Brachypogon tico, Spinelli, Gustavo R., Borkent, Art & Ronderos, María M., 2013

Spinelli, Gustavo R., Borkent, Art & Ronderos, María M., 2013, Two new peculiar species of Neotropical Brachypogon Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Zootaxa 3702 (1) : -

Brachypogon tico n. sp.

( Figs. 8–15 , 17)

Diagnosis. Female: only species of Brachypogon with the wing exhibiting a single radial cell with a broad lumen. Male: unknown.

Description. Female. Head ( Fig. 8 ) dark brown. Eyes with interfacetal spicules, abutting medially for length of two ommatidia ( Fig. 9 ). Clypeus with two pairs of lateral setae. Antennal scape with 7–8 setae; pedicel dark brown, flagellum entirely pale brown, with 13 flagellomeres; flagellomeres 2–8 almost as long as broad, 9–13 elongate, approximately two X longer than broad, AR 1.03; flagellomere 1 with five apical sensilla coeloconica ( Fig. 10 ). Palpus ( Fig. 11 ) brown, third segment stout, with subapical, shallow sensory pit; fourth segment with one seta; PR 1.85. Mandible with 9 apical teeth.

Thorax ( Fig. 12 ). Uniformly dark brown. Scutellum with four setae, katepisternum with two slender setae. Legs dark brown, mid-, hind tibia with subbasal pale rings, tarsi paler except tarsomere 1 of hind leg; hind tibial comb with 8 spines; foreleg TR 2.00, midleg TR 2.32, hind leg TR 2.38; tarsomeres 4 subcylindrical; tarsal claws with internal basal teeth, unequal and longer in foreleg ( Fig. 13 ), equal and short in mid-, hind legs. Wing ( Fig. 14 ) length 0.67 mm, width 0.33 mm, CR 0.78; membrane hyaline; one radial cell with broad lumen; radial veins, M thick, pale brown; costa with row of setae, most arranged in pairs, basal half of R1 with 4 setae, R2 with minute seta, R3 with 2 setae, one minute on its midlength, subapical one elongate; M2 not visible. Halter brown.

Abdomen ( Fig. 15 ). Dark brown. Sternite 8 divided medially, each half of sternite 9 deeply excavated posteromedially; sternite 10 with 2 pairs of setae, anterior pair minute, posterior pair elongate, slender. One ovoid spermatheca with well developed neck, measuring 65 by 46 µm.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Costa Rica, known only from the type-locality ( Fig. 17).

Taxonomic discussion. The wing with one well developed radial cell with broad lumen is enough to distinguish this new species from all congeners worldwide.

Type material. Holotype female, labeled “ Costa Rica, Prov. Alajuela, San Carlos, Boca Tapada, Laguna Lagarto Lodge, 50–100m, 23-VI / 23-VII-2004, B. Hernández, Malaise, LN 296095 516714, # 77931” (INBC).

Derivation of specific epithet. A reference to the nickname given to the inhabitants of Costa Rica.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 15. Brachypogon tico n. sp., female. 8 — head, in anterior view; 9 — eyes, ventromesal view; 10 — flagellomeres 1 – 3; 11 — proboscis, in anterior view; 12 — thorax, in lateral view; 13 — tarsal claws of foreleg, on ventral view; 14 — wing; 15 — abdominal segments 5 – 10, showing spermatheca, in ventral view.