Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ( Brues, 1919a )

Ament, Danilo Cesar & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the genus Neopleurophora Brown (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of thirty seven new species, Zootaxa 3657 (1), pp. 1-93 : 6-8

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3657.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D3E95FDE-9836-474B-89E5-3575C82DD307
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treatment provided by	Felipe (2021-08-25 02:18:21, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-04 18:36:50)
scientific name	Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ( Brues, 1919a )
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Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ( Brues, 1919a)

(Fig: 1)

Paraspiniphora scutellata var. jamaicensis Brues, 1919a: 431 .

Chaetocnemistoptera jamaicensis ; Schmitz, 1927: 31; 1929: 93.

Chaetopleurophora jamaicensis ; Brues, 1943: 52; Borgmeier, 1961: 3; 1962: 452; 1968: 13.

Chaetopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ; Borgmeier, 1969: 38.

Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ; Brown, 1992: 51.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, JAMAICA: Liguanea Plain , xii.1911, C. Brues col. ( MCZ).

Comments. The female holotype of N. scutellata var. jamaicensis differs from the female holotype of N. scutellata in having three posterodorsal setae on hind tibia, while N. scutellata has four. Its status has been changed over the years depending on the view if this represents sufficient variation to separate them as different species. Both holotypes are females and could not be associated to males with confidence. Neopleurophora hind leg chaetotaxy sometimes can be used to diagnose species, but species as N. kleini sp. nov., N. colobopyga sp. nov., N. setipes and N. browni sp. nov. show intraespecific variation of this character, in some cases even in the same specimen. Since the diagnoses of most species are based on male terminalia, which are not available in this case, and hind leg chaetotaxy is extremely plastic within the genus, we do not see enough evidence to accept them as different species.

For the sake of the construction of a system within the genus to organize our knowledge on the diversity of species, but without having to erect additional formal taxa below the generic level, we propose groups and subgroups of species. Two main divisions—I and II—contain respectively groups 1 to 4 and 5 to 6. Group 6 is further divided into sections A and B. Even though we tried to gather the species based on features that seemed to correspond to apomorphic states (especially from the male terminalia characters), a formal study of the phylogenetic relationships within the genus is still wanting.

I. Species with free-ending epiphallus

Diagnosis. Epiphallus free-ending, bearing thin, transparent scales; phallic ventral plate usually not very developed, restricted to right side of phallus ( Figs. 6 View FIGURES 1–7 , 252–277 View FIGURES 252–255 View FIGURES 256–259 View FIGURES 260–263 View FIGURES 264–267 View FIGURES 268–271 View FIGURES 272–275 View FIGURES 276–279 ). Right subepandrial setulose process absent ( Fig. 51 View FIGURES 48–51 ). Midtibia with three or more anterodorsal setae, hind tibia with five or more anterodorsal setae. Tergites with dense microtrichia producing a silvery sheen.

Species included. Neopleurophora scleropyga and N. synaptodrilus (group 1); N. acrensis , N. kleini , N. microssoma , N. prionotopyga and N. reginensis (group 2); N. acrochaetopyga , N. carcharopyga , N. dichaeta and N. tanytarsus (group 3); N. atlantica and N. boliviana (group 4).

Group 1.

Diagnosis. Right arm of phallus fused to basiphallus ( Figs. 252–255 View FIGURES 252–255 ).

Species included: Neopleurophora scleropyga and N. synaptodrilus .

References

Borgmeier, T. (1961) Weitere Beitraege zur Kenntnis der neotropischen Phoriden, nebst Beschreibung einiger Dohrniphora - Arten aus der indo-australischen Region. Studia Entomologica, 4, 1 - 112.

Borgmeier, T. (1962) Verusch einer Uebersicht ueber die neotropischen Megaselia-Arten, sowie neue oder wenig bekannte Phoriden verschiedener Gattungen. Studia Entomologica, 5, 289 - 488.

Borgmeier, T. (1968) A catalogue of the Phoridae of the world. Studia Entomologica, 11, 1 - 367.

Borgmeier, T. (1969) New or little known phorid flies, mainly of the Neotropical Region. Studia Entomologica, 12, 33 - 132.

Brown, B. V. (1992) Generic revision of the Phoridae of the Neartic Region and phylogenetic classification of Phoridae, Sciadoceridae, and Ironomyiidae (Diptera: Phoridea). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada, 164, 1 - 114. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.4039 / entm 124164 fv

Brues, C. T. (1919 a) A revised list of the Diptera of Jamaica. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 41, 421 - 449.

Brues, C. T. (1943) Some North American species of Chaetopleurophora. Psyche, 50, 50 - 52.

Schmitz, H. (1927) Revision der Phoridengattungen mit Beschreibung neuer Gattungen und Arten. Natuurhistorisch Maandblad, 16, 30 - 40, 45 - 50, 59 - 68, 72 - 79, 92 - 100, 110 - 116, 28 - 132, 142 - 148 and 164 - 176.

Schmitz, H. (1929) Revision der Phoriden. F. Dummler, Bonn & Berlin, 211 pp.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Neopleurophora. 1. N. scutellata var. jamaicensis holotype habitus; 2. N. kungi head in lateral view; 3. N. lamasi head in dorsal view; 4. N. balbii wing; 5. N. megalopyga hypopygium in dorsal view (as the hypopygium is twisted it is the hypopygial left lateral); 6–7. Schematic drawings of the distinct main morphologies of the phallus found in Neopleurophora (colors representing homologies). Abbreviations: bs, basiphallus (in green); cp, core plate (in red); dp, dorsal process; epi, epiphallus (in blue); LGS, lower genal seta; ra, right arm; ssp, secondary scaled plate; UGS, upper genal seta; vp, ventral plate.

FIGURES 252–255. Neopleurophora phallus. 252–253. N. scleropyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 254–255. N. synaptodrilus, dorsal and left lateral view respectively. Abbreviations: bs, basiphallus; cp, core plate; epi, epiphallus; ra, right arm; vp, ventral plate.

FIGURES 256–259. Neopleurophora phallus. 256–257. N. acrensis, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 258–259. N. kleini, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 260–263. Neopleurophora phallus. 260–261. N. microssoma, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 262–263. N. prionotopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 264–267. Neopleurophora phallus. 264–265. N. reginensis, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 266–267. N. acrochaetopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 268–271. Neopleurophora phallus. 268–269. N. carcharopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 270–271. N. dichaeta, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 272–275. Neopleurophora phallus. 272–273. N. tanytarsus, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 274–275. N. atlantica, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 276–279. Neopleurophora phallus. 276–277. N. boliviana, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 278–279. N. brachypyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.