Amiota incurva, Jones & Grimaldi, 2022

Jones, Lance E. & Grimaldi, David A., 2022, Revision Of The Nearctic Species Of The Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2022 (458), pp. 1-181 : 44-45

Amiota incurva , sp. nov.

Figures 17A–B , 19D , 23 , 84A

DIAGNOSIS: Medium-sized fly (ThL 1.28– 1.44 mm), black; arista long, plumose; outer paraphysis large, laterally flattened, with apical hook curving inward, proximal appendage long, heavily sclerotized, perpendicular to paraphysis, forming a “0” in dorsal/ventral views; inner paraphyses symmetrical, each composed of a lobe with 3 spines, all curving inward medially, one spine overlaying the others and pointing anteriorly.

DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized fly (ThL 1.28– 1.44 mm), black; legs light yellow. Frons black dorsally, fading to brown ventrally. Facial marking large, depth 0.5× width, semicircular. Cheek whitish gray posteriorly. Palp brown. Arista: Long, plumose; longest branch D1; A.R. 0.53; 4 long dorsal, 2 long ventral branches, none pointed mediad/laterad; arista trunk with short microtrichia along entire length. Male genitalia: Epandrium complete at dorsal midline, this margin graded into membrane below. Cercus large, slightly crescentic, dorsally grading into membrane and epandrium; occupying most of space surrounded by epandrium. Surstylus oval; 10 prensisetae, apices blunt, closely arranged, comblike; with large, lateral fingerlike lobe adjacent to, and extending beyond, prensisetae; scattered setulae along distal margin and process. Subepandrial sclerite a simple plate, without a subepandrial appendage. Paraphyses symmetrical or nearly so, heavily sclerotized. Outer paraphysis large, laterally flattened, with apical hook curving inward; proximal appendage long, perpendicular to paraphysis, forming a “0” in dorsal/ventral views. Inner paraphysis symmetrical, each composed of a lobe with 3 spines, all curving inward medially; one spine overlying the others and pointing anteriorly. Aedeagal apodeme large, midsection and base wide and quadrangular (not constricted), length 1.5× width, slightly curved in lateral view, distal end slightly flared beyond midsection with shallow emargination. Hypandrium evenly narrow, U-shaped, small bulging gonopod in posterior view. Ejaculatory apodeme not studied. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 5; Am 377, 440, 713, 716, 1425) FL/FW 0.84 (0.75–0.96), EL/EW 1.32 (1.26–1.40), EL/ CW 21.81 (12.80–38), FML/FMW 0.38 (0.36– 0.42), PR /RR 0.53 (0.41–0.60), ThL 1.38 (1.28– 1.44 mm).

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: male: Sunnyside Canyon , Huachuca Mts., Ariz., [31.339651, -110.491677], VII-9-40, D.E. Hardy, Am 440, [glued to paper point, dissected]. Deposited in the American Museum of Natural History ( AMNH).

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Mexico: Baja California: Sierra La Laguna , 1770–1850m, 1977- 08-29, leg. E. Fisher and R. Westcott, collected from flight trap near stream, 1♂ (Am 377*, CAS) . Chiapas: 20–25 mi NE Huixtla , 3000′, 1969-06-01, leg. H.J. Teskey, 1♂ (Am 1425*, CNC) ; 20–25 mi N Huixtla , 3000′, 1969-06-01, leg. B. V. Peterson, 1♂ (Am 1266*, CNC) . Hidalgo: Jacala 7 mi NE, 4600′, 1954-07-27, leg. J.G. Chillcott, “ Holotype ” [not published], 1♂ (Am 1374*, CNC) . USA: Arizona: Cochise Co., campground nr. SWRS, 31.872506, -109.233923, 2019-07-19, leg. L.E. Jones and J.L. Hughes, swept around head, 1♂ (Am 713*, AMNH) ; Cochise Co., Vicinity of SWRS, 31.882018, -109.206636, 2019-07-18, leg. L.E. Jones and J.L. Hughes, swept around head, 1♂ (Am 716*, AMNH) ; Madera Cyn, Santa Rita Mts. , 4–6000′, 1962-07-12, leg. H.E. Milliron, 1♂ (Am 1213*, CNC) .

ETYMOLOGY: Formed from in and curva, Latin in feminine form for “curving inward.” In reference to the spines of the paraphyses which all curve medially.

DISTRIBUTION: Amiota incurva has a large distribution, from southeastern Arizona in the United States, throughout Mexico, from Baja California to Chiapas.

COMMENTS: This species exhibits the characteristic behavior of attraction to the eyes and face common to many Amiota .

Figures

FIG. 17. Heads and lateral views, A. mariae species group. A–B. A. incurva, sp. nov. (Am 716). C–D. A. mariae Máca (Am 603). E–F. A. texas, sp. nov. (Am 438, holotype).

FIG. 19. Aristae, A. mariae species group. A. A. antitormentum. B. A. brayi. C. A. cruciatum. D. A. incurva. E, G. A. mariae Máca. F. A. texas. H. A. tormentum. I. A. wheeleri. J–K. A. zaliskoi. Not to same scale.

FIG. 23. Male terminalia, A. incurva. A. Posterior view. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. (Am 440, holotype).

FIG. 84. Distribution maps, A. mariae species group. A. A. incurva. B. A. mariae Máca. C. A. texas.