Zelia limbata ( Wiedemann, 1830 )

Santis, Marcelo Domingos De, O’Hara, James E. & Couri, Márcia Souto, 2024, Partial revision of the exclusively Neotropical species of Zelia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Tachinidae: Dexiinae: Dexiini), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5419 (1), pp. 1-52 : 8-12

Zelia limbata ( Wiedemann, 1830)

( Figs. 1–2 )

Dexia limbata Wiedemann, 1830: 371 .

Zelia limbata ( Wiedemann, 1830) . References: Aldrich (1929: 5, redescription of female syntype, notes on type); Guimarães (1971: 102; catalogue); O’Hara et al. (2020: 85; checklist of World Tachinidae ).

Remarks. The syntypic series of Dexia limbata is mixed and consists of two species. Wiedemann (1830: 371) wrote that the description D. limbata was based on an unspecified number of specimens that included both sexes. By courtesy of Dr Peter Sehnal, MDS was able to study this type material and determined that it consists of a single male and female. Within these syntypes the female is a member of Zelia , a conclusion already reached by Aldrich (1929: 5) in his partial revision of the genus, however the male does not belong to this genus. Aldrich (1929) received the female syntype for study and redescribed it accordingly, but did not mention receiving a male. This male syntype does not belong to Zelia and probably not even to the Dexiini . It superficially resembles members of the genera Eulasiona Townsend, 1892 and Leptomacquartia Townsend, 1919 ( Voriini ). A more conclusive placement of this single male is not possible due to its poor condition.

The female in NHMW bears an identification label written by Aldrich himself. It is accepted as the lectotype of Dexia limbata Wiedemann, 1830 , by fixation of Aldrich (1929 a: 28) based on his examination of the female “type”.

Type material examined. Lectotype female deposited at NHMW and labeled as follows: “ Brasilien ”; “limbata Wd. / Coll. Winthem” [ ‘limbata Wd. ’ [handwritten]; “ Dexia limbata Wied ” [handwritten]; “Type”; “ Zelia / limbata Wd. / det. ALDRICH” [“ Zelia limbata Wd’ handwritten]; “ SYNTYPE / Dexia / limbata/ examined 1999/ P. Sehnal” [‘ Dexia limbata’ handwritten]; “(2)/ Typenk at./ P. Sehnal 1999”.

Additional material examined. BRAZIL. Amazonas : Manaus, F. esteio R. 1501, km 41 ZF3, 1 female, 04-18.xii.1995, armadilha suspensa, L.E.F.R. Silva col. ( INPA) ; ditto, ZF-2, 2 females, 06-20.x.1994, armadilha suspensa torre, 20m, J.A. Rafael & J. Vidal col. ( INPA) ; ditto, Reserva Ducke , 1 female, 30.xi.1981, copa, J.A. Rafael col. ( INPA) ; ditto, 1 female, 26.xi ( MZSP) .

Diagnosis. Eye bare. Facial carina undeveloped. Fronto-orbital plate silvery pruinose, except by apical portion that is goldish pruinose. Postpedicel yellowish-orangish. Palpus slightly clavate. Katepisternum with 2+1 setae.Wing hyaline. Legs brownish, except femur tawny. Abdomen more conical, less broad than its more closely resembling species, Z. spectabilis . The color of abdomen is very similar to Z. spectabilis , but differentiated by: abdominal tergite 5 about 1/2 reddish posteriorly, but it differs to the aforementioned species by syntergite 1+2 brownish black with a tinge of tawny anteriorly before where the silvery pruinose region begins, tergite 3 with brownish black region forming a vitta dorsally tinged in tawny along its margin on about 1/4 dorsally and laterally, expanding to the median dorsal region, almost reaching anterior margin, in addition to the silver pruinosity on about 3/4 of anterior region. Tergite 4 with a pair of median marginal setae; without any discal setae on abdomen. First instar larvae without dorsal stylets on segment 12.

Redescription. Body length: 10.7 mm.

