Morellia (M.) xanthoptera Pamplona, 1986

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 : 89-90

41. Morellia (M.) xanthoptera Pamplona, 1986

(figs 26–32 in Pamplona 1986b)

Morellia xanthoptera Pamplona, 1986b: 645 . Type locality: BRAZIL, Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourado. Holotype Ƌ, MNRJ (seen).

Redescription. Colour. Black, with blue reflections. Frontal vitta and upper half of fronto-orbital plate shining black, lower half of fronto-orbital plate black with grey pruinosity; face, parafacial, gena and antenna brown with grey pruinosity; basal half of arista yellow; palpus yellow; mesonotum metallic black with a slight blue reflection; legs brown; haltere white-yellowish; wing yellowish, with faint markings on cross-veins h, r-m, dm-cu and from tip of Sc to wing apex and downwards to R2+3. Abdomen without pruinosity.

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

Head. Eyes bare, separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.14–0.17 of head width; frons divergent towards lunule; ocellar triangle with a pair of setae and 2 or 3 long setulae; 20–27 pairs of frontal setae; postpedicel 2.1–2.5 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2 setae; arista plumose, with 15–18 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 3rd to 5th cilia; vibrissa shorter than arista; 1 strong supravibrissal seta, and many other setulae that extend to level of middle of postpedicel; 3 subvibrissal setae followed by 10 genal setae. Palpus expanded at apex.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+1; dorsocentrals 0+2; intra-alars 1+2; presutural 1; prealar 1, strong, longer than 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 2 basal, 1 latero-discal, 1 apical and 1 discal pairs of strong setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, the basalmost ones downcurved; postalar wall and suprasquamal ridge bare; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 3–4 long setae and a few setulae; prosternum broad and setulose; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 10 setae, with 1 weak setae upcurved on upper-anterior corner, and covered with long setulae; katepisternals 1+2; anepimeron extensively setulose on posterior half; katepimeron with about 3 setulae; anatergite setulose; katatergite bare. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae, a complete posteroventral row of setae, and a posterior row of setae; fore tibia with a posterodorsal row of short and strong setae, 1 anterodorsal preapical seta, 1 dorsal, 1 posteroventral and 1 ventral apical setae, and anterior surface with a brush-like ctenidium of golden setulae; fore tarsus with a golden ctenidium on apical half; mid femur without a tubercle, with 3 posterior to posterodorsal preapical setae, and without ventral setae on basal third; mid tibia with a dorsal row of very short and strong setae, 2 strong posterior setae on basal third, 1 on middle third and 1 on apical third, and 1 anteroventral, 1 dorsal, 1 posteroventral and 1 ventral apical setae; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae, an anterodorsal row of setae, longer at base, a row of long posteroventral setae with 3 longer sub-apicals and 6 shorter at apical fourth, and a ventral row of fine setae; hind tibia with 6 short and subequal anteroventral setae on apical two-thirds, an anterodorsal row of setae, longer on apical half, a dorsal row of short but strong setulae, a ventral row of short setae on all surfaces, 1 dorsal and 2 anterodorsal preapical setae, 2 anteroventral and 2 posteroventral apical setae, and a posterior brush-like ctenidium; hind tarsus with strong setae ventrally. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu sinuous; stem-vein bare on both dorsal and ventral surfaces; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose at base on dorsal and ventral surfaces; 5–6 strong setae on basicosta.

Abdomen. With a lateral tuft of setulae on syntergite 1+2 and tergite 3; sternite 1 setulose; posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and with setae on membrane.

Terminalia (figs 27–30 in Pamplona 1986b). Outer margin of cercal plate slightly convex; cercal plate ventrally with about 5 spines; surstylus with 4 setae basally and setae apically; basiphallus long; aedeagus bare; gonopod with one long and strong seta on basal half; paramere with few setae.

Female. Body length: 6.0–8.0 mm; wing length: 6.0–7.0 mm.

Similar to male, differing as follows: eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.32–0.34 of head width; fronto-orbital plate with many proclinate setae; about 17–18 weak frontal setae. Hind femur with much shorter setae except for the posteroventral apical seta, which is the same size as in male; hind tibia with 1 anteroventral seta 4 anterodorsal setae on middle third.

Ovipositor (figs 31–32 in Pamplona 1986b). Tergite 6 as 2 large plates, posteriorly with 4 small plates with setae; tergite 7 as 2 large plates, posteriorly with 2 small plates with setae; tergite 8 as 2 plates, posteriorly enlarged, posteriorly with 2 narrow plates with long setae; sternite 6 as 2 small plates with long setae; sternite 7 as 1 plate, posteriorly with 4 small plates with setae; sternite 8 as 2 small rods, posteriorly with 2 triangular plates with spines; epiproct with 6 strong setae; hypoproct large, with many long setae; cercus cylindrical and long.

Material examined. BRAZIL: Dourado , iii.1974, Alvarenga & Roppa, holotype Ƌ and 2 ƋƋ and 2 ♀♀ ( MNRJ).

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL: Brazil (Mato Grosso do Sul), Paraguay.