Atarba (Atarba) angustipennis Alexander 1928

Atarba (Atarba) angustipennis Alexander, 1928

Atarba (Atarba) angustipennis Alexander, 1928b, p. 57.

The type, a female, was from the Sierra Rangel, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, 457.6 m (1,500 ft), 29 August 1927. Further specimens are from Loma del Gato, Sierra del Cobre, Cuba, 792.5–1,013.5 m (2,600–3,325 ft), 15–30 September 1935, and from El Vergel, Chiapas, Mexico, 800 meters (about 0.5 mile) 18 May 1935.

The genus Atarba is known from 2 species in Cuba and Jamaica and very numerous forms throughout continental Tropical America.

Male hypopygium (Figure 42) with the tergal horns, t, conspicuous. Basistyle, b, with a small tubercle on mesal face near apex. Outer dististyle slender, outer margin with a series of appressed spines, those near base smallest, outwardly gradually becoming longer and more appressed, the outermost longer than the small apical point. Aedeagus, a, long and pale, straight to gently sinuous, before apex on outer margin with a small point. Venation (Figure 40).

DOMINICA.—804.7 m (0.5 mile) east of Pont Casse, at light, 27 January 1965 (Wirth); 2,736 m (1.7 miles) east, at light, 12 March 1965 (Wirth); 4,023 m (2.5 miles) west, at light, 27 January 1965 (Wirth).

Elephantomyia Osten Sacken, 1859, p. 220.—Alexander, 1948b, pp. 552–554.

As discussed under the accompanying description, there presently are known 3 species of Elephantomyia from the West Indian islands, including the new species here described.

Following our presently accepted system of classification in this family of flies, the genus is placed in the tribe Hexatomini, whereas the genus Helius is in the tribe Limoniini, as considered earlier in this report. It is becoming evident that these 2 genera are more nearly allied than the present arrangement shows. The structure, including especially the male hypopygium and the venation, shows marked points of similarity in the two groups. The problem had been mentioned in another paper by the writer and seems to require further investigation (Alexander, 1964b, pp. 367–368).