Mesembrinella flavicrura Aldrich, 1925

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 : 124-125

Mesembrinella flavicrura Aldrich, 1925

( Figs 1, 75–76, 165–166, 225, 268, 312, 356, 397, 441, 475, 488)

Mesembrinella flavicrura Aldrich, 1925: 16 . Holotype male (USNM), examined photographically. Type locality: La Suiza de Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Mesembrinella flavicrura: Peris & Mariluis (1984: 261) ; Mariluis (1987: 112); Kosmann et al. (2013: 78); Wolff (2013: 121); Marinho et al. (2017: tab. 1); Cerretti et al. (2017: tab. 2).

Diagnosis. A medium-sized fly averaging 10.2 mm (9–11/5) in length. A dark, metallic purple-blue fly, ppn normally with 3x 3 setae, 2x 2 in a few specimens; stem vein bare; wing hyaline; ppn and femora orange; subcostal sclerite with fine pubescence only; thoracic spiracles and basicosta yellow-orange. Epandrium, cerci and surstyli as in Figs 75–76. Female terminalia as in Fig. 312.

Redescription. Male. Head. Frons 0.024 (0.02–0.03/5) of head width at narrowest, about half width of anterior ocellus; fronto-orbital, parafacial, gena and postgena orange with pale yellow tomentum, frontal vitta dark orange, frontal setae ascending about halfway to vertex, where frontal vitta is obliterated; gena golden with faint yellowish tomentum a horizontal row of stout, dark setae midway and a scattering of pale and dark setae; postgena with pale tomentum and fine golden setae; occiput with heavy silvery tomentum and fine golden setae; median occipital sclerite shiny orange; antenna: pedicel and first flagellomere orange, arista brown; palpus typical; eye with median facets about 3x size of lateral facets; facial ridge with only a few brown, fine supravibrissal setae at base of facial ridge.

Thorax. Dorsum shiny purple-blue with whitish tomentum, pleura mostly purple, postpronotum and anterior spiracle orange; chaetotaxy: ac 2:1, dc 2:3, ia 0, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 1:1, meral setae typical, 1 pair converging ap, sa absent, 1 lat, 1 bas, 1 weak pb, 1 disc; subscutellum weakly developed; spiracles medium, yellow-orange; legs: coxae, trochanters and femora yellow, tibiae and tarsi brown. Wing hyaline, subcostal sclerite with weak pubescence; basicosta and tegula orange; section IV 0.15 of section III; discs of upper and lower calypters reddish-tan; rim of upper calypter dark with dark setae, rim of lower calypter pale with long pale setae.

Abdomen entirely purple-blue with whitish tomentum [some poorer specimens with color washed out, tan]; T1+2–4 with pairs of dorsolateral marginal setae, rear margin of T4 with row of stout setae, rear of T5 with some weaker marginal setae, disc of T5 with scattering of relatively weak setae, which could be confused with those in the M. aeneiventris species-group, but setae are much weaker and not in a distinct row. Terminalia in lateral view with surstylus curved backward at base then straight, cercus long and slender, curving forward ( Fig. 75); in posterior view, cerci gradually tapered from base to tip ( Fig. 76); phallus in lateral view with short, stout epiphallus ( Fig. 165); in dorsal view, hypophallic lobes narrow ( Fig. 166). T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite and ST6 as in Fig. 225; ST1–5 as in Fig. 268.

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.236 (0.22–0.25/5) of head with at narrowest. T6 of FU shape; T7 broad and continuous, narrowed midway; T8 as separate sclerites ( Fig. 312); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 356; spermathecae of unusual bulbous shape, as in Fig. 397; and ST1–5 as in Fig. 441.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ³ ( Costa Rica , Cartago; USNM; examined photographically: Fig. 475), labeled: La Suiza / de Turrialba / COSTA RICA / Pablo Schild; Mesembrinella / flavicrura / Ald.; AL Melander / Collection / 1961; Type / 26800 / No. / U.S. N.M. [red label]; USNMENT / 01295432.

