Morellia (M.) micans (Macquart, 1855)

Pamplona, Denise, Nihei, Silvio S., Couri, Márcia S. & Pont, Adrian C., 2016, Taxonomy of Morellia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Muscidae): revision of the subgenera Morellia s. str. and Parapyrellia Townsend, Zootaxa 4163 (1), pp. 1-110 : 51-53

21. Morellia (M.) micans (Macquart, 1855)

( Figs 77–82 )

Cyrtoneura micans Macquart, 1855a: 136 ; 1855b: 116. Type locality: U.S.A., Maryland, Baltimore. Lectotype ♀, BMNH (des. Pont 2012: 73 –74; seen).

Cyrtoneura recurva Thomson, 1869: 548 . Type locality: U.S.A., California, San Francisco district (see Persson 1972: 169). Holotype Ƌ, NHRS (seen).

Redescription. Colour. Black, with grey pruinosity. Frontal vitta and fronto-orbital plate black; lower third of fronto-orbital plate with silver pruinosity; face and parafacial black with silver pruinosity; gena with grey pruinosity; antenna black with grey pruinosity; palpus black; mesonotum metallic black with one silver dusted central vitta in front of the acrostichals and a grey dusted central vitta along presutural acrostichals; postpronotal lobe and notopleuron silver pruinose; other pleura faint grey pruinose; legs black; haltere with a brown stalk and yellow knob; lower calypter brownish; upper calypter white and on outer half white and opaque; wing without dark markings; abdomen with weak grey pruinosity but last tergite with silver pruinosity.

Male. Body length: 6.0–8.0 mm; wing length: 5.0–6.0 mm.

Head. Eyes bare but with the usual minute and scattered hairs, separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.16– 0.20 of head width; frons divergent towards lunule; ocellar triangle with 6 pairs of setae; 20–21 pairs of frontal setae; postpedicel 1.3–1.8 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2–3 setae and a few setulae; arista plumose, with 15–16 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 5th or 6th cilia; vibrissa as long as arista; 1 strong supravibrissal seta, half as long as vibrissa, and a few setulae that extend to level of basal fourth of postpedicel; 3–4 subvibrissal setae followed by 5–8 genal setae.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+1; dorsocentrals 3 (the anterior weak) + 4; intra-alars 1+1; presutural 1; prealar 1, half the length of first supra-alar; supra-alars 2; postpronotals 3; notopleuron with 2 long subequal setae and covered with ground-setulae; postalars 2; intrapostalar 1; scutellum with 1 basal, 2 discal and 1 apical pairs of setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, the basalmost ones downcurved; postalar wall bare; suprasquamal ridge bare; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 5 long setae and many setulae; prosternum broad and bare; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 10 setae, with 3 weak setae upcurved on upper-anterior corner, and covered with long setulae; katepisternals 1+2; anepimeron setulose medially and on subalar ridge; katepimeron bare; anatergite bare; katatergite setulose. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae on apical two-thirds becoming shorter basad, a complete posteroventral row of setae, and a group of long and weak ventral setae at base; fore tibia with many rows of posteroventral to ventral setae, longer in lower half, a posterodorsal row of short and strong setae, 1 dorsal, 1 posterodorsal, 1 anteroventral and 1 posterior preapical setae, and anterior surface with a ctenidium of golden setulae; mid femur with a tubercle on anterior and posterior surfaces, 1–2 anterior setae on middle third, and a group of long setae with curved tips on basal third of anteroventral to posteroventral surfaces that continues as a row of short setae on these surfaces; mid tibia with one anterodorsal and one anteroventral comb-like rows of short setae ending with an anterior brush, with a group of short anterior setae at base, a posteroventral row of 4–5 strong setae on basal two-thirds, the lower 2 longer, 2 anterodorsal and 1 dorsal preapical setae and 1 anteroventral, 1 posteroventral, 1 posterior and 2 ventral apical setae; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae, strongest on apical third, an anterodorsal row of setae, a group of posterior setulae at base, 3 posterodorsal preapical setae, and few posteroventral setulae on apical fourth; hind tibia with 6 short and subequal anteroventral setae on apical two-thirds, an anterodorsal row of 7 short setae on basal half, the lowermost longer, 1 long posterodorsal seta on apical third and 3 weak posteroventral setae on middle third, 1 anterodorsal and 1 dorsal preapical seta and no apical setae; hind tarsus with long setae ventrally. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu almost sinuous; stem-vein bare on dorsal surface, and ventrally with about 3 short setulae before humeral cross-vein and bare after humeral cross-vein; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose from base to midway to r-m on dorsal surface and as far as r-m on ventral surface; 5–6 strong setae on basicosta.

