Nostima giovannolii Wirth 1956

Nostima giovannolii Wirth

Nostima giovannolii Wirth, 1956:15; 1968:17 [Neotropical catalog].—Mathis and Zatwarnicki, 1995:191–192 [world catalog].

DIAGNOSIS.—Nostima giovannolii is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of external characters: crossveins r-m and dm-cu white (sometimes surrounded by white spot), contrasted with yellowish to brownish veins; apical section of CuA1 long; hindtibia unicolorous; tergite 2 dorsomedially with dense, silvery gray microtomentose band from anterior to posterior margin, posterolateral margin with dense band of silvery gray microtomentum laterally expanded but not reaching margin; tergite 3 posterolateral margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum laterally expanded but not reaching lateral margin; tergite 4 with silvery gray microtomentum in large dorsolateral spots along posterior margin covering more than of tergite, laterally with dense, silvery gray microtomentum not reaching margin; male tergite 5 posteromedial margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum, with 3 silvery gray microtomentose projections extending from posteromedial margin, 2 oval-shaped lateral projections, 1 rod-shaped medial projection, and dense, silvery gray microtomentum covering lateral margin; and female tergite 5 dorsomedially completely covered with dense, silvery gray microtomentum except for brown anteromedial semicircle, posterolateral margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum.

DESCRIPTION.—Small shore flies, body length 1.05–1.30 mm; yellowish brown to brown with silvery gray and yellowish silver microtomentum.

Head: Frons ventrolateral triangles brown with yellowish silver microtomentum, anterior semicircle paler brown than ventrolateral triangles and with yellowish silver microtomentum medioventrally darker. Occiput yellowish brown with silvery gray microtomentum. Outer vertical seta length of inner vertical seta; paravertical seta present. Scape and pedicel dorsally yellowish brown, ventrally yellow; flagellomere 1 dorsally dark yellowish brown, ventrally pale yellowish brown; arista dorsally branched. Facial background yellowish brown with yellowish silver microtomentum; narrow band of silvery gray microtomentum along eye margin beginning at vertical setae and extending to gena. Medially along parafacial, a yellowish brown band extending lateroventrally below gena. Face medially covered with yellowish silver microtomentum. Gena with dense, silvery gray microtomentum; postgena covered with dense, silvery gray microtomentum, extending to occiput. Maxillary palpus yellow; prementum yellowish brown.

Thorax (Figure 150): Scutal length 0.38–0.48 mm [n=4]; scutellar length 0.16–0.21 mm. Mesonotum brown with yellowish silver microtomentum, vittate, presutural vitae more distinct than postsutural vitae; mesonotum medially with dark brown stripe laterally bounded with silvery stripes; dorsocentral line dark brown, darker around dorsocentral setal bases; silvery stripe between dorsocentral line and interalar setae; postpronotum dorsally silver, ventrally brown; scutellar disc brown with yellowish silver microtomentum, darker around scutellar setal bases, laterally with dense, silvery gray microtomentum; anepisternum and katepisternum dark yellowish brown with silvery gray microtomentum; subscutellum shiny dark yellowish brown with yellowish silver microtomentum; anatergite shiny dark yellowish brown with yellowish silver microtomentum. Chaetotaxy: anterior dorsocentral seta length of posterior seta; anterior notopleural seta length of posterior seta; lateral scutellar seta length of apical seta. Wing (Figure 150): length 1.10–1.31 mm; width 0.50–0.55 mm; costal-vein ratio 0.93–1.05; M-vein ratio 0.33–0.40; amber background; veins yellowish brown; crossveins r-m and dm-cu white. Halter yellowish white. Legs yellowish brown to brown; tibia 3 faintly banded; tarsomere 5 brown on all legs.

