Goniaspis scutellaris ( Williston, 1896 )

Mlynarek, Julia J. & Wheeler, Terry A., 2009, Revision of the Neotropical genus Goniaspis Duda (Diptera: Chloropidae), Zootaxa 2033, pp. 26-40 : 34-35

Goniaspis scutellaris ( Williston, 1896)

( Figs. 18–19 )

Hippelates scutellaris Williston 1896: 420 (type locality: St. Vincent, West Indies). Goniaspis scutellaris: Sabrosky, 1941a: 27 .

Description: Total length 1.7–2.0 mm. Overall color black; frontal triangle black, sometimes paler anteriorly, shining, extending to anterior margin of frons with slightly convex margins, with yellow spot posterior to ocellar tubercle; ocellar tubercle black, shining; frons yellow, as long as wide; cephalic setae pale, frontoorbital setae well-developed; gena yellow, microtomentose, 0.2 times eye height; postgena slender, yellow ventrally, brown dorsally, microtomentose; face yellow; scape and pedicel yellow, first flagellomere reniform, yellow, brown at insertion of arista, arista black, slender, pubescence twice as long as width of arista at base; palpus, proboscis and clypeus yellow.

Scutum black with postpronotum and region near notopleural suture yellow, shining, punctate, microtomentose just anterior to scutellum, as long as wide, pronotum black at insertion of head; scutellum yellow, 1.6 times as wide as long, microtomentose, apical scutellar bristles strong, on small brown tubercles on dorsal margin of scutellum, lateral scutellar bristles longer than surrounding setae; thoracic pleurites yellow to brown, mostly shining; dorsal margin of anepimeron and lateral region of postscutellum microtomentose. Legs yellow; hind tibial spur apical, 0.6 times length of first tarsal segment; femoral organ 2 rows of 3 small tubercles; tibial organ oval, almost linear, pale, 0.25 times length of tibia. Wing hyaline, ratio of costal sectors C1: C2: C3: C4 – 1: 1.3: 1.8: 0.8; halter white.

Abdomen black, sparsely microtomentose, anteromedial portion of syntergite 1+2 pale, desclerotized; syntergite 1+2 slightly longer (1.1 times) than tergites 3 and 4 combined.

Male postabdomen ( Figs.18–19 ): epandrium higher than long in lateral view, as wide as high, parallel sided in posterior view, with sparse setae; surstylus short, wide, parallel sided with broadly rounded apex, surstylus with sparse short setae; cercus small, rounded, ventral projection large and rounded, cercus with sparse setae and one long posteroventral bristle, cerci separated by elliptical ventral excavation; distiphallus weakly sclerotized.

Type material: Holotype 3: Saint Vincent (holotype lost, see Remarks)

Other material examined: PERU: Lima, vii.1914, H.S. Parish (43, 3Ƥ, USNM); Canete, 17.v.1941, P.A. Berry (13, 15Ƥ, USNM); same data except from cage, cotton buds infested with Anthonomus (13, USNM).

Remarks: According to Williston (1896), the type specimen of Hippelates scutellaris was deposited in the BMNH. However, a 1937 letter from F.W. Edwards (BMNH) to C.W. Sabrosky stated that the type was not present in the BMNH and was presumed lost.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 19. Male genitalia. 16 – 17. Goniaspis rubra. 16. lateral. 17. posterior. 18 – 19. Goniaspis scutellaris. 18. lateral. 19. posterior. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.