Ectophasiopsis gradata ( Wiedemann, 1830 ) Dios & Nihei, 2017

Dios, Rodrigo de V. P. & Nihei, Silvio S., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Ectophasiopsis Townsend, 1915 (Diptera: Tachinidae: Phasiinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 334, pp. 1-27 : 10-16

Ectophasiopsis gradata ( Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov.

Figs 1A, C , 2 F–J, 3A, 4, 7–8

Trichopoda gradata Wiedemann, 1830: 275 . Holotype ♀, NHMW. Type locality: “ Brasil ”.

Trichopodopsis argentinensis Blanchard, 1966: 65 . Holotype ♂, INTA (examined). Type locality: Argentina, Córdoba.

Trichopodopsis incognita Blanchard, 1966: 62 . Holotype ♀, probably lost. Type locality: Argentina, La Rioja.

Trichopodopsis christenseni Blanchard, 1966: 78 . Holotype ♂, INTA. Type-locality: Argentina, José C. Paz leg. (examined).

Trichopoda gradata – Walker 1853: 258.

Ectophasiopsis arcuata – Aldrich 1934: 12 (part, misidentification).

Trichopoda (Trichopoda) gradata – Guimarães 1971: 9.

Trichopoda argentinensis – Liljesthröm 1992: 51.

Trichopodopsis incognita – Liljesthröm 1992: 51.

Trichopodopsis christenseni – Liljesthröm 1992: 51.

Trichopoda (Galactomyia) argentinensis – Guimarães 1971: 10.

Trichopoda (Trichopoda) incognita – Guimarães 1971: 10.

Trichopoda (Galactomyia) christenseni – Guimarães 1971: 10.

Diagnosis

Ectophasiopsis gradata comb. nov. closely resembles E. arcuata as both have the antennal axis longer and the fronto-orbital plate at the lunule level and parafacial enlarged, but differs from E. arcuata by having the thorax short setulose laterally and dorsally, and dorsocentral setae 1+2.

Ectophasiopsis gradata comb. nov. closely resembles E. ypiranga sp. nov. as both have the thorax short setulose laterally and dorsally, dorsocentral setae 1+2, but differs from E. ypiranga sp. nov. by having the antennal axis longer; fronto-orbital plate at the lunule level and parafacial enlarged; cerci midventral opening lateral border not visible in dorsal view; and posterolateral lobes usually less developed.

Type material examined

Holotype of T. gradata ♀ ( NHMW). [“gradrata (misspelling) Wd. / T. q. / Coll. Winthem ”; “ Brasilia ”; “ Holotype / Trichopoda / gradata / examind 1999 / P. Sehnal ” (red label)].

Holotype of T. argentinensis ♂ ( INTA). [“Holótipo” (red label); “ Córdoba / ii.1920 ”; “232”; “ Holotypus ”; “ Trichopodopsis argentinensis / Blnchd / det. E. E. Blanchard ”]. Head damaged; left wing broken;

lacking right wing, only with left mid leg and right fore leg; abdomen broken. Right wing mounted on microscope slide. Terminalia dissected in a vial, missing cerci, phallapodeme broken.

Holotype of T. christenseni ♂ ( INTA). [“Holótipo” (red label); “ J. C. Paz / iii.1939 / Christensen”; “ Athaumastus ”; “234”; “ Holotypus ”; “ Trichopodopsis christenseni / Blnchd / det. E. E. Blanchard ”]. Lacking right wing, right fore leg and both hind legs. Right wing mounted on microscope slide. Terminalia dissected in a vial, phallapodeme broken.

