Houghia matarritai 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 : 69-71

Houghia matarritai Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Fig. 34 a–f

Diagnosis. Houghia matarritai belongs to the H. blancoi group ( H. blancoi , H. romeroae , H. chavarriae , H. marini , and H. matarritai ). It has few distinctive features except in the male terminalia and the presence of gold tomentosity covering in excess of 50% of the fronto-orbital plate. The eye is bare and the antennae are entirely black. The ground colour of the abdomen is black, and sex patches are confined to tergites 4 and 5. Gold tomentosity extends from the vertex to lower fronto-orbital setae, but the apex of the first flagellomere falls short of the lower facial margin by half the length of the pedicel ( Fig. 34 b).

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises distinctly above middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere almost extending to facial margin, (usually shorter by less than length of pedicel). 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 fronto-orbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle appearing rounded anteriorly when viewed from above. Diameter of anterior ocellus less than diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye with inconspicuous hairs. Postpronotum with 4 or 5 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 dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. 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 bayonet shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with light inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci rounded, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci deep narrow V shape, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia matarritai has been reared 60 times, from caterpillars of 4 species of monocot-eating Nymphalidae ( Pierella Westwood , Taygetis Hübner ) and 14 species of monocot-eating hesperiine Hesperiidae in ACG dry forest and rain forest, out of a sample of 4000+ caterpillars. There is one exception: the single rearing from Dunama jessiebarronae Chacón (Notodontidae) was from a monocot-eating caterpillar. It has been reared only from this ecological grouping of ACG caterpillars.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Alajuela, Sector Rincon Rain Forest, Sendero Venado (10.89678°, -85.27001°), 420 m, 12/08/2008, Jose Perez, DHJPAR0030019.

Paratypes. 70 ♂, 74 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0008557, DHJPAR0011527, DHJPAR0029799, DHJPAR0019631, DHJPAR0016604, DHJPAR0008527, DHJPAR0014998, DHJPAR0016344, DHJPAR0011526, DHJPAR0011514, DHJPAR0011518, DHJPAR0011523, DHJPAR0016614, DHJPAR0008169, DHJPAR0008126, DHJPAR0008161, DHJPAR0042705, DHJPAR0008509, DHJPAR0006596, DHJPAR0011517, DHJPAR0048515, DHJPAR0011521, DHJPAR0008166, DHJPAR0008160, DHJPAR0008165, DHJPAR0008508, DHJPAR0008551, DHJPAR0008171, DHJPAR0030021, DHJPAR0008172, DHJPAR0008532, DHJPAR0027860, DHJPAR0008531, DHJPAR0011473, DHJPAR0006947, DHJPAR0014982, DHJPAR0010224, DHJPAR0017146, DHJPAR0011507, DHJPAR0007121, DHJPAR0024543, DHJPAR0011524, DHJPAR0008118, DHJPAR0011535, DHJPAR0016111, DHJPAR0008528, DHJPAR0011522, DHJPAR0011519, DHJPAR0016492, DHJPAR0008167, DHJPAR0008119, DHJPAR0008164, DHJPAR0048515, DHJPAR0011521, DHJPAR0011520, DHJPAR0008163, DHJPAR0008173, DHJPAR0008524, DHJPAR0008525, DHJPAR0010011, DHJPAR0008170, DHJPAR0008535, DHJPAR0011481, DHJPAR0008111, DHJPAR0011516, DHJPAR0008168, 05-SRNP-42616, 05-SRNP-42567, 05-SRNP-42576, 05-SRNP-42138, 05-SRNP-42142, 04-SRNP-40623, 06-SRNP-41954, 04- SRNP-41183, 06-SRNP-32172, 05-SRNP-42140, 05-SRNP-42460, 04-SRNP-60960, 05-SRNP-42575, 05-SRNP- 42424, 05-SRNP-42427, 05-SRNP-42461, 04-SRNP-14343, 03-SRNP-12350.1, 04-SRNP-40001, 04-SRNP- 60760, 05-SRNP-42138, 02-SRNP-42682, 04-SRNP-60438, 01-SRNP-17731, 05-SRNP-42141, 05-SRNP-42579, 04-SRNP-40624, 07-SRNP-41428, 06-SRNP-90, 06-SRNP-43579, 06-SRNP-41954, 06-SRNP-47507, 07-SRNP- 66183, 05-SRNP-42425.

Etymology. Houghia matarritai is dedicated to Federico Matarrita of Liberia in recognition of his development of the ACG web site (http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr) as an encyclopedia of ACG history and activities, including the inventory of these tachinids.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Guanacaste, dry forest and rain forest, 17–590 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 34. General morphology of Houghia matarritai 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.