Laneella fuscosquamata 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 : 27-33

Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth , sp. nov.

( Figs 9 , 17–18 , 107–108 , 196 , 240 , 283 , 327 , 371 , 412 , 456 , 488 )

Diagnosis. A fairly large fly averaging 12.25 mm (11–13/4) in length. Basal half of tarsal claws darkened: orange, brown or black; thorax brown to reddish-brown; wing without brown spot on crossvein r-m; abdomen shiny metallic blue to purple; wing with section IV about 0.41. Male terminalia distinctive, in lateral view, cercus long and curved forward ( Figs 17–18 ). Female terminalia as in Fig. 283 ; spermathecae tuberform, shorter than in other species of Laneella ( Fig. 371 ).

Description. Male [three specimens known]. Head. Frons 0.02/3 of head width at narrowest. Fronto-orbital, frontal vitta, parafacial and gena dark orange; frontal setae ascending 40% of distance to vertex; frontal vitta dark, obliterated about midway; gena with typical row of setae and with scattered dark setae; postgena and occiput dark with silvery tomentum and fine golden setae, median occipital sclerite shiny black; antenna dark orange except distal 2/3 of arista black; palpus typical; eye with median facets 3x size of lateral facets; ocellar triangle small, ocelli equal in size; facial ridge with long, stout black supravibrissal setae ascending facial ridge to about 40% of distance to antennal base.

Thorax brown to dark orange with heavy yellowish tomentum and irregular bare, shiny brown areas; pleura a dark orange; chaetotaxy: ac 2:3, dc 2:3, ia 1, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 2:1, meral setae typical; 1 pair converging ap; 1 sa, 2 lat, 1 bas, 1 weak pb, 1 disc; subscutellum weakly developed; spiracles brown. Legs dark orange. Wing hyaline; subcostal sclerite without setae, with heavy pubescence only; basicosta orange; tegula dark orange; section IV 0.46 (0.41–0.51/3) of section III; upper and lower calypters dark brown; rim of upper calypter dark with short setae, rim of lower calypter brown with long reddish-brown setae.

Abdomen shiny metallic blue to purple with heavy white tomentum, T1+2 orange tinted; T3 with long slender lateral marginal setae, T4 with row of long slender marginal setae; disc of T5 without row of stout setae, whole segment with long fine setae. Terminalia in lateral view with surstylus parallel-sided, angling slightly forward; cercus large, robust, arching backward then curving forward in lower half ( Fig. 17 ); in posterior view cercus broad at base, gradually narrowing to tip ( Fig. 18 ); phallus in lateral view with long slender epiphallus curving posteriorly ( Fig. 107 ); in dorsal view hypophallic lobes large and circular ( Fig. 108 ); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite, ST6 and hypandrium as in Fig. 196 ; ST1–5 as in Fig. 240 .

Female. Similar to male except frons broad, 0.32 (0.30–0.33/3) of head width at narrowest. T6 flattened, parallel-sided; T7 and T8 divided as separate sclerites; posterior edge of epiproct recessed midway ( Fig. 283 ); ST 6 in shape of inverted pear, ST8 divided, ST6–8 unusually narrow ( Fig. 327 ); spermathecae tuberform ( Fig. 371 ), about half as long as in other Laneella ; ST1–5 broad with stout, dark setae ( Fig. 412 ).

Egg. Of Phaonia - type [A. Grzywacz, pers. comm.; see Skidmore (1985) and Grzywacz et al. (2012)]. Translucent white, elongated, with dorsal surface flat or slightly concave and ventral surface convex, appearing to have a fully-developed eggshell ready for oviposition ( Fig. 9 ). Micropyle at anterior pole set in a funnel-shaped area surrounded by slightly raised folds; posterior pole rounded. Median area on whole dorsal surface of egg broad, with broadly foliate hatching pleats throughout its entire length; hatching pleats probably with hexagonal pattern [detailed SEM investigation required]; hatching pleats simple along entire margin, not denticulate. Remaining egg chorion with distinct hexagonal pattern.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂♦* ( TLW444 ) (Mexico, Federal ; USNM; Fig. 456 ), labeled: R.E. P.S. A. [= Ecological Reserve of Pedegral of San Angel] Ciudad / de MEXICO / 25 Noviembre-15 / Troncoso D. / Trampa NTP-80; Troncoso D. / Nuñez C .; HOLOTYPE / Laneella / fuscosquamata / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀ ♦ ( TLW445 ): same data as holotype ( USNM).

PARATYPES: Mexico, Mexico. 1 ♀, Chapingo , 17.viii.1957, Wm. W. Gibson ( WSUP) ; 1 ♀, Cantera Oriente , Ciudad Universitaria, D.F., CPL493, C. Pedraza ( UNAM) . Chiapas, Union Juárez Municipality: 1 ♂*, 2 ♂♂, Ta- cana Chiquihuite, Pico de Gallo , 1.xii.2017, T. pitfall, T3, Luis López & Jorge León Cortéz ( ECOSC-E) ; 2 ♀♀, same data except Rio Malá , 9.viii.2018 ( ECOSC-E) . Guatemala, Guatemala. 1 ♀ *, Puerta Parada , 14°55ʹ66ʺN 90°46ʹ33ʺS, 1850 m, summer 2016, Malaise trap, Jack Schuster ( UVGC) .

Distribution. Guatemala, Mexico.

Remarks. This species is superficially similar to some species of the blow fly genus Calliphora Robineau- Desvoidy ( Diptera : Calliphoridae ).

The description of the egg is based on a subsample out of ca. 75 eggs extracted from the dissected abdomen of a female paratype of L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. from Chiapas, Mexico ( Fig. 9 ). To our knowledge, this is the first record of a mesembrinellid with eggs. Another female of this species was dissected, but no eggs or larvae were found in the abdomen. Out of several hundred dissections of females of many species of mesembrinellids, this was the first in which we encountered eggs, though early instar larvae were often encountered in other species. A female of L. purpurea sp. nov., which clustered near L. fuscosquamata in the NJ tree ( Fig. 488 ), was dissected and an early instar larva was found in the abdomen, but no eggs.

Guimar„es (1977) suggested that Laneella is the most primitive genus of this family, which may explain the egg-laying habit of one of its species. Compared to other Laneella , the ovipositor in L. fuscosquamata has T7 divided (vs. T7 is continuous in other Laneella ), which may reflect an egg-laying vs. larviparous habit.

Two specimens ( TLW 444–445) were barcoded and formed a distinct cluster near L. purpurea in our NJ tree ( Fig. 488 ).

Etymology. The species name fuscosquamata is a combination of the Latin fusco (dusky) and squama (scale), which reflects the dark brown upper and lower calypters of both sexes.

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 9–14. Diagnostic characters of Mesembrinellidae. 9. Eggs of Laneella fuscosquamata sp. nov. 10. L. perisi (Mariluis), ventral view of tarsal claws, showing pale basal half. 11. L. fusconitida sp. nov., ventral view of tarsal claws, showing darker base. 12. M. spicata Aldrich, ventral view of male sternites, showing long projections on rear margin of ST5. 13. M. bicolor (Fabricius), posterior view of female occiput, showing median occipital sclerite. 14. M. socors (Walker), upper and lower calypters, showing disc, rim and fringe.

FIGURES 15–20. Left lateral and posterior views of epandrium, cerci and surstyli of Laneella spp. 15–16. L. fusconitida sp. nov. 17–18. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 19–20. L. nigripes Guimar„es.

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).