Malacophagomyia (Malacophagomyia) gaelana Córdoba-Suarez, Ramos-Pastrana & Mulieri, 2024

Córdoba-Suarez, Eric, Ramos-Pastrana, Yardany & Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo, 2024, A new species of Malacophagomyia (Malacophagomyia) Lopes, 1966 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) collected from an urban zone of Southern Colombia, Zootaxa 5458 (3), pp. 442-448 : 444-446

Malacophagomyia (Malacophagomyia) gaelana Córdoba-Suarez, Ramos-Pastrana & Mulieri , sp. nov.

Figs 1–9 , 11

Diagnosis. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plate with golden microtomentum; frontal vitta dark brown; 5–6 frontal setae; 5 subvibrissal setae; antenna brown; palpus brown with black setae on apical half; intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 3+3; tegula dark brown; abdomen reddish-brown; arm of sternite 5 with several fine setae on its inner surface, and a darkened short posterior lobe; syntergosternite 7+8 reddish-brown, with gray-brown microtomentum; tergite 5 with latero-ventral and dorsal spots with silvery microtomentum; surstylus ~ 2× long as wide, with long apical setae; cerci short, triangular-shape in lateral view, rhombus-shape in dorsal view ~ 1.5× longer as wide, covered with setae, with two and small lateral projections apically; vesica not seen in lateral view; lateral stylus well developed, with a pair of arms or processes, hillae with lower half rigid and upper half membranous and with lower projection medially with acute tip, and lateral stylus curved sclerotized; each harpes somewhat rectangular as a flat and membranous lobe.

Description. Male ( Figs 1–9 ). Body length = 7–10 mm (n = 3).

Head ( Figs 1–2 ). Head length at antennal base 1.13 head length at vibrissal level; Parafacial and fronto-orbital plate with golden microtomentum; parafacial plate with setae, on lower half ~ 2× larger that on upper half; fronto-orbital plate with sparse setulae; postcranium with silvery-gray microtomentum, with row of black occipital setae parallel to postorbitals and whitish setulae; eye bare; frontal vitta dark brown; front at its narrowest point 0.2 head width; 5–6 frontal setae, the row of frontals not diverging strongly anteriorly at the level of pedicel; reclinate orbital setae present; inner vertical setae strong and reclinate, outer vertical setae 1.5– 2× the inner verticals and divergent; ocellar triangle black with silvery-brown microtomentum, with one pair of divergent and proclinate ocellar setae and supplementary setulae; postocellar and paravertical setae present; postocular area with silvery microtomentum; genal groove and genal dilation with golden microtomentum; postgena with silvery-gray microtomentum and pale setae, gena with a few black setae anteriorly and pale setae on posterior part; face with silvery microtomentum; facial ridge with golden microtomentum, with setae and stronger setulae close to vibrissa and fine setulae reaching the lower half; 5 subvibrissal setae; antenna brown, postpedicel with grayish microtomentum, length 0.4 head height, arista largely plumose; palpus brown with black setae on apical half.

Thorax ( Figs 1, 3 ). Black, with silvery-gray microtomentum; prescutum and scutum with dorsal and lateral stripes with silvery-gray microtomentum and three black bands; scutellum with intermediate stripes with silvery-gray microtomentum; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and anepisternum, katepisternum and anepimeron with spots of silvery-gray microtomentum; proepisternum silvery, bare; one strong proepisternal seta plus two weaker and shorter supplementary inferior seta, three katepisternal setae, postalar wall with setulae. Chaetotaxy: acrostichals absent, dorsocentrals 4 (not well differentiated, usually the presutural more developed in length) + 4 (spaced to four, the two anterior setae smaller than the posteriors and usually not differentiated), intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 3+3, anterior postpronotal 1, basal postpronotal 3, postalars 2, notopleurals 4 (two larger and two smaller). Scutellum with one pair of basal scutellar setae, one pair of subapical setae, lateral scutellar setae absent, discal scutellar setae absent and apical scutellar setae absent. Wing ( Fig. 4 ). Hyaline, tegula dark brown, whitish basicosta and brown veins, vein R 1 basally setulose on ½ of its length, R 4+5 setulose in proximal 0.6 of distance to crossvein rm, costal spine not differentiated, third costal sector with ventral setae, cell r 4+5 open at wing apex, lower calypter whitish. Legs ( Fig. 1 ). Coxae, trochanters and mid and hind femora entirely with silvery microtomentum; fore femur with silvery microtomentum only in lower half; all femora without ctenidium; fore femur with a row stout and differentiated dorsal setae in apical half and a row of stout and differentiated anterodorsal setae; middle tibia with 1 anterodorsal and 1 posterior setae; hind femur with a row of stout and differentiated dorsal setae and with a discontinued row of stout and differentiated anterior setae; hind tibia with 1 dorsalmedially, 2 posterior setae, 2 ventral setae; tarsi blackish.

Abdomen ( Figs 1, 5–6 ). Reddish-brown; sternites exposed with silvery microtomentum; tergites 1+2–5 with latero-ventral and dorsal spots with silvery microtomentum; tergites 1+2–T4 each with one pair of lateral marginal setae, tergite 4 with one pair of median marginal setae; tergite 5 with a complete row of marginal setae; sternite 2–3 (and adjacent areas of tergites) with lateral setae; sternite 4 with tufts of black spine-like setae on posterior corners, bare medially ( Fig. 6 ); sternite 5 U-shaped, reddish-brown; arm of sternite with several fine setae on its inner surface, and a darkened short-pointed posterior lobe projected anteriorly.

