Scaphytopius balaena Arias-Paco & Godoy, sp. nov.

(Figs. 1G–M, 9B, 10B, 11C, 12C, 13C)

Description. Length of male 3.99–4.02 mm. General appearance brown. Crown 1.5 x longer than basal width between eyes, light brown with two pale longitudinal bands in center, laterally pale with pair of oblique orangish brown maculae, remainder of dorsum with irregular orange-brown maculae and smaller orange brown spots near of apex; light brown with two pale longitudinal bands in center, separated by dark line, extending for 2/3 of crown; pale triangular spot at apex (Fig. 1G). Face brown; gena and apex of frontoclypeus orange-brown, anteclypeus, lorum, and basal and medial parts of frontoclypeus dark brown (Fig. 1I); apex of frontoclypeus has two pale-white transverse bands forming inverted V shape; with 4–5 short pale transverse lines along sides of frontoclypeus (Fig. 1I). Forewings light brown with multiple irregular dark brown spots widely distributed, in apical area with very few white spots (5–6 round white spots) (Fig. 1H), with 10–11 veinlets; veins dark brown. Legs light brown with black spots on tibiae.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view triangular, with rounded apex and multiple macrosetae (Fig. 9B). Subgenital plate slightly triangular, somewhat wider at base than at apex, longer than wide, without macrosetae, with small punctures along outer margin (Fig. 10B). Connective W-shaped. Style in ventral view with apophysis short, thin, rounded at apex; space between preapical lobe and apophysis C-shaped (Fig. 1J). Paraphyses long, thin, and undivided, with two small dorsoventral spines at apex bifurcated (Fig. 1L). Aedeagus in lateral view short and robust, with shaft and dorsal apodeme creating a V-shaped space in lateral view (Fig. 1K); preatrium absent; dorsal apodeme straight and shorter than shaft; shaft straight and strongly compressed laterally, with pointed apex that is slightly curved dorsally (Fig. 1K); in ventral view, shaft compressed laterally, with broad, drop-shaped gonopore and two small spines on either side (Fig. 1M). Gonopore positioned ventral-apically.

Diagnosis. Paraphyses long, thin, and undivided, with two spines at apex that bifurcate dorsoventrally (Fig. 1L). Aedeagus short and robust, with V-shaped space between shaft and dorsal apodeme in lateral view (Fig. 1K).

Distribution. Costa Rica.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From Latin balaena (whale), referring to the appearance of the paraphyses’ spines in lateral view, resembling a whale’s tail.

Material examined. Holotype. ♂. Costa Rica, Heredia, Estación Biológica La Selva, 3 km al sur de Puerto Viejo. 100 m. 10º26′N 84º 01′W. 25.VI.1990. col: H.A. Hespenheide, MUCR 0001078 (MIUCR) . Paratype. 1 ♂. Costa Rica, Heredia, Chilamate . 75 m. 3.IV.1990. col: Hanson & Godoy, (USNM) .