Liriomyza

Boucher, Stéphanie & Wheeler, Terry A., 2014, Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera) of the Mission Géodésique de l’Équateur: Becker (1920) revisited, Zootaxa 3779 (2), pp. 157-176 : 171-172

Liriomyza sp. A

( Figs. 48–52 )

Agromyza pusilla Meigen , of Becker (1920), in part.

MNHN Specimen. Ecuador: Env. de Tulcan, Dr. G. Rivet 1902 (1 ♂).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Neotropical species of Liriomyza by the combination of a brown palpus, an entirely dark brown antenna with the first flagellomere yellowish basally; legs completely dark brown except for bright yellow knees, mesonotum shining (or sub-shining) black, without yellow patches at hind corners.

Description. Frons width 0.33 mm; ratio of frons width to eye width 2.5 (measured in dorsal view); orbit 0.16 times width of frons (frons including orbits) at midpoint; parafacial only slightly projecting, forming narrow ring (cheek) below eye; orbital setae particularly strong; 2 reclinate ors and 2 almost subequal inclinate ori; orbital setulae reclinate; first flagellomere (one missing) small to medium in size, covered with short pubescence; arista with short but dense pubescence; gena deep, conspicuously extended at rear; gena height at midpoint: 0.30 times maximum eye height; upper margin of clypeus thick and rounded; eye with a few short scattered hairs; one strong presutural and three postsutural dorsocentrals; acrostichal setulae in 4 irregular rows; 2 notopleural setae; postpronotum with one strong seta (only socket present) and 3 weaker ones; anepisternum with 1 strong seta on posterior margin a little above midpoint, with 2 smaller setae dorsally and 1 ventrally; fore and mid tibiae without lateral seta; stridulatory mechanism easily visible; wing length approximately 2.1 mm in male (wings bent). Last section of CuA1 1.3 times longer than penultimate.

Colour. Frons and lower orbit yellow (lower ori on yellow); upper orbit brown to upper ori; both vt on brown; hind margin of eye brown on dorsal half; face partly brown below antenna and along facial carina, but yellow below; antenna mostly dark brown, except first flagellomere slightly paler basally (yellower on inner surface); palpus brown; clypeus shiny black. Mesonotum shining brown to margin of scutellum; scutellum largely bright yellow with brown patches laterally; basal scutellar setae on dark ground; postpronotum yellow with a central brown patch; notopleuron mostly yellow but dark brown at junction with anepisternum; anepisternum almost completely brown, only narrowly yellow posteriorly; katepisternum entirely brown; calypter dark brown including margin and fringe; halter white; legs dark brown with bright yellow knees. Abdominal tergites mostly brown, narrowly yellow laterally.

Male genitalia. (phallus and phallapodeme missing). Posteroventral margin of epandrium without spine; anteroventral margin of epandrium with short hook-like projection (arrow, Fig. 51 ); postgonites long and widening apically ( Figs. 48–49 ); ejaculatory apodeme large, with strongly sclerotized bowl-shaped base and tube-like lateral projections ( Fig. 52 ); subepandrial sclerites (= bacilliform sclerites sensu Zlobin (2002)) fused, somewhat Xshaped with anterior arms much longer than posterior ones; these bearing one long seta ( Fig. 49 ).

Comments. The phallus and phallapodeme are absent in the only available specimen (possibly resulting from a mutation). In the absence of the phallus, the identity of this species cannot be confirmed, but the overall external characteristics match the Chilean species Liriomyza schwabei Spencer , except for the paler first and second antennal segment and the longer ultimate section of CuA1. This Neotropical species belongs to the flaveola -group ( Spencer 1976; Zlobin, 2002), which includes species with a characteristic phallus shape and often a short acute protuberance on anteroventral margin of the epandrium (as seen here). All species belonging to this group are Poaceae feeders.

Figures

FIGURES 48 – 52. Liriomyza sp. A, (48) postgonites, (49) postgonites and subepandrial sclerites, (50) epandrium, lateral, (51) left side of epandrium, arrow shows hook-like projection, (52) ejaculatory apodeme. Scale bars = 0.05 mm.