Genitalia ( Figs 7–9 ). Syntergosternite 7+8 blackish, with gray-brown microtomentum, having a marginal row of stout setae and some smaller black hair-like setae laterally ( Figs 1, 5 ); epandrium reddish-orange with lateral spots dark brown, with black hair-like setae ( Figs 1, 5 ); cerci short, covered with setae, with lateral projections apically ( Fig. 7 ); cerci slightly curved anteriorly in profile ( Figs 8–9 ); surstylus ~ 2× long as wide, with long apical setae ( Figs 8–9 ); pregonite curved backward in distal portion, bent at a right angle and pointed ( Figs 8–9 ); postgonite ~ ½ the length of pregonite, trinagle-shape, curved backward in distal portion, with one strong seta basally ( Figs 8–9 ); phallus with vesica not observed in lateral view (it is only possible to observe it by breaking the pregonite and paraphallic. Since we only have three specimens, we prefered not to damage them); paraphallic lateral expansions distally broadened and membranose in lateral view ( Figs 8–9 ); juxta well developed, elongated and sclerotized, curved upward at the anterior margin, with rounded apex (lateral view), juxta bifid in ventral (or apical) view ( Figs 8–9 ); hillae with lower half sclerotized and upper half membranous, small and rounded lobe apically and lower projection medially with tip acute ( Figs 8–9 ); lateral stylus curved and sclerotized ( Figs 8–9 ); median stylus very elongated, strongly curved at the base and in apical third (lateral view) with acute apex ( Figs 8–9 ); membrane fanshaped ( Figs 8–9 ).

Female. Unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE. Male: COLOMBIA, Caquetá, Florencia, Campus Centro Universidad de la Amazonia | 01º36'25''N / 75º36'25''W, 250 m [eters] | 15. Mar [March].2014 / Collected with Van Someren-Rydon trap | with decomposing fish | on enriched stubble, Nocturnal | E. Córdoba-Suarez Leg. (1 ♂ LEUA-00000066501) (photographed specimen) . PARATYPES. idem 01º36'23''N / 75º36'25''W, 250 m [eters], 14.Mar[March].2014 / decomposing chicken vicera, Diurnal (1 ♂ LEUA-00000066502) ; idem 01º36'21''N, 75º36'23''W, 250 m [eters], 16.Abr[April].2014 / with human excrement, Nocturnal (1 ♂ LEUA-00000066503) .

Etymology: The name of the species is after Gael Córdoba and Alanha Córdoba, nephews of the first author, for their unconditional affection and appreciation received.

Geographical distribution: Colombia (Caquetá) ( Fig. 10 ).

Habitat ( Fig. 11 ). Specimens were collected at the Universidad de la Amazonia—Campus Centro, which is located within urban area of the Municipality. It has drinking water, sewage and periodic garbage collection; green areas are composed of areas under restoration and enriched stubble.

Taxonomic notes: Malacophagomyia (Malacophagomyia) gaelana sp. nov. seems to be most probably the sister species of M. filamenta , on the basis of their similar general cercal and phallic morphology, and specifically, on the shape of sternite 5. Both species share the same configuration of shortened cerci (in comparison to that of M. (M.) kesselringi and M. (M.) rivadavia ), the shape of the juxta, and the arms of sternite 5 with presence of short posterior lobes. The new species have cerci with small-pointed lateral projections apically ( Fig. 7 ) not present in M. (M.) filamenta ; the juxta of M. (M.) gaelana sp. nov. is apically more elongated and curved upward in comparison to M. (M.) filamenta ; the hillae is bifid in M. (M.) gaelana sp. nov.; and the arms of stermite 5 is equipped with short-pointed posterior lobe projected anteriorly instead of medially directed. Malacophagomyia (M.) gaelana sp. nov. runs to M. (M.) rivadavia in couplet 1 of the key in Mulieri & Mello-Patiu (2013). The new species externally differs from M. (M.) rivadavia by parafacial and fronto-orbital entirely with golden microtomentum ( Fig. 2 ) [versus parafacial and fronto-orbital with a narrow strip of gray microtomentum near eye, see Figure 3 in Mulieri & Mello-Patiu (2013)]; 5 subvibrissal setae (versus 8 subvibrissal setae); intra-alars 1+2, supra-alars 3+3 (versus alars 2+2, supra-alars 1+3); tegula dark brown (versus tegula orange-brown); abdomen reddish-brown ( Figs 1, 5 ) [versus abdomen black, see figure 22 in Mulieri & Mello-Patiu (2013).

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Malacophagomyia (M.) gaelana Córdoba-Suarez, Ramos-Pastrana & Mulieri, sp. nov. Holotype male. 1, Habitus, left lateral view; 2, Head, fronto-lateral view; 3, Thorax, dorsal view; 4, Wing; 5, Abdomen, dorsal view.

FIGURES 6–9. Malacophagomyia (M.) gaelana Córdoba-Suarez, Ramos-Pastrana & Mulieri, sp. nov. Holotype male. 6, Sternites 4 and 5; 7, Cercus dorsal view (the red arrow indicates apical lateral projections); 8, Terminalia lateral view; 9, Terminal details, lateral view.Abbreviations: cerc, cercus; hi, hillae; j, juxta; ls, lateral stylus; ple, paraphalllic lateral expansion; ms, median stylus; pg, pregonite; pgt, postgonite; pp, paraphallus; sr, surstylus.

FIGURES 10–11. 10. Geographical records of Malacophagomyia species in South America. M. (M.) filamenta, M. (M.) gaelana sp. nov. M. (M.) kesselringi and M. (M.) rivadavia. 11, Habitat and arrangement of Van Someren-Rydon traps, with its attractants (rhombuses) at the Universidad de la Amazonia—Campus Centro.