Agrophaspidium pollinosum Wheeler and Mlynarek

Wheeler, Terry A. & Mlynarek, Julia J., 2008, Systematics of Agrophaspidium, a new genus of Neotropical Chloropidae (Diptera), Zootaxa 1926, pp. 41-52 : 47-48

Agrophaspidium pollinosum Wheeler and Mlynarek , sp. n.

( Figs. 4 , 19–21 )

Description: Total length 1.4–1.8mm. Frons yellow anteriorly, brown posteriorly, densely gray pollinose; frontal triangle in male with two shining stripes lateral to posterior ocelli, female with additional shining spot anterior to anterior ocellus, frontal triangle darker in male than in female; ocellar tubercle black, pollinose; 5– 6 long, strong fronto-orbital setae; 4–5 short interfrontal setulae, anterior pair longest, but weak and pale; ocellar bristles dark, shorter than fronto-orbital setae; postocellar bristles strong, dark, same size as outer verticals; inner vertical bristle dark, fine, short; outer vertical bristle strong, dark; eye sparsely pubescent, genal height 0.08–0.11 times eye height; vibrissa slender, longer than other genal setae; postgena and occiput densely pollinose; face pale, densely pollinose; antenna pedicel yellow; first flagellomere yellow, slightly darker anterodorsally; arista slender, short pubescent; arista yellow at base, brown distally; palpus and proboscis yellow, clypeus brown.

Scutum gray, densely pollinose; one postpronotal bristle stronger than others, postpronotum yellow anteriorly in female; notopleuron paler than rest of scutum, densely pollinose; scutellum slightly paler than scutum, densely pollinose; scutellar projections short, scutellar bristles strong, dark ( Fig. 4 ); thoracic pleurites shining except for dorsal region of anepisternum and anepimeron. Legs yellow, femora, basal two-thirds of tibiae and distal tarsomeres yellow-brown. Wing: ratio of second to third costal sectors 1.1–1.4:1; halter white, base brown. Abdomen brown, densely pollinose.

Male postabdomen: epandrium large, bulbous, much broader than rest of abdomen ( Fig. 19 ); surstylus large, outer lobe elongate, narrow, simple, with blunt apex, inner lobe elongate, curved, simple, with blunt apex ( Figs. 20–21 ); cercus elongate, slender, simple ( Fig. 21 ).

Type material: Holotype ɗ: VENEZUELA: Aragua, Rancho Grande Biological Station, Portachuelo Pass (10°21’N 67°41’W), 1100m, 14.v.1998, flight intercept trap, J. Ashe, R. Brooks & R. Hanley (LEM). Paratypes: PANAMA: Canal Zone, E shore Gatun Lake, near Colón, 2–14.vii.1979, humid forest, Tree 3, E.C. Broadhead, canopy fogging (1ɗ, 1Ψ, USNM).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin pollinosum (dusted), referring to the densely pollinose thorax.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. 1. Agrophaspidium flavimana, wing. 2. Agrophaspidium monticola, scutellum. 3. Agrophaspidium flavimana, scutellum. 4. Agrophaspidium pollinosum, scutellum.

FIGURES 19 – 21. Agrophaspidium pollinosum. 19. male abdomen, lateral. 20. male genitalia, posterior. 21. male genitalia, ventral. Abbreviations: cer — cercus; epd – epandrium; hyp – hypandrium; i sur—inner surstylar lobe; o sur — outer surstylar lobe; phap - phallapodeme. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.