Additional material examined

BRAZIL, Paraná: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Bela Vista do Paraíso, host Dichelops melacanthus , 27 Oct. 2008, Pavão leg. ( DZUP) (1 ♂ dissected); 1 ♂, Laranjeiras do Sul, Jan.1962, S. Sakagami leg. ( DZUP). – Santa Catarina: 1 ♀, Nova Teutônia, Oct.1967, F. Plaumann leg. ( DZUP); 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Rio das Antas, Jan. 1963, Camargo-Andr. leg. ( MNHN) (1♂ dissected); 1 ♀, ditto, ( DZUP). – Rio Grande do Sul: 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Passo Fundo, host Dichelops furcatus , 24 Oct. 2014, A. Agostinetto leg. ( MZSP) (1 ♂ and 1 ♀ dissected); 1 ♂, ditto, 28º15′28.1″ S, 52º24′32.7″ W, 19 Oct. 2012, A.Marsaro leg. ( MZSP); 1 ♀, Porto Alegre, 30º05′38.2″ S, 51º13′07.8″ W, host: Dichelops furcatus , 30 Sep. 2012, A. Marsaro leg. ( MZSP).

URUGUAY, Paysandú: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Paysandú, host: Dichelops furcatus, 2006 ( MZSP) (1 ♂, 1 ♀ dissected); 1 ♂, ditto, 1 Sep. 2006 ( MZSP); 1 ♂, ditto, 20 Feb. 2007 ( MZSP). – Montevidéu: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Montevideú, Sello leg. ( ZMHU).

ARGENTINA, Santa Fé: 1 ♀, Carcarañá, 13 Apr. 1910 ( ZMHU). – Santigo del Estero: 1 ♀, Averias, 1914, E.R. Wagner leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♂, Banderas, 1910, E.R. Wagner leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Icaño, (surroundings of) Guarda Escolta, 1909, E.R. Wagner leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, margins of Salado River, 1904, E.R. Wagner leg. ( MNHN); 2 ♂♂, ditto, 1909 ( MNHN) (1♂ dissected).

Male ( Fig. 7 )

BODY LENGTH. 7.5 mm (holotype) 6.4–7.2 mm (n = 5).

COLORATION. Frontal vitta light-tawny with region around ocellar triangle dark brown to black. Ocellar triangle black. Fronto-orbital plate light-tawny to orange with light-golden pruinosity. Parafacial lighttawny with light-golden pruinosity on upper half and silver pruinosity on lower half. Gena light-tawny with silver pruinosity. Scape and pedicel tawny-yellow; postpedicel brown with base and posterior part slightly orange. Palpus light-tawny to pale yellow. Presutural scutum covered with light-golden pruinosity delimiting two diverging median black stripes fused anteriorly and two triangular lateral black spots. Postpronotal lobe covered with light-golden pruinosity. Postsutural scutum tawny to brown, tawny-yellow on sides; with light-golden pruinosity delimiting two median small triangular black spots and two outer long triangular black spots. Scutellum dark brown to black with silver pruinosity. Thorax laterally brown to black with silver pruinosity. Wings with orange-yellow radiation from base to sc anteriorly, beyond vein r-m medialy and little beyond vein bm-cu posteriorly; followed by infuscate band ranging from anal lobe almost to apex of wing, little beyond cell r4+5, and posterior border hyaline; hyaline part extending to cell dm. Calypters pale-yellow. Legs brown, coxae with silver pruinosity, trochanters and base of mid and hind-femora tawny-yellow; pulvilli pale-brown. Abdomen yellow-orange; tergite 1 medially with light-brown marking; tergite 2 with brown longitudinal median line, almost reaching margin; tergite 3 with brown median posterior triangle marking, expanding transversely between tergite 3 and 4; tergite 4 with brown trapezoidal median marking; tergite 5 with brown rectangular marking; tergite 6 with sparce light-golden pruinosity. Abdomen ventrally pale yellow, sternite 5 to rear end tawny.

HEAD. Ratio of head width /thorax width dorsally of 1.4. Ratio of head length /head width 0.5. Ratio of frontal vitta width at level of lunula / width at vertex level 0.7. Fronto-orbital plate width wider than frontal vitta width at level of lunula. Antennal axis long, fronto-orbital plate at lunule level and parafacial enlarged. Ratio of gena height / eye height 0.17.

