Psilochaeta chalybea (Wiedemann, 1830)

Gomes, Lucas R. P., Couri, Márcia S. & De Carvalho, Claudio J. B., 2018, Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae and Muscidae (Diptera) from the Juan Fernández Archipelago (Chile): 60 years after Willi Hennig’s contributions, Zootaxa 4402 (2), pp. 373-389 : 385

Psilochaeta chalybea (Wiedemann, 1830)

( Figs. 40, 41 )

Diagnosis: General coloration of body metallic blue, thorax with four dorsal dark brown vittae; antenna and palpus dark brown; calypters darkened and dark brown at margin; halter dark brown. Eye ciliate; arista pubescent, with cilia smaller than basal width of the arista; notopleuron with two setae, posterior seta surrounded by many setulae; prealar seta strong; katepimeron with few setulae; dorsocentral setae 2+4; katepisternal setae 2+3; calcar present; lower calypter about twice the length of upper calypter and both entirely covered with cilia marginally; wing veins bare, except costal vein; sternite 1 bare. Body length: 5.2–7.7 mm. Wing length: 4.8–6.8 mm.

Material examined: CHILE: Juan Fernández, Robinson Crusoe Island 5 males and 4 females, Bahia Cumberland, 1–11.i.1993, Marshall & Gonzalez ; 1 female, Bahia Cumberland, 31.i.1993, S. A. Marshall ; 1 male, Plazoleta-El Yunque , 23–28.i.1992, S. A. Marshall ; 6 females, Plazoleta - El Yunque , 1–9.i.1993, S. A. Marshall ; 1 female, Mirador Selkirk , 30.xii.1992, S. A. Marshall.

References: de Carvalho (1989), Carvalho & Couri (2002).

Distribution: Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile (including Juan Fernández Archipelago) (Löwenberg-Neto & de Carvalho 2013).

Biology: This species is associated with anthropic environments, having been often captured in rural areas, from decomposing bovine liver, chicken viscera, fish and dog feces ( Figueroa-Roa & Linhares 2004; Patitucci et al. 2013).

Comments: Hennig (1955) identified 12 specimens of Ophyra coerulea Macquart, 1843 (currently Psilochaeta chalybea ) in Robinson Crusoe Island ( Table 1). This was the first record of this species in the Archipelago, Wiedemann (1830)’s record is not valid, as indicated by Löwenberg-Neto & Carvalho (2013).

Figures

FIGURES 39–44. Notoschoenomyza kuscheli Hennig, 1955: (39) female, lateral view. Psilochaeta chalybea (Wiedemann, 1830): (40) male and (41) female, lateral view. Schoenomyzina emdeni Hennig, 1955: (42) female. Syllimnophora lispomima Hennig, 1955: (43) male and (44) female, lateral view. Scale: 1.0 mm.