Additional material examined. Costa Rica, Alajuela. 2 ♀♀ ♦ ( TLW266 , TLW344 ) , San Ramón, Villa Blanca , 1115 m, 18.ix.2008, R. Rojas-Velásquez ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW267 ) , Z.P. Arenal Monteverde, Res. Biol., Monte- verde Eladio’s , 830 m, 26–28.x.2006, J. Azofiefa, M. Morgana, M. Solis, B. Gamboa ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, R. San Loren- cito, R.F. San Ramón, 5 km N de Colonia Palmarena , 900 m, 13–18.vi.1993, I Curso Scarabaeidae , L_N_244500 470700 ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, 20 km S Upala, 12.viii.1991, F.D. Parker ( LACM) ; 1 ³, same data except Bijagua Alb. Heliconias , 700 m, 11–26.i.2000, J.D. Gutierrez, Agua Miel, L _N_299800 423800 #56263 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, same data except 700 m, 17–21.vi.2000, Manual, D. Bricefio, L_N_299100 422600 #56784 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, Pque Nal Arenal, Sector Cerro Chato , 1100 m, 18.x–1.xi.1999, Manual, J.D. Gutierrez, L _N_269500 460900 #57265 ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, P.N. Volcan Teuorio, Estación Pilon, 1.5 SO C. Carmela , 700–800 m, 5.vii–17.viii.2006, Malaise trap, J.A. Azofeifa, L_N_298212 427913 #86941 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, same data except 9.ix.2008, Tp. Amarillo, #94957 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, same data except 9.x–11.xi.2006, Tp. Malaise, #87466 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW456 ) , P. Teuorio, sector El N. Volcan Pilon, El Mirador , 800 m, 18.vi.2004, J. Azofeifa ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, San Cristobal, 600–620 m, x–xi.1997, F.A. Quesada, L_N_318056 383200 #48934 ( INBIO) . Cartago. 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW269 ) , P.N. Barbilla, Turrialba, Tayutic, Campamento 2, 1200 m, 5–9.v.2005, Libre, L_N_213371 600782, D. Briceño, M. Morgana ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, Monumento Nacional Guayabo, A.C.A.C. Amistad , 1100 m, vii.1994, G. Fonseca, L_N_217400 570000 #3126 ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, same data except vii.1994, #2989 ( INBIO) ; 1 ³*, 2 ³³, same data except Turrialba , xii.1994, L_N_217200 570300 #3202 ( INBIO) ; 1 ³*, 1 ³, same data except xii.1994, #3287 ( INBIO) ; 2 ³³, same data except 1100–1200 m, 7–8.v.2007, Tp. Luz, M. Moraga, J.A. Azofeifa, R. Gonzalez, F. Navarro, L_N_217200 570300 #91200 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, same data except 8–13.v.2007, Tp. Frutas, M. Moraga, J.A. Azofeifa, R. Gonzalez, F. Navarro, L_N_217200 570300 #91206 ( INBIO) . Guanacaste. 1 ♀ * Tierras Moreas, camino a Alto Masfs. , 1045 m, 1.vi.2001, M. Solis ( INBIO) ; 1 ³, Es- tación Pitilla 700 m, 9 km, S Santa Cecilia, P.N., xii.1992, P. Rios, L_N_330200 380200 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀ ♦ ( TLW371 ) , Pitilla Bio. Sta. , 830 m, 11.ii.1995, L. Macher ( CNC) ; 1 ³, same data except Sendero Tanque Agua , 700 m, x.1993, L_N_330200 380200 #2487, Malaise, [no collector] ( CNC) ; 2 ♀♀, same data except 2–19.iii.1992 ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, same data except 4–25.xii.1991 ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, same data except xii.1994, #4366 ( CNC) ; 1 ♀, Macizo Miravalles, Estación Cabro Muco, 1100 m, 23–28.ix.2003, Tp de Luz , J. Azofeifa, L_N_299769 411243 #75484 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, Tilaran, P.N.V. Tenorio, Send. Rancho Capu, Cerca Torres Electricas , 740 m, 23.xi.2000, Manual, J. Gutierrez, L_N_428401 284482 #60989 ( INBIO) ; 1 ♀, 3 km SE R. Naranjo , 14.xi.1991, F.D. Parker ( LACM) ; 1 ♀, same data except xii.1991 ( LACM) ; 1 ♀, same data except 21–30.ix.1992 ( LACM) . Heredia. 1 ♀, Estación Biológica La Selva , 10°26′N 84°01′W, iii.1993, [no collector], #149 ( INBIO) . Limón. 1 ♀, R.B. Hitoy Cerere, Talamanca, Cerro Bitarkara , 1025 m, 15–17.x.2004, M. Moraga, Libre, L_S_398841 558082 #78499 ( INBIO) . San José. 1 ♀, Estación Carrillo , 700 m, P.N. Braulio Carrillo, 15–17.ii.1993, C. Hymenoptera, L_N_236700 541800 ( INBIO) . Panama, Cocle. 1 ♀, El Valle, 800–900 m, 3–5.i.1988, MacDonald & Schiefer ( MEM) .

Distribution. Costa Rica, Panama.

Remarks. Seven specimens ( TLW 266–269, TLW 344 and TLW 456) were barcoded, and grouped together ( Fig. 488). Bonatto (2001) moved this species to Huascaromusca (= M. aeneiventris species-group in the present paper), but it lacks a row of stout setae on T5. This placement was made in his dissertation and was never formally published. We believe that this species belongs in the M. bicolor group despite the unusual bulbous shape of its spermathecae ( Fig. 397), more similar to those of Souzalopesiella facialis .