Laphria macquarti (Banks)

Dennis, D. Steve & Barnes, Jeffrey K., 2013, Pupal cases of four Nearctic species of Laphria (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 3681 (4), pp. 478-492 : 485-487

Laphria macquarti (Banks)

( Figs. 6–9 )

Dasyllis macquarti Banks, 1917: 54 .

The following description is based on one pupal case associated with a separately pinned adult female. The adult is labeled, “15112a Hopk US, May 12-17 Reared, Victoria Tex, TE Snyder Collector, USNMENT00876525”. The pupal case is labeled, “15112a Hopk US, May 12-17 Reared, Smithsonian Institution, USNMENT00876525”.

Description. Pupal case mostly straight ( Fig. 6–7 ). Greatest length, including anterior antennal processes 25.5 mm; greatest width of thorax 6.0 mm; greatest width of abdomen 6.0 mm, tapering to 3.5 mm at greatest width of abdominal segment 8. Integument subshining golden brown, becoming darker on head anteriorly, at apices of wing sheaths, on abdominal segments 8–9, and to lesser extent at apices of leg sheaths. Spines and other processes glistening reddish brown; spines uniformly colored; processes of head and abdominal segment 9 darker apically.

Head with pair of basally rugose, recurved, dorsally rounded, ventrally-wedge shaped anterior antennal processes not joined at base; with group of 5 basally rugose, dorsally rounded, ventrally wedge-shaped posterior antennal processes curving and becoming shorter posteriorly; inner or first posterior process longer than, and separated from, outer processes by flattened area of cuticle; outer 4 posterior processes basally fused and very close together, becoming shorter posteriorly with basally thick, sclerotized area of overhanging cuticle; with 1–2 short, straight, rounded processes present between first and second outer processes; sensory pore on outermost process not visible. Facial area with 2 pairs of short, stout, dark, reclinate spines posterior to antennal processes and one pair of roughly rounded lateral facial tubercles posterior to lateral facial spines; median facial spines bifurcate, bearing long, thin bristlelike spine posteriorly ( Figs. 8–9 ); lateral facial spines unbranched, laterally compressed. Labral sheath wide, smooth, with slight median furrow, apically incised. Palpal sheaths tubercle-like, present on each side of labral sheath about halfway down maxillary sheath. Proboscidal sheath smooth, with median furrow, posteriorly elongate, bulbous, with rounded point extending over posterior coxal sheath. Maxillary sheath smooth, extending to middle of proboscidal sheath ( Fig. 8 ).

Anterior coxal sheath smooth, with anteromedian longitudinal split. Posterior coxal sheath smooth, folded inward. Prothoracic spiracle dark reddish brown, elongate oval, on rugose, heavily sclerotized callosity, situated midlaterally at anterior margin of thorax. Anterior mesothoracic spines present on each side of thorax above bases of, and extending over, mid leg sheaths, consisting of anterior pair of basally broad and fused, dorsoventrally flattened to rounded, ventrally wedge-shaped, straight to posteriorly curved spines with sclerotized edges, and single, short basally broad, dorsally flattened, ventrally wedge-shaped, straight posterior spine widely separated from anterior pair. Posterior mesothoracic callosity at base of wing sheath bulbous, with short, broadly rounded posterior mesothoracic spine consisting of sclerotized posterior ridge. Wing sheaths smooth, with elongate grooves. Thoracic area above wing sheath smooth. Apex of hind leg sheath (leg sheath 3) reaching to between posterior margin of abdominal segment 2 and middle of segment 3, apically bilobed with median projection.

Abdominal segments 1–7 each with dorsomedian transverse row of alternating long and short spines of irregular pattern, becoming larger and longer posteriorly. Dorsolateral bristlelike spines slightly larger and longer than ventral bristlelike spines, both becoming longer posteriorly, and lateral or postspiracular bristlelike spines sometimes alternating long and short, or with 1–3 short spines between long spines, and most ventral spine longest.

