Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida (Lopes, 1935)

Barbosa, Taciano M., Mello-Patiu, Cátia A. & Vasconcelos, Simão D., 2021, Revision of the New World subgenus Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with a reassessment of diagnostic characters, Journal of Natural History 55 (5 - 6), pp. 305-340 : 327-329

Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida (Lopes, 1935)

( Figures 4 , 7 (c), 9(a–c))

Sarcophaga larvicida Lopes, 1935b: 470 . Type locality: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro; Cucullomyia larvicida ; Lopes 1969: 47 (catalogue, new combination); Lopes 1976b: 749 (key, redescription); Linhares 1981: 197 (synantropy); Carvalho and Linhares 2001: 606 (list, forensic); Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida ; Pape 1996: 432 (catalogue, new combination); Barros et al. 2008: 607 (list, forensic); Carvalho and Mello-Patiu 2008: 402 (key, forensic); Moretti et al. 2008: 693 (list, forensic); Barbosa et al. 2009: 924 (list, forensic); Rosa et al. 2011:427 (list, forensic); Alves et al. 2014: 82 (list, forensic); Mello-Patiu et al. 2014: 143 (list, forensic); Barbosa et al. 2015: 113 (list, forensic); Sousa et al. 2015: 6 (list, distribution, forensic); Sousa et al. 2016: 9 (forensic, community ecology); Barbosa et al. 2017: 463 (list, diversity), Buenaventura and Pape 2018: 844 (morphological phylogeny); Carvalho-Filho et al. 2018: 401 (list, diversity); Faria et al. 2018: 187 (list, forensic), Barbosa et al. 2020: 92 (list, distribution).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico , x.1935, H.S. Lopes leg. ( MNRJ) [lost] . PARATYPES 2 ♂: same data as holotype ( MNRJ) [lost]; 1 ♂: BRAZIL, Parayba do Norte [estado da Paraíba], Santa Luzia, Fazenda Fechado , v .1935, R. V. Ihering leg. ( MNRJ) [lost].

Additional examined material. BRAZIL − 3 ♂: Pernambuco, Buíque , ix .2015, T.M. Barbosa & R.F. R Carmo leg . ( CE-UFPE); 3 ♂: Paraíba, Boqueirão , ii . 2017, T.M. Barbosa & R.F. R Carmo leg . ( CE-UFPE); 1 ♂: Minas Gerais, Cambuquira , ii .1942, H .S . Lopes leg . ( MNRJ) [lost]; 1 ♂: Rio de Janeiro, Grajaú , 28 .v .1939, H .S . Lopes leg . ( MNRJ) [lost]; 1 ♂: Rio de Janeiro, Marambaia , 12 .xi .1993, C .A . Mello-Patiu leg . ( MNRJ) [lost]; 1 ♂: Rio de Janeiro, Marambaia , 18 .iii .1993, C .A . Mello-Patiu leg . ( MNRJ) [lost]; BRAZIL – 1 ♂: Mato Grosso do Sul, Porto Murtinho , 11–26 .xii .2012, Nihei, S . leg . ( MNRJ) [lost].

Diagnosis. Scutellum with a lateral patch of whitish or yellowish hair-like setulae; vesica as long as wide, with a single sclerotised and pointed proximal projection at the base and a rounded distal portion with spinose ornamentation ( Figure 4 (d,e)); juxta ovoid, roughly similar in thickness along the entire length, in lateral view, and with a small sclerotised area, in the ventral view ( Figure 4 (c–e)); median style slightly larger than the lateral ones with a spinous apex ( Figure 4 (d,e)); lateral styli robust, with spinous apical half ( Figure 4 (d,e)).

Redescription. MALE (n = 14). Body length = 6.5–10.0 mm.

Head. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plates with golden pruinosity; fronto-orbital plate with sparse setulae; parafacial plate with row of setulae close to eye and measuring about 0.52 of distance between vibrissae; frons about 0.35 head width at level of ocellar triangle; frontal vitta entirely blackish with some golden pruinosity around the ocellar triangle; rows of frontal setae parallel except anteriormost 2 slightly divergent, 5–7 well-developed frontal setae reaching level of base of pedicel, the uppermost one shorter than the others; reclinate orbital seta present, proclinate orbital setae absent; outer vertical setae 0.5x inner vertical setae and divergent; ocellar setae as developed as upper frontals; ocellar triangle blackish brown; postocellar and paravertical setae present; postocular area with golden pruinosity; gena with golden pruinosity in upper portion and grey pruinosity on the bottom, black setae in anterior part and whitish setae close to occiput; postgena with silvery pruinosity and numerous whitish setae; face with silvery pruinosity; facial ridge black with silvery pruinosity, with short setulae in lower half; antenna dark brown, total length 0.74 of distance from insertion to vibrissal level, first flagellomere brown with grey pruinosity and approximately 2.5x longer than pedicel; arista long plumose on basal 3/4; palpus blackish.

