Atomosia ciguaya, Scarbrough & Perez-Gelabert, 2006

Scarbrough, Aubrey G. & Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E., 2006, A review of the asilid (Diptera) fauna from Hispaniola with six genera new to the island, fifteen new species, and checklist, Zootaxa 1381, pp. 1-91 : 25-28

Atomosia ciguaya sp. nov.

( Table 1, Figs. 8–12, 119)

Male. Black, thorax and abdomen dorsally yellow setose, black tarsi with yellowish setae and bristles. Measurements, body 5.4–7.5 mm; wing 4.3–6.3 mm. Head: Whitish or yellowish tomentose, whitish setose. Antenna black, brownish tomentose, scape basally brownish-yellow or whitish; black setose, scape ventrally whitish; flagellum ( Fig. 8) 1/ 5–1/3 longer than pedicel and scape combined, spine white, at apical 1/4, sensory area small, usually white, sometimes brownish, about 1/5 as long as flagellum; pedicel wide apically about twice as wide as base, about 3/4 as long as scape. Frons, ocellar tubercle laterally, and occiput dorsally yellowish-white tomentose. Ocellar tubercle with 2 long white setae. Occiput dorsally with stout white or yellowish postocular bristles.

Thorax: White to slightly yellowish tomentose. Pronotal bristles and setae white or slightly yellowish. Scutum dorsally atomentose, narrow margin anteriorly and laterally white; setae and bristles yellow, setae decumbent, about as long as pedicel; dorsocentrals erect, longest setae longer than scape and pedicel combined; notopleural sometimes black. Scutellum with yellowish setose and bristles, setae decumbent, about as long as scape; 2 stout marginal bristles, 2 or 4 thinner, shorter bristles. Numerous anatergal bristles and sparse setae, yellowish. Pleura entirely tomentose, white, sometimes yellowish, vestiture white, stout yellowish pleural bristle about as long as anepisternum. Halter creamy white, base dull brown.

Wing: Hyaline, iridescent, brown microtrichose. Cell r 4 narrow apically, diameter at wing margin as great or slighter greater than length of r-m crossvein, base well beyond apex of cell d. Crossvein r-m just before middle of cell d. Cell m 1 with parallel sides, sometimes slightly convergent apically. Apex of cell m 3 at or beyond base of d cell.

Legs. Bristles and setae pale yellow or whitish. Coxae and trochanters dark, black or yellowish-brown. Femora and tibiae mostly blackish, narrow apex of all femora and basal 1/3 of fore and middle femora brownish-yellow or yellow; basal 1/5 or 1/4 of hind femur and hind tibia pale yellow. Tarsi blackish, bristles and setae yellowish, sparse long black setae on apical one or 2 tarsomeres; hind tibia sometimes with sparse black bristles.

Abdomen: Black with bluish reflections, densely punctate, slightly narrower than thorax, sides parallel, twice as long as scutum and scutellum combined; setae yellow, short dorsally, longer, paler laterally; stout whitish bristles on tergites 1–3, sometimes much shorter, thinner bristle on tergite 4; tergite 7 wide, about 1/4 as long as wide. Sternites black, tomentum sparse, grayish or brownish, sparsely setose.

Terminalia ( Figs. 8–12): Gonocoxa narrow apically. Aedeagus wider than long dorsally, apex declinate; ejaculatory apodeme clavate apically. Hypandrium oval, pointed medially.

Female. Measurements, body 6.6–6.8 mm; wing 4.3–5.5 mm. Flagellum 1/4 to 1/3 longer than scape and pedicel combined, spine at apical 1/3, sensory area 1/4 as long as long as flagellum. Abdomen 2–3 times combined length of scutum and scutellum.

