Robustagramma mirabile Cui and Marshall, 2005

Marshall, Stephen A. & Cui, Yongsheng, 2005, Systematics of Robustagramma, a new genus of New World Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Zootaxa 1026 (1), pp. 1-122 : 112-114

Robustagramma mirabile Cui and Marshall , new species

( Figs. 349–355 , 378 )

Body length 1.1–1.6 mm. General color brown to dark brown. Moderately pollinose, without conspicuous patterns.

Head: Face, gena and antenna reddish yellow to brown; frons mostly orange to reddish yellow. Vertex dark brown. Interfrontal bristles in 3 (rarely 4) similarly small pairs. Two orbital bristles, anterior orbital bristle distinctly weak, slightly longer than half of posterior. Uppermost orbital setula present between orbital bristles. Inner and outer vertical, inner and outer occipital, and ocellar bristle well developed. Outer vertical, posterior orbital and ocellar bristle similar in length. Postvertical bristles ca. 2/5 as long as inner occipital bristles, convergent. Postocellar bristle absent. Facial ridge between antennae slightly wider than width of scape. Eye height ca. 2.5–3.0 times genal height. Arista slightly longer than head height. Aristal hairs nearly 2.5 times as long as basal width of arista. Maximum width of palpus ca. 1/5 as long as palpus. Preapical palpal bristle ca. 1.5–2.0 times as long as maximum width of palpus.

Thorax: Prosternum narrow, bare. Dorsocentral bristles in 2 postsutural pairs, anterior pair similar in length to middle prescutellar acrostichal bristles. Presutural dorsocentral setulae slightly longer than acrostichal setulae. Acrostichal setulae in 8 irregular rows between anterior postsutural dorsocentral bristles. Apical scutellar bristle ca. 1.7 times as long as scutellum. Posterodorsal katepisternal bristle half as long as distance between bristle base and wing base; anterodorsal katepisternal bristle small. Halter knob pale to brown; stem yellowish. Wing half as broad as long, very lightly pigmented, with two indistinct, transverse, clear bands beyond intersection of R 2+3 and costa. Length of second costal sector ca. 0.41–0.46X length of third. R 2+3 short and straight. R 4+5 and costa ending together before wing apex. Discal cell rounded, without appendices. Tarsi and fore tibiae yellow to brownish. Mid tibia with a posterodorsal proximal bristle, an anterodorsal bristle at middle, and an anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal distally; dorsal bristle small. Mid tibia of male with an apicoventral and several short ventral bristles on distal third; also corresponding femur with a row of 3 or 4 ventral proximal bristles.

Male abdomen: Sternite 5 nearly twice as long as sternite 4, with a characteristic pair of dark posterolateral lobes, a pale central area and a spinulate posteromedial margin. Dorsomedial length of epandrium ca. 0.33X length of sternite 8. Surstylus almost entirely setose, with a long, tapering anterior lobe. Cercus shorter than surstylus, with very narrow distal half. Ejaculatory apodeme small.

Female abdomen: Spermathecae hemispherical; ducts of paired spermathecae over three times as long as spermathecal body.

Holotype (♂, DEBU) and paratypes (2 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU): MEXICO: Chiapas. 11 mi NW Ocozocoautla , 3400', oak­evergreen forest, human dung, 19–25.viii.1971, A. Newton.

