Copestylum emeralda, (HULL, 1934)

Rotheray, G. E., Hancock, E. G. & Marcos-García, M. A., 2007, Neotropical Copestylum (Diptera, Syrphidae) breeding in bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) including 22 new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 150 (2), pp. 267-317 : 308-309

023. COPESTYLUM EMERALDA (HULL, 1934)

Diagnosis – puparium: Dorsal lips and antennomaxillary organs not describable because they are hidden within the dried puparium; lateral lips with stout setae basally, and fine setae apically, not meeting apically, feeding channel not deep; thorax not wider than abdomen; anterior fold with a band of between seven and nine rows of brown spicules, becoming shorter anteriorly and not reaching sensilla 3 of prothorax; rest of prothorax including anterior spiracles undescribable because of absence of prothoracic plates from both specimens; vestiture of short, stout upright setae becoming shorter on ventral surface; lateral margin of mesothorax with two groups of seven and three spicules, respectively; antero-ventral margin of metathorax with two rows of either five or six spicules; mesothorax comma-shaped with three rows of brown crochets; primary crochets arranged medially; transverse prolegs on abdominal segments 1–5 with at least two rows of brown crochets; crochets longer than vestiture, at least on segments 1–3; segmental sensilla not mounted on fleshy projections, not with long apical setae; lappet 1 either as long as or longer than lappet 2; lappets 2 and 3 on lateral margin of the anal segment; posterior breathing tube orange, very wide, more than two times as wide as a pupal spiracle, shining, and a few light punctures, tapering at apex ( Fig. 99 ), three pairs of sinusoidal openings ( Fig. 103 ); pupal spiracles orange, long, longer than distance apart, slightly curved, nodulate basally, with openings close together, as close as their width across, on conspicuous, raised bands; bands reaching halfway point ( Fig. 107 ); head skeleton – ventral cornu about five times shorter than dorsal cornu; dorsal cornu half as wide as ventral cornu; dorsal bridge present; sclerotized tentorial bars width unchanged beyond ventral bridge; mandibles and mandibular apodeme as wide as tentorial bars.

Material examined: One male and one female with puparia, Costa Rica, Limón, Siguirres, Pacuarito 15 Feruary 2000, ex decaying outer leaves of a bromeliad ( Bromeliaceae ) on a branch of a cut tree, ER ( INBio) .

Taxonomic notes: The transverse prolegs only developed on abdominal segments 1–5 suggest this species is similar to C. puyarum , but the thorax is not as wide as the abdomen and there are no long fleshy projections bearing sensilla on any of the segments. It is also similar to C. yowoi , but has a wider than deep, tapering posterior breathing tube. In C. yowoi the breathing tube is as wide as deep and is parallel sided. The early stages of C. emeralda are also easily distinguished from all other bromeliad Copestylum early stages by the well-developed lappet 1, which is either as long as or longer than lappet 2, and the posterior breathing tube, which is broader than the pupal spiracles.

Biology: Reared from larvae found among the decaying outer leaves of a bromeliad ( Bromeliaceae ) on a branch of a cut tree in Costa Rica.

Figures

Figures 99–110. Early stages of Copestylum, respiratory structures. 99–102. Posterior breathing tubes of third stage larva, dorso-lateral view, apex to the left; tr, transverse ridge; scale line = 2 mm. 99. Copestylum emeralda; 100. Copestylum otongaensis; 101. Copestylum elizabethae; 102. Copestylum louisae. 103–106. Spiracular plates of posterior breathing tubes of third stage larva, dorsal view; so, spiracular openings; scale line = 0.6 mm. 103. C. emeralda; 104. C. otongaensis; 105. C. elizabethae; 106. C. louisae. 107–110. Pupal spiracles from puparia, posterior view; scale line = 1 mm. 107. C. emeralda; 108. C. otongaensis; 109. C. elizabethae; 110. C. louisae.