Blepharoneura sinepuncta Norrbom & Condon, 2010

Norrbom, Allen L. & Condon, Marty, 2010, Revision of the femoralis group of Blepharoneura Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae) 2374, Zootaxa 2374 (1), pp. 1-139 : 107-109

Blepharoneura sinepuncta Norrbom & Condon , new species

Figs. 63 , 144

Diagnosis. This species, B. splendida , punctistigma , and aspiculosa differ from other Blepharoneura species in having the thoracic pleuron largely brown, the apical fourth or more of the hind femur dark brown, and the distal part of the wing with oblique bands. Blepharoneura sinepuncta differs from the other three species in having the submedial scutal vittae broadly connected to the marks on the posterior margin (they are rarely narrowly connected in B. puntistigma and splendida ), and it further differs from B. punctistigma and aspiculosa by its lack of a subapical hyaline spot in the pterostigma and its markings in cell dm (subapical spot [#25] absent or aligned with or fused to posteromedial spot [#24]). The scutal microtrichial pattern varies, but at least the anterior 2/3 of the presutural part lateral to the submedial vitta is microtrichose, unlike in B. splendida . The aculeus tip is more elongate than in B. splendida and punctistigma , the gaps between the lobes are deeper than in B. aspiculosa , and the medial lobe is slightly concave or notched unlike all three species.

Description. Head: Dark brown area on ocellar tubercle extended more than half distance to postocellar seta or reaching it. Medial vertical seta in yellow area. Medial occipital sclerite with pair of red brown to dark brown submedial vittae on ventral half, sometimes connected. Occipital suture narrowly dark brown, on lateral side bordered by variably shaped brown area, extending as band or triangular mark towards postocular setae, sometimes (1 specimen) reaching eye margin and including lateral vertical seta or (2 specimens) with narrow brown area along eye.

Thorax: Scutum microtrichose at least laterally, posterior to dorsocentral seta, and on anterior 2/3 of presutural part lateral to submedial vitta, sometimes more extensively or mostly microtrichose [obscured or damaged on some specimens and full extent difficult to determine]; scutum also with 2 pairs of dark brown vittae; submedial vitta uninterrupted and connected to mark on posterior margin; sublateral vitta at most narrowly interrupted at transverse suture, narrowly separated from or occasionally (2 specimens) connected to mark on posterior margin; posterior margin with 1 brown mark, narrowed medially. Notopleuron dark brown except narrowly on anterodorsal margin. Small brown spot anterior to postsutural supra-alar seta usually absent, small and faint in 2 specimens. Brown vitta anterior to postalar seta and brown spot lateral to dorsolateral corner of scutellum present. Scutellum with pair of submedial brown marks, sometimes extended to basal margin, or with single usually inverted U-shaped medial mark; side with small to moderately large brown spot or linear or L-shaped mark on or near ventrobasal margin. Subscutellum and mediotergite mostly brown except narrow medial vitta and dorsolateral corner of mediotergite usually yellow or orange, or with single very broad or pair of dark brown vittae and ventral half of lateral margin of mediotergite also narrowly brown. Pleuron mostly dark brown, yellow only on propleuron, anterior margin of anepisternum and usually broadly bordering phragma, all or most of katepimeron, greater ampulla, and often dorsal margins of anepimeron, katatergite or anatergite. Basalare brown. Dorsocentral seta aligned with or usually slightly anterior to postalar seta.

Legs: Mostly yellow. Mid femur sometimes with single ventral or separate anteroventral and posteroventral brown marks on apical 1/5–1/4. Hind femur with entire apical 1/4–2/3 dark brown.

