Laneella purpurea Whitworth, 2019

Whitworth, Terry L. & Yusseff-Vanegas, Sohath, 2019, A revision of the genera and species of the Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 4659 (1), pp. 1-146 : 42-43

Laneella purpurea Whitworth , sp. nov.

( Figs 23–24 , 113–114 , 199 , 243 , 286 , 330 , 374 , 415 , 457 , 488 )

Diagnosis. A medium-sized fly averaging 11.4 mm (10–12/5) in length. A distinctive fly, thorax and abdomen purple-blue; head with dark orange to reddish-brown parafacial and orange antenna; basal wing cells and veins darkened. Male surstylus and cercus as in Figs 23–24 . Female with ends of T6 curving forward when flattened, unlike any other known species ( Fig. 286 ).

Description. Male. Head. Frons narrow, 0.015 (0.01–0.02/5) of head width at narrowest, about half width of anterior ocellus. Fronto-orbital and frontal vitta orange-brown with silvery tomentum, frontal vitta obliterated midway, frontal setae ascending about halfway to vertex; parafacial orange, narrow, about equal to width of first flagellomere; gena with horizontal row of black setae, anterior edge orange, remaining 1/2 to 2/3 dark orange with silvery tomentum; postgenal vestiture dark with silvery tomentum, anterior half with dark setae, posterior half with pale setae; upper edge of occiput with short, dense, unarranged dark setae, remainder with pale silky setae; median occipital sclerite shiny black; pedicel and first flagellomere orange; palpus typical; eye with median facets only slightly larger than lateral facets; ocellar triangle small with small ocelli about equal in size; supravibrissal setae on facial ridge ascending halfway to antennal base.

Thorax with dorsum and pleural area purple-blue with weak whitish tomentum; chaetotaxy: ac 2:3, dc 2:3, ia 1, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 2:1, meral setae typical; 1 pair converging ap, sa 1, lat 1, stout bas 1, weak pb 1, 1 disc; subscutellum weakly developed; anterior spiracle large and tan; posterior spiracle large and darker brown; legs brown, tarsal claws brown with black tip. Wing hyaline, wing base with veins and cells darkened; subcostal sclerite without setae, with fine pubescence; basicosta and tegula dark brown; section IV 0.35 of section III; discs of upper and lower calypters and rims entirely black.

Abdomen subshining purple-blue with weak, whitish tomentum; posterior lateral margin of T3 with 4x 4 stout setae; T4 with marginal row of stout, erect setae that wrap around lateral area of abdomen; T5 covered with dense, long, slender erect setae, which could be confused with the discal setae seen in the aeneiventris species-group but which are much denser, slenderer, and not in a distinct row. Terminalia distinctive; in lateral view epandrium small with large robust cercus arching backward then curving forward in apical half; surstylus smaller, curving only slightly forward ( Fig. 23 ); in posterior view cerci with basal 2/3 broad, distal 1/3 narrowed to a rounded tip ( Fig. 24 ); phallus in lateral view with long slender epiphallus with slight bend posteriorly ( Fig. 113 ); in dorsal view hypophallic lobes rounded with fine serrations ( Fig. 114 ); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite and ST6 as in Fig. 199 ; ST1–5 as in Fig. 243 .

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.288 (0.28–0.30/5) of head width at narrowest, and frons black. T6 of FU shape, slightly curved forward; T7 bilobed, with deep incision anteriorly; T8 as two separate sclerites ( Fig. 286 ); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 330 ; spermathecae tuberform ( Fig. 374 ); ST1–5 as in Fig. 415 . [NB: the FU shape of T6 is distinctive because it is not inverted, whereas it is inverted in all other known species of Laneella .]

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂ (Costa Rica, Cartago; INBIO; Fig. 457 ), labeled: Rio Dos Amigos , P.N. Tapantí, Prov. Carta, [= Cartago Province] / COSTA RICA. 1450 m. Jul 1994, G. Mora, / L N 187600_560250 #3184; COSTA RICA INBIO / CRI002 / 038481 ; HOLOTYPE / Laneella / purpurea / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀: Costa Rica, San José. Zurquí de / Moravia, North Pasture , 1600 m, 28.ii.2013 / bait trap with fish, ZADBI-512/ #106177 ( LACM).

