Houghia longipilosa Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 63

Houghia longipilosa Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Figs. 4 b, 10 b, 30 a–f

Diagnosis. One of three species with long eye hairs, it may be distinguished from H. aurifera by the silver parafacial, and from H. brevipilosa by the distinct black apical bands on tergites 2 to 5.

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises approximately at level of middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere shorter than facial margin (usually shorter by at least the length of the pedicel). Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of fronto-orbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing rounded anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus less than diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye with conspicuous hairs. Postpronotum with 4 or 5 postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with long setae, none distinctly larger than the others or forming a row. Katepisternum with three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus wedge shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with light inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci rounded, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci straight, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, apical seta absent.

Hosts. Houghia longipilosa has been reared 91 times, from a sample of 764 Memphis proserpina (Salvin) (Nymphalidae) caterpillars feeding on rain forest Mollinedia costaricensis Donn. , Mollinedia viridiflora Tul. and Mollinedia pinchotiana Perkins (Monimiaceae) , and one time each from the very similar caterpillars of Memphis aulica (Röber) and Memphis beatrix (Druce) .

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Sendero Laguna (10.98880°, -85.42336°), 680 m, 12/24/2004, Calixto Moraga, DHJPAR0008819.

Paratypes. 118 ♂, 106 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0019960, DHJPAR0046483, DHJPAR0019962, DHJPAR0008802, DHJPAR0008792, DHJPAR0008800, DHJPAR0008813, DHJPAR0008814, DHJPAR0008815, DHJPAR0008821, DHJPAR0008818, DHJPAR0008801, DHJPAR0029614, DHJPAR0008806, DHJPAR0008820, DHJPAR0008798, DHJPAR0029722, DHJPAR0008817, DHJPAR0008795, DHJPAR0008791, DHJPAR0008793, DHJPAR0008805, DHJPAR0008807, DHJPAR0008804, DHJPAR0008797, DHJPAR0008803, DHJPAR0008810, DHJPAR0008811, DHJPAR0008812, DHJPAR0011480, DHJPAR0008794, DHJPAR0008796, DHJPAR0016237, DHJPAR0029609, DHJPAR0029630, DHJPAR0008816, DHJPAR0008808, DHJPAR0016502, DHJPAR0016501, DHJPAR0017147, DHJPAR0016672, DHJPAR0011482, DHJPAR0017136, DHJPAR0016669, DHJPAR0021023, DHJPAR0040750, DHJPAR0008809, DHJPAR0029626, DHJPAR0029627, 03-SRNP-34764, 03-SRNP-34766, 03-SRNP-34392, 04-SRNP-30492, 04-SRNP-30199, 04-SRNP-30403, 04- SRNP-30398, 04-SRNP-30400, 04-SRNP-30372, 04-SRNP-40250, 04-SRNP-40205, 03-SRNP-10060, 02-SRNP- 18339, 03-SRNP-10074, 03-SRNP-6730, 03-SRNP-6731, 02-SRNP-6024, 04-SRNP-40248, 05-SRNP-31986, 04- SRNP-34297, 03-SRNP-37279, 03-SRNP-10073, 07-SRNP-36053, 06-SRNP-67825, 04-SRNP-56806, 04-SRNP- 56852, 06-SRNP-6043, 08-SRNP-4481, 08-SRNP-4482, 03-SRNP-37278, 06-SRNP-9936, 06-SRNP-9938, 06- SRNP-9998, 99-SRNP-13648, 03-SRNP-37275, 01-SRNP-4929, 99-SRNP-12739, 99-SRNP-12328, 99-SRNP- 5755, 08-SRNP-4598.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective, “ longus ”, meaning long, and the adjective “ pilosus ” meaning covered with hair, in reference to the hairy eyes. Although the eye hairs appear to be only slightly longer than those of H. brevipilosa or H. aurifera , they seem more conspicuous because of their greater density.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest and dry forest, 320–1220 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Frontal view comparing gold coverage on fronto-orbital plate. a. Houghia sexmaculata sp. nov. b. Houghia aurifera sp. nov.