Dasyhelea patrycjae, 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 : 227-228

Dasyhelea patrycjae new species

( Figs. 13–14 )

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the leptobranchia group with males having an extremely elongate palpal segment 3 (palpal ratio 7.13), conical apicolateral processes, the posterolateral angles of posteromedian projection of the sternite 9 bifid and the posterolateral arms of the aedeagus single, stout and sub-triangular. Female unknown.

Male. Head ( Fig. 13 A). Dark brown. Eyes apparently contiguous for a distance equal to the width of 3 ommatidia. Frontal sclerite distorted and damaged during slide-mounting, shape not discernible. Antennal flagellum ( Fig. 13 B) with flagellomeres 2–8 rhomboid, 10–12 elongate, slender, 13 shorter, broader than 10–12 with narrow pointed apex; flagellar plume lost during collection and preservation; antennal ratio 1.05. Clypeus ( Fig. 13 C) with 5 pairs of setae. Palpus ( Fig. 13 D) slender, elongate; segment 3 greatly elongate, 1.50 x longer than combined lengths of segments 4+5 with 2–3 capitate sensilla on mesobasal portion of distal half; palpal ratio 7.13. Thorax. Scutum dark brown; scutellum pale brown with 7 large, 2 smaller setae. Femora, tibiae brown, tarsi slightly paler except tarsomeres 5 infuscated; hind tibial comb with 6 spines; prothoracic tarsal ratio 1.94, mesothoracic tarsal ratio 1.84, metathoracic tarsal ratio not available. Wing ( Fig. 13 E) membrane slightly infuscated, densely covered with macrotrichia; 2nd radial cell moderately well developed with slender lumen; apex of costa, radius at slight oblique angle; fork of CuA1 at level of apex of costa; wing length 0.96 mm, width 0.30 mm; costal ratio 0.48. Halter brown. Abdomen. Dark brown. Genitalia ( Figs. 13 F, 14A). Tergite 9 distorted, due to slight twisting during slide-mounting, tapering abruptly distally with narrow, rounded apex; apicolateral process short, conical with stout apical seta; cercus small with 2 medium-size, 2 shorter setae. Sternite 9 ( Figs. 13 F, 14B) 0.70 length of greatest width, anterior margin slightly curved; tapering distally, posteromedian margin with deep rounded excavation, posterolateral lobes bifid. Gonocoxite stout, twice as long as broad; gonostylus as long as gonocoxite, proximal 1/3 moderately broad at base, tapering gradually distally, distal 2/3 slender, nearly straight, apex slightly curved with sharply pointed tip. Paramere and gonocoxal apodemes ( Figs. 13 F, 14C) forming an asymmetrical structure; gonocoxal apodemes broadest at bases, apices recurved anterad; right apodeme broadly connected to base of paramere, left apodeme not connected to paramere; paramere long, slender, proximal 2/3 moderately broad, nearly straight, distal 1/3 elongate, slender, abruptly recurved anteroventrally nearly 180º, apex tapering to very slender pointed tip. Aedeagus ( Figs. 13 F, 14D) 0.60 length of greatest width; basal arch heavily sclerotized, slender with broad, shallow concave basal arch that extends 0.25 of total aedeagus length; basal arm very slender, apex slightly recurved; posterolateral arms single, sub-triangular, stout proximally, tapering gradually distally, more abruptly tapered at distal 1/4 with short apices that are slightly mesally directed.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype male labeled “ Guadeloupe, Basse Terre , Pointe a Lezard, 20-V-2012, RH Turnbow, BL trap ” (deposited in FSCA).

Derivation of specific epithet. We dedicate this new species to our good friend and colleague, Patrycja Dominiak, in recognition of her important contributions on Dasyhelea in the Palearctic region.

Discussion. This new species differs radically from all other males in the leptobranchia group by its greatly elongate, slender palpal segment 3 (palpal ratio 7.13). For example, the palpal ratios of the other three species in the leptobranchia group from Guadeloupe range from 2.13 for D. waughi n. sp.; 2.25–3.85 for D. thomasi n. sp.; and 3.37–4.85 for D. juanae n. sp. In addition, D. pabloi from Argentina and Chile, has a moderately elongate palpal segment 3 with a palpal ratio of 4.22–5.25, but, the wing has an extremely short costa (costal ratio 0.33–0.39 vs. 0.48 in D. patrycjae n. sp.), the aedeagus has much longer posterolateral arms, and the distal portion of the paramere is shorter with only the very short tip recurved. Dasyhelea waughi n. sp., is the only other Neotropical species with a paramere that has a greatly elongate, recurved distal portion, but, it is much broader than in D. patrycjae n. sp.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Dasyhelea patrycjae n. sp. Holotype male. A. head. B. antennal flagellum. C. Clypeus. D. palpus. E. wing. F. genitalia.

FIGURE 14. Dasyhelea patrycjae n. sp. Holotype male. A. genitalia. B. sternite 9. C. gonocoxal apodemes and paramere. D. aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.05 mm.