Other paratypes: BELIZE: San Ignacio. Maya Mountain , Atta mound trail, 2.i.1991 (2 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) ; dung trap, 7–8.i.1991 (1 ♂, 2 ♀, DEBU) , S. A. Marshall. Mtn. Pine Ridge, 1000', falls, sweep, 14.i.1991, S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU) . Mtn. Pine Ridge, Hidden Valley Institute , 2500ft., broadleaf forest, dung trap, 10–15.i.1991, S. A. Marshall (4 ♀, DEBU) . COSTA RICA: Puntarenas. R.F.Golfo Dulce, 24 km W Piedras Blancas , 200m, xii. 1990, P. Hanson (1 ♂, 6 ♀, INBC) . 3 km W Rincon de Osa , malaise, 10m, iii.1989, P. Hanson (1 ♀, DEBU) . 5 km W Rincon , Bufo marinus carrion, 15m, 7.iii.1968, Barney Cornaby (1 ♂, INBC) . Cartago. Braulio Carrillo N.P., 1400–1500m, cool moun­ tain creek in cloud forest, 11.iv.1985, H. Goulet (1 ♂, DEBU) . Braulio Carrillo N.P., 500m, rain forest, malaise, 10–11.iv.1985, H. Goulet, L. Masner (1 ♂, DEBU) . Heredia. La Selva Biol. Stn. , 40m, primary forest, malaise, 1–8.v.1989, B. Brown and D. Feener (1 ♂, DEBU) . Limón. Estrella Valley, Pandora , FIT, 16.iii.1984, G. V. Manley and H. F. Howden (1 ♂, DEBU) . ECUADOR: Pichincha. Río Palenque , dung, 25.ii.1979, S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, 1 ♀, QCAZ) . Napo. Yasuní Natl. Pk., Yasuní Res. Sta. , rain forest, Malaise trap, 3–20.xi.1998, T. Pape & Viklund (1 ♂, 4 ♀, DEBU) . Pichincha. Bellavista Reserve , 12 km S Nanegalito, 2150m, cloud forest, leaf litter, 30.x.1999, R. Anderson (1 ♀, DEBU) . GUYANA: Mazaruni­ Potaro Dist, Tukeit Falls , 300', primary rainforest, human dung trap, 27–29.ix.1990, B. Hubley (2 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) . Mazaruni­Potaro Dist. E. side Potaro R. downstream, Tukeit Fall , 300', primary rainforest, clearing along river, malaise­fine, 26– 30.ix.1990, B. Hubley and L. D. Coote (1 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) . Rupununi Dist, Kurupukari , Essequibo R., 200', primary rainforest, dung traps, 9.x.1990, B. Hubley (3 ♂, 6 ♀, DEBU) . MEXICO: Chiapas. Bonampok Rd , 100 km SE Palenque, 230m, rainforest, FIT, 8– 24.vii.1983, S. & J. Peck (1 ♂, DEBU) . Veracruz. 33 km NE Catemaco, 160m, Los Tuxtlas Bio. Sta., Ridge Rainforest , FIT, 1.vii–1.viii.1983 (1 ♂, DEBU) , 6.vii–1.viii.1983 (2 _, DEBU) , S. Peck. PANAMA: Canal Zone, Madden Forest , carrion trap, 10–13.vi.1977, S. Peck (1 ♀, DEBU) . Colón. 270m, 10 mi SE Colón, Santa Rita Ridge , dung, 10– 12.vi.1977, S. Peck (1 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) . Chiriquí. 1360m, Lagunas , 5 km SW Hato del Volcán, 22–27.v.1977, S. Peck (1 ♀, DEBU) . PERU: Madre de Dios. Puerto Maldonado , 6.i.1984, L. Huggert (1 ♂, NHRS) . Madre de Dios, Zona Reserva Manú, Pakitza , 400m, 11 57'S, 71 17'W, malaise trap, 13–18.ii.1992 (4 ♀, DEBU) ; 18–23.ii.1992 (2 ♂, DEBU) ; 23–28.ii.1992 (4 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; 28.ii–4.iv.1992 (2 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) ; 4–9.iv.1992 (1 ♂, 3 ♀, DEBU) , B. Brown & D. Feener. Loreto. 1.5 km N Teniente Lopez , 230–305m, FIT, 18.vii.1993 (2 ♂, 4 ♀, DEBU) ; 22.vii.1993 (3 ♂, 4 ♀, DEBU) , R. Leschen. Loreto. Teniente Lopez , FIT, 23.vii.1993 (1 ♂, 6 ♀, DEBU) ; riverine forest, 24.vii.1993 (2 ♀, DEBU) ; 26.vii.1993 (2 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) , R. Leschen. Loreto. San Jacinto, 175–215m, FIT, 3.vi.1993 (1 ♀, DEBU) ; 11.vii.1993 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; 12.vii.1993 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) , R. Leschen. VENEZUELA: Bolívar. 10 km S El Dorado , 17.vii–7.viii. 1986, 200m (5 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; 105 km S El Dorado , 350m (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; km 40 Santa Elena­ Icabaru Road , 100m, 4–6.viii.1986 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) ; Quebrada de Jaspe , 19–20.vii.1986 (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) , B. Gill. Bolívar. 22 km S El Dorado , lowland rainforest, FIT, 25.vi.–12.vii.1987, S.&J. Peck (5 ♂, 2 ♀, IZAV) . Táchira. 57 km SE San Cristóbal, El Pinal , 1500', dung trap, 19–21.v.1974, S. Peck (2 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) . Aragua. 1200m, Maracay Rancho Grade cloud forest, FIT, 1–10.viii.1971, C. Bordon & S. Peck (12 ♂, 14 ♀, DEBU) .

Etymology: The specific epithet, mirabile , refers to the distinctive sternite 5 of the male.

Figures

FIGURES 349–355. Robustagramma mirabile sp. nov.: 349, posterior view of male terminalia; 350, lateral view of male terminalia; 351, lateral view of male internal genitalia; 352, male sternite 5; 353, dorsal view of female terminalia; 354, ventral view of female terminalia; 355, spermathecae.

FIGURES 371–378. Robustagramma spp. wings (not to scale): 371, R. biangulatum sp. nov.; 372, R.triangulatum sp. nov.; 373, R. brevicauda sp. nov.; 374, R. cultriforme sp. nov.; 375, R. flavistylum sp. nov.; 376, R. disjunctum sp. nov.; 377, R. acutistylum sp. nov.; 378, R. mirabile sp. nov.