Elachiptera fucosa Mlynarek and Wheeler

Mlynarek, Julia J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2008, Revision of the Costa Rican species of Elachiptera (Diptera: Chloropidae), Zootaxa 1754, pp. 41-51 : 44-45

Elachiptera fucosa Mlynarek and Wheeler , sp. n.

( Figs. 6–11)

Description: Total length 2.5–2.8mm. Overall colour black; frontal triangle reddish-brown to black, shining, 0.75 times length of frons ( Fig. 7 ); ocellar tubercle black, shining; frons yellow, darker posteriorly; cephalic setae dark, 4 fronto-orbital setae well-developed, interfrontal setulae along margin of frontal triangle and fronto-orbital setulae sparse; gena brown, microtomentose, 0.1 times eye height; face yellow with median black spot (face completely brown in some specimens); scape and pedicel yellow, first flagellomere mostly yellow, brown dorsally and dorsolaterally, first flagellomere reniform, arista black, wide and flat at base, strongly and evenly tapering to tip, pubescence longer than width of arista at base ( Fig. 8 ); palpus and proboscis yellow, clypeus black.

Scutum black, microtomentose except for postpronotum and anterior margin (some specimens partly shining in intra-alar region), scutum clearly longer than wide; scutellum black, trapezoidal, twice as wide as long, microtomentose; apical scutellar bristles strong, on small tubercles on upper margin of scutellum, lateral scutellar bristles much weaker than apical bristles but longer and darker than adjacent setae ( Fig. 9 ). Legs yellow (fore tarsus sometimes darker); femoral organ a line of 3 tubercles, tibial organ oval, pale, occupying middle quarter of hind tibia. Wing with brown infuscations along CuA1 from base to crossvein dm-cu and along vein R4+5 from crossvein r-m to apex of wing; veins pale, darker in infuscated regions ( Fig. 6); ratio of costal sectors C1: C2: C3: C4 – 1: 1.4: 1.4: 0.5; halter yellow.

Abdomen paler than thorax, sparsely microtomentose; syntergite 1+2 uniformly sclerotized, twice as long as other tergites.

Male postabdomen ( Figs. 10, 11 ): Epandrium higher than long in lateral view, wider than high in posterior view, with several setae; surstylus long, parallel sided with a slight anterior curve along length, with broadly rounded apex, surstylus with 3–4 anterior setae near base and short setae elsewhere; cercus broadly rounded with a narrow ventral projection, cercus with sparse setae, 3–4 setae longer than others, cerci separated by a broad, semi-circular cleft; distiphallus weakly sclerotized, straight, blunt ended.

Type material: Holotype ɗ: COSTA RICA: San José: Santo Domingo de Heredia, INBioParque (9º58.4’N 84º05.6’W), 14.xii.2003, sweep patch of grass, S. Boucher (LEM); Paratypes: same data as holotype (1Ψ, LEM); San José: Santo Domingo de Heredia, INBioParque (9º58.4’N 84º05.6’W), 21.xi.2002, sweep stream margin, J. Forrest and T. Wheeler (1Ψ, LEM); San José: Farm de la Caja, 5.vii, H. Schmidt (1ɗ, USNM); ECUADOR: Pastaza: Puyo, 16.v.1977, #48, P.J. Spangler and D.R. Givens (1Ψ, USNM); PAN- AMA: Darien Province: Garachine, ii.1951, F.S. Blanton, (1Ψ, USNM); Garachine, 14.ii.1952, F.S. Blanton (1ɗ, USNM).

Etymology: The species name is from the Latin fucosus (painted), referring to the distinct wing pattern.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 11. Elachiptera fucosa. 7. head, dorsal. 8. head, lateral. 9. scutellum, dorsal. 10. male genitalia, posterior. 11. male genitalia, lateral. Scale bars = 0.2 mm (Fig. 7); 0.1 mm (Figs. 9, 11).