Gracilidia membrana, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, 2953, Zootaxa 2953, pp. 1-85 : 25-26

Gracilidia membrana , sp. nov.

( Plate 3A, Figs. 135–141)

Length. Male 7.70 mm; female unknown.

External morphology. Slender species. General color of the dorsum dark brown with small yellow spots on veins of forewings, mesonotum, pronotum and crown, cells of forewings translucent; eyes dark brown, face black with numerous, small, yellow contiguous markings ( Plate 3A). Head significantly narrower than pronotum, anterior margin acutely angulate; crown slightly narrower than width of eyes, produced distally about 1/3 entire length, lateral margins parallel, carinate, disk depressed medially; eyes large, semiglobular; pronotum about equal in length to crown; mesonotum slightly longer than median length of pronotum; forewings typical; clypeus elongate, very broad at base, narrowed at apex; clypellus short, about 1/3 as long as clypeus, very broad and inflated basally, lateral margins tapered in distal half.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view triangulate, with short, robust caudodorsal lobe, caudoventral process absent, margin below lobe membranous revealing long, lenticular shape ( Fig. 135); right subgenital plate long, narrow, outer lateral margin expanded medially, setose in distal 1/3 ( Fig. 136); style very long, distal 4/5 very slender ( Figs. 137, 138); aedeagus very long, very narrow, tubular, with long, well sclerotized spine apically; gonopore subapical ( Figs. 139, 140); connective small, broadly Y-shaped, stem short ( Fig. 141); dorsal connective long, narrow, base not bifurcated, attached basally to basal socle of aedeagus ( Fig. 139).

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali Cgto., La Meseta , 3º34’N – 76º40’W., 1960 m., Malaise, 09/10/2003 – 26/10/2003, S. Saria & M. Losso, Leg., M. 4548 ( IAHC) . Paratypes. 2 males same data as holotype (M.4547, M.4548) ( IAHC) ; 2 males, same data as holotype (M.4547, M.4551) ( MLBM) , 3 males, same data as holotype (M.4543, M.4548, M.4550) ( UK) .

Etymology. The species name is descriptive for the large membranous, lenticular caudal lobe of the pygofer.

Remarks. This species is nearest to G. minuta , sp. nov. and can be separated by the very long, narrow aedeagus and styles and by the lack of a caudoventral process on the pygofer.