Houghia latilobus 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 : 59-61

Houghia latilobus Fleming & Wood sp. nov.

Fig. 28 a–f

Diagnosis. Similar to H. latigena , and part of the H. latigena group of related species in which the gena is 1/10 head height ( H. longicercus , H. latigena , H. latilobus , and H. velutina ). Its most distinctive feature compared to the other three species in the group is the greater width of the dorsal lobe of the cerci, and the divergent apices of the cerci ( Fig. 28 d).

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 bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. 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 frontoorbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. 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 beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye bare. Postpronotum restricted to the three main postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other 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 dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus wedge shaped, posterodorsal half haired, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with a slight outward curve. Cerci rounded, apex with blunted hook tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci forming a deep broad v shape, about as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 large 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 latilobus has been reared from Elbella patrobas (Hewiston) (2X), Elbella patrobas DHJ05 (1X), Elbella scylla (Ménétriés) (1X), and Melanopyge Burns 01 (1X) (Pyrginae, Hesperiidae ) in ACG rain forest, from a sample of 600+ caterpillars of these two genera.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Medrano (11.01602°, -85.38053°), 380 m, 06/12/2012, Ricardo Calero, DHJPAR0049631.

Paratypes. 2 ♂, 7 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0016481, DHJPAR0030147, DHJPAR0021969, 08-SRNP-72327, 12-SRNP-71304, 07-SRNP-3407.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective “ latus ”, meaning broad, and noun “ lobus ”, meaning hull or husk, thus a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest, 420–722 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 28. General morphology of Houghia latilobus sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.