Paraleucopis saguaro Wheeler & Sinclair, 2019

Wheeler, Terry A. & Sinclair, Bradley J., 2019, Systematics of Paraleucopis Malloch with proposal of Paraleucopidae, a new family of acalyptrate Diptera, Zootaxa 4668 (3), pp. 301-328 : 322-325

Paraleucopis saguaro Wheeler & Sinclair , sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 2 , 8, 9 , 16, 18 , 51–53 , 55 , 56 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:78D97840-6483-4909-8316-55B9D044ECE7

Type material. HOLOTYPE Ƌ, labelled: “ USA:AZ: Maricopa Co. Usery / Mtn Park. 33.475°, -111.618°/ Aspirated from bare skin/ 09.v.2013, T.A. Wheeler”; “Barcode of Life/ DNA voucher specimen/ SmpleID CCDB-23514-F09/ BOLD Proc. ID: LYMAB 4059-15 [yellow label]”; “ HOLOTYPE / Paraleucopis / saguaro/ Wheeler & Sinclair [red label]” ( LEM). PARATYPES: USA. Arizona: same data as holotype (30 ♀, LEM) ; same data except, CCDB- 23514-F08 (1 ♀, barcoded, LEM) , CCDB-23514-F07 (1 ♀, barcoded, LEM) , CCDB-23514-F06 (1 ♀, barcoded, LEM) ; Saguaro Nat. Mon. , 9.v.1942, A.L. Melander (8 Ƌ, 5 ♀, USNM) ; McDowell Mtn Pk , 30 mi NE Phoenix, 16.v.1992, R.C. Baptista (1 ♀, USNM) ; Pima Co., 10 mi NE Tucson, Sabino Canyon , 15.v.1965, R. & J. Matthews (1 ♀, MSUC) ; Pima Co., Tucson Univ. of Arizona, Desert Station , 32°15′28″N 111°5′1″W, 1.v.2010, S.A. Marshall (8 ♀, DEBU) ; Pima Co., Santa Rita Exp. Rng , 31°45′N 110°50′W, 30.iv.–6.v.2010, S. Gray (1 ♀, DEBU) ; Tucson , 11.v.1979, C.M. Francis (4 ♀, DEBU) ; 24 km W Tucson , 3.vi.1991, J.R. Vockeroth, ex. on damaged Saguaro (3 Ƌ, 2 ♀, CNC) .

Recognition. This species is characterized by pruinose clypeus; fronto-orbital setae weak to distinct; antenna mostly yellow, postpedicel darker dorsoapically; face mostly entirely pruinose extended onto anterior portion of gena ( Figs 16, 18 ); parafacial pruinose; fore coxa and all femora dark; hind femur without anteroventral preapical setae; surstylus triangular, strongly tapered to narrow apex.

Description. Frons dark to reddish-brown band above antennae; gena dark, sometimes, pale anteriorly. Face mostly pruinose extended onto anterior portion of gena; parafacial pruinose. Fronto-orbital setae weak to distinct. Antenna mostly yellow, with dorsoapical margin of postpedicel sometimes darkened; antennal bases separated by slightly more than length of pedicel. Clypeus pruinose.

Katepisternum with dense pale ventral setae, anterior to mid coxa; short setulae on anterior half. Scutum shiny with dense setulae. Coxae and femora dark, with apex of femora pale; tibiae dark with base and apex pale; tarsomeres on all legs pale with tarsomere 4 and 5 darkened dorsally; mid tibia with dark ventroapical seta, less than one-quarter length of tarsomere 1.

Male postabdomen ( Figs 51 ): epandrium rounded, evenly sclerotized, setose on posterior half. Hypandrium broad, with pair of short setae anteriorly; with rounded postgonite apically. Surstylus long, strongly tapered to narrow apex; apex arch posteromedially; setae confined mostly to posterior margin. Distiphallus tapered to narrow apex. Cercus broad, slightly shorter than dorsal length of epandrium; apex rounded.

Female postabdomen: tergite 6 ( Fig. 52 ) with bilobed anteriorly margin, broad medially with sinuous posterior margin; posterior corners slightly prolonged with pair of long setae, more than half length of tergite; spermatheca ( Fig. 53 ) short, truncate, with short pigmented denticles or papillae; without slender filaments or end apparatus of gland cells.

Distribution. This species is known from southern Arizona ( Fig. 55 ).

Etymology. The species is named after its association with Saguaro cactus and is treated as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. DNA Barcode sequence data clearly separates this new species from P. paraboydensis sp.nov. ( Fig. 56 ).

Adults of this species have been aspirated from skin, around eyes and small cuts on arms and legs ( Figs 1, 2 ) ( Marshall 2012: 490), which is similar to behaviour observed in P. mexicana .

Figures

FIGURE 56. Neighbour-joining tree of four specimens of Paraleucopis with COI sequences, including unique voucher number, sequence length and GenBank number.

FIGURES 1–2. Paraleucopis saguaro sp. nov. near Tucson, Arizona, attracted to blood; photographs by S.A. Marshall.

FIGURES 8–10. Female Paraleucopis. 8, Paraleucopis saguaro sp. nov., habitus; 9, P. saguaro sp. nov., wing; 10, P. corvina, postabdomen, dorsal view. Abbreviation: tg—tergite. Scale bars = 0.5 mm, except Fig. 10 where scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 15–18. Heads of Paraleucopis spp. 15, P. bispinosa sp. nov., lateral view; 16, P. saguaro sp. nov., lateral view; 17, P. paraboydensis sp. nov., anterior view; 18, P. saguaro sp. nov., anterior view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm.

FIGURES 51–53. Male terminalia, spermathecae and female tergite 6 of Paraleucopis saguaro sp. nov. 51, male terminalia, lateral view; 52, female tergite 6, dorsal view; 53, spermathecae. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 54–55. Distribution of Paraleucopis. 54, P. paraboydensis sp. nov.; 55, P. saguaro sp. nov.