Lauterborniella solangelhugo sp. nov.

Fig. 6

Type material.

Holotype • 1 male; Belize: Guanacaste National Park, Roaring Creek, trib. to Belize River; 17.261937, -88.790266; leg. A. A. Vasquez; dep. ARC. Paratypes • 2 males; same as holotype.

Diagnostic characters.

The adult male of L. solangelhugo sp. nov. can be separated from the related species by a combination of the following: Abdominal tergites I – IV and VI – VIII brown with a narrow and pale apical transverse band; tergite V uniformly light; AR 1.2–1.3; temporal setae 10, uniserial; acrostichals 5–8; dorsocentrals 8–12; R + R 1 with 16–26; R 4 + 5 with 12–16; VR 1.2–1.4; mid tergite IX with 5 or 6 long, simple setae, apex of tergite IX with rows of short, simple setae; anal point absent; sternapodeme tick, without oral projections.

Description.

Male (n = 3; unless otherwise stated). Total length 2.81–3.42, 3.21 mm. Wing length 1.48–1.62, 1.56 mm. Total length / wing length 1.89–2.16, 2.05. Wing length / profemur length 1.48–1.52, 1.49.

Coloration. Head, antenna, and thorax brown. Wing yellowish-brown. Halteres light. Anterior 1 / 4 th of fore femur and anterior 1 / 3 rd of fore tibia brown, remainder of segments stramineous; other legs stramineous. Abdominal tergites I – IV and VI – VIII brown with a narrow and pale apical transverse band; tergite V uniformly light (Fig. 6 A); abdominal sternites I – V stramineous, VI – VIII brown.

Head (Fig. 6 B, C). Antenna with 13 flagellomeres, flagellomeres 2–4 with a pair of long and slender sensilla chaetica, last flagellomere with 6 sensilla chaetica; AR 1.21–1.27, 1.24. Temporal setae 10, uniserial (n = 2). Clypeus nearly squared, 73–87, 81 μm long and 68–87, 76 μm wide, bearing 10–14, 12 setae. Tentorium 125–166, 148 μm long. Length of palpomeres (in μm): 45–65, 56; 40–44, 42; 112–123, 118; 122–141, 132; 266 (n = 1).

Thorax (Fig. 6 D). Acrostichals 5–8, 7 (n = 2); dorsocentrals 8–12, 10, uniserial; prealars 1; scutellars 4, uniserial. Antepronotal lobe well-separated and bare.

Wing (Fig. 6 E). Anal lobe well-reduced. R + R 1 with 16–26, 22 setae; R 4 + 5 with 12–16, 13 setae. Brachiolum with 1 seta. VR 1.24–1.36, 1.29. Squama bare. Microtrichia visible at 20 × magnification.

Legs (Fig. 6 F). Fore tarsus missing. Fore tibia with shallow scale and single spur, 29–33, 32 (Fig. 6 F 1). Mid tibia with divided comb and single spur, 43–58, 50 μm long (Fig. 6 F 2). Hind tibia with divided comb and single spur, 57–65, 61 μm long. Pulvilli present. Lengths and proportions of legs as in Table 4.

Hypopygium (Fig. 6 H). Tergite band present but short. Mid tergite IX with 5–6 long, simple setae, apex of tergite IX with rows of short, simple setae. Anal point absent. Sternapodeme 41–49, 46 μm long, tick, without oral projections. Phallapodeme 45–61, 53 μm long. Superior volsella 48–49 μm long, broadly pediform. Inferior volsella 75–96, 85 μm long, sub-cylindrical with a cluster of long apicoventral setae. Gonocoxite 85–98, 90 μm long. Gonostylus narrow 119–130, 123 μm long. HR 0.7–0.75, 0.73; HV 2.36–2.80, 2.59.

Etymology.

The new species is named in honor of Solangel and Jose Hugo Vasquez, the co-author’s parents, for their many years of support.

Remarks.

The new species is a very unusual Lauterborniella. Based on its absence of the anal point, at first glance, the species appears to belong to the genus Apedilum. However, the presence of fore tibia spur, separate tibial combs, presence of pulvilli, anal tergite band, median anal tergite setae, and rows of short apical setae on tergite IX places this species in Lauterborniella. The absence of the anal point and an unusually high antennal ratio distinguish L. solangelhugo sp. nov. from other known species of this genus.