Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) woodfordi Macfie

Marino, Pablo I., Rossi, Juan F. & Cazorla, Carla G., 2022, A new species of Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) redescription and first record from Argentina of Atrichopogon (A.) eucnemus and Atrichopogon (A.) woodfordi by Macfie, Zootaxa 5188 (6), pp. 574-586 : 582-585

Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) woodfordi Macfie

( Figs. 20–29 )

Atrichopogon woodfordi Macfie, 1938: 162 (female; Trinidad); Macfie, 1939: 177 (in key, Brazil); Macfie, 1940: 183 (male, British Guiana); Macfie, 1953: 98 ( Costa Rica record); Borkent & Dominiak, 2020: 62 (in World catalog).

Atrichopogon (Atrichopogon) woodfordi: Borkent & Spinelli, 2007: 47 (in Neotropical catalog).

Diagnosis. Only extant Neotropical species of Atrichopogon without pigmented wings with the following combination of characters: male with distal 5 flagellomeres of antenna greatly elongated and aedeagal-parameral complex broad, somewhat rounded posteriorly. Female: scutum with distinctive pattern of pigmentation, one sclerotized spermatheca with moderately broad and paler neck, and wing with numerous macrotrichiae in cells r 3, m 1 and m 2.

Male. Head ( Fig. 20 ). Dark brown. Ommatidia with interfacetal spicules, broadly abutting medially for length of 3–4 ommatidia. Antenna dark brown with plume setae well developed; flagellomeres 1–8 at least partially fused, flagellomeres 9–10 without plume setae, 9–13 greatly elongated; flagellomere 13 with slender, elongate apical nipple, not basally constricted; AR 0.67–0.80 (0.72, n = 9). Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 21 ) brown; segment 3 short, with deep sensory pit about 3/4 from base; segments 4–5 separate; segment 5 conical; PR 2.00–3.00 (2.68, n = 9). Head width/ mouthparts length 1.47–1.83 (1.62, n = 9). Thorax. Uniformly dark brown, scutellum paler. Scutum with setae arising directly from surface, not in pits; with lateral suture. Paratergite with one stout seta. Anepisternum well developed, slightly bilobed posteriorly. Legs pale brown. Hind tibia expanded only at apex. Hind tibial spur length longer than width of hind tibia at midlength; hind tibial comb with 7–8 spines; prothoracic TR 2.89–3.75 (3.19, n = 9), mesothoracic TR 2.37–3.00 (2.68, n = 9), metathoracic TR 1.87–2.25 (2.05, n = 9); claws curved, moderately stout, bifid at tip; empodia present. Wing ( Fig. 22 ) plain, without pattern of pigmentation; without macrotrichiae on membrane; first and second radial cell well developed, second nearly 3X longer than first; wing length 1.02–1.16 (1.08, n = 8) mm; width 0.34–0.42 (0.38, n = 9) mm; CR 0.63–0.67 (0.57, n = 8). Halter pale. Abdomen. Tergites brown. Genitalia ( Fig. 23 ): light brown, segment 9 about equal in width to segment 8; tergite 9 moderately elongate, tapering gradually from base, nearly as long as gonocoxite; posterior margin rounded. Sternite 9 with posterior margin nearly straight, with one row of 9 setae except the holotype with 6 setae. Gonocoxite without medial lobe, 2.25X longer than greatest breadth. Gonostylus brown tapering from base, as long as gonocoxite, moderately stout, apex pointed. Aedeagal-parameral complex ( Fig. 24 ) elongated; dorsal portion projection triangular tapering to rounded tip, ventral portion posteriorly concave with a long, rounded projection, with very long lateral arms sclerotized directed anterolaterally; basal arch high extending 2/3 of total length. Cercus not extending beyond margin of tergite 9.