PARATYPES: Bolivia, La Paz. 1 ♀, Botanical garden, 16.xi.1974, K.G. Parker ( LACM) . Costa Rica, Cartago. 1 ♀ *, 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW295 ) , Tapantí [P.N.], 01.vii.2005 ( CEUA) ; Heredia. 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW297 ) , 16 km SSE La Virgen , 10°16ʹN 84°05ʹW, 1150 m, 9–14.iii.2001, flight intercept trap, primary forest, E.G. Riley ( TAMU) . Puntarenas. 1 ♂*, Monteverde , 24–29.ii.1980, 1500 m, G. & M. Wood ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, same data except 20–25.viii.1991, D.M. Wood ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, same data except 18–24.viii.1987, G. & M. Wood ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, same data except 20–24.vi.1986, W. Hanson, G. Bohart ( LACM) . San José. 1 ♂*, 1 ♀ *, 2 ♀♀, Zurquí de Moravia, Tower path, 1600 m, 10.05°N 84.02°W, 1600 m, 19–26.viii.2013, fish bait trap, ZADBI-957 #107277 ( LACM) ; 1 ♂*, 1 ♀ *, 10 ♀♀, same data except 2–9.viii.2013, ZADBI-996 #107515 ( LACM) ; 1 ♂, 6 ♀♀, same data except 16–23.vii.2013, ZADBI-1088 #107690 ( LACM) ; 4 ♀♀, same data except 9–16.viii.2013, ZADBI-1022 #107541 ( LACM) ; 2 ♀♀, Zurquí de Moravia, North pasture 1600 m, 28.ii.2013, bait trap with fish, ZADBI-512 #106177 ( LACM) ; 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW296 ) , Zurquí de Moravia, Tower path 1600 m, 21–29.vii. 2012, 250 m, Emergence trap over twigs mushrooms, ZADBI- 364 #105692 ( LACM) ; 1 ♀, Zurquí de Moravia , creek 2, 21.x.2012, bait trap with chicken, ZADBI-129 #105233 ( LACM) .

Distribution. This species is known only from Bolivia, Costa Rica. It is found primarily in western, wetter areas of Costa Rica. It may also inhabit similar areas of northern Nicaragua and southern Panama.

Remarks. Three specimens ( TLW 295–297) were barcoded and formed a distinct cluster close to L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. ( Fig. 488 ). Laneella purpurea sp. nov. is superficially very similar to Lucilia purpurascens ( Walker, 1836) (Calliphoridae) and was found mixed with this species in collections from Costa Rica, though the reniform posterior spiracle of L. purpurea sp. nov. readily separates the two. The dense setae on the disc of T5 resemble those in the aeneiventris species-group; however, the setae are thinner and denser, forming no distinct row, which separates it from that group.

Etymology. The species name purpurea reflects the distinctive purple color of this fly, from the Latin purpureus (purple). This species superficially resembles the widespread and well-known Neotropical blow fly Lucilia purpurascens .

Figures

FIGURE 488. Neighbor-joining tree of COI DNA barcode sequences of specimens and species of Mesembrinellidae, using K2P distances and generated in BOLD; species names on the tree are followed by BOLD accession number, voucher number, country of origin, number of sequenced base pairs and number of ambiguous nucleotides.

FIGURES 21–26. Left lateral and posterior views of epandrium, cerci and surstyli of Laneella and Mesembrinella spp. 21–22. L. perisi (Mariluis). 23–24. L. purpurea sp. nov. 25–26. M. latifrons (Mello).

FIGURES 105–114. Left lateral and dorsal views of phallus of Laneella spp. 105–106. L. fusconitida sp. nov. 107–108. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 109–110. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 111–112. L. perisi (Mariluis). 113–114. L. purpurea sp. nov.

