Sarcofahrtiopsis piscosa, Méndez & Mello-Patiu & Pape, 2008

Méndez, J., Mello-Patiu, C. A. & Pape, T., 2008, New flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from coastal mangroves of Panama with taxonomic notes and keys, Journal of Natural History 42 (3 - 4), pp. 249-257 : 250-254

Sarcofahrtiopsis piscosa sp. nov.

( Figures 1–4 )

Diagnosis

The species described here possesses all the autapomorphic features of the genus Sarcofahrtiopsis Hall, 1930 as defined by Mello-Patiu and Pape (2000). It differs from all other species of Sarcofahrtiopsis in the curved surstylus and in structural details of the phallus. The vesical extension is tubular only at the base and not sagittally bifurcated, and it soon flattens into an elongated plate that is bent proximally, and is horizontally forked or bilobed at the tip. Distal to the vesical extension is a single, median row of denticles, of which the distalmost is larger than the others and shaped like a small, spiny, recurved process.

Description

Male. Length 55 mm (n54).

Head. Fronto-orbital and parafacial plates covered with lightly golden microtomentum; parafacial plate with single row of setulae along inner eye margin; frontal vitta well defined, dark, with row of 4–5 frontal setae along its external margin, reaching the midpoint of the second antennal segment, inner and outer vertical setae developed, ocellar setae similar to frontals, one pair of postocellars, two proclinate and one reclinate fronto-orbital setae. Antenna black, first flagellomere with gray microtomentum; arista long plumose on basal 1/2.

Thorax. With the usual three longitudinal stripes. Chaetotaxy: Acrosticals 0+1, dorsocentrals 2(23)+3, intra-alars 1(22)+2, supra-alars 1(22)+3, postalars 2, postpronotals 2, notopleurals 2 (subprimaries absent), katepisternals 3 (middle one weaker, placed at equal distance and at same level from the others), meropleurals 5, postalar wall bare, scutellum with one preapical, 0 apical, two strong and one weak laterals. Wings: hyaline, tegula small and black, R 1 and R 4+5 both setulose in almost their entire length. Costal spine absent. Legs: anterior femur with a row of setae on posterodorsal and posteroventral margin; anterior tibia with one posteroventral seta; mid femur with two anterior, one posteroventral and one anteroventral setae, no ctenidium distally on posteroventral margin; mid tibia with one posteroventral and one anteroventral setae; hind femur with one anteroventral and one anterodorsal row of setae; hind tibia with one anterior, one posterodorsal, one posterior and one posteroventral seta.

Abdomen. Brown or red-brown with a dark median stripe and elongate or triangular lateral spots on T3–4, small spots posteriorly on T5; silver-grey or partly faintly golden microtomentum. T4 with one pair of median marginal setae and two pairs of lateral marginals. T5 with row of about 12 marginals. Sternites quadrangular with rounded posterior corners, covered randomly distributed fine, hair-like setae, darker and stronger setae on posterior margin; fifth sternite subtrapezoidal, posterior margin slightly convex with no median cleft ( Figure 2 ).

Terminalia. Syntergosternite 7+8, epandrium and cercus dark brown with numerous setae, syntergosternite 7+8 with a row of long, marginal setae, epandrium with stronger setae on dorsal surface ( Figure 1 ); cercus almost straight, pointed at tip with longer setae towards base, shorter ones distally ( Figure 1 ); surstylus broad, curved boomerang-like, densely covered with microtrichiae on base, with long setae on distal margin ( Figure 1 ); gonopod short and as long as the paramere, with long setae along the posterior margin ( Figures 1, 3 ); paramere slender, slightly curved, with a long median seta proximally on anterior margin ( Figures 1, 3 ); parameral apodeme slender and elongate ( Figure 3 ). Phallus well sclerotized with a weakly demarcated division between basi- and distiphallus, and a small juxta ( Figures 1, 3 ); lateral and median styli small and apically positioned, lateral styli very simple and unadorned, median stylus with a rounded base and a little rugosity at apex ( Figure 4 ); vesica large with a flattened proximal projection and a spiny ventral margin ( Figures 3, 4 ).

Female and immature stages unknown.