Types. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: RD-232, Road San Juan- / Vallejuelo near river, San / Juan prov ., 449 m 18 o 41. / 754'N, 71 o 11.725'W, 21.iv. / 2004, D.Perez, B.Hierro, / R.Bastardo (d) (holotype ♂, USNM) . Paratypes, RD-229 – 2 km road to San / Juan, near bridge on Viajama / river, Azua prov., 294 m, 18 o / 35.245' N 70 o 58.085' W, 20.iv. / 2004, D.Perez, B.Hierro, R. / Bastardo (d) (1 ♀, USNM) ; Bara- / hona [province] 6 km NW Paraiso, Rio / Nizao. 18-02N, 71-12W [18 o 02'N, 71 o 12'W] 170 m / 25–26 July 1990. C. Young, / J.E.Rawlins, S.A.Thompson (1 ♀, CMNH) ; Montecristi [province] 5 km / NNE Botoncillo / 50 m 19-46N, 71-24W [19 o 46'N, 71 o 24'W] ~ 29–30 November 1992 / R.Davidson, M.Klinger / S.Thompson, J. Rawlins / Arid thornscrub (2 ♀, CMNH) ; prov. Montecristi Guayubin / Cerro Gordo Abajo 78 m / 258302 m E 2173910 mN, / N. Bastardo, F.Ortiz, W.Ortiz, / R.Bastardo Potrero (1 ♂, MHND) ; RD-235 - 2 km road to Pedro / Santana , Elias Piña prov. / 314 m, 19 o 05.484'N, 71 o 41. / 738'W, 21.iv.2004, D.Perez, / B.Hierro, R. Bastardo (n) (1 ♀, USNM) ; prov. Independencia / Los Rios / Lago, Enriquillo / 25-v-1986 / R.Miller & L.Stange (1 ♀, FSCA) ; RD-224 5 km on road to / Botoncillo , Montecristi prov., / [19 o] 46.220’N, 71 o 24.001'W, 16.iv. / 2004, D.Perez, B.Hierro (d/n) (1 ♂, USNM) ; RD-186 Rd. to Playa Buen / Hombre , Montecristi prov. / 132 m, 19 o 46.213'N, 71 o 23. / 996'W, 6–7.xii.2003, D. / Perez, R. Bastardo, A. Mar- / molejos (4 ♂, 4 ♀, USNM) ; prov. Montecristi / 9 km N. Villa Elisa / 4-vi-1986, R. Miller / & Stange (1 ♀, FSCA) ; Pedernales prov., km 13 Rd. / Cabo Rojo, Aceitillar , 18 o 01. / 866' N 71 o 38.806' W, 123 m, / 16.viii.2006, D.Perez, R.Bastardo (night) (1 ♂, USNM) ; RD- 057 – 2 km N of Baní , / Peravia prov., dry scrub, / 18 o 18.489'N, 70 o 20.599'W, / 16.xi.2002, D.Perez, R. / Bastardo, B. Hierro (night) (1 ♂, USNM) ; Peravia prov., Bahía , ~ 5 km / W of Baní, 18 o 17.460'N / 70 o 23.090'W, 90 m, 8.viii. / 2006, D.Perez, R.Bastardo (12 ♂, 20 ♀, USNM) ; Peravia prov., Arroyo Grande / bridge diving Honduras / Angostura , 18 o 21.383'N 70 o / 25.993'W, 230 m, 8.viii.2006, / D.Perez, R.Bastardo (2 ♂, 1 ♀, USNM) ; Arroyo Margajita, Mina de / Oro de Pueblo Viejo , Sánchez / Ramírez prov. , 373–634 m E / 2094- 137 m N, 2.vii.2003, / R.H.Bastardo (1 ♀, USNM) ; same data as holotype (11 ♂, 20 ♀, USNM, MHND) ; RD-238 1 km SE Bastida, / foothills near canal of Yaque / del Sur River, San Juan prov. , / 23.iv.2004, D.Perez, B.Hierro (1 ♂, 1 ♀, USNM) ; prov. San Juan, El / Capa , 17 m, N.E. / Vallejuelo, 27-v- / 1986, R.Miller & / L. Stange (1 ♂, 2 ♀, FSCA) .

Distribution. Azua, Barahona, Elias Piña, Independencia, Montecristi, Pedernales, Peravia, Sánchez Ramírez, and San Juan provinces. Collected among riverine, lake, and arid cactus-scrub vegetation at low altitudes (50–634 m) during April–July and November- December.

Etymology. Named after the Ciguayos, the Taino group that inhabited present day San Juan de la Maguana province in west-central Dominican Republic.

Remarks. Atomosia ciguaya is distinguished from congeners by the characters in the key, especially the yellow setose dorsum of the thorax and abdomen, yellowish or whitish setae of the ocellar tubercle, and the combined characters of the flagellum and terminalia ( Figs. 8–12). It will key to A. danforthi ( Curran 1935) but is distinguished from that species by the largely blackish legs, pale ocellar setae, and terminalia.