Robustagramma oculiculus Cui and Marshall, 2005

Marshall, Stephen A. & Cui, Yongsheng, 2005, Systematics of Robustagramma, a new genus of New World Sphaeroceridae (Diptera), Zootaxa 1026 (1), pp. 1-122 : 81

Robustagramma oculiculus Cui and Marshall , new species

( Figs. 235–241 )

As described for Robustagramma biangulatum except as follows.

Body length 2.1–2.4 mm. Moderately pollinose without conspicuous patterns. Face, gena, antenna and frons reddish yellow to brown. Anterior orbital bristles 2/3 as long as posterior. Inner occipital bristle strongly developed, longer than ocellar bristles and outer vertical bristles. Postvertical bristles slightly longer than half of inner occipital bristles, parallel (postocellar bristles present) or convergent (postocellar bristles absent). Postocellar bristles small or absent. Eye conspicuously small, eye height ca. 1.2–1.3 times genal height. Arista distinctly longer than head length. Palpus with 7–10 ventral setulae besides two preapical bristles. Preapical palpal bristles ca. 2.5 times as long as maximum palpal width.

One pair of presutural dorsocentral setulae slightly longer than acrostichal setulae. Acrostichal setulae in 6–8 irregular rows between anterior dorsocentral bristles. Posterodorsal katepisternal bristle ca. 3/4 as long as distance between bristle base and wing base. Wing almost clear. Length of second costal sector ca. 0.50–0.55X length of third. Mid femur with a row of strong anterodorsal setulae. Mid tibia of male with an apicoventral bristle and several short ventral bristles on distal quarter. Mid femur of male with 4–6 ventral proximal bristles.

Male terminalia: Sternite 5 without short, stout bristles. Surstylus with an angular apex in lateral view. Cercus slightly longer than surstylus, with a slightly ampliate apex. Ejaculatory apodeme distinctly shorter than half of aedeagal apodeme.

Female terminalia: Two sclerites of sternite 8 almost absent. Paired spermathecae with distal portion similar in length to basal portion.

Holotype (♂, DEBU) and paratype (1 ♀, DEBU): MEXICO: Puebla. 23 km W Cuetzalan, Sarnidero de Atepolihuit de San Andrés, 28.xii.1979, Hector Galindo and Adolfo Manuel.

Other paratypes: MEXICO: Tamaulipas. Gomez Farias, “Rancho de Cielo”, 13.xi.1986, Jones (1 ♂, DEBU). Tamaulipas. Rancho del Cielo, Salamander Cave ., dung trap, S. & J. Peck (1 ♀, DEBU) .

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the strikingly small eyes of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 235–241. Robustagramma oculiculus sp. nov.: 235, posterior view of male terminalia; 236, lateral view of male terminalia; 237, lateral view of male internal genitalia; 238, male sternite 5; 239, dorsal view of female terminalia; 240, ventral view of female terminalia; 241, spermathecae.