Spathidexia hernanrodriguezi Fleming & Wood 2015

Fleming, AJ, Wood, D. Monty, Janzen, Daniel, Hallwachs, Winnie & Smith, M. Alex, 2015, Seven new species of Spathidexia Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Biodiversity Data Journal 3, pp. 4597-4597 : 4597

Spathidexia hernanrodriguezi Fleming & Wood 2015 sp. n.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0018743 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0018743; individualCount: 1; sex: M; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 04-SRNP-10616; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Pocosol ; verbatimLocality: Quebrada Aserradero; verbatimElevation: 160; verbatimLatitude: 10.899; verbatimLongitude: -85.564; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.899; decimalLongitude: -85.564; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Corticeacorticea (Hesperiidae); verbatimEventDate: 24-Apr-2006; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0010022 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0010022; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 06-SRNP-45170; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Cacao ; verbatimLocality: Puente Gongora; verbatimElevation: 540; verbatimLatitude: 10.885; verbatimLongitude: -85.472; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.885; decimalLongitude: -85.472; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Quasimellanaantipazina (Hesperiidae); verbatimEventDate: 02-May-2004; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0018744 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0018744; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 04-SRNP-10616; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Pocosol ; verbatimLocality: Quebrada Aserradero; verbatimElevation: 160; verbatimLatitude: 10.899; verbatimLongitude: -85.564; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.899; decimalLongitude: -85.564; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Corticeacorticea (Hesperiidae); verbatimEventDate: 02-May-2004; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0018745 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0018745; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 06-SRNP-45170; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Cacao ; verbatimLocality: Puente Gongora; verbatimElevation: 540; verbatimLatitude: 10.885; verbatimLongitude: -85.472; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.885; decimalLongitude: -85.472; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Quasimellanaantipazina (Hesperiidae); verbatimEventDate: 24-Apr-2006; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0024529 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0024529; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 08-SRNP-12254; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Pocosol ; verbatimLocality: Pozo Centeno; verbatimElevation: 155; verbatimLatitude: 10.9; verbatimLongitude: -85.566; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.9; decimalLongitude: -85.566; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Cymaenesodiliatrebius (Hesperiidae); verbatimEventDate: 22-Apr-2008; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: occurrenceDetails: http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu; catalogNumber: DHJPAR0024530 ; recordedBy: D.H. Janzen & W. Hallwachs; individualID: DHJPAR0024530; individualCount: 1; lifeStage: adult; preparations: pinned; otherCatalogNumbers: 08-SRNP-12251; Taxon: scientificName: Spathidexiahernanrodriguezi; phylum: Arthropoda; class: Insecta; order: Diptera; family: Tachinidae; genus: Spathidexia; specificEpithet: hernanrodriguezi; scientificNameAuthorship: Fleming & Wood, 2015; Location: continent: Central America; country: Costa Rica; countryCode: CR; stateProvince: Guanacaste; county: Area de Conservacion Guanacaste; locality: Sector Pocosol ; verbatimLocality: Pozo Centeno; verbatimElevation: 155; verbatimLatitude: 10.9; verbatimLongitude: -85.566; verbatimCoordinateSystem: Decimal; decimalLatitude: 10.9; decimalLongitude: -85.566; Identification: identifiedBy: AJ Fleming; dateIdentified: 2014; Event: samplingProtocol: reared from caterpillar of Vacerraaeas; verbatimEventDate: 29-Apr-2008; Record Level: language: en; institutionCode: CNC; collectionCode: Insects; basisOfRecord: Pinned Specimen