THORAX. Acrostichal setae 0+1 (area damaged by pin, 0+1 on non-types); dorsocentral setae 1+2. Postpronotal lobe with 2 setae. Two katepisternal setae.

WING. Elliptical, anal lobe larger. Ratio of wing length / wing maximum width 2.57. Crossvein dm-cu straight.

LEGS. Hind femur with row of short anterodorsal setae and row of weak posteroventral setae on apical third; hind tibia with one median anteroventral seta and one median posterodorsal setae; row of longer feather-like setae covering apical 0.75 of tibia, and length of longest feather-like seta 1.41 times tibial width.

ABDOMEN. Rounded, somewhat elliptical, dorsoventrally flattened. No differentiated setae. Ratio of abdomen length / thorax length 1.35. Ratio abdomen width /thorax width 1.41. Ratio of abdomen length / abdomen width 1.27.

TERMINALIA ( Fig. 2 F–J). Cerci midventral opening lateral border not visible in dorsal view; posterolateral lobes usually less developed. Postgonite slightly enlarged distally in posterior view. Phallapodeme widened anteriorly. Basiphallus forming a complete ring, fused posteriorly.

Variation of male

COLORATION. Frontal vitta orange-tawny to dark-brown. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial pruinosity darker. Scutum covered with golden or dark-golden pruinosity; Presutural scutum with median black stripes sometimes not fused anteriorly. Scutellum sometimes with apex lighter. Wings with orangeyellow radiation varying in intensity; infuscate band darker, almost black, sometimes not beyond cell r4+5; hyaline part sometimes enters cell r4+5. Calypters orange-yellow. Trochanters and base of femora sometimes light-yellow. Tergite 1 without brown marking; tergite 2 without brown longitudinal median line; tergite 3 without brown markings, sometimes with brown median longitudinal line or sometimes brown irregular marking; tergite 4 fully brown or with brown markings posteriorly varying in size, and / or with brown longitudinal line; tergite 5 fully brown; light-golden pruinosity sometimes also on tergite 5 and sparse on tergite 4.

HEAD. Ratio of head width / thorax width dorsally 1.31 to 1.4. Ratio of head length / head width 0.48 to 0.54. Ratio of frontal vitta width at level of lunula / width at vertex level 0.63 to 0.74. Fronto-orbital plate width sometimes little wider than frontal vitta width at level of lunula. Ratio of gena height / eye height 0.17 to 0.2.

WING. Ratio of wing length / wing maximum width 2.65 to 2.75. Crossvein dm-cu sometimes slightly sinuous.

LEGS. Hind femur with row of short anterodorsal setae only on distal half and row of posteroventral setae on apical third almost not differentiated; hind tibia with row of longer feather-like setae covering apical 0.75 to 0.8 of tibia, length of longest feather-like seta 1.41 to 1.87 times tibial width.

ABDOMEN. Sometimes more elliptical, and dorsoventrally less flattened. Some specimens with longer marginal setulae on tergites 4 and 5. Ratio of abdomen length / thorax length 1.35 to 1.65. Ratio abdomen width/ thorax width 1.14 to 1.41. Ratio of abdomen length / abdomen width 1.27 to 1.8.

Female ( Fig. 8 )

Differs from male as follows:

BODY LENGTH. 6.1–7.7 mm (n = 5).

COLORATION. Postsutural scutum pruinosity sometimes scarcer, as two longitudinal thin lines. Sometimes wings with weak orange-yellow radiation, strong only at wing base. Abdomen yellow-orange, darkbrown to black distally; tergite 3 usually with small triangular median posterior spot, rarely absent; tergite 4 mostly dark, only anterior lateral margins yellow-orange, varying in extent; tergite 5 to abdomen tip fully dark-brown to black, rarely with irregular yellow-orange spots.