Female. As for male with following notable sexual differences: proportions of flagellomeres as shown in Fig. 25 , flagellomeres 1–8 dark brown, slightly longer than broad, vasiform, 9–12 elongate, 13 longest; AR 1.63–1.90 (1.71, n = 6). Maxillary palpus ( Fig. 26 ), segment 3 slightly swollen at midlength, with deep sensory pit, apex about 3/4 from base; segments 4–5 separate, their combined length as long as segment 3; PR 2.15–2.73 (2.46, n = 5); head width/ mouthparts length 1.24–1.48 (1.37, n = 6). Mandible vestigial, without teeth. Thorax. Scutum with pattern of dark striped pigmentation as in Fig. 27 . Legs pale brown with hind tibial comb with 8–9 spines; prothoracic TR 3.00–3.37 (3.13, n = 6), mesothoracic TR 2.70–3.00 (2.85, n = 6), metathoracic TR 1.87–2.14 (2.01, n = 6); claws curved, tip not bifid. Wing ( Fig. 28 ) membrane with numerous macrotrichiae in r 3, m 1, m 2, scarce in cua 1; radial cells narrow, second 3X longer than first; wing length 0.92–1.16 (1.03, n = 6) mm; width 0.42–0.50 (0.45, n = 6) mm; CR 0.67–0.69 (0.69, n = 6). Abdomen pale brown ( Fig.29 ). Sternite 7 rectangular. Sternite 8 without cuticular extensions. Sternite 9 rectangular. Genital sclerotization open, anterior margin rounded. Spermatheca ovoid, moderately sclerotized, measuring 72–102 (90, n = 6) by 60–80 (66, n = 6) µm, with broad and paler neck, measuring 14 µm (n = 6). Cercus brownish.

Distribution and bionomics. Atrichopogon woodfordi is previously known from Brazil, British Guiana, Costa Rica and Trinidad. This is the first record from Argentina where it was collected in three northeastern provinces: Chaco, Misiones and Corrientes, and in the vineyards area in RCMA, Buenos Aires province. Specimens were collected with Malaise traps and sweep nets.

Type material. Holotype female and female paratype, Trinidad: St. Augustine , 29-VIII-1936, A.M. Adamson ( BMNH, examined).

Other material examined. Argentina, Chaco, Paraje Pozo de La Gringa , 25º 19’ 28.6” S; 60º 59’ 20.8” W, 146 m, 18-II-2008, 1 male, 1 female, P. Marino, sweep net ( MLPA) ; Misiones, Candelaria (vivero), 25-VI-1996, 1 male, H. Ferreyra ( MLPA) ; Corrientes, Iberá, A° Pay-Ubre , 29º 01’ 41.2” S; 58º 10’ 26.6” W, 66 m, 12-III-2010, 4 males, 3 females, G. Spinelli, Malaise trap; same data except sweep net, 1 male, 1 female ( MLPA) ; Buenos Aires, Reserva Costera Municipal de Avellaneda (viñedos), 2-III-2021, 1 male, J. Rossi, sweep net ( MLPA) ; same locality except 9-III-2021, 1 male ( MLPA) .

Taxonomic discussion. This species shares with A. comechingon Spinelli & Marino the thoracic pigmentation of the females and the presence of a thick hindtibial spur. The male is easily distinguished by the five elongated distal flagellomeres, and its genitalia differ from that of A. comechingon by the lower basal arch, the broadly concave posterior margin of sternite 9, and the shorter tergite 9. The female is almost identical to A. comechingon but in the latter species, the third segment of the palpus is shorter, the anterior margin of the genital sclerotization is subquadrangular and the spermatheca is more sclerotized.

Females of Atrichopogon woodfordi were described from Trinidad, while males were described posteriorly from British Guiana. The original description of the female pointed out that the first radial cell of wing is obliterated, however the first radial cell in our specimens is open. All the other key features observed by Macfie in specimens of both sexes match with those described in our specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 20–24. Atrichopogon woodfordi Macfie. Male, 20–24. Male. 20 head. 21 maxillary palpus. 22 wing. 23 genitalia. 24 detail of aedeagal-parameral complex. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 25–29. Atrichopogon woodfordi Macfie. Female, 25–29. 25 head. 26 maxillary palpus. 27 scutum and scutellum. 28 wing. 29 tip of abdomen, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.