Wing ( Fig. 63 ): Length 6.35–7.35 mm, width 3.05–3.70 mm, ratio 1.86–2.09. Crossvein r-m at 0.52–0.57 distance from bm-cu to dm-cu. Cell c with 2 or occasionally 3 hyaline spots, basal spot broad and rectangular, reaching costa and subcosta, distal spot slightly to distinctly smaller, rectangular or constricted medially or occasionally divided into smaller semicircular anterior and posterior spots; medial brown area almost as dark as to slightly paler than area of cell r1 posterior to pterostigma, sometimes paler medially, slightly to distinctly narrower than basal hyaline spot, narrower or broader than distal spot. Pterostigma without subapical hyaline spot. Cell r1 basally (proximal to apex of R1) with 1 pale brown to hyaline spot, rarely diffuse or indistinct; cell r2+3 entirely dark brown or occasionally with 1 spot. Radial cells medially with tapering basal marginal hyaline mark [#5 fused with additional spot?] in cell r1 and aligned spots in r2+3 [#8] and r4+5 [#14] forming acute triangular mark, sometimes extended to vein M; cell r4+5 with hyaline spot [#15] near anterior end of dm-cu narrow but extending to vein M. Distally cell r1 without marginal hyaline spot [#6], posteriorly often with small extension from band in cell r2+3. Cell r2+3 without marginal hyaline marks. Cell r4+5 with hyaline band from posteroapical margin, extending parallel to costa to vein R2+3 or slightly into r1, slightly tapering anteriorly, approximately as broad as marginal brown area. Cells m and r4+5 with inverted V-shaped hyaline mark [fusion of at least #26A, #26, #27, #29], extending to or almost to vein R4+5, both arms reaching margin in cell m. Cell br with subbasal hyaline spot [#12]. Cell bm with broad hyaline area [fused #19, #20] or large circular subapical hyaline spot [#20] only. Cell bcu rarely (1 specimen) with hyaline spot in lobe. Anal lobe hyaline except brown area from apical part of lobe of cell bcu and base of vein A1+Cu2 crossing apex of vein A2. Posteromedial part of wing with 2 elongate hyaline bands, usually connected medially in cell cu1 (except in 1 male (USNMENT00048913) in which they are broadly connected only posteriorly in cell dm) and occasionally narrowly posteriorly in cell dm; proximal band extending from subapically in cell br across cell dm and at least midway across cell cu1 [aligned and fused #13, #21, #22, #32, possibly also #51, #52 or #23 when broad], often connected to mark across vein A1+Cu2 [fused #34, #39], and often broader on proximal or distal side in cell dm; part in cell br [#13] broad at least posteriorly, slightly to strongly narrowed anteriorly, sometimes not reaching vein R4+5, br without more proximal hyaline spot [#44]; distal band [fusion of at least #24, #33, #36 and usually #25] usually extending from anterior side of cell dm across cell cu1 to wing margin, in 1 specimen reaching vein M, or occasionally with anteromedial subapical hyaline spot [#25] isolated (1 specimen) or absent (1♂, USNMENT00048913); cell cu1 with subapical marginal hyaline spot [#37] small to large, usually reaching vein Cu1.

Abdomen: Syntergite 1+2 with pair of irregular posterolateral brown marks formed from fused submedial and sublateral spots and posterolateral band. Tergites 3–5 with pair of submedial brown spots, isolated except on tergites 3 and 5 of Zurquí male (USNMENT00048913) and pair of irregular lateral brown markings, separated medially, often very broad laterally (without or with small anterior sublateral yellow area) formed from fused or connected submedial spots, anterolateral spots, and L-shaped posterolateral bands; sublateral spots occasionally isolated on tergite 4 or especially tergite 5, anterolateral spots rarely isolated.

Female terminalia: Oviscape entirely dark brown, length 1.16–1.30 mm. Aculeus ( Fig. 144 ) 0.65–0.70 mm long, 1.67–1.88 times as long as wide, with acute scales dorsally and ventrally on membrane medially; tip angular basolaterally, elongate triangular (lobed part 0.57–0.67 times as long as wide), with small, notched or slightly concave medial lobe and 3 pairs of step-like lobes separated by relatively deep gaps; sublateral and submedial lobes similar in size; lateral gap 1.36–1.54 times as long as wide. Spermathecae subspherical, with straight to slightly convoluted, slender sclerotized neck and large cylindrical basal apodeme.

Male terminalia: Medial surstylus with prensisetae subequal, separated by several times width of medial prensiseta, medial prensiseta on long lobe, lateral prensiseta on short lobe.

