Coenosia aurifera (Malloch, 1934)

Patitucci, Luciano Damian, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo, Couri, Marcia Souto & Dominguez, Martha Cecilia, 2023, Phylogeny of the old and fragmented genus Austrocoenosia Malloch reveals new evidences on the morphology and evolution of the genera Coenosia Meigen and Neodexiopsis Malloch (Diptera: Muscidae), Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 81, pp. 611-653 : 611

Coenosia aurifera (Malloch, 1934)

Male (Fig. 6A).

Length. Body: 3.56-3.70 mm, wing: 2.89-3.02 mm. Head (Fig. 6B ): Frons at vertex about one third of the head width. Frons, fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and gena yellow with golden pollinosity. Fronto-orbital plate without setulae, close to parafacialia. Antenna light brown with yellow pollinosity; arista brown with its longest microtrichia shorter than its basal diameter. Palpus yellow. Thorax: (Fig. 6C ). Grey with light brown pollinosity. Chaetotaxy: acr s strong and biseriate; anterior presutural acr s longer than the eaDC; dorsocentrals 1+3, eaDC is less than one fifth of the aDC. Anepisternum with a series of 4-5 strong setae; katepisternum with 1-2 setula. Wing: Both calypters whitish hyaline with white margins. Legs: Coxae and femora grey. Trochanters, apex of femora, tibiae, and tarsus yellow. Fore femur with a row of strong pd setae, and a row of strong pv setae. Mid femur with 2 strong setae on ventral surface, and 2-3 setae on anterior surface; mid tibia with one ad and one pd median setae, both setae with the same length and position. Hind femur with a row of ad and a row of av setae, and two long setae on ventral surface, with two preapical setae (ad and dorsal); hind tibia with 4 preapical setae (ad, dorsal, pd, ventral). Abdomen: (Fig. 6D, E ). Grey with brown spots on tergites 3-5. Sternite 5 with apical margin with a thin “U” shape and without membrane; setae concentrated on the lobes and some long and strong on apical margin (Fig. 6F ). Terminalia: Cercus with strong spine on apical third (Fig. 6G-I ).

Female (Fig. 7A).

Length. Body: 3.80-4.06 mm, wing: 3.00-3.12 mm. Differs from male as follows: Head: (Fig. 7B ). Frons black with golden pollinosity, frontal triangle white, reaching lunule; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and gena yellow with silver pollinosity. Antenna yellow, with distal part of postpedicel dark brown. Thorax: Chaetotaxy: acr s strong and biseriate; anterior presutural acr s shorter than the eaDC. Ovipositor: Segments with similar length and width. Tergites 7 with two long and sclerotized plates running laterally towards ventral surface; tergite 8 with two wide and square plates (Fig. 7D ). Sternites 6 and 7 without plates; sternite 8 divided into two small and slightly sclerotized plates each with 5-6 setae on distal margin (Fig. 7E ). Three spermathecae, oval shape (Fig. 7C ).

Type material.

Holotype. Male; BMNH [pinned, damaged, head glued on card]. Original labels: "♂ [handwritten] / Holo- / type [printed]" on white circular paper, red frame; "Argentina: / Terr. Rio Negro. / F.& M. Edwards / B.M. 1927-63." printed on white paper; "Bariloche. / 28.xi-1xii.1926." printed on white paper; " Austrocoenosia / auriceps / Type [handwritten] / det. JRMALLOCH [printed]" on white paper, black frame: https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/bde2c2d5-9453-4a8a-bb92-96b869e9f9c9/1678838400000. - Paratype. Female; BMNH [glued on card, in good condition]. Original labels: "♀ [handwritten] / Allo- / type [printed]" on white circular paper, red frame; "Argentina: / Terr. Rio Negro. / F.& M. Edwards / B.M. 1927-63." printed on white paper; "Bariloche. / 28.xi-1xii.1926." printed on white paper: https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/b070de6e-f7a5-4b84-b436-5a3dfcc85ba1/1678924800000.

Additional material examined.

ARGENTINA - Río Negro province • 1 female; Bariloche, Los Repollos ; 22 Jan 2019; 650 m a.s.l.; -41.849378, -71.416898; Agüero leg.; over Mulinum spinosum ; MACN • 1 male; El Bolson, Piltriquitron ; Jan 2012; 1190 m a.s.l.; -41.972377, -71.478712; Mulieri & Patitucci leg.; MACN . - Neuquén province • 2 females; ABM; Jan 2013; 1400 m a.s.l.; -38.845457, -71.093002; Mulieri & Patitucci leg.; MACN • 2 males; Pampa Lonco Luan, Ruta 13; 09 Feb 2018; 1522 m a.s.l.; -38.897919, -70.890376; Patitucci leg.; MACN .

Distribution (Fig. 12A).

ARGENTINA: Neuquén (new record), Río Negro.

Remarks.

Coenosia aurifera was described with male and female specimens by Malloch (1934) as part of the genus Austrocoenosia . This author highlighted its striking coloration and the unique shape of the male abdomen. Our observation also showed morphological (male abdomen, cercus, and female ovipositor) and phylogenetic evidence to distinguish this species from the remaining species of Austrocoenosia presented by Malloch.

Figures

Figure 6. Coenosia aurifera, male. A lateral view, B head, frontal view, C thorax, dorsal view, D abdomen, dorsal view, E abdomen, lateral view, F fifth sternite, G cercus, dorsal view, H cercus and surstylus, lateral view, I detail of cercus, distal tip, J phallic complex, lateral view, K detail of phallic complex, distal tip. Scale bar: 1 mm (A), 0.2 mm (B, E-H), 0.5 mm (C, D), 0.05 mm (I), 0.01 mm (J, K). Distiphallus, brush of fine hairs - red arrow.

Figure 7. Coenosia aurifera, female. A Lateral view, B head, frontal view, C spermathecae, D ovipositor, dorsal view, E ovipositor, ventral view. Scale bar: 1 mm (A), 0.2 mm (B, D-E), 0.1 mm (C).