Liriomyza helianthi Spencer

Lonsdale, Owen, 2011, The Liriomyza (Agromyzidae: Schizophora: Diptera) of California 2850, Zootaxa 2850 (1), pp. 1-123 : 56-58

Liriomyza helianthi Spencer

Figs 120–124

Liriomyza helianthi Spencer 1981: 240 . Spencer & Steyskal 1986: 289.

Liriomyza virginica Spencer In Spencer & Steyskal 1986: 297 . SYN. NOV.

Wing length 1.3–1.5mm (♂), 1.5–1.6mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein CuA 1 divided by penultimate section: 2.1–3.7. Eye height divided by gena height: 4.0–5.3. Scutum lightly dusted to subshining.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori, two ors (three in one male from Riverside). Acrostichal setulae in four rows.

Colouration: Calypter margin and hairs grey. Head light yellow with ocellar tubercle, back of head, clypeus and posterolateral region of frons to inner vertical bristle (paler between verticals) dark brown. Scutum with complete lateral yellow stripe; katatergite yellow and anatergite brown with posterodorsal corner lateral to scutellum yellow and region below scutellum darker. Anepimeron mostly brown, anepisternum with variable brown striping on ventral half, meron brown with dorsal margin yellow and katepisternum brown on ventral ¾ (yellow around base of bristle). Base of coxae, tibiae and tarsi brown, with tarsi (and sometimes tibiae) becoming paler to base; femora sometimes with very small, weak basal spot. Abdomen brown with tergites thinly yellow posteriorly and broadly yellow laterally.

Genitalia: Figs 120–124 . Surstylus with single subapical spine. Paraphallus large and well-defined, becoming broader distally and sometimes strongly clavate. Hypophallus well developed. Distiphallus with complete ventral suture widening apically; darker on basal half, thin, but gradually widening apically, and with wide chamber on distal ¼ enclosing paired fringed structures; distiphallus straight to slightly sinuate in profile, and with relative dimensions (width or height at base relative to apex) and amount of pigment variable between specimens. Ejaculatory apodeme with pileus ejaculatorius broad, truncated and heavily sclerotized laterally; stem narrow at base; blade broad, and rounded to diamond-shaped. Male from Forest Home with hairs on hypophallus long and base of distiphallus slightly curved with apex broader.

Variation: Some material from Riverside and Orange Counties with yellow lateral stripe on scutum brownish or extensively mottled or thinned postsuturally. If lateral margin of frons brown (sometimes enclosing base of ors, or base of bristle surrounded by spot), then tibiae darker, femora striated or darker apically (at least on fore femur), and pleuron darker with only dorsal 1/3–1/2 of anepisternum yellow and base of katepisternal bristle sometimes surrounded by brown (material from New Mexico, and Riverside and Orange Counties). Washington male differs as follows: dorsoapical region of first flagellomere possibly with very light infuscation; lateral margin of frons brown, enclosing base of ors; postsutural scutum brown; pleuron dark brown with dorsal margin of anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite yellow; base of femora yellow and fore femur with light, thin outer striations; abdomen entirely brown; apex of paraphallus narrower, base of distiphallus darker and slightly broader, and distiphallus slightly shorter and broader.

Hosts. Asteraceae — Helianthus annuus , Xanthium strumarium ( Spencer & Steyskal, 1986) , Ambrosia psilostacha *.

Range. USA. California [Alameda*, Modoc*, Orange *, Riverside*, Sacramento*, San Bernardino[?]*, San Diego*, Stanislaus, Ventura*], New Mexico *, Oregon *, Virginia, Washington.

Type material. Liriomyza helianthi : Holotype, USA. California: Stanislaus Co., Patterson , 27.ix.1948, swept on Helianthus annuus, Lot 162-1, K.E. Frick (1♂, CASC) ; Paratypes examined, USA. California: Stanislaus Co., Patterson, sweeping Helianthus annuus L., Lot No. 162-1, K.E. Frick, 24.ix.1948 (2♀, CASC), 6.ix.1948 (1♀, CASC), 20.ix.1948 (1♀, CASC). Liriomyza virginica : Holotype, USA. Virginia: Patrick Co., Vesta , 2800ft, 30.v.1962, J. R. Vockeroth (1♂, CNC) .

Additional material examined. USA. California: Alameda Co., UC Berkeley, Oxford Tract , 10.vii.1997, C. Gratton, from lab colony on Helianthus annuus (2♂ 3♀, EMEC) , Modoc Co., Cedar Pass Campground , 10.viii.1967, 1800m, P.H. Arnaud, Jr. (1♂, CASC) , Orange Co., “ Up Sta Ana Riv ”, 28.v.1950, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) , San Juan Hot Springs , 18.vii.1945, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) , Fullerton , 13.ii.1969, R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, insectary reared on Ambrosia psilostachys Decandolle (2♂ 2♀, UCR) , Riverside Co., Riverside , 22.ii.1930, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) , Riverside , 5.v.1925, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) , India, 25.iii.1969, R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, insectary reared on Ambrosia psilostachys Decandolle (1♂, UCR) , Sacramento Co., Stone Lake Wildlife Refuge, 3km E Hood, C. Gratton , 2.viii.1993, serpentine mine on Xanthium strumarium (1?, EMEC) , 19.vii.1996, serpentine mine on Helianthus annuus (1♂, EMEC) , 27.vi.1996, serpentine mine on Helianthus annuus (1♂, EMEC), HW160 /HW12 jnct., C. Gratton , serpentine mine on Helianthus annuus , 8.iv.1993 (2♀ 1?, EMEC) , 12.ix.1992 (1 puparium, EMEC) , San Bernardino Co. [?], Forest Home , 25.v.1935, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) , San Diego Co., Oceanside , R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, insectary reared on Ambrosia psilostachys Decandolle , 3.vi.1969 (1♂, UCR) , 1.iv.1969 (1♂, UCR) , Valley Centre , 28.v.1969, R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, insectary reared on Ambrosia psilostachys Decandolle (1♂, UCR) , Ventura Co., Fillmore , 3.ii.1970, R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, insectary reared on Ambrosia psilostachys Decandolle (1♀, UCR) , New Mexico: Cimarron , 26.v.1969, W.W. Wirth, river margin (1♂ [head missing], USNM) , Oregon: Lake Co., 3.vii.1971, 10mi NE Christmas Valley , G. Steyskal (1♂ [head missing], USNM) , Washington: Kamiac Butte , 25.vii.1914, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) .

Comments. With the examination of additional material, Liriomyza helianthi now appears to be much more variable in colouration that previously assumed, with the type series representing the palest material examined. The terminalia are also relatively plastic with regards to the height of the paraphallus and distiphallus, the latter of which may be slightly stouter and/or darker basally, less broad or high apically, or straight to sinuate in profile. Furthermore, the eastern material differs in that the eye is 3.8 times higher than the gena and the femora and the base of the tibiae are yellow.

Liriomyza virginica is here included as a junior synonym of L. helianthi because the male genitalia and colouration of the two are nearly identical. Spencer ( Spencer & Steyskal, 1986) described L. virginica in comparison to L. schlingeri from California, but apparently did not examine his own California material of L. helianthi , which he described at the same time as L. schlingeri .

One of the paratypes with a strong distal spot on hind femur and stronger mottling on fore femur has been dissected and found to be Liriomyza sativae .

Figures

FIGURES 120–124. Liriomyza helianthi Spencer, male genitalia; 120: ejaculatory apodeme, showing variation in blade shape; 121: external components, ventral; 122: holotype phallus, left lateral; 123: phallus, non-type, left lateral; 124: phallus, same male, ventral.