Dasyhelea bermudae Wirth & Williams

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 : 234

Dasyhelea bermudae Wirth & Williams

Dasyhelea bermudae Wirth & Williams, 1957: 11 ( Bermuda) ; Borkent & Spinelli 2000: 24 (in New World catalog south of the USA; distribution); Borkent & Spinelli 2007: 60 (in Neotropical catalog; distribution).

Diagnosis. A small species of the Dasyhelea atlantis - bermudae complex distinguished from other Neotropical species in the mutabilis group by the following combination of characters: Male with distomedian portion of aedeagus short, tubular, the apex extending to or near apices of gonocoxites, tip deeply concave with recurved apicolateral extensions; tergite 9 short, apex broadly rounded with very short apicolateral processes; gonocoxal apodemes and paramere slightly asymmetrical, barely fused or separated with a lightly sclerotized triangular posterior process. Female subgenital plate ovoid with ellipsoid lumen; spermatheca moderately large (length 64–71 µm), globular, very heavily sclerotized, thick-walled with short, nipple-like neck.

Discussion. Wirth & Williams (1957) described this species from specimens collected from several recovery cages on Bermuda. Williams (1957) published habitat data for a number of Ceratopogonidae from Bermuda and reported that D. bermudae was collected in association with several tidal/intertidal or coastal plants. This species was previously known only from the original type series from Bermuda ; we provide the first record of this poorly known species in the Caribbean region from Guadeloupe .

The similar, apparently related, D. atlantis Wirth & Williams (1957) , was also described from Bermuda from some of the same habitats as D. bermudae (Williams 1957) , however, D. atlantis is apparently much more widespread than that species. In their revision of Dasyhelea in the eastern USA north of Florida, Waugh & Wirth (1976) redescribed D. atlantis and provided illustrations of several features of adult females, male genitalia and pupal characters as well as the first USA records from Florida and New York . Soon after, Davies & Giglioli (1979) recorded D. atlantis from Grand Cayman and noted that it was probably the most common ceratopogonid on that Caribbean island . In his excellent review of the Ceratopogonidae of the Galapagos Islands, Borkent (1991) listed 60 adult males and 108 adult females of D. atlantis collected by Bradley Sinclair during 18 January/14 July 1989 from a variety of coastal habitats on that archipelago. A study in progress by Grogan & Hribar of the D. atlantis - bermudae complex in the USA and Caribbean region will include descriptions of several undescribed species related to D. bermudae from Florida and Jamaica and additional new records of D. atlantis .

Material examined. Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, NE Pigeon (16.4404º N 61.74977º W), 18-V-2012, R. H. Turnbow, BL trap, 1 male . New Guadeloupe record.