A new species and new records of Downeshelea Wirth & Grogan in Neotropical Mexico (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Author Huerta, Herón Author Felippe-Bauer, Maria Luiza Author Spinelli, Gustavo R. text Zootaxa 2012 3394 64 68 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.281797 b844def0-4687-473b-ba21-6ea035bd3ed9 1175-5326 281797 Downeshelea grogani sp. nov. Figs. 1–3 Diagnosis . Only species of Downeshelea with following combinations of characters: r3 with onlyone dark spot extending posteriorly from end of 2nd radial cell to M1, legs brown with knees yellowish, parameres connected basally by a sclerotized bar, each stem curved laterally, gradually tapering distally to pointed, posterolaterally directed apex, without apical, subapical or mid processes or lobes. Male. Head ( Fig. 1 A). Brown, eyes bare, moderately separated. Antenna pale, except base of flagellomere 1, distal portion of flagellomere 10, flagellomeres 11–13 pale brown; flagellomeres 2–8 somewhat barrel-shaped; flagellomeres 11–13 elongate, lengths of flagellomeres 10–13 as in Fig. 1 C; antennal ratio 0.92–0.97 (0.94, n=4); palpus ( Fig. 1 B) brown, segment 3 with broad, deep sensory pit at midlength, opening by small pore, 4–5 scattered setae; palpal ratio 2.0–3.1 (2.5, n=9). Thorax. Scutum brown; humeral pits, prescutellar depression paler. Scutellum with median brown band, lateral portions paler; postscutellum, pleura brown. Wing ( Fig. 2 ) hyaline without macrotrichia; two distinctive black spots, one on r-m extending over medial fork, other in r3 at level of apex of 2nd radial cell extending to M1, three distinctive grayish areas: first near apex of M1, second sigmoid-shaped near apex of M2 extending to wing margin in m2, third over CuA1 and CuA2 extending into cua1 and anal cell; 2nd radial cell 2.5x longer than 1st; wing length 1.03–1.25 (1.11, n=10) mm; breadth 0.33–0.40 (0.36, n=10) mm; costal ratio 0.71–0.75 (0.74, n=10). Halter stem pale; knob brown. Legs brown, hind leg darker ( Fig. 1 D); femora with apical, tibiae with basal narrow pale bands; knees yellowish; hind tibia with short apical spur, tibial comb with 6 spines; lengths of trochanters, femora, tibiae of fore-, mid-, hind legs: 105-460-430, 94- 530-470, 100-575-520 µm (n=10). Tarsi pale with scattered setae; palisade setae in single row on hind tarsomere 1 ( Fig. 1 D); fore-, hind tarsomere 1 with one basal, one apical spine; mid tarsomere 1 with 2 basal, 2 apical, 1-4 other ventral spines; apical spines of tarsomeres 2-4 of fore-, mid-, hind legs: 1-1-1 (rarely 2-2-2), 2-2-2, 1-1-1, basal spines absent; fore-, mid-, hind tarsal ratios 2.1, 2.4, 2.0 (n=10). Abdomen. Dark brown. Terminalia ( Fig. 3 A): tergite 9 rounded distally, basal arch concave; sternite 9 concave anteriorly, spiculate except on basal portion, posterior margin with moderately convex mesal extension bearing 2–4 setae in one row. Gonocoxite moderately stout, nearly 2.3x longer than basal width; gonostylus slightly curved, about 0.75 length of gonocoxite, proximal ½ pilose, with delicate setae on apex and ventral portion; apex pointed. Parameres ( Fig. 3 C) 1.1x longer than aedeagus, connected basally by slightly sclerotized bar, each with basal arm trilobed, heavily sclerotized, mid portion of stem curved laterally, gradually tapering distally to pointed, posterolaterally directed apex. Aedeagus ( Fig. 3 B) triangular, basal arch broad, concave, extending 0.26 of total length, basal arms slender, sclerotized; mid portion with 2 ventrolateral horn-like, strongly sclerotized processes; distal portion excavated mesally, with ventral, sclerotized process, dorsal expansion membranous. Female. Unknown. Distribution. Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo), Belize and Colombia . Type material. Holotype male. MEXICO , Oaxaca, Municipio San Juan Guichicovi, Localidad El Zacatal, 27–28- VII.2009 , CDC light trap, B. Salceda S., A. Rodríguez & J. Ordoñez cols. ( CAIM ). Nine paratypes , as follows: 1 male , same data as holotype ( CAIM ); 2 males , Veracruz, Fortin, Fortin de las Flores , VI.1964 , F.S. Blanton col. (1, CCER ; 1, USNM ); 1 male , Quintana Roo, Puerto de Morelos, VI.1961 ( USNM ); 4 males , BELIZE , Toledo, Punta Gorda, 1.5 min. W, 31.VII.1968 , W. L. Haase, black light. (2, MLP ; 1, CCER , 1 USNM ); 1 male , COLOMBIA , Rio Raposo, 1. VII.1964 , V. H. Lee, light trap ( USNM ). Etymology. The species is named after our colleague and good friend, Dr. William L. Grogan Jr., in recognition of his superb contributions on the systematics of World Ceratopogonidae . Discussion. Downeshelea grogani most closely resembles the Panamanian species D. balboa and the Brazilian species D. fluminensis and D. quasidentica by the similar wing and legs patterns. It can be distinguished from these species by the sclerotized bar which connects the parameres basally (parameres separate in the other species), by the slight and laterally curved aspect of the parameres (divergent in D. balboa ; sinuous in D. quasidentica ; straight in D. fluminensis ) without a mid process in the stem (stem with mid beak-shaped process in D. fluminensis ; with triangular lobe in D. quasidentica ) and apical portion tapering to a pointed apex (curved apex in the other species).