Distribution. This species is known only from Costa Rica. Where provided by collectors, the elevations of the collection sites range from 900–2200 m.

Type data. Holotype ♀ ( INBio INBIO002405749 ), COSTA RICA: San José: San Gerardo de Dota, near Albergue Savegre , LS 389000 484200, 2200 m, 19–22 May 1997, E. Zumbado . Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Alajuela: La Garita, 900 m, 5 May 1987, C. Godoy, 1♂ ( UCRSJ USNMENT00213919 ) ; Cartago: La Suiza, 7 Mar, P. Schild, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00213916 ) ; same, 2 Mar 1924, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00213918 ) ; same, Apr 1922, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00213917 ) ; Heredia: Río Sucio , H. Rogers, “ B.C.A. Dipt. II., Hexachaeta splendida G.Tos. ”, 1♂ ( BMNH) ; San José: San Gerardo de Dota, along Río Savegre , 9°33'N 83°48'W, 2200 m, on Cyclanthera langei Cogn. (95CR14), 8–10 Aug 1995, M. A. Condon & A. L. Norrbom, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00048391 ) ; San Gerardo de Dota, near Albergue Savegre , LS 389000 484200, 2200 m, 19–22 May 1997, M. A. Zumbado, 1♂ ( INBio INBIO002578262 ) ; Zurquí de Moravia , 10°03'N 84°01'W, 1600 m, Mar 1995, P. Hanson, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00048557 ) ; same, Sep 1995, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00050130 ) . Puntarenas: Estación Biológico Pittier , LS 330900 577400, 1670 m, 26 Sep - 5 Oct 1995, E. Navarro, 1♀ ( INBio INBIO002340202 ) .

Other specimens examined. COSTA RICA: San José: Zurquí de Moravia , 10°03'N 84°01'W, 1600 m, Aug-Sep 1994, P. Hanson, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00048913 ) .

Etymology. The name of this species is a Latin noun meaning without spots in reference to the absence of spots in the pterostigma and in the apical part of cell dm, which distinguishes this species from B. aspiculosa and punctistigma .

Remarks. Cells dm and cu1 usually have a more or less H or M-shaped hyaline mark. In the La Suiza female there is an isolated hyaline spot in the apical third of dm, but it is aligned with the distal part of the larger mark that extends into cell cu1. The non-paratype male from Zurquí has a different shape, somewhat more like an inverted V, and it also has the hyaline mark in cell r1 extended to vein M and very broad scutal vittae and may possibly be a different species.

Biology. One adult was collected on Cyclanthera langaei Cogn. at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica, and larvae were also found mining stems of this plant at this site in the same month (19 Aug 1995, ALN, pers. obs.), but unfortunately we were unable to rear the larvae to adults and their identity remains uncertain (also see Biology section).

Figures

FIGURES 56–65. Wing: 56, B. quadristriata (Mexico: Los Tuxtlas, USNMENT00054201); 57, B. quetzali (holotype); 58–59, B. regina (lectotype; Mexico: Lagunas de Zempoala, USNMENT00213847); 60, B. rupta (lectotype); 61, B. ruptafascia (holotype); 62, B. septemdigitata (Peru: Pakitza, USNMENT00213939); 63, B. sinepuncta (Costa Rica: La Suiza, USNMENT00213918); 64–65, B. splendida (Guatemala: Pacayal, USNMENT00213874; Venezuela: Rancho Grande, USNMENT00213864).

FIGURES 136–145. Aculeus: 136, B. aspiculosa (Mexico: El Triunfo, USNMENT00213912); 137, B. cyclantherae (Mexico: Rt. 95, USNMENT00052304); 138–142, B. femoralis (Guatemala: Coban, USNMENT00213771; Brazil: Nova Teutonia, USNMENT00213760, USNMENT00052320, USNMENT00213761; Peru: Chanchamayo, USNMENT00213960); 143, B. nigrifemur (Bolivia: Apa Apa, USNMENT00055925); 144, B. sinepuncta (Costa Rica: Zurquí, USNMENT00050130); 145, B. zumbadoi (Costa Rica: San Gerardo, INBio002578264).