Dasyhelea azteca Huerta & Grogan, 2006

Grogan, William L., Díaz, Florentina, Spinelli, Gustavo R. & Ronderos, Maria M., 2019, The Biting Midges of the Caribbean island Curaçao (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) I. Species in the genus Dasyhelea Kieffer, Zootaxa 4700 (3), pp. 301-325 : 306

Dasyhelea azteca Huerta & Grogan

Dasyhelea azteca Huerta & Grogan, 2006: 893 ( Mexico) ; Borkent 2016: 62 (in online World catalog); Díaz et al. 2018: 7 ( Argentina; descriptions and figs. 4 th instar larva, male and female pupae).

Diagnosis. The only Neotropical species of the grisea group with the following combination of characters. Males aedeagus with stout posterolateral arms, the right arm much shorter than the left arm; and the posterior margin of the sternite 9 with fine spicules. Females with a broad elliptical, bilobate frontal sclerite with a slender, very long ventral projection; flagellomeres 9-12 without sculpturing, only 13 with distinct sculpturing; and spermatheca pyriform, heavily sclerotized with long curved neck and large surface punctations.

Discussion. This recently described species was based on specimens from the states of Morelos (type locality) and Jalisco, Mexico ( Huerta & Grogan 2006). It was also recently discovered in the Neotropics from Argentina ( Díaz et al. 2018), and in the USA from Florida (Grogan; personal observation). Males are unique in having an aedeagus with unequal length posterolateral arms, but females are nearly identical with females of D. grisea (Coquillett) . We provide the first records of D. azteca in the Caribbean region from Curaçao.

Material examined. CURAÇAO, Christoffel , Nat. Pk. , Weg Narr, Playa Kanoa, 12°9ʹ7.82ʹʹ N, 68°52ʹ9.13ʹʹ W, 10-XI-2014, M. C. Thomas, blacklight trap, 1 male, 1 female ; same data except Playa Kanoa Rd. , 12°09ʹ33.02ʹʹ N, 68°52ʹ50.36ʹʹ W, 6-XII-2015, R. Turnbow, 3 males ; same data except The Woods , 12°21ʹ2.78ʹʹ N, 69°06ʹ13.82ʹʹ W, 7-XII-2015, R. Turnbow, BL trap, 1 female . New Curaçao record.