Forcipomyia (Saliohelea) digita Spinelli, Marino & Borkent, 2012, n. sp.
Creators: name: Spinelli, Gustavo R.
name: Marino, Pablo I.
name: Borkent, Art
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ceratopogonidae
Forcipomyia
Forcipomyia digita

description: Forcipomyia (Saliohelea) digita n. sp.
(Figs. 129–137, 147)
Diagnosis. Male: only species of Neotropical Forcipomyia (Saliohelea) with parameres slender, extending past posterior margin of aedeagus. Female: only species of Neotropical Forcipomyia (Saliohelea) with palpal segment 3 with a deep sensory pit.
Description. Male. Head. Brown. Eyes abutting medially for length of three ommatidia. Antenna with plume setae well-developed, flagellomeres 1–4 separate, flagellomeres 5–8 at least partially fused, flagellomeres 10–13 (Fig. 129) elongate; flagellomere 13 with apical nipple constricted basally; AR 0.96–1.11 (1.04, n = 10). Palpus pale brown; segment 3 slender, slightly swollen subapically, with sensory pit opening on distal third; PR 3.56–4.10 (3.85, n = 10).
Thorax. Dark brown except pleura brown; scutellum with 8 strong setae. Legs uniformly medium to dark brown; tarsomere 1 of hind leg slightly darker, swollen; hind tibial comb with 5 spines; foreleg TR 2.10–2.33 (2.23, n = 10), mid leg TR 1.73–1.89 (1.79, n = 9), hind leg TR 2.00–2.30 (2.17, n = 10); claws curved, moderately stout. Wing (Fig. 130) plain; vein M2 visible; intercalary vein forked; first radial cell obliterated, second well developed, narrow; fork of cubitus situated distad to level of apex of costa; wing length 0.88–1.06 (1.01, n = 10) mm; breadth 0.28–0.34 (0.31, n = 5) mm; CR 0.39–0.43 (0.42, n = 10). Halter medium to dark brown.
Abdomen. Tergites uniformly brown. Genitalia (Fig. 131): tergite 9 short, extending to 2/5 the length of gonocoxite; posterior margin rounded; cercus slender, lobe-like; sternite 9 short with long anterolateral projections; posterior margin nearly straight, with scattered setae. Gonocoxite moderately stout, 1.8 X longer than greatest breadth, with subbasal, inner, blunt lobe; gonostylus as long as gonocoxite, stout, nearly straight, tip blunt. Parameres represented by a long, slender posteromesally directed processes longer than length of aedeagus, each process gradually narrowed posterolaterally, gonocoxal apodemes hyaline. Aedeagus (Fig. 132) heavily sclerotized; two slender posteromesally directed processes, each one tapering to pointed tip; basal arch extending to 1/3 of total length; lateral arms stout.
Female. As for male, with following differences; antenna with flagellomeres 1–8 subspherical, slightly longer than broad; progressively longer, flagellomeres 9–13 slightly elongate, 9–12 progressively shorter, proportions as shown in Fig. 133, flagellomere 13 with apical nipple, constricted basally; AR 0.82–0.93 (0.88, n = 8). Palpus (Fig. 134) pale brown; segment 3 slender, with broad, deep sensory pit opening on distal third; segments 4, 5 completely fused, shorter than segment 3; PR 2.33–2.91 (2.59, n = 10).
Thorax. Legs uniformly light to medium brown, tarsomere 1 of hind leg slender; foreleg TR 2.25–2.50 (2.33, n = 10), midleg TR 2.00–2.25 (2.09, n = 9), hind leg TR 2.11–2.44 (2.25, n = 10), claws curved, moderately stout. Wing (Fig. 135) plain, without pattern of pigmented membrane; first radial cell obliterated, second well developed, narrow; fork of cubitus situated at level of apex of costa; wing length 0.82–0.98 (0.90, n = 10) mm; breadth 0.34–0.42 (0.39, n = 10) mm; CR 0.46–0.49 (0.47, n = 10).
Abdomen. Tergites uniformly brown. Genital sclerotization (Fig. 136) quadrangular, lateral arms long. One spermatheca (Fig. 137) pyriform with short neck, heavily sclerotized, measuring 0.084 by 0.048 mm. cercus pale brown.
Distribution. This species in known only from high altitudes in Costa Rica, from 1400–2200 meters (Fig. 147).
Taxonomic discussion. Males and females were collected at the same locality and date. This species is similar to F. leei. The female of the latter species differs from the female of F. digita by the spermatheca being ovoid with a recurved neck and the presence of one rudimentary spermatheca. The male of F. leei differs from the male of F. digita by the presence of posteromesally directed processes of the parameres being shorter than the length of aedeagus, and by the triangular, stout aedeagus, tapering to a conical, blunt tip.
Bystrak & Wirth (1978), in their revision of the Nearctic species of Forcipomyia (Euprojoannisia) Brèthes, described six new species including F. pechumani. We examined the holotype male and two paratype males, all on microscope slides (USNM). Based on our examination and the description and accompanying illustrations of F. pechumani in Bystrak & Wirth (1978), it is clear that it belongs to the subgenus Saliohelea. The aedeagus of F. pechumani is similar to that of F. digita except that it has a stouter posteriorly directed process ending in a blunt tip; other major differences of F. pechumani are that the parameres are clearly shorter than the aedeagus, the hind tarsomere 1 is expanded, and the male hind tarsomere 1 is swollen but more slender than the hind tibia.