Description

Male (Fig. 5a, b, c), head: Frontal vitta dark black, narrowed apically to less than the width of the ocellar triangle, face 8 times as wide as frontal vitta; frontal bristles arise no lower than level of pedicel; yellow hairs lining the margin of the frontal vitta; antenna orange along upper quarter of first flagellomere and pedicel, darkening apically; arista black and plumose, trichia at least 2 times as long as width of base of arista, tapering at apex of arista; proclinate orbital bristles present; parafrontal almost entirely silver, gold only along apex surrounding ocellar triangle, with minute hairs over its entire surface; parafacial silver; palpi orange; lacking short row of yellow supravibrissal hairs along facial margin. Thorax: dull greyish-gold when viewed dorsally with two faint smoky longitudinal grey bands; three post sutural dorsocentral bristles; scutellum concolorous with thorax over its entirety, thorax silver grey when viewed laterally; anterior femur bearing silvery pruinosity; anterior pair of legs with femur bearing silvery pruinosity, tibiae dark brownish yellow and hirsute with black tarsi, 2nd and 3rd pair of legs black entirely; claws of male shorter than apical tarsal segment. Wings: pale smoky greyish in color, Vein R4+5 setose to just past crossvein r-m; vein R1 haired along its entirety. Abdomen: abdominal tergites dark shiny black medially, with bright grey band covering 1/5th or more of tergal surface arising along the anterior margins of abdominal tergites T3, T4 and T5, these bands wrapping around to the underside. Bright yellow blotches appear along tergites T1+2, T3 and the anterior half of T4; median marginal bristles on T3, T4 and T5. Lateral marginal bristles on T1+2. Medium length yellow hairs visible over entire body, in particular visible extending from underside of T1+2.

Female (Fig. 5d, e, f), head: Frontal vitta dark black, narrowed apically to less than the width of the ocellar triangle, face 6 times as wide as frontal vitta; frontal bristles arise no lower than level of pedicel; yellow hairs lining the margin of the frontal vitta; antenna orange along upper quarter of first flagellomere and pedicel, darkening apically; arista black and plumose, trichia at least 2 times as long as width of base of arista, tapering at apex of arista; proclinate orbital bristles present; parafrontal almost entirely silver, gold only along apex surrounding ocellar triangle, up to insertion of upper proclinate orbital, and following margin of frontal vitta, sparse minute hairs over upper half of fronto-orbital plate; parafacial silver; palpi orange; lacking short row of yellow supravibrissal hairs along facial margin. Thorax: greyish-gold when viewed dorsally with four faint longitudinal grey vittae, these only slightly visible post-suturally, appearing broken at thoracic suture; three post sutural dorsocentral bristles; scutellum bearing white or yellowish pruinosity over its entirety; legs anterior femur bearing silvery pruinosity, anterior pair of legs with tibiae yellowish tinge and hirsute with black tarsi, 2nd and 3rd pair of legs black entirely. Wings: pale smoky greyish in color, vein R4+5 setose to just past crossvein r-m; R1 haired along its entirety. Abdomen: abdominal tergites entirely dark shiny black, with bright grey band covering 1/3rd or more of tergal surface arising at the margins of abdominal tergites T3, T4 and T5, these bands wrapping around to the underside. Silver pruinose patch appearing along underside of tergites T1+2; tergites T3, T4 and T5 possessing medial marginal bristles, sharp ovipositor extending out approximately the same length as T5. Lateral marginal bristles on T1+2. Small yellow hairs visible over entire body, not as hirsute as males but still present, in particular visible extending from anepimeron, and from underside of T1+2.

Diagnosis

Resembles S. cerussata , differs from the former in the presence of apically enlarged palpus, thorax with almost indistinguisheable vittae, a haired wing vein R1, and orange pedicel. Females in S. cerussata are similarly colored to males a characteristic not shared by S. hernanrodriguezi .

Etymology

This species is named in honor of Sr. Hernan Rodriguez Arce (RIP), whose Finca San Gerardo became a large part of Sector San Cristobal of the newly forming Area de Conservación Guanacaste in the early 1990's.

Distribution

Costa Rica, ACG, Guanacaste, dry forest, 155-540 m elevation.

Ecology

Reared from 3 species of Hesperiidae , Hesperiinae (4 records), feeding on grasses. 5-12 larvae per caterpillar.