Robustagramma vulgare 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 : 90-91

Robustagramma vulgare Cui and Marshall , new species

( Figs. 271–278 )

As described for Robustagramma biangulatum except as follows.

Body length 1.3–1.7 mm. Interfrontal bristles in three pairs (occasionally two or four pairs). Anterior orbital bristle over half as long as posterior. Postvertical bristles parallel or slightly divergent. Eye height 2.3–2.8 times genal height. Aristal hairs twice as long as basal width of arista. Presutural dorsocentral setulae slightly stronger and longer than presutural acrostichal setulae. Acrostichal setulae in 6 rows between anterior dorsocentral bristles. Posterodorsal katepisternal bristle strong, ca. 4/5 as long as distance between bristle base and wing base. Wing lightly pigmented, with two transverse, clear bands beyond intersection of costa and R 2+3. Length of second costal sector ca. 0.42X length of third. Posterodorsal proximal bristle of mid tibia strong. Mid femur with 2 or 3 anterior preapical bristles. Mid tibia of male with an apicoventral and several short ventral bristles on distal quarter; mid femur of male with one or two irregular rows of 4–6 ventral proximal bristles.

Male terminalia: Dorsomedial length of epandrium ca. 0.5X length of sternite 8. Cercus straight in lateral view, slightly longer than surstylus. Ejaculatory apodeme large, half as long as aedeagal apodeme.

Female terminalia: Paired spermathecae with distal portion similar in length to basal portion. Ducts of paired spermathecae over 3.5 times as long as spermathecal body.

Holotype (♂, DEBU) and paratypes (19 ♂, 10 ♀, DEBU): UNITED STATES: Florida. Alachua County, Road 176, carrion trap, 11.v.1983, K.W. Vick.

Other paratypes: Same data as holotype, but dated 10.v.1983 (9 ♂, 5 ♀, DEBU). CAN­ ADA: Ontario. Pinery Provincial Park, wilderness trail, 3.vii.1995, S. A. Marshall (1 ♂, DEBU). MEXICO: Oaxaca, 1.7 mi W jct. Mex. 175 Yuvila Road, 9400ft, 9–19.viii.1973, Mesic oak, fish trap, A. Newton (1 ♂, DEBU). UNITED STATES: Florida. Alachua Co., Road 136, pig dung trap, 8.v.1983, K. W. Vick (4 ♂, 1 ♀, DEBU); Gainesville (Hogtown Creek), 12.x.1976, P. M. Choate & R. E. Woodruff (28 ♂, 43 ♀, DEBU). Citrus Co., Withlacoochee St. For., Croom Reserve, 12.iv.1989, (140 ♂, 192 ♀, DEBU), dung (35 ♂, 40 ♀, DEBU), dung vac. (185 ♂, 223 ♀, DEBU), K. N. Barber. In addition, 850 ♂, 812 ♀ (DEBU) collected from United States: Alabama (Jackson); Arkansas (Garland, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Scott, Washington); Florida (Alachua, Collier, Dade, Dixie, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Jacksonville, Lee, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Volusia); Georgia (Clarke, Charlton, Clinch, Dade, Forsyth, Rabun, Wilkinson); Idaho (Kootenai); Illinois (Carroll); Indiana (Lawrence, Orange); Louisiana (Cameron, Grant, Tammany); Maryland (Plummer Island); Massachusetts (Middlesex); Mississippi (Claiborne, Forrest, Lee, Pontotoc, Scott, Stone, Tishomingo); Missouri (Laclede); New Jersey (Burlington); North Carolina (Cumberland, Macon, Jackson, Robeson, Sampson, Swain, Wake); Oklahoma (Caddo, Grady, Latimer); South Carolina (Colleton, Barnwell, Orangeburg); Tennessee (Henderson, Sevier); Texas ( Angelina, Bastrop, Brazos, Montgomery , San Jacinto, Tyler); Utah (Duchesne); Virginia (Bath, Prince William, Shenandoah).

Etymology: The specific epithet, vulgare , reflects the fact that this is the most common and widespread species of Robustagramma , and possibly the most abundant species of Sphaeroceridae in the southeastern United States.

Figures

FIGURES 271–278. Robustagramma vulgare sp. nov.: 271, dorsal view of left mid tibia of male; 272, posterior view of male terminalia; 273, lateral view of male terminalia; 274, lateral view of male internal genitalia; 275, male sternite 5; 276, dorsal view of female terminalia; 277, ventral view of female terminalia; 278, spermathecae.