ABDOMEN. Elliptical, sometimes slightly ovate. Ratio of abdomen length / thorax length 1.23 to 1.39. Slightly narrower (ratio of abdomen width /thorax width 1.17 to 1.31) and usually shorter (ratio of abdomen length / thorax length 1.23 to 1.39).

TERMINALIA ( Fig. 3A ). Sternite 8 short, rounded distally, with small less sclerotized spot ventrally.

Distribution ( Fig. 4 )

Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay and Argentina.

Remarks

The male specimen from Montevidéu (ZMHU) was chosen as the basis of the species description as it has a determination label “ gradata ” handwritten by Wiedemann. The holotype of E. gradata comb. nov. from “ Brazil ”, deposited at NHMW, is a female and was examined from photos kindly sent by Peter Sehnal (curator). The external features, especially the size and shape of the fronto orbital plate and parafacial in lateral view, were decisive in grouping the species. The holotype of T. argentinensis is damaged, but we could observe that it is conspecific with E. gradata comb. nov. The male terminalia (with the cerci lost) had already been dissected and preserved in a vial, pinned alongside the specimen. The holotype male of T. christenseni is better preserved and the synonymy is based on the external features, as well as the terminalia, which were found dissected and fully preserved.

Figures

Fig. 1. A. Male cerci of Ectophasiopsis gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov., dorsal view; red circle indicates the midventral opening, the lateral border is not visible in dorsal view. B. Male cerci of E. ypiranga sp. nov., dorsal view; red circle indicates the midventral opening, the lateral border is visible in dorsal view as a small laplet. C. Head of E. gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov., lateral view. Red bars showing width of fronto orbital plate at the lunule level (I) and parafacial (II). D. Head of E. ypiranga sp. nov., lateral view. Red bars show the width of the fronto orbital plate at the lunule level and parafacial. Scale bars: A–B = 0.2 mm; C–D = 1 mm.

Fig. 2. Male terminalia. – A–E. Ectophasiopsis arcuata (Bigot, 1876). A. Epandrium, cerci, surstyli, pregonite and postgonite, posterior view. B. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, lateral view. C. Phallus, right lateral view. D. Phallus, posterior view. E. Phallus, left lateral view. – F–J. E. gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov. F. Epandrium, cerci, surstyli, pregonite and postgonite, posterior view. G. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, lateral view. H. Phallus, right lateral view. I. Phallus, posterior view. J. Phallus, left lateral view. – K–O. E. ypiranga sp. nov. K. Epandrium, cerci, surstyli, pregonite and postgonite, posterior view. L. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli, lateral view. M. Phallus, right lateral view. N. Phallus, posterior view. O. Phallus, left lateral view. Abbreviations: B = basiphallus (red color); C = cerci; E = epandrium; Ep = epiphallus (red color); Ht = half-tube like plate (blue color); It = sclerotized inner tube (green color); Po = postgonite; Pr = pregonite; Rl = ring-like plate (orange color); S = surstylus. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 7. Ectophasiopsis gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov., ♂, Uruguay, Montevidéu, ZMHU. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Head, dorsal view. D. Head, lateral view. E. Abdomen, dorsal view. F. Wing, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 8. Ectophasiopsis gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov., ♀, Brazil, Nova Teutônia, DZUP. A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view. C. Head, dorsal view. D. Head, lateral view. E. Abdomen, dorsal view. F. Wing, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Fig. 3. Female terminalia. A. Ectophasiopsis gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov. B. E. ypiranga sp. nov. Abbreviations: C = Cerci; s7 = Sternite 7; s8 = Sternite 8. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Fig. 4. Distribution map of Ectophasiopsis species. E. arcuata (Bigot, 1876) = yellow dots; E. gradata (Wiedemann, 1830) comb. nov. = green dots; E. ypiranga sp. nov. = red dots.