Spiracles of abdominal segments 1–7 situated along midline laterally, dark reddish brown, medium size, spherical to elongate oval, slightly raised in light reddish brown sclerotized area of cuticle.

Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal transverse row of 40 spines consisting of 3 median, unequal length short spines, and on each side 3 long spines between which are 4–5 short spines and then 6–7 short spines, outer 2 on one side separated farther from other spines; with 1–2 dorsolateral bristlelike, short to very short spines present; with 6 unequal postspiracular bristlelike spines. Venter obscured by wing and leg sheaths.

Abdominal segment 2 with incomplete dorsal transverse row of 30 spines consisting of 3 short, equal median spines and on each side 2 short spines between which are 5 shorter spines, and then 8 variable length spines; with 2 variable length dorsolateral bristlelike short spines present; with 7 unequal postspiracular bristlelike spines; with 13–14 mostly equal ventral bristlelike spines present on each side of, and extending under, wing and leg sheaths, but not completely across venter.

Abdominal segment 3 with dorsal transverse row of 37 spines consisting of 4 short, subequal median spines, with middle 2 very close together, and on each side 15–18 alternating short and very short spines; with 2 variable length dorsolateral bristlelike spines; with 4 alternating long and short (with 1 very short on one side) postspiracular bristlelike spines; with ventral transverse row of 26–32 subequal spines interrupted by median space.

Abdominal segment 4 with dorsal transverse row of 33 short, mostly equal spines, with slight median space and some shorter outer spines; with 3 unequal dorsolateral bristlelike spines; with 4–5 unequal alternating long and short postspiracular bristlelike spines; with ventral transverse row of 15–18 mostly equal length bristlelike spines on each side of slight median space.

Abdominal segment 5 with dorsal transverse row of 30 spines consisting of slight median space and outer pair of short spines flanked by 13–15 generally subequal spines (outer spines shorter); with 4 unequal dorsolateral bristlelike spines, one very short; with 4 alternating long and short postspiracular bristlelike spines; with ventral transverse row of 16–18 mostly equal bristlelike spines on each side of median space.

Abdominal segment 6 with dorsal transverse row of 19 short, but variable length, spines divided by median space and one vestigial spine on each side; with 7–8 unequal dorsolateral bristlelike spines; with 4–5 unequal, postspiracular bristlelike spines; with ventral transverse row of 17 mostly equal bristlelike spines, including 1 median short spine.

Abdominal segment 7 with dorsal transverse row of 21 spines consisting of 8–10 short but variable length spines on each side of 2 very short median spines; with 3–5 unequal length dorsolateral bristlelike spines, one bifurcate to base; with 6–8 unequal, postspiracular bristlelike spines, 2 spines very short on one side; with ventral transverse row of 21 mostly equal bristlelike spines, including median short pair, some spines basally very close together.

Segments 8 and 9 curved ventrally. Segment 8 with equal dorsal spines, 1 on each side of midline; dorsolateral, lateral and ventral spines and callosities absent. Spiracle small, elongate oval, darkened brownish to black area of cuticle.

Segment 9 with pair of small, incurved, basally rugose dorsolateral processes, laterally flat to rounded, medially wedge-shaped; with small, shiny, rounded bulbous callosity dorsally between dorsolateral processes, on each side of midline; with large ventrolateral processes, basally rugose, laterally wedge-shaped, slightly curved towards dorsolateral processes.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 9. Laphria macquarti (Banks), 6. Female pupal case, lateral view, 7. Female pupal case, ventral view, 8. Facial sheath, ventral view, 9. Median facial spine, anteroventral view. Abbreviations: acsh = anterior coxal sheath, lfsp = lateral facial spine, lft = lateral facial tubercle, lsh = labral sheath, mfsp = median facial spine, msh = maxillary sheath, prsh = proboscidal sheath.