Ablabesmyia platensis

Etymology: The specific epithet " platensis " refers to La Plata city, the type locality. Adult male (n = 6 – 10, except when otherwise stated) (Figs. 1 – 10, 14) Total length 4.52 – 5.08, 4.82 mm. Total length / wing length 2.05 – 2.18, 2.10 (5). Wing length / length of profemur 2.27 – 2.55, 2.41 (5). Coloration: Thorax (Fig. 1) yelowish, vittae, posnotum, anepisternum and preepisternum brown. Prescutelar area and scutellum yellow, except by 2 brown spots covering the posterior region of prescutelar area and the anterior of the scutelar area. Postscutellum brown. Abdomen (Fig. 2): segment I mostly brownish; segments II – V with anterior band projecting medially, lateral band and incomplete posterior band; segments VI – VII mostly brownish, with no discernible color pattern; wing spots as in Fig. 3. Legs: fe of p 1 with 3 bands (Fig. 4 a); the proximal one incomplete, in some specimens not very clear, connected to the middle band by a vertical band; ti of p 1 with 5 bands, the middle one incomplete, located at the anterior margin, sometimes difficult to see in laterally mounted legs; ta 1 with 2 bands, ta 2 – 4 with 1 apical band, ta 5 pigmented. Band pattern of mid and hind legs (Figs. 4 b and 4 c respectively) as in fore leg, except tibia with 4 bands. Hypopygium yellow, apical region of gonocoxite and basal region brown. Head (Fig. 6). Antenna with 14 flagellomeres (Fig. 7); AR 2.01 – 2.11, 2.07. Ultimate flagellomere 122 – 132, 127; penultimate 656 – 747, 694. Temporal setae 73 – 95, 81; postorbitals 16 – 20, 18. Clypeus with 28 – 42, 35 setae. Tentorium 199 – 216, 208 long. Length of palpomeres 1 - 5: 64 – 71, 65; 102 – 149, 123; 149 – 191, 168; 164 – 208, 178; 257 – 357, 299 (5). Thorax. Antepronotum with 12 – 15, 13; humerals 12 – 21, 16; dorsocentrals 24 – 32, 26; acrostichals 90 – 99, 94 (3); prealars 23 – 37, 28; supraalar 1; scutellars 61 – 68, 64 (3). Wing with macrotrichia; length 2.12 – 2.45, 2.28 mm (5); width 0.62 – 0.79, 0.71 mm (5). Width / length = 0.29 – 0.32, 0.31 (5). VR 0.82 – 0.83, 0.83 (3). C not produced beyond R 4 + 5. Brachiolum with 7 – 9, 8 setae. Squama with 67 – 76, 70 setae (4). Legs. Spurs of fore leg 69 – 83, 75 long (Fig. 5 a); mid leg 65 – 83, 74 and 47 – 59, 53 long (Fig. 5 b); hind leg 71 – 83, 77 and 51 – 65, 56 long (Fig. 5 c). Comb with 4 spiniform setae. Two pseudospurs on ta 1 – 3 of all legs; presence of a row of distinctive spines along the inner margin of ta 1 – 3 of mid and hind legs. Lengths and proportions of legs in Table 1. fe ti ta 1 ta 2 ta 3 p 1 872 – 1037, 944 1017 – 1231, 1103 809 – 934, 868 477 – 573, 507 407 – 498, 438 p 2 975 – 1141, 1041 975 – 1141, 1038 757 – 934, 811 415 – 498, 451 349 – 390, 364 p 3 851 – 1079, 979 1245 – 1473, 1322 1038 – 1224, 1110 564 – 685, 610 432 – 515, 481 ta 4 ta 5 LR BV SV p 1 266 – 332, 299 166 – 208, 184 0.76 – 0.85, 0.82 1.99 – 2.15, 2.04 2.25 – 2.43, 2.36 p 2 228 – 270, 247 166 – 193, 177 0.74 – 0.82, 0.78 2.24 – 2.51, 2.33 2.44 – 2.64, 2.57 p 3 232 – 332, 304 166 – 208, 187 0.79 – 0.90, 0.84 2.10 – 2.25, 2.16 1.94 – 2.18, 2.07 Hypopygium (Fig. 8). Setae on tergite IX, 2 – 3, 3. Phallapodeme 71 – 75, 72 long (5); transverse sternapodeme 67 – 76, 72 wide (3). Gonocoxite 177 – 224, 188 long. Gonostylus 191 – 220, 202 long; apex of gonostylus 35 – 41, 38 long; pointed megaseta 35 – 41, 38 long (Fig. 9). Aedeagal complex (Fig. 10, 14): BL slightly curved, 53 – 65, 60 long; width of BL 10 – 14, 12 at base, 16 – 20, 19 at 1 / 4, 10 – 16, 13 at 1 / 2, 6 – 10, 7 at 3 / 4, 2 at 9 / 10; DL 40 – 54, 45 long, with 5 – 6, 5 terminal setae. BDL 53 – 73, 62 long. BL / BDL 0.79 – 0.90, 0.84. LL absents. HR 0.90 – 1.02, 0.93; HV 2.26 – 2.54, 2.38. Adult female (n = 3 – 6, except when otherwise stated) (Figs. 11 – 13) Coloration: