Argentinomyia currani ( Fluke, 1937 )

Montoya, Augusto L. & Wolff, Marta, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Argentinomyia Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1891 (Diptera: Syrphidae), with description of 16 new species, Zootaxa 5234 (1), pp. 1-157 : 53-56

Argentinomyia currani ( Fluke, 1937)

Proposed standard English name: Currani’s long-antennae flower fly.

( Figs 28 , 29 and 94B )

Rhysops currani Fluke, 1937: 8 . Type locality: Brazil. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia. HOLOTYPE Male AMNH (Examined). Refs.: Fluke, 1937: 5 ( Fig. 10 , male abdomen); 1945: 9 (redesc.) 26 ( Fig. 10 , head, lateral view, male); 1957: 277 (Figs 101–102, male genitalia)

Rhysops currani . Fluke, 1945: 9

Rhysops currani . Fluke, 1957: 266

Rhysops currani . Thompson et al. 1976: 43

Argentinomyia currani . Thompson & Skevington, 2014: 98

Type material. HOLOTYPE. Adult Male, BRAZIL. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia , 300-500 m, 8.vii.1936, F. Plaumann ( AMNH) . ALLOTYPE. BRAZIL. Label with the same data as Holotype (1♀, AMNH) . PARATYPE. BRAZIL. Label with the same data as Holotype (5♁, AMNH) ; except 1.ix.-20.x.1936, F. Plaumann (2♀ AMNH) ; 18 and 23.x.1936, F. Plaumann (2♁, 1♀, WIRC) .

Length (n= 7): Body, 8.5–9.1 mm; Wings, 7.0– 7.5 mm.

Diagnosis. Female frontal triangle with two rounded brown pollinose maculae; 3 rd to 4 th terga with triangular maculae; metatibia yellow on basal 1/4; metafemur yellow with a black ring or smudge on apical margin; surstylus in lateral view with dorsal and ventral margins approximately of the same width in the whole length; hypandrium in ventral view expanded laterally towards the apex.

Redescription. MALE. Head ( Fig. 28A ): Face black, covered with white pollen which is slightly brownish alongside; mid-vitta metallic black, bare, violet margined, reaches from oral edge to just dorsal the flat tubercle and then forks so that there is a median dash of pollen extending from the antennae almost to tubercle; a large shining spot dorsal antenna, with three faint transverse depressions. Gena semi-shining black with thin, more whitish pollen, pile white. Ocellar triangle black blue, brownish pollinose, pile black. Occiput whitish pollinose and pilose on lower two-thirds, black pilose on dorsal 1/3. Antenna orange-brown, short, ratio 1.4:1.0:1.9, scape longer than pedicel but shorter than basoflagellomere, basoflagellomere longer than first two combined; arista yellow at base and dark on apical 1/3, pilose. Thorax ( Figs 28B–C ): Black, mesonotum semi-shining aeneous, yellow pilose; with two whitish vittae on anterior half, side brownish pollinose, pile brownish. Pleura shining blue with a light coating of white to brownish pollen, mesopleura with brownish metallic reflections, yellow pilose. Scutellum shining, slightly rugose on apical 1/2, pile long and yellow, fringe long and yellow. Wing ( Fig. 28C ): Hyaline, slightly brownish, stigma brown, membrane microtrichose, except cell c bare on basal 1/2, cells bm and r bare on basal 1/2 and 1/3, respectively, cell cua bare on basal 1/3; calypter wholly yellowish; plumula white, halter whitish orange, capitulum slightly yellowish. Legs ( Fig. 28C ): Mostly yellow; pro- and mesotibiae and femora yellow, mesofemur with a darker apical smudge on lateral margin; metafemur yellow on basal 1/2, the apical 1/2 shining black; with long brown hairs; metatibia yellow on basal 1/4; basal two segments of tarsus yellow. Abdomen ( Fig. 28B ): 2 nd tergum with a pair of narrow elongate yellow maculae restricted to the lateral margin of the segment; 3 rd and 4 th terga with triangular yellow maculae on basolateral corners; male genitalia: cercus yellow, surstylus dark brown; surstylus in lateral view ( Fig. 29A ) with dorsal and ventral margins approximately of the same width in the whole length, shorter than broad; hypandrium in ventral view ( Fig. 29C ) expanded laterally towards the apex; aedeagal lobe in ventral view ( Fig. 29C ) circular, apex rounded.

FEMALE ( Figs 28D–F ). Similar to male except for usual sexual dimorphism and differing in the frontal triangle with two rounded brown pollinose maculae just ventral to the shining blue ocellar triangle; between them a narrow pollinose streak reaching the shining arc above the antennae. 2 nd tergum with a pair of narrow elongated yellow maculae restricted to the lateral margin of the segment and occupying only 2/3 of the segment length; maculae on 3 rd to 4 th terga triangular and isolated from the lateral edge, the one on 3 rd tergum shorter than on 2 nd.

