Houghia graciloides Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 53-55

Houghia graciloides Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Figs. 5 b, 10 a, 24 a–f

Diagnosis. Scarcely distinguishable from H. gracilis except for having sparse, minute, easily overlooked, hairs on the eyes.

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises distinctly above middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere extending to facial margin. Facial ridge with, in addition to the decumbent vibrissae, a row of minute, inconspicuous, hairs. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of fronto-orbital plate almost bare. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing rounded anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising behind anterior ocellus but closer to anterior than to posterior ocelli. Eye covered in minute hairs. Postpronotum restricted to the three main postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another with brownish or gray tomentosity, appearing paler than stripes, but darker than remainder of scutum. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum united to one another posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with short setae except for usually 3 to 5 distinctly larger setae. Katepisternum with three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae distinctly yellow tinged, usually contrasting with darker remainder of legs. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdominal tergite 3 and in some specimens parts of other tergites as well, dark medially but reddish laterally. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen partially or entirely reddish or yellowish. Sex patches present on tergite 3, as well as on tergites 4 and 5 (though sometimes small or absent on 5). Ground colour of sex patches not distinctly shiny. Terminalia: surstylus equilaterally oblong shaped, posterodorsal half haired, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with light inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci sharply pointed or distinctly tapered, apex with straight tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci deep broad V shape, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 oversized and rounded apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge straight, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia graciloides has been reared 62 times, from 17 species in 10 genera of primarily broadleaf monocot-eating caterpillars of Hesperiinae (Hesperiidae) in ACG dry forest, cloud forest, and rain forest, out of a sample of 6000+ caterpillars. This long list of hosts overlaps with that of Houghia gracilis , but emphasizes large and long-lived monocot leaves, instead of grasses and other short-lived monocot leaves.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Alajuela, Sector Brasilia, Moga (11.01227°, -85.34929°), 320 m, 02/16/2010, Duvalier Briceño, DHJPAR0038672.

Paratypes. 46 ♂, 69 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste & Alajuela, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0011506, DHJPAR0008408, DHJPAR0034598, DHJPAR0008400, DHJPAR0019796, DHJPAR0008386, DHJPAR0008419, DHJPAR0008379, DHJPAR0008422, DHJPAR0008409, DHJPAR0008406, DHJPAR0008381, DHJPAR0017034, DHJPAR0008393, DHJPAR0011513, DHJPAR0019791, DHJPAR0016633, DHJPAR0011532, DHJPAR0008380, DHJPAR0008396, DHJPAR0008418, DHJPAR0008417, DHJPAR0008382, DHJPAR0038673, DHJPAR0008412, DHJPAR0008416, DHJPAR0008431, DHJPAR0008411, DHJPAR0008399, DHJPAR0008423, DHJPAR0008530, DHJPAR0008374, DHJPAR0008397, DHJPAR0008398, DHJPAR0008391, DHJPAR0008385, DHJPAR0008387, DHJPAR0019742, DHJPAR0024458, DHJPAR0016686, DHJPAR0016700, DHJPAR0008392, DHJPAR0034586, DHJPAR0034575, DHJPAR0008414, DHJPAR0008425, DHJPAR0011505, DHJPAR0008433, DHJPAR0005517, DHJPAR0005476, DHJPAR0005518, DHJPAR0016072, DHJPAR0008375, DHJPAR0008430, DHJPAR0008421, DHJPAR0020931, DHJPAR0008394, DHJPAR0008403, DHJPAR0008413, DHJPAR0008390, DHJPAR0039326, 05-SRNP-49327, 10-SRNP-65036, 06-SRNP-57990, 03-SRNP-25897, 03-SRNP-30120, 97- SRNP-4152, 04-SRNP-15114, 04-SRNP-15115, 04-SRNP-14328, 04-SRNP-35037, 98-SRNP-6801, 07-SRNP- 31926, 07-SRNP-30976, 08-SRNP-70126, 95-SRNP-30603, 03-SRNP-30705, 07-SRNP-31935, 04-SRNP-13863, 96-SRNP-6801, 02-SRNP-4456, 02-SRNP-14318, 06-SRNP-58877, 09-SRNP-30562, 09-SRNP-30567, 05- SRNP-48893, 05-SRNP-49318, 03-SRNP-1440, 03-SRNP-27125, 10-SRNP-65037, 04-SRNP-41654.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective, “ gracilis ”, meaning slender, plus the Greek suffix, -oides, meaning resembling, in reference to its similarity to the previous species, H. gracilis .

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest, cloud forest, and dry forest, 17–1060 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dorsal view of head. Red lines indicate the shape of the ocellar triangle as described, and placement of anterior ocellus (green circle) relative to the base (s) of ocellar setae (blue circles). a. Houghia marini sp. nov. b. Houghia graciloides sp. nov. c. Houghia griseifrons sp. nov.