Heteromphrale Kroeber

Heteromphrale Kröber 1937: 221. - Hardy 1966: 1; Kelsey 1969: 286; 1971: 284; 1973: 332; Woodley 2009: 651. Type species (by original designation): Pseudatrichia chilensis Kröber 1928: 31.

Diagnosis.

Body length: 2.5-4.0 mm [male], 2.7-5.0 mm [female]. Cream-white with yellowish-brown suffusion; eyes contiguous in male, frons broader than ocellar tubercle in female; antennal flagellum approximately twice length of scape and pedicel combined, attenuate and pyriform, notched apically; scutum light brown to dark grey, with cream-white to yellow patches marginally (pale area often more extensive in female); entire thorax overlain with glaucous pubescence; wing vein M1 meeting vein R5, forming closed petiolate cell r5; R4 branching from R5 along basal half of cell r5; abdomen with tergites either dark brown-grey with pale white to yellow band posteriorly, or vivid white with orange-brown suffusion laterally (and medially in female); tergite 2 sensory setae well defined (Fig. 1); male epandrium split medially as two sclerites, halves sub-quadrangular with posterior margins flared or tapered laterally, or large and globose; epandrium not completely covering gonocoxite ventrally; gonocoxite and aedeagus extended anteriorly from anterior margin of epandrium a relatively short distance; gonocoxite irregular, largely reduced, with strongly sclerotized dorsal process; gonocoxal apodeme relatively thickened; hypandrium as paired lobes, size and shape variable, with margin of setae, but no large setal brushes; lateral aedeagal bulb present; distiphallus bifid, recurved dorsally at base or straight, slender or slightly thickened, arms parallel or divergent. Female sternite 8 longer than tergite 8, almost level with cerci, broadly rounded or weakly emarginate (not forming distinct lobes posterolaterally); 6-7 acanthophorite spines present on lobes of well defined tergite 9+10; furca ring-like, dark-sclerotized; spermathecae paired, sclerotized and irregular-shaped; spermathecal sac simple, minute, elongate.

Comments.

Heteromphrale is closely related to Brevitrichia, a genus found primarily in western North America and throughout Central America (Kelsey 1969; Woodley 2009). Heteromphrale can be differentiated from Brevitrichia by the shape of sternite 8 in the female (apically emarginate with rounded posterolateral lobes in Brevitrichia), male distiphallus short and thick (relatively long and thread-like in Brevitrichia) and the distiphallus straight (highly reflexed basally in Brevitrichia). The distiphallus of Brevitrichia can be greatly elongated, with the basiphallus reflexed upon itself up to 180° as found in the proratine genus Cyrtosathe Winterton & Metz, 2005 (Winterton and Metz 2005). This complex arrangement of the distiphallus in Brevitrichia often projects anteriorly into the abdominal cavity and is supported by aedeagal guides formed by paired, blade-like extensions of the hypoproct; the aedeagus is largely contained within the genitalic capsule in Heteromphrale, with hypoproct extensions absent. The distinct dorsal processes (physically ventral) on the gonocoxites of Heteromphrale (Figs 2-3) are similar to those found in some species of Propebrevitrichia Kelsey, 1969 (see Winterton 2005) and indicate a likely close relationship between these genera.

Distribution.

Southern South America; recorded from Uruguay, Chile and Argentina.

Included species.

Heteromphrale blanca sp. n., Heteromphrale chilensis ( Kröber) and Heteromphrale cyanops (Edwards).

Key to Heteromphrale species

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