Agrophaspidium monticola 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 : 46-47

Agrophaspidium monticola Wheeler and Mlynarek , sp. n.

( Figs. 2 , 14–18 )

Description (male only): Total length 2.0– 2.4mm. Frons yellow anteriorly, darker posteriorly; frontal triangle pollinose except for shining strips lateral to posterior ocelli and shining triangle anterior to anterior ocellus ( Fig. 15 ); ocellar tubercle pollinose; 8–9 short fronto-orbital setae ( Figs. 14–15 ); 7–8 interfrontal setae, anterior pair strongest; ocellar bristles convergent, short, half as long as postocellars; inner vertical bristle strong as postocellar bristles; outer vertical bristle strong, longer than other cephalic bristles; eye bare, genal height 0.08–0.09 times eye height; vibrissa longer than genal setae; postgena and occiput black, pollinose; face pale, pollinose; antenna pedicel yellow; first flagellomere yellow, brown at insertion of arista and dorsolaterally; arista black; proboscis brown, palpus yellow.

Scutum brown, mostly shining, with some scattered pollinosity; 1 postpronotal bristle stronger than others; scutellum dark, marginal projections well-developed; apical and sub-apical tubercles 0.33 times as long as scutellum ( Fig. 2 ); scutellar bristles dark, strong, 1.4 times length of tubercles; thoracic pleurites with scattered pollinosity. Legs yellow except for wide band around middle of all femora and mid and hind tibiae. Wing: ratio of second to third costal sectors 1.9–2.1:1; halter white, with brown base; Abdomen brown, pollinose.

Male postabdomen: epandrium large and bulbous, much broader than rest of abdomen ( Fig. 16 ); surstylus long, outer lobe with lateral flange near base, apex broad and triangular, inner lobe narrow, short, pointed ( Figs. 17–18 ); cercus very broad and curved anteriorly in lateral view, ventral apex curved, branched ( Figs. 17–18 ).

Type material: Holotype ɗ: COSTA RICA: Prov. Puntarenas, Monteverde, Estacion Biologica, 1540– 1800m, 21–24.vii.1995, J.M. Cumming ( CNC). Paratype: COSTA RICA: Prov. Puntarenas, Monteverde, Finca Canada [Estacion Biologica], 21–22.viii.1992, D.C. Currie, yellow pan trap (1ɗ, CNC).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin montis (mountain) and -cola (dweller), referring to the type locality.

Figures

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

FIGURES 14 – 18. Agrophaspidium monticola. 14. male head, lateral. 15. male head, dorsal. 16. male abdomen, lateral. 17. male genitalia, ventrolateral. 18. male genitalia, posterior. Abbreviations: cer—cercus; i sur — inner surstylar lobe; o sur – outer surstylar lobe. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.