Gracilidia minuta, Nielson, 2011

Nielson, M. W., 2011, 2953, Zootaxa 2953, pp. 1-85 : 23-24

Gracilidia minuta , sp. nov.

( Plate 2F, Figs. 107–113)

Length. Male 6.80–7.00 mm.; female unknown.

External morphology. Slender species. General color of dorsum black with small yellow spots on veins of forewings, mesonotum, pronotum and crown, cells of forewings translucent; eyes grey; face black with numerous irregular shaped spots ( Plate 2F). Head significantly narrower than pronotum, anterior margin acutely angulate; crown narrow, about ¼ as wide as width of eyes, produced distally about 1/3 of entire medial length, lateral margins parallel, distinctly carinate, disk depressed; eyes large, elongate ovoid; pronotum about as long as median length of crown; mesonotum about ¼ longer than pronotum; forewings typical; clypeus elongate, broad basally, narrow anteriorly, lateral margins excised near antennal sockets; clypellus about 1/3 as long as clypeus, very broad and inflated basally, constricted medially.

Male genitalia. Pygofer in lateral view narrow with 2 caudal processes, caudodorsal process robust, short, slightly enlarged subapically, apex curved, caudoventral process membranous, long, not reaching base of caudodorsal process, caudal margin between processes with long membranous lobe ( Fig. 107); right subgenital plate long, outer lateral margin angulate along middle, profusely setose ( Fig. 108); style long, narrow in distal ¾ ( Figs. 109, 110); aedeagus long, narrow, tubular, nearly straight, apex inflated in lateral view with small spine apically, gonopore subapical ( Figs. 111, 112); connective small, Y-shaped, stem short ( Fig. 113); dorsal connective long, narrow, without bifurcation basally, attached to base of aedeagal socle ( Fig. 112).

Material examined. Holotype male. COLOMBIA: Risaralda, SFF Otún, Quimbaya Urapanera , 4º44’N.– 76º35’W., 1960 m., Malaise, 2/18/03–3/4/03, G. Lopez leg. M. 3700 ( IAHC) . Paratypes. 2 males, same data as holotype ( UK, MLBM) , 3 males, Valle del Cauca , Farallones de Cali Cgto. La Meseta, 3º34’N.– 76º40’W. 1960 m., Malaise, 26/11/2003 – 10/12/2003, S. Sarria and M. Losso leg. ( IAHC) .

Etymology. This species is named for the small, curved, apical spine on the aedeagus.

Remarks. This species is nearest to G. tubercula , sp. nov. in male genitalia characters and can be distinguished by the uniformly narrow aedeagal shaft, smaller and curved aedeagal spine and the longer membranous lobe on the caudal margin of the pygofer.