Etymology. From the Latin, piscosa 5full of fish; the species epithet is adjectival and refers to the circumstance that the type series was taken on fish bait.

Biology. Living in red mangrove communities where it is attracted to decomposing fish.

Type material. Holotype: male, Panama: Punta Chame , Chame (8 ° 339N, 79 ° 509W), 5.xi.2006, J. Méndez, fish bait on red mangrove floor ( MNRJ) . Paratypes: one male, data as holotype ( MNRJ) ; one male, data as holotype, except 16.viii.2005 ( MNRJ) ; one male, Chame Wildlife Refuge, 20.iii.2005, J. Méndez, on dead fish ( ZMUC) .

Taxonomic notes. Mello-Patiu and Pape (2000) elaborated on the definition of the genus Sarcofahrtiopsis and published a set of diagnostic, largely autapomorphic features which were considered to corroborate the monophyly of this taxon. The shape of the surstylus of S. piscosa is not found in any other species of Sarcofahrtiopsis and enables immediate recognition in combination with the shape of the phallus. The very long and slender parameral apodeme is somewhat similar to that of Sarcofahrtiopsis thyropteronthos Pape, Dechmann & Vonhof , but the surstylar shape and the possession of long setae apically on the surstylus in S. piscosa instead of spines as in S. thyropteronthos will immediately separate these species.

Sarcofahrtiopsis piscosa may be separated from all other known members of the genus by the following key (males only):

Key to the identification of the known species of Sarcofahrtiopsis , except for Sarcofahrtiopsis diembroma Dodge, 1965 , which is known only from the female.

1. Vein R 1 setose throughout its extension, parameral apodeme not elongated........ thyropteronthos Pape, Dechmann & Vonhof

- Vein R 1 setose only up to the subcostal break, parameral apodeme elongated elongated....................... 2 2. T5 reddish or brown elongated................ 3

- T5 black elongated..................... 4

3. Vesica smoothly rounded or broadly oval..... baumhoveri Dodge

- Vesica more irregular, almost triangular, and with a median row of teeth or denticles......... piscosa Méndez, Mello-Patiu & Pape sp. nov.

4. Vesical extension distally bifurcated, i.e., with a process set more or less perpendicular to the axis of the extension elongated........ 5

- Vesical extension simple and without any bifurcation elongated.... 8

5. Vesical bifurcation small, mainly a subapical barb-like or thorn-like process elongated............... cuneata (Townsend)

- Vesical bifurcation large, both prongs about equally long elongated... 6

6. Cercus distally slightly swollen and compressed, tip blunt elongated......................................... carcini Pape & Méndez

- Cercus distally tapering, neither swollen nor compressed, tip pointed elongated 7

7. Proximal extension of vesica about the length of swollen part of distiphallus; vesical bifurcation with prongs of about equal length, the one perpendicular to longitudinal axis of vesical extension set close to base............................................... kuna Pape & Méndez

- Proximal extension of vesica much longer than swollen part of distiphalllus; vesical bifurcation with prongs of subequal length, the one perpendicular to longitudinal axis of vesical extension is shortest and set just proximal to the mid point................... chiriqui Pape & Méndez

8. Vesical extension much longer than remaining vesica and with a spade-like or shovel-like flattened tip......... spathor Mello-Patiu & Pape

- Vesical extension at most as long as remaining vesica, tip not flattened shovel- like............................. 9

9. Vesica except the extension with rounded or broadly oval outline............................................... capitata (Curran)

- Vesica except the extension with more irregular, almost triangular outline. 10

10. Basicosta yellow. Vesica with 4–5 large spines on proximal part.................................................... farri Dodge

- Basicosta dark brown. Vesica with 8–10 small spines on proximal part............................................. jamaicensis Dodge

Figures

Figures 1–4. Sarcofahrtiopsis piscosa sp. nov., male: (1) terminalia with phallus and associated structures, lateral view; (2) sternite 5, ventral view; (3) phallus and associated structures, lateral view; (4) distiphallus, ventral view. Abbreviations: ap5parameral apodeme, ce5cercus, dp5distiphallus, ep5epandrium, go5gonopod, ju5juxta, ls5lateral stylus, ms5median stylus, pa5paramere, stg5syntergosternite, su5surtylus, ve5vesica.