Myolepta (Myolepta) luctuosus ( Bigot, 1857 )

Barahona-Segovia, Rodrigo M., Riera, Pamela, Pañinao-Monsálvez, Laura, Guzmán, Vicente Valdés & Henríquez-Piskulich, Patricia, 2021, Updating the knowledge of the flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Chile: Illustrated catalog, extinction risk and biological notes, Zootaxa 4959 (1), pp. 1-178 : 17-18

Myolepta (Myolepta) luctuosus ( Bigot, 1857)

Figs 6–7

Helophilus luctuosus Bigot, 1857: 296

Xiloteja luctuosa Rondani, 1863: 9 *

Priomerus luctuosus Philippi, 1865: 739

Myiolepta luctuosa Schiner, 1868: 367 *

Type locality and data. “ Chile ” (T, ♂, BMNH) .

Material examined. Coquimbo: 1♂, Guayacan , 21.XII.1948, Leg. NN ( INIA) ; Valparaíso: 1♂, Cuesta Colliguay , 12.XI.1967, Leg. Solervicens ( MNHNCL) ; Metropolitana: (sex indetermined) Caleu, TilTil , 19.X.1986, Leg. M. Cerda ( MNHNCL) ; 1♀, La Platina, 18.XI.1964, Leg. Borlone ( INIA) ; 1♂, El Canelo , no data, Leg.NN ( MNHNCL); (sex indetermined) Puente El Colorado, 13.XI.1970, Leg. L. Peña ( CNC) ; 1♀, El Volcan , no date, Leg. NN ( MNHNCL) ; 1♂, Las Melosas , 16.XII.1995, Leg. J. Cerda ( MNHNCL); (sex indetermined) Guayacán , 13.XI.1970, Leg. Boyes ( CNC) ; 2♂, 1♀, Rinconada de Maipú , 7.X.1963, Leg. L. E. Campos ( MEUC) ; 2♀, Quebrada de la Plata, 17.X.1967, Leg. N. Hichins ( MEUC) .

References. Bigot, 1857: 296 (desc.); Rondani, 1863: 9 (desc.); Philippi, 1865: 739 (desc.); Schiner, 1868: 367 (desc.); Williston, 1886: 315 (cat.); Reed, 1888: 299 (cat.); Kertész, 1910: 384 (cat.); Shannon, 1926: 70 (rev. & desc.); Shannon, 1927: 6 (desc.); Shannon & Aubertin, 1933: 151 (desc.); Fluke & Weems, 1956: 7 (desc.); Stuardo, 1946: 126 (cat.); Fluke, 1956: 7, fig. 13 (desc.); Fluke, 1957: 54 (cat.); Etcheverry, 1963: 64 (desc.); Thompson et al., 1976: 46.90 (cat.); Reemer et al., 2004: 577 (rev. & checklist).

World distribution. Chile.

Chilean distribution. From Coquimbo to Metropolitana region ( Fig. 10 ).

Altitudinal range. This species mainly inhabits valleys in Mediterranean ecosystems (100– 700 m.a.s.l.).

Biology and notes. An endemic species from central Chile associated with the Mediterranean forest, which has been highly fragmented and replaced by differente human being activities mainly forestry and croplands of different types ( Alaniz et al. 2016), highlighted the avocado crops. The species have been observed feeding on Trevoa quinquenervia Gillies & Hook. flowers (Daniel Llavaneras, CSP record; Fig. 6 ). In addition, wildfires have decreased the habitat quality for this species. The Myolepta larvae of Palearctic species have been found in wet rotholes of different old or dead tree species ( Reemer et al. 2004). It is possible that the larvae of Chilean species could have similar saproxylic habits.

Conservation status. VU under B1ab (iii) + 2ab (iii) using EOO = 7,640 km 2 and AOO = 48 km 2. The species is present in nine localities and ten subpopulations.

Figures

FIGURES 10. Distribution map of Chromocheilosia and Myolepta species in Chile: C. bicolor (Shannon & Aubertin, 1933) (pink circles); Chromocheilosia incerta (Shannon & Aubertin, 1933) (red circles); C. pubescens (Shannon & Aubertin, 1933) (light blue circles); M. haemorrhoidalis (Philippi, 1865) (green circles); Myolepta luctuosa (Bigot, 1857) (yellow circles), and M. nausicaa (Hull, 1937) (Brown circles).

FIGURES 4–9. Myolepta haemorrhoidalis (Philippi, 1865): (4) female visiting flowers of Crataegus sp., Cerro Isla Carlos Condell, Curicó (photo by Joaquín Sepulveda) and (5) dorsal view (photo by Patricia Henríquez). Scale bar = 1 mm. Myolepta luctuosus (Bigot, 1857): (6) female visiting Trevoa quinquenervia, Gillies & Hook, Rio Clarillo National Park (photo by Daniel Llavaneras) and (7) dorsal view (photo by Patricia Henríquez). Scale bar = 1 mm. Myolepta nausicaa (Hull, 1937): (8) dorsal view (photo by Kevin Moran, CNC) and (9) lateral view (photo by Kevin Moran, CNC). Scale bars = 2 mm.