Robustagramma latistylum 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 : 48-50

Robustagramma latistylum Cui and Marshall , new species

( Figs. 107–113 )

As described for Robustagramma crassipalpus except as follows.

Body length 1.5–2.1 mm. General color yellowish to dark brown, moderately pollinose, without pigmentation. Face and antenna yellowish to brown; gena and lower frons yellowish to reddish brown; upper frons brown to dark brown. Interfrontal bristles in three pairs in addition to a pair of interfrontal setulae. Postvertical bristles convergent. Eye height twice genal height. Aristal hairs over 2 times basal width of arista. Preapical palpal bristle slightly longer than maximum palpal width; submedial palpal bristle distinctly shorter than maximum palpal width. Prosternum with two pairs of setulae. Dorsocentral bristles in 2 postsutural pairs, presutural dorsocentral setulae sometimes present and slightly longer than acrostichal setulae. Acrostichal setulae in 6–8 irregular rows between anterior dorsocentral bristles. First costal sector thinner than second sector of costa. Length of second costal sector ca. 0.54–0.60X length of third. R 4+5 and costa ending together before wing apex. Tarsi and fore tibia yellow to reddish yellow. Mid tibia with a strong anterodorsal setula and a dorsal bristle on proximal third, an anterodorsal bristle beyond middle, and an anterodorsal, dorsal and posterodorsal bristle distally; distal dorsal bristle very small. Mid femur with a row of 3–4 anterior bristles on distal half and a posterodorsal apical bristle. Mid tibia of male with an apicoventral bristle and several short ventral bristles on distal third.

Male terminalia: Sternite 5 ca. 1.5 times as long as sternite 4, with a bare, shiny, medially­ splitting, protrudent posteromedial margin and a transverse row of long bristles. Dorsomedial length of epandrium ca. 0.25X length of sternite 8. Surstylus large, mainly bare in lateral view, with some tiny spinules on interior prominence in posterior view. Cercus much shorter than surstylus. Ejaculatory apodeme very small.

Female terminalia: Sternite 8 reduced to 2 bare, curved sclerites.

Holotype (♂, DEBU): MEXICO: Veracruz. 8 mi NNW Scontcomepan , rainforest, carrion, vii–viii.(1971), A. Newton.

Paratypes: BELIZE: Mtn. Pine Ridge, Hidden Valley Inst., 2500ft, grass­pine, dung traps, 10–15.i.1991, S. A. Marshall (1 ♀, DEBU) . COSTA RICA: Cartago. Turrialba, Catie. 600m, Florence Forest , cup traps, 28.ii.1980, H. & A. Howden (1 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU) . MEXICO: Oaxaca. 5 mi S Valle Nacional , 1600ft, tropical oak evergreen, dung, 20.vii– 1.viii.1971, A. Newton (1 ♀, DEBU) .

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the broad surstylus of this species.

Figures

FIGURES 107–113. Robustagramma latistylum sp. nov.: 107, posterior view of male terminalia; 108, lateral view of male terminalia; 109, lateral view of male internal genitalia; 110, male sternite 5; 111, dorsal view of female terminalia; 112, ventral view of female terminalia; 113, spermathecae.