Type material. Holotype male on microscope slide, labeled “ HOLOTYPE Forcipomyia (Saliohelea) digita Spinelli, Marino and Borkent, Costa Rica, San José prov., Est. Santa Elena, 1850 m, 6-VII / 6-VIII-1997, E. Alfaro – M. Segura, CD 5073” (INBC). Paratypes, 36 males and 18 females (1 male, USNM; 1 male, MLPA; 4 males, CNCI; 7 males, INBC) as follows: same data as holotype, 2 males, 1 female (CNCI). Costa Rica, Tapantí, Paraíso, Orosí, no data, Alfaro, CD 5043, 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Sector La Represa, sendero Rancho Negro, Tapantí, 1700–1800 m, 14-VIII / 17-IX-1996, R. Delgado, Malaise tp., CD 5112, 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Tapantí NP, río Dos Amigos, 1500 m, 3-VI / 6-VII-1995, R. Delgado, Malaise tp., CD 5180, 2 males (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Sector La Represa, costado Torre ICE entre ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, III- 1997, R. Delgado, Malaise tp., CD 5166, 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., ACLA-P., Paraíso, Tapantí NP, La Represa, Torre ICE entre ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, III-1997, R. Delgado, Manual (red libre), CD 5174, 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Sector La Represa, Torre ICE entre ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, IV- 1997, R. Delgado, Malaise tp., CD 5233, 1 male, 3 females (CNCI). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Paraíso, ACLA-P. Tapantí NP, La Represa, Torre ICE entre ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, V-1997, R. Delgado, Malaise tp., CD 5185, 1 male (CNCI). Same data except VI-1997, Manual, CD 5338, 2 males (INBC). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Quebrada segunda, Tapantí, 1150 m, VIII-1994, G. Mora, Malaise tp., CD 5211, 1 male, 1 female (MLPA). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Barbilla NP, sendero principal a río Barbilla, Tapantí, 400–500 m, 10-X / 10-XI-2002, E. Rojas, Malaise tp., 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, A.C., La Amistad Pacífico, Paraíso, Orosí, Tapantí NP, Macizo de la Muerte, La Represa camino al tunel del río Humo, 1400–1500 m, 22-XII-1999 / 18-I-2000, M. Alfaro, Malaise tp., CD 5306, 1 female (CNCI). Costa Rica, Puntarenas prov., Send. a C. Pittier, 1 km N de la Est., 1800–2000 m, 13- IX-1996, A. M. Maroto, CD 5054, 3 females (INBC). Costa Rica, Puntarenas prov., Send. Pittier, 1 km N de la Est., 1800–2000 m, 4-III / 4-IV-1997, M. Moraga, CD 5066, 2 males, 3 females (INBC). Costa Rica, Puntarenas prov., Casa Coca, sendero a Cerro Frantzius, 1950 m, 21-VI-1999, A. Picado, red de golpe, CD 5102, 1 female (INBC). Costa Rica, San José prov., sendero Jueves 13, Est. Santa Elena, 1850 m, 20-III-1997, Segura – Alfaro, Malaise tp., CD 5107, 3 males (CNCI). Costa Rica, San José prov., ACLA-P., Pérez Zeledón, Chirripó NP, Est. Santa Elena, send. El Llano, 1800 m, 28-X / 27-XI-1996, E. Alfaro, Manual (red, libre), CD 5151, 1 male (CNCI). Costa Rica, San José prov., ACLA-P., Pérez Zeledón, Chirripó NP, Est. Santa Elena, send. Jueves 13, 1850 m, 2-VI / 6-VII- 1997, Alfaro – Segura, Manual (red, libre), CD 5207, 1 male (INBC). Same data except 6-VIII / 15-IX-1997, Segura – Alfaro, Malaise tp., CD 5367, 1 male (INBC). Costa Rica, San José prov., ACLA-P., Chirripó NP, Est. Santa Elena, send. Jueves 13, 1850 m, 15-IV / 2-VI-1997, Alfaro – Segura, Manual (red, libre), CD 5352, 1 male (CNCI). Costa Rica, San José prov., Pérez Zeledón, Est. Sta. Elena ACLA-P., 14-II / 16-III-1996, Segura - Alfaro, LS 371700N/507800E, #8527, CD 5014, 1 male (USNM). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Tapantí NP, La Represa, Torre ICE entre los ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, I-1999, R. Delgado, LS – 186150N/ 160100 E, #47544, CD 5013, 6 males, 3 females (3 males, 1 female, INBC; 3 males, 2 females, CNCI). Costa Rica, Cartago prov., Tapantí NP, La Represa, Torre ICE entre los ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m, VIII-1997, R. Delgado, LS – 560100N/186150E, #47549, CD 5016, 2 males, 1 female (CNCI). Costa Rica, Cartago Prov., Tapantí NP, La represa – zone del ICE, entre los ríos Porras y Villegas, 1800 m. XII, 1996, R. Delgado, CD 5018, 4 males, 1 female (INBC).
Derivation of specific epithet. The name digita (finger), refers to the somewhat finger-like posterior extensions of the aedeagus.
description: Published as part of Spinelli, Gustavo R., Marino, Pablo I. & Borkent, Art, 2012, A revision of Biting Midges of the Subgenera Forcipomyia (Metaforcipomyia) and F. (Saliohelea) from Costa Rica (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), pp. 1-52 in Zootaxa 3419 on pages 42-45, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.215031