Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) oppidana ( Dampf, 1944 )

Ibáñez-Bernal, Sergio, Hernández-Xoliot, Ruth A. & Mendoza, Fredy, 2006, Collections of Bruchomyiinae and Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae) from the north­central portion of the State of Veracruz, Mexico, with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 1270, pp. 19-33 : 27-31

Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) oppidana ( Dampf, 1944)

Phlebotomus oppidanus Dampf, 1944: 247 (female). Type­locality: San Jacinto, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) oppidana (Dampf) : Theodor, 1965: 183 (classification); Young and Duncan 1994: 725 (taxonomic history and recognition); Ibáñez­Bernal, 2003: 134 (Mexican records, taxonomy)

This species apparently has a wide distribution from Canada to Mexico. In Mexico it was known from Mexico City (the type locality), Gruta de García, near Monterrey in Nuevo León, and from two municipalities of Nayarit ( Ibáñez­Bernal, 2003). In our study, we found only one female specimen, being the first record for the state of Veracruz. The females of Lutzomyia oppidana are not anthropophilic.

Material examined. 1 female. Mexico, Veracruz: Municipality of Colipa, El Zapotal, February 14, 2006, Mendoza, Bernabé and Guevara, colls., refuge between tree roots, 1 female.

Male (Figs. 10–15). General coloration light brown. Head in frontal view pyriform, vertex standing out but not greatly enlarged, with alveoli patches at base extended downward by pair of rows separated from each other at midline and meeting supraocular alveoli patch. Supraocular suture at each side and long intraocular suture present. Palpus long, reaching level of apical margin of flagellomere 7; palpomere proportions: 5.0: 15.0: 20.0: 17.0: 50.0 (Fig. 10). Labrum­epipharynx reaching middle of palpomere 3 and nearly middle of flagellomere 2. Cibarium without teeth, arch nearly complete, pigmented area small and transverse, and pharynx with squamate surface. Antenna with flagellomere 1 as long as labrum­epipharynx; each flagellomere 1 – 11 with pair of ascoids, having small retrograde spine, those of flagellomere 2 originating nearly at same level and not reaching apical margin of flagellomere (Fig. 11).

Thorax with 12 upper and 6 lower anepisternal setae; proepimeron apparently nude. All pleural sclerites comparatively paler than scutum, and this with supraalar area pale. Wing as in Fig. 12, length nearly 4X its width; delta positive, with R1 ending at level of middle of R2; CuA1 ending beyond level of radial fork.

Abdomen with tergites simple, without papillae. Terminalia (Fig. 15): Gonostylus with terminal small setae and 3 spines, 1 at apex and 1 at terminal third, both strong, the other in basal third very thin, resembling seta. Gonocoxite without basal tuft. Paramere with basal portion trapezoidal, having dorsally arched, posteriorly directed, digitiform arm with few small distal setae; apical half of paramere with setae on upper margin. Apex of paramere bifurcated into upper thumb­like lobe and keel­like lower lobe. Ducts 2.5X length of apodeme + ejaculatory bulb. Apex of ejaculatory ducts broad, 2 times diameter of ejaculatory duct, spoon­shaped with oval internal projection (Fig. 14). Lateral lobe length 12.5 times width, slightly broader at base and apex. Cercus long, with posterodorsal margin irregular and dorsal accessory projection.

Measurements (n = 1) (in mm). Head height: 0.33; width: 0.27; eye height: 0.12, width: 0.10; interocular distance: 0.12; clypeus length: 0.11; palpomere lengths: 0.02: 0.08: 0.11: 0.10: 0.30; palpus length: 0.61; flagellomeres 1:2:3 lengths: 0.16: 0.08: 0.08; wing length: 1.4; wing width: 0.36; apodeme + ejaculatory bulb length: 0.12; ejaculatory duct length: 0.29; gonocoxite length: 0.20; gonostylus length: 0.13; paramere length: 0.20; lateral lobe length: 0.31; cercus length: 0.17.

