Mesembrinella lara ( Bonatto, 2005 )

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 : 79-80

Mesembrinella lara ( Bonatto, 2005)

( Figs 41–42, 131–132, 208, 251, 294, 338, 380, 423, 463, 488)

Huascaromusca lara Bonatto in Bonatto & Marinoni, 2005: 888 . Holotype male (USNM), examined. Type locality: Yacambu National Park , Lara, Venezuela.

Huascaromusca lara: Kosmann et al. (2013: 77) ; Wolff et al. (2017: 253); Marinho et al. (2017: tab. 1); Velásquez et al. (2017: 108).

Mesembrinella lara: Cerretti et al. (2017 : tab. 2).

Diagnosis. A small fly, averaging 8.75 mm (8–9/4) in length; thorax subshining blue with heavy whitish tomentum; abdomen brighter, shiny blue with faint whitish tomentum. Postpronotal lobe 2x 2; subcostal sclerite bare; outer posthumeral present; acrostichal setae 0:0; pleural area of thorax blue-black.

Redescription. Male. Head. Frons broad, 0.06/1 of head width at narrowest [only holotype male was available to measure]; fronto-orbital and parafacial golden when viewed from above, orange when viewed from below; frontal vitta orange, obliterated by broad fronto-orbitals about 1/3 of way up frons; gena orange with faint whitish tomentum and single row of stout setae from postgena through to bottom of parafacial; postgena orange with white tomentum and fine yellow setae; occiput with pale tomentum and weak yellow setae; median occipital sclerite shiny dark orange; palpus typical; pedicel and first flagellomere orange with pale tomentum, arista dark brown; eye with median facets about 2x size of lateral facets; frontal setae ascending about halfway to vertex; ocellar triangle medium-sized; facial ridge with just a few black supravibrissal setae in short row below.

Thorax. Dorsum with pale bluish tomentum and a pair of narrow tomentose stripes aligned with dorsocentral setae; pleural area like dorsum; chaetotaxy: ac 0:0, dc 2:2, ia 0, ph 1, ppn 2x 2, kat 2:1, meral setae long and slender, as an inverted L with horizontal portion very short, composed of one or two setae, 1 pair converging ap, 1 stout bas, 1 disc, no other setae; subscutellum weakly developed; spiracles yellow-orange; legs: femora orange, tibiae mostly brown, tarsi darker brown. Wings hyaline; disc of upper calypter pale with brown rim and fringe of brown setae; disc and rim of lower calypter pale, rim with long pale setae; subcostal sclerite orange and bare; basicosta and tegula orange; section IV 0.15 of section III.

Abdomen bright shiny blue with faint whitish tomentum. T1–5 each with a pair of stout lateral marginal setae, T4 and T5 with rows of stout setae on posterior margins; disc of T5 with mid-dorsal horizontal row of stout setae, rest of disc with sparse, fine setae. Terminalia. Lateral view: surstylus parallel-sided with slight forward curve, cercus with apical hook, epandrium large ( Fig. 41); in posterior view, base of cerci broad, distal 1/3 gradually narrowing to fine tip ( Fig. 42); phallus in lateral view with epiphallus of medium width and with moderate backward curve ( Fig. 131); in dorsal view, hypophallic lobes narrow ( Fig. 132); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite and ejaculatory sclerite as in Fig. 208; ST5 as in Fig. 251.

Female. Similar to male except frons 0.245 (0.23–0.25/4) of head width. T6 of RV shape with suture midway; T7 divided midway; T8 as two separate sclerites ( Fig. 294); ST6–8 and hypoproct as in Fig. 338; spermathecae filiform ( Fig. 380); ST1–5 as in Fig. 423.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ³* ( Venezuela , Lara; USNM; Fig. 463), labeled: VENEZUELA: Lara, / Parque Nac. / Yacambu / 6 – 8 – IV – 1981; A.S. Menke / L. Hollenberg / Collectors ; HOLOTYPE / Huascaromusca lara . / S.R. Bonatto det. [red label]; USNMENT01288293.

Remarks. Bonatto & Marinoni (2005) provided added locality data for the specimen: 7°16ʹN 68°24ʹW. The specimen is in fairly good condition and is typical of other material examined in this study. It had been dissected by Bonatto; the rear half of T4 and all of T5 were removed and the terminalia were separated and placed in a vial under the specimen (except rear part of T4, which is missing).

PARATYPE: Venezuela. 1 ³, Parque Nac. Yacambu, 6–8.iv.1981, A.S. Menke & L. Hollenberg ( USNM) .

Additional material examined. Venezuela, Miranda. 1 ♀ ♦* ( TLW270 ) , San Antonio de los Altos, IV, IC, 10°24ʹN 66°58ʹW, 1680 m, iv.2003, Y. Velásquez ( MIZA) ; 1 ♀, El Hatillo, Las Marías , 1350 m, 26.v.1976, F. Kaletta ( MIZA) ; 1 ♀, Falcon Curimagus , 1640 m, 22.III.1987, cloud forest, R. Miller & R.L. Stange ( FSCA) .

Distribution. Venezuela.

Remarks. A single specimen ( TLW 270) was barcoded; it was recovered in a distinct group close to M. uniseta and M. bullata ( Fig. 488). More specimens are needed to fully resolve relationships within this group.