Robustagramma robustum (Spuler) Marshall & Cui, 2005

Marshall, Stephen A. & Cui, Yongsheng, 2005, Systematics of Robustagramma, a new genus of New World Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Zootaxa 1026 (1), pp. 1-122 : 84-86

Robustagramma robustum (Spuler) comb. nov.

( Figs. 250–256 )

Leptocera (Scoptophilella) robusta Spuler, 1925:81 .

Leptocera (Pterogramma) robusta Spuler, Deeming 1980: 499 .

Pterogramma robustum (Spuler) , Roháček et. al. 2001: 214.

Body length 1.4–2.0 mm. General color reddish to dark brown, heavily pollinose but rarely with conspicuous patterns.

Head: Face, gena, antenna and lower frons reddish yellow to brown. Interfrontal bristles in three pairs, similar to, or smaller than, anterior orbital bristle. Two orbital bristles, anterior orbital bristle ca. 0.6X as long as posterior. Uppermost orbital setula present between two orbital bristles; lower orbital setulae small. Ocellar bristle similar in size to outer vertical bristle; inner occipital bristles similar in size to posterior orbital bristles. Postvertical bristle conspicuously smaller than inner occipital bristles. Postocellar bristles ca. 0.5– 0.7X as long as postvertical bristles, sometimes absent. Eye height ca. 2.7 times genal height. Arista subequal to or slightly longer than head height. Aristal hairs long, ca. 3 times basal width of arista. Palpus relatively thin, maximum palpal width ca. 1/6–1/5 length of palpus, with two preapical bristles. Preapical palpal bristle twice as long as maximum palpal width.

Thorax: Prosternum narrow, bare. Dorsocentral bristles in 2 postsutural pairs, anterior pair similar in length to middle prescutellar acrostichal bristles. Acrostichal setulae in 6–8 irregular rows between anterior dorsocentral bristles. Apical scutellar bristle ca. 1.8 times length of scutellum. Posterodorsal katepisternal bristle ca. 2/3 as long as distance between bristle and wing base; anterodorsal katepisternal bristle small. Wing half as broad as long, nearly clear, or very lightly pigmented with an inconspicuous brownish portion in front of R 2+3. Length of second costal sector ca. 0.46–0.50X length of third. Distal third of R 2+3 slightly curved forward. R 4+5 and costa ending together before wing apex. Discal cell without appendices, or with a short trace of vein CuA 1. Mid tibia with 5 dorsal bristles, middle anterodorsal bristle conspicuously smaller than distal dorsal bristle. Mid femur with 1–2 preapical anterior bristles, a small posterodorsal apical bristle and a regular row of anterior setulae. Mid tibia of male with several small ventral bristles on distal third, but without a distinct apicoventral bristle. Mid femur of male with 12–14 ventral proximal bristles. Male terminalia: In lateral view, surstylus with anteroventral and posteroventral margin rounded. Cercus slightly longer than surstylus, with distal quarter slightly wider than middle in lateral view. Distal half of dorsal whip­like sclerite depressed (specimens from Panama) or not (specimens from Costa Rica). Ejaculatory apodeme ca. 1/3 as long as aedeagal apodeme.

Female terminalia: Spermathecae with basal portion distinctly longer than distal portion. Paired spermathecae with duct ca. 2.3 times length of spermatheca.

Type material examined: Holotype (♀, USNM) and paratype (1 ♀, USNM): COSTA RICA: La Suiza de Turriaba , Pablo Schild.

Other material examined: COSTA RICA: Alajuela. Volcán Tenorio, north slope near Bijagua Biol. Stn. , 700m, sweep over Atta mound, 18.vi.2000, S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, 2 ♀, INBC) . Same data as previous label but from RET over Atta mound, 16–28.vi.2000 (2 ♀, DEBU) . Guanacaste. Guanacaste Cons. Area, Rincon de la Vieja , Las Pilas , 1400m, Clusea rosea forest litter, 18.ii.1996, R. Anderson (3 ♀, DEBU) . Guanacaste. Guanacaste Cons. Area, Cacao Field Station , yellow pans, 9.ii.1995, S.A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU) . PANAMA: Chiriquí. Lagunas , 5 km SW Hato del Volcán, 1360m, dung, 22–27.v.1977 (1 ♂, DEBU) , 22–26.v.1977 (1 ♀, DEBU) , S. Peck.

Figures

FIGURES 250–256. Robustagramma robustum sp. nov.: 250, posterior view of male terminalia; 251, lateral view of male terminalia; 252, lateral view of male internal genitalia; 253, male sternite 5; 254, dorsal view of female terminalia; 255, ventral view of female terminalia; 256, spermathecae.