Oxysarcodexia aura ( Hall, 1937 )

Souza, Carina Mara De, Pape, Thomas & Thyssen, Patricia Jacqueline, 2020, Oxysarcodexia Townsend, 1917 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) - a centennial conspectus, Zootaxa 4841 (1), pp. 1-126 : 28

Oxysarcodexia aura ( Hall, 1937)

( Figs 36–38 )

Sarcophaga aura Hall, 1937: 372 ; Bolivia, northern Chiquitos. Holotype male in DEI (not examined).

Oxysarcodexia aurea: Sousa et al. (2015: 6) , incorrect subsequent spelling of aura Hall, 1937 .

Diagnosis. Male. Length 8.0–9.0 mm. Postocular plate with silvery pollinosity. Ocellar bristles well developed. Thorax with golden pollinosity, more intense at humeral region. Two well-differentiated posterior and 1–3 smaller anterior post-sutural dorsocentrals. Apical scutellar bristles absent. Legs brownish. Abdomen dark brown with golden pollinosity, T5 with golden pollinosity laterally. T3 with 3 pairs of lateral marginal bristles, T4 with 1 (weak) pair of median marginal and 2 pairs of lateral marginal bristles. ST5 with deep V-shaped cleft, and with bristles along margins of arms. Cercus straight in lateral view, with expanded apex cut with a concave margin and dorsal subapical barb, which in lateral view may be misinterpreted as a spine-like bristle. Cerci with distal third as broad as middle part in posterior view; separated and diverging. Pregonite slightly curved, of equal width from base to apex; unicolorous. Postgonite with expanded base, gradually narrowing to apex; unicolorous. Distiphallus with smooth ventroapical margin, rounded apex and straight dorsal outline. Juxta “comma-like” in lateral view, i.e., elongate and curved upwards. Vesica symmetrical; distal lobes well developed, rounded and sclerotized and without any spines, although the external margins appear folded, ending in a strong spine-like structure.

Remarks. Hall (1937) considered Engel’s (1931) illustrations of “ Sarcophaga sp.? Amesothyrsus chilensis ” to represent a new species, which he named Sarcophaga aura . This species is recognized by the very peculiar cercus, straight in lateral view ( Fig. 37 ) and very slender in distal two thirds in posterior view, strongly different from the general pattern found in the genus ( Fig. 38 ). Female unknown.

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL. Bolivia, Brazil (Distrito Federal, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais).

Biology. This species has been collected from chicken viscera ( Lopes 1980), cow lung ( Sousa et al. 2015, 2016) and exposed pig carcasses in the Brazilian Cerrado (more abundant during the dry period) ( Barros et al. 2008; Rosa et al. 2011; Faria et al. 2018) and Caatinga ( Alves et al. 2014). Paseto et al. (2019) collected this species in a pasture area, only in the dry season. In the Brazilian state of Maranhão, O. aura was classified as accidental and rare ( Sousa et al. 2015).

Material examined. [ ♂] [Brazil] Campinas , Est. De Goyaz , Borgmeier et Lopes 14-XII-35 / Sarcophaga aura ♂, Hall , 8.5.7., Det. H. S. Lopes / NRM-DIPT 0014232 [ NRM] // [♂] Brasil : MG Pirapora 20–29.xii.1978 C. B. Carvalho col. / Hybopygia aura (Hall) Det. H. S. Lopes [ MNRJ] // [♂] O. aura Faz. Do Glória /10 [from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais state, Brazil] [ LIE] // [♂] O. aura Faz. Do Glória /10 [from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil] [ LIE] // [♂] SISBIOTA CNPq/FAPESP [typed vertically on left side of the label] BRASIL: MT Chap. dos Guimarães Vale do Eco—cerrado S15°24′ W55°55′ Shannon—peixe 21.i.2012 Mello Patiu & Patiu col. / Oxysarcodexia aura ( Hall, 1937) Det. CA Mello-Patiu [ MNRJ] // [♂] [Brazil] Pirapora-MG 9-10.IX.78 C.B Carvalho / Hybopygia aura (Hall) Det. H. S. Lopes [ MNRJ] .

Figures

FIGURES 33–41. Oxysarcodexia spp., males. 33–35. Oxysarcodexia augusta Lopes (Brazil, Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, NRM). 33. Habitus, lateral view. 34. Terminalia, lateral view. 35. Terminalia, posterior view. 36–38. Oxysarcodexia aura (Hall) (Brazil, Minas Gerais, Pirapora, MNRJ, except 37–38 from MACN). 36. Habitus, lateral view. 37. Terminalia, lateral view. 38. Terminalia, posterior view. 39–41. Oxysarcodexia aurata (Macquart) (Society Is., Tahiti Punaaina, NHMD). 39. Habitus, lateral view. 40. Terminalia, lateral view. 41. Terminalia, posterior view. Figs 37–38 by P.R. Mulieri (MACN).