Heteromeringia lateralis, Lonsdale & Marshall, 2007

Lonsdale, Owen & Marshall, Stephen A., 2007, Revision of the New World Heteromeringia (Diptera: Clusiidae: Clusiodinae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 57 (1), pp. 37-80 : 58-59

Heteromeringia lateralis sp. n.

( Figs 7 , 50 , 60 , Map 5 )

Description ( Figs 7 , 60 )

Female

Body length 5.0 mm. Bristles black. Two dorsocentral bristles plus small bristle in front of anteri- or dorsocentral. Four fronto-orbital bristles with anterior reclinate bristle half as long as remaining reclinate bristles. Ocellar bristle relatively long and well-developed. Anterior genal bristle vibrissalike. Arista short pubescent. Scutum partly yellow with one pair of wide brown stripes outside dorsocentral rows that join anteriorly (emarginate behind suture); postpronotum and remainder of notopleuron brownish. Scutellum yellow with lateral corner brown. Katatergite and anatergite (below scutellum) brown. Pleuron yellow with subnotal stripe on dorsal half of anepisternum and anepimeron. Legs mostly yellow; base of hind tibia light brown; fore femur with light distal mark on inner face; fore tarsi brown with tarsomere 1 and base of tarsomere 2 yellow; mid and hind tarsi with tarsomeres 3-5 light brown. Head yellow except as follows: first flagellomere with infuscation at base of arista; distal 1/4 of palpus dark brown; frons brownish-orange (excluding lateral margins) with dark medial crescent-shaped spot; back of head with one pair of stripes; ocellar spot brown. Parafacial and upper 3/5 of gena silvery tomentose. Abdomen brown with cerci yellow. Wing darkly clouded from costa to midpoint of second radial cell (distal to basal 1/3 of subcostal cell) and lightly clouded distally along R 4+54+5. M 1+2 ratio 9.2.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 50 )

Spermatheca small and funnel-shaped (strongly concave distally with wide, rounded edge). Spermathecal duct weakly sclerotized, widened distally to surround base of spermatheca, and very long and wrinkled. Ventral receptacle as described for H. czernyi .

Male

Unknown.

Etymology

The specific name refers to the lateral stripes on the scutum and scutellum.

Holotype: COSTA RICA. Cartago: El Guarco, San Isidro, Madre Selva , Finca Los Lagos , 2600m, xii.1993, Trampa Malaise, M.M. Chavarria (1 , INBC).

Comments

Although it is generally undesirable to describe a species on the basis of a single female, Heteromeringia lateralis is an easily diagnosed species distinct from all other congeners. It is characterized by an apically dark brown palpus, strong notal stripes that join anteriorly and continue along the sides of the scutellum posteriorly, and a strong band on the wing that extends along the costa into the costal cell.

Figures

Map 5: Distributions of species in the Heteromeringia czernyi species group excluding H. czernyi KERTESZ. Legend: H. flavipes ((WILLIST WILLISTON), circle; H. flavifrons HENNIG, dot.

Figs 2-7: Dorsal colouration, head and thorax. 2 H. quadriseta sp. n., male; 3 H. medianamediana sp. n., male; 4 H. decora sp. n., female; 5-6 H. flavifronsflavifrons HENNIG, female; 7 H. lateralis sp. n., female.

Figs 48-50: Female internal genitalia (spermathecae and ventral receptacle). 48 Heteromeringia czernyi KERTESZ; 49 H. flavifronsflavifrons HENNIG; 50 H. lateralis sp. n.

Figs 54-63: wings; 54: Heteromeringia fucata HENDEL, 1936, female; 55: H. nitida JOHNSON, 1913, female; 56: H. nervosanervosa sp. n., male; 57: H. fumipennis MELANDERMELANDER & ARGO, 1924, female; 58: H. decoradecora sp. n., female; 59: H. czernyi KERTESZ, 1903, female; 60: H. lateralislateralis sp. n., female; 61: H. flavifrons HENNIG, 1938, female; 62: H. quadriseta sp. n., male; 63: H. medianamediana sp. n., male.