Brachypogon (Brachypogon) woodruffi Spinelli and Grogan

William L. Grogan, Jr., Spinelli, Ronderos, María M. & Carla, 2013, The biting and predaceous midges of Guadeloupe Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). I. Species of the subfamily Ceratopogoninae, Insecta Mundi 2013 (324), pp. 1-21 : 7

Brachypogon (Brachypogon) woodruffi Spinelli and Grogan

Brachypogon (Brachypogon) woodruffi Spinelli and Grogan, 1998: 72 ( Dominican Republic); Huerta and Borkent 2005: 118 ( Mexico records); Borkent and Spinelli 2000: 46 (in New World catalog south of the USA; distribution); Borkent and Spinelli 2007: 79 (in Neotropical catalog; distribution); Spinelli and Marino 2008: 124 (record from Peru); Swanson and Grogan 2011: 536 (records from Cayman Islands and Florida).

Discussion. Spinelli and Grogan (1998) described this very small predaceous midge from the Dominican Republic, and soon after, Huerta and Borkent (2005) recorded it from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and Spinelli and Marino (2008) reported it from Peru. Grogan et al. (2010) listed additional specimens from Florida and the Cayman Islands in the FSCA. Swanson and Grogan (2011) described and illustrated additional details of the male genitalia and listed new records from the USA in Florida and the Cayman Islands, described and illustrated a similar related new species from Alabama and Florida ( B. laneae ), as well as another related species from Florida that they did not name (sp. 9B).

Our identification of a single female from Guadeloupe as this species is somewhat tentative despite that it has an antennal flagellum with only 12 flagellomeres due to fusion of primitive 12-13 and very small flagellomeres 4-7, both of which are characteristics of females of B. woodruffi . However, it lacks the partial fusion of flagellomeres 3-4 which is another character of females of B. woodruffi . Spinelli and Grogan (1998) also noted that in this species the wings of females only have 6-7 marginal costal setae, whereas males only have 3 marginal costal setae that are located over their coalesced radial cells (stigma). WLG examined 20 females (including the allotype) and 10 males (including the holotype) of B. woodruffi from the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic and Florida and recorded 3-4 costal setae in males and 5- 9 costal setae in females. He also examined 5 males and 19 females of B. laneae Swanson and Grogan from Florida as well as the male and female of their unnamed species 9B from that state and recorded 3 costal setae for males of both species and 5-10 costal setae in females of B. laneae and 5-6 setae in the female of sp. 9D. Our Guadeloupe female has 11-12 costal setae, a greater number than previously recorded for females of this species and the very similar, related B. ecuadorensis Spinelli and Grogan that is known from Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador (type locality), Jamaica and Panama, the females of which have 5-9 costal setae. In addition, females of B. ecuadorensis also have an antennal flagellum with 12 flagellomeres (12-13 fused), however, flagellomeres 3-4 are not partially fused and flagellomeres 2-9 are all similar in size, the wing lacks vein M 2 and has a slightly shorter costa (Costal Ratio 0.41-46 vs. 0.44- 46 in B. woodruffi ). Finally, males of B. ecuadorensis have an aedeagus with median longitudinal wrinkles, a feature not present in males of other species in the B. woodruffi complex, and their wing also lacks vein M 2. We provide the first records of B. woodruffi from Guadeloupe.

New records. Guadeloupe, Basse Terre, Pigeon, 9-IX-2010, MC Thomas & RH Turnbow, Blacklight trap, 1 male ; same data except La Trace du Petit-Malendure, 21-V-2012, R. H. Turnbow, BL trap, 1 female. New Guadeloupe record .