FIGURES 195–201. Male terminalia of Mesembrinella spp. (a = T6 and STS7+8; b = pre- and postgonite; c = ejaculatory sclerite; d = ST6; e = hypandrium). 195. Laneella fusconitida sp. nov. 196. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 197. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 198. L. perisi (Mariluis). 199. L. purpurea sp. nov. 200. Mesembrinella latifrons (Mello). 201. M. mexicana sp. nov.

FIGURES 239–251. Male sternites of Lanella spp. 239. L. fusconitida sp. nov. 240. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 241. L. nigripes Guimar„es 242. L. perisi (Mariluis). 243. L. purpurea sp. nov. 244. M. latifrons (Mello). 245. M. mexicana sp. nov. 246. M. spicata Aldrich. 247. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov. 248. M. woodorum sp. nov. 249. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 250. M. decrepita Séguy. 251. M. lara (Bonatto) (ST5 only).

FIGURES 282–287. Female terminalia (T6–T8, epiproct, cerci) of Mesembrinellidae, dorsal view. 282. Laneella fusconitida sp. nov. 283. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 284. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 285. L. perisi (Mariluis). 286. L. purpurea sp. nov. 287. M. latifrons (Mello).

FIGURES 326–349. ST6–8 and hypoproct of Mesembrinellidae. 326. Laneella fusconitida sp. nov. 327. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 328. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 329. L. perisi (Mariluis). 330. L. purpurea sp. nov. 331. Mesembrinella latifrons (Mello). 332. M. guaramacalensis sp. nov. 333. M. mexicana sp. nov. 334. M. spicata Aldrich. 335. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov. 336. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 337. M. decrepita Séguy. 338. M. lara (Bonatto). 339. M. nigrocoerulea sp. nov. 340. M. purpurata Aldrich. 341. M. semiflava Aldrich. 342. M. uniseta Aldrich. 343. M. violacea sp. nov. 344. M. vogelsangi (Mello). 345. M. zurquiensis sp. nov. 346. M. apollinaris Séguy. 347. M. batesi Aldrich. 348. M. bellardiana Aldrich. 349. M. benoisti (Séguy).

FIGURES 370–400. Spermathecae of Mesembrinellidae. 370. L. fusconitida sp. nov. 371. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 372. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 373. L. perisi (Mariluis). 374. L. purpurea sp. nov. 375. Mesembrinella guaramacalensis sp. nov. 376. M. mexicana sp. nov. 377. M. spicata Aldrich. 378. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 379. M. decrepita Séguy. 380. M. lara (Bonatto). 381. M. nigrocoerulea sp. nov. 382. M. purpurata Aldrich. 383. M. semiflava Aldrich. 384. M. uniseta Aldrich. 385. M. vogelsangi (Mello). 386. M. zurquiensis sp. nov. 387. M. apollinaris Séguy. 388. M. batesi Aldrich. 389. M. bellardiana Aldrich. 390. M. benoisti (Séguy). 391. M. bicolor (Fabricius). 392. M. brunnipes Surcouf. 393. M. bullata sp. nov. 394. M. chantryi sp. nov. 395. M. currani Guimar„es. 396. M. cyaneicincta (Surcouf). 397. M. flavicrura Aldrich. 398. M. longicercus sp. nov. 399. M. peregrina Aldrich. 400. M. pictipennis Aldrich.

FIGURES 411–423. Female sternites of Mesembrinellidae. 411. Laneella fusconitida sp. nov. (LACM). 412. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 413. L. nigripes Guimar„es. 414. L. perisi (Mariluis). 415. L. purpurea sp. nov. 416. Mesembrinella latifrons (Mello). 417. M. guaramacalensis sp. nov. 418. M. mexicana sp. nov. 419. M. spicata Aldrich. 420. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov. 421. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 422. M. decrepita Séguy. 423. M. lara (Bonatto).

FIGURES 455–459. Lateral habitus and labels of holotypes. 455. Laneella fusconitida sp. nov. (LACM). 456. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. (USNM). 457. L. purpurea sp. nov. (INBIO). 458. Mesembrinella mexicana sp. nov. (CNC). 459. M. spicata Aldrich (USNM).