Dasyhelea flavifrons (Guérin-Méneville), Guerin-Meneville

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 : 208-209

Dasyhelea flavifrons (Guérin-Méneville)

Ceratopogon flavifrons Guérin-Méneville, 1833: 165 (France) .

Dasyhelea flavifrons: Kieffer 1919: 51 (combination); Szadziewski & Dominiak 2006: 142 (in review of European synonyms in Ceratopogonidae ); Borkent & Grogan 2009: 11 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution).

Dasyhelea oppressa Thomsen, 1935: 285 (New York); Waugh & Wirth 1976: 230 (in revision of eastern United States Dasyhelea ; distribution); Wilkening et al. 1985: 519 (Florida records); Hribar & Grogan 2005: 231 (Monroe County, Florida records); Szadziewski & Dominiak 2006: 142 (as synonym of C. flavifrons Guérin-Méneville ); Borkent & Grogan 2009: 11 (in Nearctic catalog; distribution; as synonym of D. flavifrons ).

Diagnosis. A medium-size species, male wing length 1.10–1.50 mm, female wing length 0.95–1.40 mm; femora and tibiae usually yellowish; halter whitish to yellowish. Males with asymmetrical gonocoxal apodemes and paramere, apodemes slender, recurved, paramere usually fused with right apodeme, distal portion elongate, curved, apex usually bent ventrolaterally, tip pointed; gonocoxite with or without basomesal hook-like spur; gonostylus nearly straight to slightly sinuous, pubescent except for apex, apex with rounded or pointed tip; aedeagus with heavily sclerotized basal portion with a pair of tapered posterolateral arms; tergite 9 tapered distally with straight posterior margin and elongate cylindrical apicolateral processes. Female with moderately sclerotized subgenital plate with a pair of basolateral pointed projections and distal portion more or less arrowhead-shaped; and an ovoid spermatheca with long neck that is usually recurved so that spermatheca often appears to be retort-shaped.

Discussion. This common Holarctic species was previously known in North America as D. oppressa , however, Szadziewski & Dominiak (2006) considered it a junior synonym of D. flavifrons and listed 11 other Palearctic specific synonyms. We provide the first records of D. flavifrons in the Caribbean region from Guadeloupe.

Material examined. Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, La Trace du Petit-Malendure, 21-V-2012, R. H. Turnbow, BL trap, 1 female ; same data except Traces de Cretes (D-14), 22-V-2012, 1 female. New Guadeloupe record.