Dasyhelea huertai, Grogan, Willliam L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2016

Grogan, Willliam L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2016, The biting and predaceous midges of Guadeloupe (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). II. Species of the subfamily Dasyheleinae, Zootaxa 4184 (2), pp. 201-254 : 247-249

Dasyhelea huertai new species

( Figs. 27–28 )

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical Dasyhelea in which males have yellowish genitalia except for the gonostylus which is dark brown, symmetrical gonocoxal apodemes and paramere located anterior to aedeagus with an arrowhead-shaped posterior portion, and a V-shaped aedeagus with elongate posterolateral arms the apices of which are convergent. Female unknown.

Male. Head ( Fig. 27 A). Yellowish brown. Eyes contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 3 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite distorted during slide-mounting. Antennal flagellum ( Fig. 27 B) brown; flagellomeres 2–9 rhomboid, 10–13 elongate, 13 slightly broader than 10–12 with a narrowed apex; flagellomeres 2–10 with whorl of long sensilla chaetica comprising the moderately sparse plume that extends to or beyond the apex of flagellomere 12; antennal ratio 0.81. Clypeus with 4 pairs of setae. Palpus ( Fig. 27 C) brown; segment 3 moderately short with 2– 3 capitate sensilla on mesal surface; segments 4+5 combined nearly twice as long as segment 3; palpal ratio 2.12. Thorax. Yellowish. Pleurae with longitudinal brown area. Scutellum with 5 large setae. Femora, tibiae, tarsomeres 1–4 uniformly yellowish, tarsomeres 5 slightly infuscated; hind tibial comb with 5 spines; prothoracic tarsal ratio 2.10, mesothoracic tarsal ratio 2.21, metathoracic tarsal ratio 2.13. Wing ( Fig. 27 D) moderately broad; membrane hyaline with sparse macrotrichia except posterior to radius, proximal 1/3 of cell m1, proximal 2/3 of m2 and most of anal cell; 2nd radial cell elongate, reduced to a suture; apices of costa, radius at acute angle; fork of CuA1 slightly distad to level of base of 2nd radial cell; anal lobe poorly developed; wing length 0.70 mm, width 0.28 mm; costal ratio 0.48. Halter yellowish brown. Abdomen. Yellowish brown; tergites 1–8 dark brown. Genitalia ( Figs. 27 E, 28A) yellowish, except for gonostylus which is dark brown. Tergite 9 broad, slightly tapered distally with rounded apex that extends to apices of gonocoxites; apicolateral process minute with single large apical seta; cercus small, located just anterior of apicolateral process with 1–2 short setae. Sternite 9 ( Figs. 27 E, 28B) 0.47 length of greatest width, with slightly curved base; distal portion triangular, extending to 3/4 of aedeagus length; lateral and distal margins hyaline, nearly imperceptible; apex rounded. Gonocoxite straight, stout, 1.70 x longer than broad with blunt mesobasal process and a sparse group of thin elongate setae on apicomesal margin; gonostylus as long as gonocoxite, slightly curved, apex broadly rounded, tip pointed. Gonocoxal apodemes and paramere ( Figs. 27 E, 28C) forming an symmetrical structure, located just anterior to aedeagus; gonocoxal apodemes broad proximally, becoming gradually more slender distally, narrowest at mid-length where they are fused and in broad contact with base of paramere; paramere stout, proximal portion sub-triangular, distal portion somewhat arrowhead-shaped with large triangular lumen. Aedeagus ( Figs. 27 E, 28D) 0.90 length of greatest width; basal arch V-shaped, extending 0.40 of total aedeagus length, apex tapered, tip pointed; basal arm slender, apex recurved nearly 90º; posterolateral arms slender, slightly sinuate, apical sections heavily sclerotized, each half curved mesally, tips sharply pointed, convergent, narrowly separated.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Guadeloupe.

Type material. Holotype male labeled “ Guadeloupe, Basse Terre , Bois Malher, 09-IX-2011, MC Thomas & RH Turnbow, BL trap ” (deposited in FSCA).

Derivation of specific epithet. We are pleased to name this new species in honor of our Mexican colleague, Heron Huerta, in recognition of his important contributions to the taxonomy of New World Ceratopogonidae .

Discussion. The holotype male of this new species differs from D. turnbowi , the only other Guadeloupe species unplaced to species group, by the rounded apex of sternite 9 (posteromedian projection of sternite 9 heartshaped in D. turnbowi ).

Figures

FIGURE 27. Dasyhelea huertai n. sp. Holotype male. A. head. B. antennal flagellum. C. palpus. D. wing. E. genitalia.

FIGURE 28. Dasyhelea huertai n. sp. Holotype male. A. genitalia. B. sternite 9. C. gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. D. aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.