Thorax and leg pattern coloration as in male. Wing spots Fig. 11. Total length 3.49 – 4.8, 3.98 mm. Total length / wing length 1.66 – 2.12 (2). Wing length / length of profemur 2.53 – 2.65 (2). Head. Antenna with 11 flagellomeres (Fig. 12), AR 0.24 – 0.29, 0.27. Temporal setae 59 – 86, 77. Clypeus with 37 – 69, 51 setae. Length of palpomeres 1 - 5: 60 – 71, 66; 102 – 125, 115; 141 – 166, 153; 166 – 174, 172; 270 – 337, 308. Tentorium 182 – 199, 190 long. Thorax. Antepronotum with 14 – 19, 16 setae. Dorsocentrals 24 – 33, 28; humerals 18 – 31, 24; acrostichals 101 (1); prealars 34 – 54, 43; supraalar 1; scutelars 85 – 115, 95. Wing with macrotrichia; length 2.02 – 2.26, 2.14 mm; width 0.78 – 0.89, 0.84 mm; width / length = 0.37 – 0.42, 0.39. VR 0.85 – 0.95, 0.90. Costa not produced beyond R 4 + 5. Brachiolum with 9 – 10, 9 setae. Squama with 57 – 87, 67 setae. Legs. Spur of fore leg 61 – 70, 65 long; mid leg 60 – 71, 64 and 47 – 57, 51 long; hind leg 67 – 76, 70 and 51 – 55, 53 long. Comb with 4 spiniform setae. Lengths and proportions of legs in Table 2. fe ti ta 1 ta 2 ta 3 p 1 689 – 892, 808 821 – 975, 916 697 – 768, 735 365 – 407, 388 291 – 332, 319 p 2 830 – 1038, 971 872 – 1121, 1020 664 – 830, 765 357 – 457, 415 291 – 374, 329 p 3 739 – 934, 873 1038 – 1370, 1235 955 – 1121, 1065 523 – 631, 576 415 – 481, 449 ta 4 ta 5 LR BV SV p 1 216 – 241, 229 149 – 183, 165 0.78 – 0.80, 0.79 2.25 – 2.64, 2.22 2.35 – 2.44, 2.40 p 2 216 – 232, 224 158 – 183, 168 0.73 – 0.78, 0.75 2.39 – 2.88, 2.52 2.55 – 2.65, 2.60 p 3 274 – 307, 288 166 – 199, 181 0.82 – 0.88, 0.84 2.12 – 2.47, 2.21 1.97 – 2.11, 2.03 Genitalia (Fig. 13). Cercus 73 – 78, 76 long. Seminal capsule 77 – 99, 88 long; notum 199 – 220, 210 long; sternite X with 12 – 15, 14 setae. Pupa (n = 15 – 20, except when otherwise stated) (Figs. 15 – 20) Total length 4.36 – 6.60, 5.92 mm. Cephalothorax. Frontal apotome as in Fig. 15. Wing pad pattern with fused spots (Fig. 16) and incomplete veins which are not clearly distinguished. Thoracic horn (Figs. 17, 18) 560 – 664, 611 long; 257 – 374, 313 wide; apical nipple 12 – 20, 15 (5) long; length of thoracic horn / apical nipple = 0.019 – 0.032, 0.024. Reticulum distinct, with external spines. End of aeropile " c " shape. Thoracic comb with 15 – 18, 17 conical spines (Fig. 19), plus short spines near the insertion of the thoracic horn. Abdomen. Shagreen with very small simple spines in arch, very difficult to discern. Chaetotaxy and coloration pattern as in Fig. 20. Anal lobe length 498 – 656, 570. Male genital sac 398 – 448, 421 (13) long. Position of first lateral setae / segment length = 0.37 – 0.47, 0.42 on segment VII; 0.30 – 0.36, 0.34 on segment VIII; 0.38 – 0.49, 0.44 on anal lobe. Fourth-instar larva (n = 7 – 10, except when otherwise stated) (Figs. 21 – 28) Total lenght 7.3 – 7.5 mm (2); Head. Cephalic setation Fig. 21, capsule 892 – 996, 950 long; 726 – 872, 792 wide. Antenna: AR 5.90 – 7.70, 6.41; basal segment 498 – 581, 529 long. Maxillary palp with two segments (Fig. 22); basal 41 – 51, 50 long; apical 41 – 55, 50 long; basal / apical 0.96 – 1.09, 1.01. Mandible (Fig. 23) 184 – 215, 198 long. Basal antennal segment / mandible 2.45 – 2.92, 2.68. Hypopharingeal complex (Fig. 24): Ligula 99 – 120, 112 long, with five teeth forming a concave margin, the outer and inner teeth sligthly outcurved; Paraligula bifid, 52 – 61, 56 long; pecten hypopharyngis with 16 – 17, 17 teeth (4). Appendage M Fig. 25. Abdomen. Procercus (Fig. 26) 141 – 183, 163 long; with seven setae 670 – 847, 780 long. Posterior parapods (Figs. 27, 28): two darker claws, the largest 81 – 112, 100 high, 71 – 85, 80 wide; the shorter 67 – 81, 73 high, 71 – 81, 75 wide; one hooked claw 37 – 55, 43 high, 66 – 81, 73 wide. Claws not (or slightly) pectinate.