Austrotinodes paraguayensis Flint 1983

Austrotinodes paraguayensis

This is the first species to be described from South America outside of Chile, although several are known from Central America. The relationships are clearly with the Central American group of species and not the Chilean; in fact it is very similar to A. panamensis Flint. From this species it is easily differentiated by the shape of the fused claspers and their dorsal rod, the structure of the aedeagus, and the basomesal rod of the cercus.

ADULT.—Length of forewing, 4 mm. Color brown, antennae stramineous; forewing brown with many silvery scales arranged to leave a dark margin costally and in spots around apex.

Male Genitalia: Ninth segment deeply divided laterally, ventral portion prolonged posteriad. Tenth tergum consisting of a pair of trianguloid lobes dorsally between bases of cerci. Cercus elongate, nearly parallel-sided and rounded apically; basomesal process long, thin, enlarged apically and bearing 3 large setae and a short process. Claspers fused mesally, darkened along posteromesal surface, with a thin, rounded lateral lobe; basodorsal rod dark, bifurcate apically. Aedeagus with a rodlike pair of basodorsal processes each tipped by an enlarged seta; with a pair of long, thin dorsomesal plates, each bearing apicolaterally an enlarged seta; ventrally with a single, black, spine, sigmoid in lateral aspect.

MATERIAL.—Holotype (male): PARAGUAY, DPTO. PARAGUARí, Colonia Piraretá, 25 Dec 1971, L.E. Peña G., USNM Type 100486.

Paratype: Same data as holotype, 1.