Abdomen. With lateral tufts of setulae; all tergites with many setae; sternite 1 setulose; posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and with some setae on membrane ( Fig. 77 ).

Terminalia. Cercal plate ventrally with 1 strong spine; surstylus with some setae apically ( Figs 78–79 ); aedeagus with many spicules on anterior membrane of distiphallus; gonopod with 2 long and strong setae on basal third; paramere with some setulae apically ( Fig. 80 ).

Female. Body length: 6.0–7.0 mm; wing length: 6.0 mm.

Similar to male, differing as follows: the pruinosity is more intense and tergite 5 is covered with golden pruinosity; calypters whitish; eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.34–0.37 of head width; fronto-orbital plate with 4 proclinate setae, the upper 2 weaker, and 1 reclinate setula; ocellar triangle with 1 pair of strong setae and 3 pairs of weaker setae; about 11–12 frontal setae; fore femur with a small group of short and weak ventral setae at base; fore tibia with a golden and brush-like ctenidium on ventral surface; mid femur without a tubercle or an excavation at apex of dorsal surface, without a group of long setae with curved tips on basal third of anteroventral to posteroventral surfaces; mid tibia with 5 posterior setae instead of posteroventrals; hind tibia with a row of 5–6 setae; hind tarsus without modifications in shape or bristling.

Ovipositor. Tergite 6 like 2 golf-club-shaped rods, posteriorly with some setulae; tergite 7 as 2 rods, posteriorly with some setulae; tergite 8 as 2 rods, posteriorly with few setae; sternite 6 as 1 small rod, anteriorly enlarged, posteriorly with 4 small plates with setae; sternite 7 as 1 rod, anteriorly enlarged, posteriorly with 2 small plates with small setae; sternite 8 as 2 rods posteriorly with 2 narrow plates with small spines; epiproct small with 4 small setae; hypoproct with many setae; cercus cylindrical ( Figs 81–82 ).

Material examined. CANADA: Quebec, Gatineau County, Lake Duncan near Masham , Malaise trap, 4– 8.viii.1979 , A. C. Pont, 1 Ƌ ( BMNH) ; Quebec, Lake Duncan , swamp, 6.vii.1991 , A.C. Pont, 1 Ƌ and 1 ♀ ( BMNH) ; Quebec, Lake Duncan , 1.5 miles north, 30.vi.1991 , A.C. Pont, 1 ♀ ( BMNH); U.S . A. : Maryland, Baltimore , lectotype ♀ of Cyrtoneura micans Macquart ( BMNH) ; California, San Francisco district (see Persson 1972: 169), holotype Ƌ of Cyrtoneura recurva Thomson ( NHRS) .

Distribution. NEARCTIC: U.S. A. and Canada, from Alaska east to Newfoundland, south to California, Oklahoma, Illinois and Georgia.

Figures

FIGURES 77 – 82. Morellia (M.) micans (Macquart). 77. Sternite 5, male. 78. Cercal plate, male. 79. Left surstylus, male. 80. Phallic complex, lateral view. 81. Ovipositor, dorsal view. 82. Ovipositor and spermathecae, ventral view.