Taxonomic notes. Based on males, A. currani differs from A. maculata and A. pollinosa in having the surstylus in lateral view ( Fig. 29A ) with dorsal and ventral margins approximately of the same width in the whole length [versus surstylus with dorsal margin slightly concave and ventral margin slightly convex in A. maculata ( Fig. 50A ) and A. pollinosa ( Fig. 64A )]; hypandrium in ventral view, expanded laterally towards the apex in A. currani ( Fig. 29C ) and A. maculata ( Fig. 50C ) [versus hypandrium narrowed laterally towards the apex in A. pollinosa ( Fig. 64C )]; aedeagal lobe in ventral view ( Fig. 29C ) circular, apex rounded in [versus aedeagal lobe with acute apex in A. maculata ( Fig. 50C ) and A. pollinosa ( Fig. 64C )] (see “differential diagnosis” under each species or key).

Comments. The Holotype specimen of R. currani is currently in the AMNH. Photos are available on their website AMNH: https://sci-web-001.amnh.org/imulive/iz.html?#details=ecatalogue. 10021025.

Geographical range. Argentinomyia currani (n= 75) is distributed in Serra da Fartura, Serra do Mar and Serra Espinilho in Brazil (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, S„o Paulo ) and in the Eastern slope of Oriental Cordillera in Perú * (Cuzco) ( Fig. 94B ). The species is present at low and middle elevations (19–1500 m) in the following biogeographical domains and provinces: Central Andes: Rondônia (1500 m) ; Paraná (65–1274 m): Araucaria Forest (905–1274 m) , Atlantic Forest (775 m) , Paraná Forest (65–400 m) ; Chacoan: Pampa (19 m).

Non-type material examined. BRAZIL. Paraná, Refugio de vida silvestre dos campos de Palmas , -26,533807, -51,599362, 1200 m, A. Couto (7♀, DZUP) ; Curitiba , -25,4278, -49,2731, 934 m, 11.xii.1975, H. S. Telford (3♁, DZUP 45566 , 45564 , 45579 ) ; Piraquara , -25,4417, -49,0633, 905 m, 10.iv.1968, J. S. Moure and Marinoni (1♁, DZUP 45563 , Det. L. Marinoni) ; Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, Cintur „o Verde-CESC, -29,727778, -52,425556, 65 m, 11.xii.2002, Morales, M.N. (2♁, 5♀, CESC 5931 , 4278 , 5919 , 5661 , 5890 , 5899 , 5932 ) ; 28.viii.2002, Hermes, M.G. (1♁, CESC 4280 ) ; -32,644968, -52,48079, 19m (1♀); Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia , -27.183334, -52.383334, 300–500 m, 1965, F. Plaumann (3♁, 3♀, AMNH) ; 1964–1971, F. Plaumann (12♁, 2♀, USNM ENT); viii.1937, F. Plaumann, Det. Fluke (1♁, WIRC) ; vii.1964, F. Plaumann, Det. J.R. Vockeroth (1♁, CNC DIPTERA 112195 ) ; vii.1965, F. Plaumann (1♁, CNC DIPTERA 112196 ) ; vii.1969, F. Plaumann (1♀, CNC DIPTERA 112197 ) ; 29.vii.1938, F. Plaumann (4♁, 16♀, BMNH) ; 1.vii.1964, F. Plaumann (1♁, Field museum m); 1.vii.1964, F. Plaumann (13♁, 3♀, USNM ENT 01406211 ; 01406399; 01384859; 01384812; 01406281; 01383756; 01406321; 01384839; 01406403; 01406333; 01406227; 01406384, 01406284; 0146289; 01443750) ; São Paulo, - 23.543521, -46.410937, 775 m, xii.1945, J. Lane (1♁, WIRC) . PERÚ. Cuzco, Paucartambo, Puente San Pedro ( Ca. 50km NW Pilcopata), -12.779542, -72.292016, 1500 m, 3.xi.1988, Mathes (1♁, USNM ENT) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Argentinomyia agonis (Walker, 1849), male (CNC DIPTERA 24684): A. Head, frontal view; B. Dorsal view; C. Lateral view. Female (CNC DIPTERA 246840): D. Head, frontal view; E. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 28. Argentinomyia currani (Fluke, 1937), male (USNM ENT 01406227): A. Head, frontal view; B. Detail of triangular maculae, dorsal view; C. Lateral view (Detail of black ring or smudge on the apical margin of metafemur). Female (USNM ENT 01406289): D. Head, frontal view; E. Detail of triangular maculae, dorsal view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 29. Argentinomyia currani (Fluke, 1937), male genitalia. A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 50. Argentinomyia maculata (Walker, 1852), male genitalia. A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 64. Argentinomyia pollinosa (Hull, 1942), male genitalia. A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. D. Natural habitus of a male specimen in Mozart 424, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina (iNaturalist catalogue number 37828673; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37828673). Photo taken by ©Paula Zermoglio.

FIGURE 94. Geographical distribution of Argentinomyia species in southeastern South America.