Abdomen (Figures 46–48, 201, 202): Background brown; tergites 1–5 with sparse, yellowish silver microtomentum; tergite 2 dorsomedially with dense, silvery gray microtomentose band from anterior to posterior margin, posterolateral margin with dense band of silvery gray microtomentum laterally expanded but not reaching margin; tergite 3 posterolateral margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum laterally expanded but not reaching lateral margin; tergite 4 with silvery gray microtomentum in large dorsolateral spots along posterior margin covering more than of tergite, laterally with dense, silvery gray microtomentum not reaching margin; male tergite 5 posteromedial margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum, with 3 silvery gray microtomentose projections extending from posteromedial margin (2 oval-shaped lateral projections, 1 rod-shaped medial projection), and dense, silvery gray microtomentum covering lateral margin; female tergite 5 dorsomedially completely covered with dense, silvery gray microtomentum except for anteromedial brown semicircle, posterolateral margin with dense, silvery gray microtomentum. Male genitalia (Figures 46–48): epandrium-cerci-surstyli complex fused; epandrium a broad U-shaped band; cercus completely fused laterally with epandrium and with several long setulae; surstylus fused dorsally with epandrium, elongate, and ventrally bearing many small setae; 10th sternite triangulate in ventral view, undulate in lateral view; aedeagal apodeme triangular in lateral view with anterior projection broadly spatulate, posterior projection tripartite and rounded laterally and medially, lateral projections pointed; aedeagus crescent-shaped; subepandrial plate-gonite fused; gonite broadly fused anteriorly with subepandrial plate, posterior projection of gonite triangular in lateral view and with medioventral setula; subepandrial plate forming lateral shelf along gonite, articulated with epandrium via rounded lateral projections; hypandrium broadly rectangular with anterolateral margins rounded.

TYPE MATERIAL.—The holotype male of Nostima giovannolii Wirth is labeled “Cat Island McQueen Jan. 23, 1953/Van Voast—A M.N.H. Bahama Isis. Exped. Coll. E. B. Hayden/[male symbol]/HOLOTYPE Nostima giovannolii Wirth [red; handwritten].” The holotype is glued to a paper point on the left thorax, is in good condition (right wing in an attached microvial), and is deposited in the AMNH.

OTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED (16, 13).—BAHAMAS. Cat Island, McQueen, 23 Jan 1953, E.B. Hayden, L. Giovannoli (1; AMNH); Crooked Island, Landrail Point, 5 Mar 1953, E.B. Hayden (1; USNM); Exuma Cays, Darby Island, 18 Jan 1953, E.B. Hayden, L. Giovannoli (2; AMNH, USNM); Mayaguana Island near Abraham Bay, 3 Mar 1953, E.B. Hayden (1; AMNH).

CUBA. Pinar del Rio: Soroa (22°47.7′N, 83°W), 4–6 Dec 1994, W.N. Mathis (1; USNM).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Barahona: Barahona (11 km S; 18°07.7′N, 71°04′W), 15 May 1995, W.N. Mathis (12, 4; USNM); Paraiso (5 km N; 18°01.5′N, 71°11.6′W; 150 m), 21 Mar 1999, W.N. Mathis (2; USNM). El Seibo: Pedro Sáchez (18°51.4′N, 69°6.5′W), 26 May 1998, D. and W.N. Mathis (1; USNM). Independencia: Los Pinos (4 km S; 18°35′N, 71°46′W; 455 m; semiarid deciduous forest with pastures), 23 Jul 1992, R. Davidson, J. Rawlins, S. Thompson, C. Young (1; CARN). Peravia: San José Ocoa (10 km NE; 18°35′N, 70°25.6′W), 21 May 1998, D. and W.N. Mathis (1; USNM).

UNITED STATES. Florida: Lee County, Sanibel Island (Malaise trap), 2 May 1973, W.W. Wirth (1; USNM).

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 49).—Nearctic: United States (Florida). Neotropical: Bahamas, West Indies (Cuba, Dominican Republic).

ETYMOLOGY.—Wirth named this species for L. Giovannoli who was a collector on the Van Voast-American Museum of Natural History expeditions to the Bahamas in the early 1950s.