Coloration ( Fig. 1 ). Frontal vitta dark brown to black and ocellar triangle brownish. Head with silvery pruinosity, but gena brownish black and about 1/4 dorsally, at the front-orbital setae insertion, goldish pruinose. Occiput with long and silver to golden setulae. Scape and pedicel brownish to tawny, postpedicel yellowish-orangish. Palpus yellow-tawny. Thorax dark brown with silver pruinosity; scutum with four dark vittae, in prescutum the two inner vittae are thinner than the outer, in postscutum, the inner vittae is half the length of the outer, neither reaching the scutellum. Scutellum with silver pruinosity posteriorly. Wing hyaline, slightly light brown along the veins. Calypters hyaline. Halter yellow-tawny. Posterior spiracle brownish black. Legs brownish, but about 3/4 anterior margin tawny. Claws brown, pulvilli yellow. Abdomen brownish black with tawny markings along its margin, with silver pruinosity; syntergite 1+2 brownish black with a tinge of tawny anteriorly before where the silvery pruinose region begins, occupying about half of the segment (in some specimens this tawny vitta is a somewhat larger, occupying about 1/3 of that segment dorsally), tergite 3 with brownish black region forming a vitta dorsally tinged in tawny along its margin on about 1/4 dorsally and laterally, expanding to the median dorsal region, almost reaching anterior margin, in addition to the silver pruinosity on about 3/4 of anterior region (in some specimens the tawny coloration that go along the brownish black coloration is bigger occupying about 2/4), tergite 4 same patterns as 3 but tawny coloration that goes along the brownish black coloration is much less conspicuous, occupying about 1/7 to 1/8 of that segment, tergite 5 with about 1/4 silvery pruinose, with brownish dot on median dorsal region, and about 1/2 of that segment reddish posteriorly.

Head ( Fig. 1A–C ). Vertex about 0.16x head width in dorsal view. Frontal vitta, in the narrowest point, equal to or wider than ocellar triangle. Fronto-orbital plate with 14–15 pairs of proclinate setae; narrower than frontal vitta and parafacial. Width of parafacial measured between inner margin of compound eye and antennal insertion is 0.3x the width of gena. Postpedicel slender, 4X the combined length of scape and pedicel. Facial ridge with two to three setulae on lower third. Lower facial margin not protruding, invisible in profile. Eye about 0.75x the head height. Gena about 0.37x eye height. Vibrissa long, inserted at the level of facial margin. Palpus somewhat clavate. Prementum about as long as palpus. Labella developed, little longer than 0.5x the prementum.

Thorax ( Fig. 1A, C ). Acrostichals 2 (both very weak)+1. Dorsocentral 3+4. Intra-alar 1+1; intra-postalar absent. Supra-alar 1+3, first postsutural weak. Postpronotal lobe with four setae, two outers strong and two inners weak. Anepisternum with four strong setae and with one upward directed setulae anteriorly. Scutellum with one basal, one lateral, one apical and one discal pairs of setae. Katepisternum with 2 or 2+1, the median one very weak. Anepimeron with one long setae. Postalar callus with 2 setae. Katepimeron sparsely setulose. Legs. Fore coxa with many setae anteriorly; fore femur with dorsal and posteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with 3 anterodorsal setae on apical third. Mid femur with one anterodorsal seta on median third, mid tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae on median third. Hind femur with five anteroventral setae; hind tibia with two anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal on median third, 1 posteroventral seta on distal third, 3 preapicals on anterodorsal surface.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1A, C ). Syntergite 1+2 with a pair of lateral marginal setae. Tergite 3 with one pair of median marginal seta and one pair lateral marginal seta. Tergite 4 and 5 with a marginal row of setae. Terminalia ( Fig 2C ). Tergite 6 and 7 with setae at the posterior margin. Sternites 6 and 7 with few setae in all posterior margin. Sternite 8 with setulae mainly on the posterior margin. Sternite 9 somewhat narrow posteriorly. Cerci, with several setae apically.

First instar larvae ( Fig. 2A–B ). Cephaloskeleton thin and lightly sclerotized, with somewhat rounded mouth hook; intermediate region indistinct; dorsal and ventral cornua slightly diverging from each other; accessory sclerite posteriorly broad, narrowing anteriorly, anterior to mouth hook; sclerite of salivary gland as a narrow strip. Posterior spiracles on small posterior protuberances, without dorsal stylets on segment 12.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (Amazonas state, new record).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Zelia limbata (Wiedemann, 1830), female from Amazonas (INPA). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Head, frontal view. C. Lateral habitus.

FIGURE 2. Zelia limbata (Wiedemann, 1830), female from Amazonas (INPA). A. Cephaloskeleton. B. First instar larva. C. Female terminalia. Abbreviations: AS = accessory sclerite; ant = antenna; C = cercus; DC = dorsal cornua; IR = intermediate region; MD = mouth hook; plat = platelets; post spir = posterior spiracle; SG = sclerite of salivary gland; S6 = sternite 6; S7 = sternite 7; S8 = sternite 8; S10 = sternite 10; T6 = tergite 6; T7 = tergite 7; VC = ventral cornua.