Thorax. Black with silvery-grey pruinosity, postpronotum, notopleuron, anepisternum, anepimeron, and katepisternum with slightly yellowish pruinosity; chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0 + 1, dorsocentrals 3 − 5 poorly differentiated setae (except one setae close to the head and one near suture) + 4 − 5 (2–3 short setae and 2 posteriormost well developed), intra-alars 1 + 2, supra-alars 2 + 3, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 4; katepisternals 3, almost in a straight line; postalar wall setulose; postalar callus with 2 setae; scutellum with a patch of whitish or yellowish hair-like setulae on lateral margin and reaching ventral part ( Figure 7 (c)),pairs of basal, lateral and subapical setae (lateral pair shorter), a pair of preapical discal setae, and no apical setae; meral setae 7–9; proepisternum bare; prosternum setulose. Wing. Hyaline, with dark brown veins; tegula dark brown; basicosta yellowish; vein R1 bare; vein R4+5 with setulae dorsally on 3/4 of distance to crossvein r-m; cell r4+5 open at wing margin; third costal sector bare ventrally. Legs. Blackish-brown with silvery pruinosity, pulvilli yellowish-brown; mid femur with a row of 4 − 6 median anterior setae, 4 median anteroventral setae, 2 preapical posterior setae, 1 − 2 median setae and a ctenidium of 9 spiniform setae on posteroventral surface; mid tibia with 2 median anterodorsal, 1 basal and 1 median posterior setae, and 1 median posterodorsal seta; hind femur with a row of anterodorsal setae, a row of anterior setae in the proximal half, 1 apical dorsal and 1 apical posterodorsal seta, and rows of anteroventral and posteroventral setae; hind tibia with 1 median anterior seta, 1 basal, 1 median and 1 apical seta in the same position on the anterodorsal and posterodorsal surfaces, and a median anterodorsal seta; hind coxa and trochanter with normal setae.

Abdomen. Dark brown with yellowish grey pruinosity on T1 + 2− T3; T4− T5 reddish brown with yellowish pruinosity; T1 + 2− T3 with lateral marginal setae; T3− T5 with a set of long setae wavy apex on ventral surface, more numerous on T5; T4 with a pair of median marginal setae; T5 with a complete row of marginal setae (ca. 12 − 16); ST2 − 4 rectangular with long setae in distal half; ST5 deeply cleft with short base, long and narrow arms covered with fine setae in the basal portion and spine-like setae in the distal half ( Figure 4 (a)).

Terminalia . Reddish brown; syntergosternite 7 + 8 with yellowish pruinosity and sparse setulae; epandrium with slightly yellowish pruinosity, sparse setulae and 1 − 2 pairs of developed dorsal setae; surstylus short, narrow, and clavate, with some few apical setae ( Figure 4 (b)); cercal prongs narrow, slightly apart in the middle region in posterior view, with distal end slightly enlarged and rounded in profile ( Figure 4 (b)); pregonite long and curved, with enlarged and spatulate apex ( Figure 4 (c)); postgonite about 0.5x pregonite, with a long median setae and small setulae ( Figure 4 (c)); basiphallus about 3x the paraphallus length, paraphallus with 2 dorsal keels ( Figure 4 (c,e)); vesica as long as wide, with a single, sclerotised and pointed proximal projection at the base and a rounded and spinous distal portion ( Figures 4 (d,e), 9(c)); juxta as two ovoid lobes, each one roughly similar in thickness along the entire length, in lateral view, and with a small sclerotised area, in the ventral view ( Figures 4 (c,e), 9(a)); median style slightly longer than the lateral ones, with a spinous apex ( Figures 4 (d,e), 9(b)); lateral styli robust, with spinous distal half ( Figures 4 (d,e), 9(b)).

FEMALE. Described in Lopes (1935), redescribed and illustrated in Lopes (1976).

Distribution (Neotropical). Brazil (Ceará, Espírito Santo, Federal District, Maranhão, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul *, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo).

Comments. Titanogrypa (C.) larvicida closely resembles T. (C.) alvarengai , T. (C.) albuquerquei and T. (C.) pedunculata , all of which have a vesica with an unpaired projection at the base ( Figure 4 (e)). However, the projection is sclerotised in T. (C.) larvicida whereas it is membranous in the other species. This species also differs from the other congeneric species by having a vesica with the distal lobes conspicuously ornamented with spines ( Figure 4 (d,e)).

Additionally, in the present study T. (C.) larvicida had its geographic distribution updated for the Brazilian territory. From the examined material, field data and literature records, the presence of this species was confirmed for the Brazilian states of the Midwest, North, Northeast and Southeast regions. Finally, we highlight the presence of T. (C.) larvicida in the Caatinga domain, a type of dry and open forest exclusive in the northeastern Brazil, where this species was attracted by three types of bait: rotten bovine spleen, decomposing fish and fresh human faeces.

Figures

Figure 4. Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida, holotype male (MNRJ) [lost]. (a) Sternite 5, ventral view. (b) Syntergosternite 7 + 8, epandrium, cercus and surstylus, lateral view. (c) Phallus and associated structures, lateral view. (d) Distiphallus, ventral view. (e) Distiphallus, lateral view. Abbreviations: ar = arm; bp = basiphallus; bs = base; ce = cercus; ea = ejaculatory apodeme; ep = epandrium; ga = postgonal apodeme; hp = hypandrium; ju = juxta; ls = lateral stylus; ms = median stylus; ph = phallapodeme; po = postgonite; pr = pregonite; pp = paraphallus; sur = surstylus; stg 7 + 8 = syntergosternite 7 + 8; ve = vesica.

Figure 7. Male specimens of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) and Oxysarcodexia. (a) Head of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) luculenta. (b) Head of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) ecuatoriana. (c) Scutellum of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida. (d) Scutellum of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) luculenta. (e) Scutellum of Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker). Head – The arrow shows the upper frontal bristle; Scutellum – the arrow show the patch of setulae.