Gracilidia biflangata, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, 2953, Zootaxa 2953, pp. 1-85 : 24

Gracilidia biflangata , sp. nov.

( Plate 2G, Figs. 114–120)

Length. Male 7.40–7.80 mm; female unknown.

External morphology. Moderately large, slender species. General color of dorsum black with numerous yellow spots and markings on veins of forewings, mesonotum, pronotum, crown, cells of forewings translucent with 2 black oblique transverse bands, one near middle, the other subapical; face grey except black clypeus and clypellus, each marked with small irregular shaped spots ( Plate 2G). Head significantly narrower than pronotum, anterior margin acutely angled; crown narrow, about ¼ as wide as width of eyes, produced distally about 1/3 of entire median length, lateral margins carinate, disk depressed; eyes large, semiglobular; pronotum about as long as median length of crown; mesonotum about as long as median length of pronotum; forewings typical; clypeus elongate, narrowed anteriorly, broad at basal 1/3; clypellus about 1/3 as long as clypeus, broad and inflated basally, lateral margins constricted medially.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view narrow with 3 caudal processes; caudodorsal process short, robust lobe, curved dorsally; caudoventral process very long, reaching to caudodorsal lobe, very narrow, membranous; small lenticulate membranous lobe below caudodorsal lobe ( Fig. 114); subgenital plate elongate, narrow, setose on outer lateral margin in apical half ( Fig. 115); style very long, broadly sinuate, narrow in distal 4/5 ( Figs. 116, 117); aedeagus long, shaft tubular, broad subbasally, gradually attenuated distally with two small flanges subapically in lateral view, apex armed with long sharp spine directed dorsoposteriorly ( Figs. 118, 119); connective small, Yshaped ( Fig. 120); dorsal connective long, narrow, attached basally to base of aedeagal socle ( Fig. 118).

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali Cgto. La Meseta , 3º 34’N.– 76º 40’W., 2080 m., Malaise, 24/09/2003 – 09/10/2003, S. Sarria & M. Losso leg., M4560 ( IAHC) . Paratypes, 2 males, same data as holotype ( MLBM) , 2 males, same data as holotype ( UK) , 9 males, same data as holotype ( IAHC). ( Note : dates and specimen numbers vary.)

Etymology. The name is descriptive for the 2 subapical flanges on the aedeagus.

Remarks. From G. uniflangata , sp. nov. to which it is most closely similar, biflangata can be separated by the long, narrow pygofer and by 2 subapical flanges on the aedeagus.