Cerodontha (Cerodontha) angela Boucher

Boucher, Stéphanie & Wheeler, Terry A., 2014, Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera) of the Mission Géodésique de l’Équateur: Becker (1920) revisited, Zootaxa 3779 (2), pp. 157-176 : 162

Cerodontha (Cerodontha) angela Boucher sp. n.

( Figs. 17–20 )

Cerodonta dorsalis (Loew) , of Becker (1920), in part.

Holotype ♂. Ecuador: El Angel, alt. 3000 m, P. Rivet 1903 ( MNHN).

Paratypes. Ecuador: 10 km S. Cuenca, Azuay. 13–14.iii.1965. 2200 m, L. Pena (2 ♂; 1 ♀; CNC).

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition derived from the type locality (El Angel).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Neotropical species of Cerodontha (Cerodontha) by the presence of acrostichal setulae, entirely bright yellow femora, distinct spine on first flagellomere; the presence of only 3 orbital setae; wing length between 1.8–2.1 mm in males; and the shape of the male genitalia.

Description. Frons width 0.25–0.30 mm; ratio of frons width to eye width 2.1–3.2 (measured in dorsal view); orbit 0.15–0.17 times width of frons (including orbits) at midpoint; parafacial well developed, forming narrow ring (cheek) below eye; 1 reclinate ors and 2 inclinate ori; orbital setulae sparse, mostly erect or reclinate with 1 or 2 proclinate anteriorly; first flagellomere elongated with dorsoapical spine and short white pubescence; arista slightly longer than maximum eye height and with short and dense pubescence; gena deep, conspicuously extended at rear; gena height at midpoint: 0.35–0.40 times maximum eye height; upper margin of clypeus narrow, rounded; eye bare or at most with short scattered pubescence. One presutural and three postsutural dorsocentrals; acrostichal setulae long, in 2 rows; prescutellar acrostichal seta absent; scutellum with only one pair of apical setae; notopleuron with 2 setae; postpronotum with 1 strong seta and 3 or 4 setulae; anepisternum with 1 strong seta on posterior margin a little above midpoint, and 3 or 4 smaller setae; fore femur without strong seta ventrolaterally; fore and mid tibiae without lateral seta; wing length 1.8–2.1 mm in male and 2.3 mm in female; M1+2 ending at wing tip; costa extending to M1+2; last section of CuA1 0.8–1.0 times length of penultimate.

Colour. Frons completely yellow with orbit sometimes slightly darker, mostly along eye margin or below ors; vt on brown with vti at the limit of yellow ground; hind margin of eye brown for a short distance beyond vte; face yellow; first and second antennal segments yellow, first flagellomere dark brown; palpus yellow; anterior margin of clypeus narrowly brown. Mesonotum and scutellum greyish pollinose; postpronotum yellow with central brown patch; notopleuron yellow with very small brown spot at anteroventral corner; anepisternum mostly brown with dorsal margin variably yellow; katepisternum completely brown or narrowly yellow dorsally; katatergite swollen and brown; calypter greyish with margin and fringe brown; halter white; legs mostly yellow (including coxae), with tibiae and tarsi darker, yellowish-brown.

Male genitalia. Distal tubules of phallus short with deep curvature at midpoint ( Fig. 17 ); distal ends of distiphallus enlarged, somewhat cylindrical, strongly sclerotized and not fused to each other; phallus normally strongly sclerotized ( Fig. 17 inset); epandrium with multiple short spines at hind corner ( Fig. 19 ); ejaculatory apodeme with broad blade ( Fig. 20 ).

Comments. Four of five specimens identified by Becker (1920) as Cerodontha (C.) dorsalis (Loew) were examined. Among these, only one is C. (C.) dorsalis . The other specimens represent C. (C.) angela and C. (C.) colombiensis Spencer.

This new species is very similar externally to Cerodontha (C.) flavifrons (Philippi) , but is slightly smaller and has distinct male genitalia. In C. (C.) flavifrons the distal ends of the phallus are fused and the distal tubules are longer. The phallus of C. (C.) patagonica Spencer is also similar, but with a different curvature and fused distal ends.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 20. Cerodontha angela Boucher, (17) phallus, lateral. Inset shows freshly dissected specimen with phallus strongly sclerotized, (18) phallus, ventral, (19) epandrium and associated structures, (20) ejaculatory apodeme. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.