A new species of Dasyhelea (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), mining the leaves of the floating fern Salvinia minima Baker.

Abstract

A newly described species, Dasyhelea mesophylla Dominiak and Borkent, from Costa Rica is the first species in this large and diverse family known to be a leaf-miner. The species is described as third and fourth instar larvae, pupa, and male and female adults. The biology of larvae mining the floating leaves of Salvinia minima Baker is also described. The pupa has a distinctive, sharply pointed respiratory organ, shared with some other species of Dasyhelea, which pierces the surface of the leaf to breathe. The species belongs in the grisea group and its close relatives within that group are noted.