Titanogrypa ramosa, 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 : 254-257

Titanogrypa ramosa sp. nov.

( Figures 5–8 )

Diagnosis

This species may be recognized by the two sets of processes sprouting from the distal portion of the expanded distiphallus. Apically, a pair of membranous processes arise laterally and slightly anteriorly to the heavily sclerotised, black juxta. Ventrally, a pair of recurving, tubular, vesical processes that bifurcate into two arms of unequal length arise proximally to the lateral styles and close to the base of the pair of apical processes. ST5 is doubly indented at its base, its inner margins forming a ‘‘V’’ lined with very fine and minute golden-white microtomentum.

Description. Male. Length 56 mm (n54).

Head. Fronto-orbital and parafacial plates covered with yellow microtomentum; parafacial plate with single row of minute setulae along inner eye margin; frontal vitta well defined, dark, with row of 4–5 frontal setae along its external margin, reaching the level of the basal 1/3 of the second antennal segment, inner and outer vertical setae differentiated, ocellar setae similar to frontals, one pair of postocellars, gena and postgena with white setae; one reclinate fronto-orbital seta and proclinate seta absent. Antenna dark brown, first flagellomere almost touching the oral margin; arista long plumose in basal 2/3.

Thorax. With the usual three black stripes. Chaetotaxy: Acrostichals 0+(12)2, dorsocentrals 3+3, intra-alars 1(22)+2(23), supra-alars 1+3, postalars 2, postpronotals 1, notopleurals 4 (2 primaries, 2 subprimaries), katepisternals 3 (middle one weak, placed below and equidistant to the others), meropleurals 4–5; postalar wall bare, scutellum with one preapical and 0 apicals, without white lateral setulae. Wings evenly fumose, R 1 setulose on basal L, R 4+5 setulose along almost its entire length, costal spine short but differentiated, third costal sector with ventral setulae. Legs. Fore femur with one ventral, one dorsal, one posterodorsal and two anteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with two anterior and two posterior setae; mid femur with two median anterior setae, three median ventrals, two basal anteroventrals and two preapical posterior setae, no ctenidium on posteroventral margin; mid tibia with two posterior and one anteroventral setae; hind femur with four anteroventral and one anterior setae; hind tibia with one anterior and one posterodorsal setae; hind coxa setose.

Abdomen. Black, checkerboard patterned. Abdominal sternites quadrangular with rounded posterior corners, covered with fine setulae. T2 and T3 with marginal lateral setae, T4 with a row of 14 primary posterior marginals, T5 with a row of 16 primary posterior marginals. Fifth sternite deeply cleft almost to the base, inner margins covered with fine setulae ( Figure 6 ).

Terminalia. Syntergosternite 7+8 dark with many fine setulae and a row of four posterior setae, epandrium lighter brown or red-brown with many similar setae ( Figure 5 ). Cercus slender, almost straight in profile and with rounded apex, surstylus with rather stout setae on external surface and spines on the apex, paramere hook-shaped with a papillary process which bears a very long seta, gonopod simple and curved ( Figure 5 ). Phallus presents basiphallus, distiphallus and juxta distinct and separated ( Figure 7 ); basiphallus with a very short extension at the junction with distiphallus and a short epiphallus-like extension, distiphallus wellsclerotized with a dark apex expanding distally into a pair of dentate processes, and juxta very dark, sprouting from the distal surface of distiphallus ( Figure 7 ); lateral styli conspicuous and flattened; median stylus well-developed, distally bifurcated with serrated apices, median and lateral styli projecting outside and visibly exposed from the apex of the distiphallus ( Figures 7, 8 ); vesica formed by two conspicuous, slender processes with bifurcated apex forming two arm-like extensions, of which the proximal one is longer than the distal one ( Figures 7, 8 ).

Female and immature stages unknown.

Etymology. From Latin, ramus, ramosus 5branch, branched (i.e. with many branches). The species epithet is an adjective referring to the two sets of arm-like processes of the distiphallus.

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), 03.viii.2005, J. Méndez, fish bait on red mangrove floor ( MNRJ) . Paratypes: two males, same data as holotype ( ZMUC) , one male, data as holotype but with the date 16.iv.2005 ( ZMUC) .

Taxonomic notes. The genus Titanogrypa Towsend, 1860 as redefined by Pape (1996) remains in need of a better definition. No autapomorphy has been proposed for the entire assemblage of species, and Pape (1996) arranged these in four subgenera and with a single species, Chamayamyia minensis Lopes, 1980 , as subgenerically unplaced. The species of Titanogrypa present varying combinations of diagnostic characters, which could mean that future studies might lead to the break up of this group into several genera. For example, in the subgenera Airypel Dodge, 1965 , Cucullomyia Roback, 1954 and Titanogrypa (s.str.) several members present a patch of dense, white setae laterally on the scutellum, while others do not (e.g. T. ramosa , T. luculenta , T. ecuatoriana , and all species of subgenus Sarconeiva Lopes, 1940 ); species of most subgenera present at least a short epiphallus-like extension of the basiphallus, which in the subgenus Sarconeiva is rather long ( T. ramosa present a short extension). On this still sparse evidence, Titanogrypa ramosa could fit in either of the subgenera Cucullomyia or Sarconeiva , but we prefer at present to treat the species as a member of Titanogrypa (sensu lato) with uncertain subgeneric affiliation.

The new species described above can be separated from other species of Titanogrypa by the following key:

1. Vein R 1 bare, four postdorsocentral setae, T4 without median marginal setae subgenus Cucullomyia

- Vein R 1 setulose, 3 or 4 postdorsocentral setae, T4 with or without median marginal setae...................... 2

2. Three postdorsocentral setae, T4 with one pair of median marginal setae subgenus Titanogrypa

- Four postdorsocentral setae, T4 with or without median marginal setae. 3

3. Scutellum with a patch of dense, white setae laterally, T4 without median marginal setae................. subgenus Airypel - Scutellum with normal black setae laterally, T4 with one pair of median marginal setae............................ 4

4. Distiphallus apically with membranous, microtrichia-like or villiform processes................. Subgenus Sarconeiva

- Distiphallus apically without such processes........... 5

5. Mid femur without postero-apical ctenidium. Juxta separated from remaining distiphallus with distinct hinge; vesica shaped as a pair of fully separated, long processes, each with bifurcated tip........................... Titanogrypa ramosa Méndez, Mello-Patiu & Pape sp. nov.

- Mid femur with postero-apical ctenidium. Juxta not separated from remaining distiphallus; vesica short, bilobed............. T. minensis

Figures

Figures 5–8. Titanogrypa ramosa nov. sp., male: (5) terminalia with phallus and associated structures, lateral view; (6) sternite 5, ventral view; (7) distiphallus, lateral view; (8) distiphallus, ventral view. Abbreviations: bp5basiphallus, ce5cercus, dp5distiphallus, dpp5distiphallus projection, go5gonopod, ju5juxta, ls5lateral stylus, ms5median stylus, pa5paramere, su5surtylus, ve5vesica.