm. Abdomen. Dark brown. Genitalia ( Figs. 11 D, 12A). Tergite 9 tapering progressively distally, extending to apices of gonocoxites (in holotype, appearing produced beyond apices of gonocoxites due to compression during slide-mounting); apex narrow, rounded; apicolateral process elongate, slender, cylindrical, apices greatly divergent, tips with moderately long seta; cercus small, narrow, conspicuous, located below bases of apicolateral processes with 2 elongate, 2 short thin setae. Sternite 9 ( Figs. 11 D, 12B) 0.60 length of greatest width; tapering abruptly distally, posterior margin slightly convex, extending distally to basal arch of aedeagus. Gonocoxite straight, twice as long as broad; gonostylus 0.84 length of gonocoxite, nearly straight, with short, slender “elbow”, apex tapered, tip pointed. Gonocoxal apodemes and paramere ( Figs. 11 D, 12C) forming an asymmetrical structure; gonocoxal apodemes slender, basal portions recurved; distal portion of right apodeme nearly straight, broadly contacting paramere; distal portion of left apodeme slightly sinuous, apex slender, tip sharply pointed, narrowly contacting paramere. Aedeagus ( Figs. 11 D, 12D) heavily sclerotized, 0.90 length of greatest width; basal arch slender, slightly concave, extending 0.10 of total length; basal arm with truncate, slightly recurved apex; posterolateral arms slender, elongate, apices slightly convergent, with slender, pointed tips.

Female. Head ( Fig. 11 E). Dark brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 3 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite elliptical with 2 small, lower marginal ear-like lobes. Antennal flagellum dark brown, moderately long; flagellomeres 2–8 vasiform, 9–13 more elongate vasiform, 13 longest; antennal ratio 0.73–0.83 (0.79, n=5). Clypeus with 4 pairs of setae. Palpus ( Fig. 11 F) light brown; segment 3 slender, as long as or longer than segments 4+5 combined with 4 capitate sensillae on proximal 2/3 of mesal surface; palpal ratio 3.37–4.23 (3.79, n=7). Thorax. Uniformly dark brown. Scutellum with 5 large setae. Femora, tibiae dark brown, tarsomeres 1–3 slightly paler; hind tibial comb with 6 spines; prothoracic tarsal ratio 2.10–2.37 (2.24, n=7), mesothoracic tarsal ratio 2.23– 2.45 (2.31, n=6), metathoracic tarsal ratio 1.90–2.23 (2.03, n=7). Wing ( Fig. 11 G) moderately broad; membrane lightly infuscated, except for narrow area posterior to radial cells, covered with dense macrotrichia; radial cells poorly developed, 1st with a very small lumen, 2nd reduced to a suture; fork of CuA1 at level of apex of costa, radius; anal lobe moderately well developed; wing length 0.80–0.88 (0.84, n=7) mm, width 0.32–0.38 (0.35, n=7) mm; costal ratio 0.39–0.42 (0.41, n=7). Halter uniformly dark brown. Abdomen ( Fig. 11 H). Dark brown. Subgenital plate disjunct, anterior portion club-shaped, posterior portion elongate, ovoid, with large central lumen; posterolateral arms slender, greatly recurved distally. Spermatheca large, spherical, heavily sclerotized, diameter 86 µm, neck slender, straight, moderately long, length 20 µm.

Distribution. Guadeloupe.

Type material. Holotype male, allotype female labeled “ Guadeloupe, Basse Terre , Trace des Cretes (D-14), 22-V-2012, R. H. Turnbow, BL trap ” (deposited in FSCA) . Paratypes 5 males, 6 females, as follows: same data as holotype, 4 males, 5 females ; same data except NE Pigeon, (16.14404º N, 61.74977º W), 23-V-2012, 1 male, 1 female .

Derivation of specific epithet. This species is named after Juana Granillo Fernández, granddaughter of María Marcela Ronderos.

Discussion. This new species is similar to D. messersmithi Waugh & Wirth and D. waughi n. sp. However, males of D. messersmithi differ from this new species by their shorter, broader gonocoxite, shorter, stouter aedeagal posterolateral arms, and the distal portion of the paramere is longer, abruptly recurved with a dagger-shaped distal portion. Females of D. messersmithi differ from this new species by their yellow scutellum, pale halter knob, disjunct subgenital plate with a V-shaped distal section on the proximal portion and a separate elongate, slightly arrowhead-shaped distal portion. Males of D. waughi differ from this new species by their much longer, triangular posteromedian projection of sternite 9 with a truncate apex, much longer gonostylus with a slender distal half, a much longer, more slender paramere, the distal 1/3 of which is sharply bent ventrolaterad, and a much shorter, Hshaped aedeagus. Females of D. waughi differ from this new species by their disjunct subgenital plate with a broad triangular distal portion, and a smaller spermatheca with a short, broad neck.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Dasyhelea juanae n. sp. Holotype male, A – D, Allotype female, E – H. A, E. head. B, F. palpus. C, G. wing. D. genitalia. H, subgenital plate and spermatheca.

FIGURE 12. Dasyhelea juanae n. sp. Holotype male. A. genitalia. B. sternite 9. C. gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. D. aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.