Female ( Figs. 16–23 ). As for male, except for following characteristics: palpus reaching level of flagellomere 8; palpomere proportions: 0.5: 1.8: 2.5: 1.6: 4.1 ( Fig. 16 ); Newstead scales in middle of internal margin of palpomere 3 ( Fig. 18 ). Cibarium with 12 horizontal teeth, each tooth a triangle with terminal hair­like projection, forming compact short row; 6 vertical teeth and group of numerous very small lateral teeth at each side; cibarial arch complete, and pigmented area oval­transverse ( Fig. 17 ). Pharynx with creases. Antenna with flagellomere 1 slightly shorter than labrum­epipharynx ( Fig. 16 ); flagellomere 2 with ascoids nearly reaching apical margin ( Fig. 19 ). Thorax with 16 upper and 11 lower anepisternal setae. Wing 3.71X long as wide ( Fig. 20 ). Sternite 2 as figured, with oval nonsclerotized median area ( Fig. 21 ). Spermathecae with great number of fingerlike projections around terminal knob, individual and common ducts half as wide as spermathecal body; individual ducts 2X length of spermatheca, and as long as common duct ( Fig. 23 ). Cercus triangular in lateral view, posteroventral margin irregular ( Fig. 22 ). Measurements (n = 2) (in mm). Head height: 0.38; width: 0.27; eye height: 0.12, width: 0.09; interocular distance: 0.14; clypeus length: 0.14; palpomere lengths: 0.02: 0.11: 0.12: 0.08: 0.28; palpus length: 0.60; flagellomeres 1:2:3 lengths: 0.14: 0.07: 0.07; wing length: 1.7; wing width: 0.44; cercus length: 0.10.

. Lutzomyia leohidalgoi Ibáñez­Bernal, Hernández­Xoliot & Mendoza, sp. nov., holotype male. 10. Head, frontal view. 11. Flagellomere 2, showing ascoids. 12. Wing. 13. Paramere, lateral view. 14. Apices of ejaculatory ducts. 15. Male terminalia, lateral view.

Etymology. The name Lutzomyia leohidalgoi is given in honor of our good friend Ing. Leopoldo Hidalgo Sosa, who has worked with insect vectors in the state of Veracruz for 47 years, first as Head of the state campaign against malaria in Comisión Nacional para la Erradicación del Paludismo (1959 – 1984), and later as Head of the Departamento de Control de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector of the Veracruz State Health Services (1985 – to date) (formerly Servicios Coordinados de Salud). He has dealt with an enormous number of malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, and other vector­borne disease outbreaks, and with much interest has promoted the study of insects of medical importance in Mexico. Without doubt, he and his personnel have saved many human beings of different generations, and we express our gratitude.

Type locality. Mexico, state of Veracruz, Municipality of Juchique de Ferrer, El Tacahuite (523 m a.s.l., 19º 55’59 N, 96º 40’55 W).

Type specimens. Holotype male: Mexico, Veracruz: Municipality of Juchique de Ferrer, El Tacahuite, (523 m a.s.l., 19º 55’59 N, 96º 40’55 W), 13­April­2005, light trap, Bernabé and Guevara, colls. Allotype female: Municipality of Colipa, El Zapotal (219 m a.s.l., 19º 55’59 N, 96º 40’55 W), 14­February­2006, Mendoza, Bernabé and Guevara, colls., refuge between tree roots. 1 Paratype female: same data as holotype.

Other material examined. One female: same data as holotype. The head of this specimen was lost, but it could be identified by the spermathecae.

The type specimens are deposited in the Entomological Collection ( IEXA) of the Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

Comments. Lutzomyia leohidalgoi sp. nov. fits well in the subgenus Dampfomyia Addis (sensu Young and Duncan 1994) by having pale body coloration, palpomere 5 longer than 3+4, small eyes, female cibarium with four or more horizontal teeth, each tooth pointed with terminal filament and complete arch, and spermathecae with bubble or finger­like evaginations around the terminal knob, male gonocoxite lacking persistent setae, gonostylus with 3 – 5 spines and a terminal small seta, paramere with dorsal arm bearing setae. The only difference is that the ascoids in both sexes have a nearly imperceptible retrograde spine.

Six species were included in this subgenus, from which L. leohidalgoi sp. nov. can be differentiated by the small retrograde spine of the ascoids; in the male by the paramere morphology, with the dorsal arm being comparatively small with few terminal setae and the paramere apex bifurcate with the lower projection as long as the upper one, and in the female by the size of the spermathecal ducts and the cibarial armature.

The male of the other described Lutzomyia (Dampfomyia) species have no more than a ventral triangular protuberance, apparently homologous to the ventral keel described for this species. On the other hand, the females of the other species of this subgenus have a different structure of the spermathecae. Nearly all of them have bubble­like projections at the apex, except Lutzomyia permira , which has the projections smaller and finger­like, similar to those of L. leohidalgoi , but the individual ducts are very short and broad. The medical importance of the species of this subgenus is unknown, but L. anthophora was found naturally infected with Leishmania mexicana in southern Texas, USA ( McHugh & Grogl 1993).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 23. Lutzomyia leohidalgoi Ibáñez­Bernal, Hernández­Xoliot & Mendoza, sp. nov., allotype female. 16. Head, frontal view. 17. Cibarium. 18. Palpal segment 3, showing Newstead scales. 19. Flagellomere 2, showing ascoids. 20. Wing. 21. Sternite 2. 22. Cercus. 23. Spermathecae.