Dasyhelea flavifrons (Guérin-Méneville), Guerin-Meneville

Grogan, William L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2019, The Biting Midges of the Caribbean island Curaçao (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) I. Species in the genus Dasyhelea Kieffer, Zootaxa 4700 (3), pp. 301-325 : 306-307

Dasyhelea flavifrons (Guérin-Méneville)

Ceratopogon flavifrons Guérin-Méneville, 1833: 165 ( France) .

Dasyhelea flavifrons: Kieffer 1919: 51 (combination); Szadziewski & Dominiak 2006: 142 (in review of European synonyms in Ceratopogonidae ); Borkent & Grogan 2009: 11 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution); Borkent, 2016: 65 (in online World catalog).

Dasyhelea oppressa Thomsen, 1935: 285 (New York); Wirth 1965: 127 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution); Waugh & Wirth 1976: 230 (in revision of eastern USA Dasyhelea ; distribution); Wilkening et al. 1985: 519 (Florida county records); Hribar & Grogan 2005: 231 (records from Monroe County, Florida); Szadziewski & Dominiak 2006: 142 [as synonym of D. flavifrons (Guérin-Méneville) ]; Borkent & Grogan 2009: 11 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution; as synonym of D. flavifrons ); Grogan et al. 2016: 208 ( Guadeloupe records).

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the grisea group with the following combination of characters. Males with slender, distally recurved asymmetrical gonocoxal apodemes; paramere usually fused with right apodeme, the distal portion elongate, curved, apex usually bent ventrolaterally, tip pointed; gonocoxite with or without small basomesal spur; gonostylus straight to slightly curved, surface pubescent except for apex, tip rounded or pointed; aedeagus with heavily sclerotized basal portion and tapered posterolateral arms; and tergite 9 elongate, tapered distally with moderately narrow straight posterior margin and long cylindrical apicolateral processes. Females with subgenital plate bearing a pair of basolateral pointed projections and distal portion more or less arrowhead-shaped; and spermatheca subspherical with long neck region that is often recurved, retort-like.

Discussion. This common Holarctic species was previously known in North America as D. oppressa Thomsen. Szadziewski & Dominiak (2006) regarded D. oppressa as a junior synonym of D. flavifrons and they listed 11 other specific synonyms in the Palearctic region. Dasyhelea flavifrons was recently recorded from the Neotropics in the Caribbean region from Guadeloupe ( Grogan et al. 2016). We provide the first records of D. flavifrons from Curaçao.

Material examined. CURAÇAO, Christoffel , Nat. Pk. , Weg Narr, Playa Kanoa, 12°9ʹ7.82ʹʹ N, 68°52ʹ9.13ʹʹ W, 10-XI-2014, M. C. Thomas, blacklight trap, 1 female ; same data except Weg Naar , Playa Kanoa nr. cement Plant, 6-XII-2015, 1 female ; same data except Piscadera , 0.5 km N of Carmbi, 12°7ʹ36.88ʹʹ N, 69°58ʹ14ʹʹ W, 6-XI-2014, 1 female ; same data except Piscadera Baai , 5-XII-2015, Blacklight trap in mangroves, 4 females ; same data except Christoffel Nat. Pk., 12°20ʹ40.29ʹʹ N, 69°06ʹ29.59ʹʹ W, 9-X 1I-2015, R. Turnbow, Thorn scrub area, 13-XI- 2014,1 female. New Curaçao record .