Puliciphora triangularis (Borgmeier) Borgmeier, 2005

Disney, R. Henry L., 2005, Rudimentary halteres of some flightless female Phoridae (Diptera) reassessed, and some taxonomic implications, Zootaxa 1042, pp. 39-54 : 48-49

Puliciphora triangularis (Borgmeier) , comb. nov.

( Figs 22–24 )

Pulicimyia triangularis Borgmeier, 1960: 338

Among the material sent by Dr Carl Rettenmeyer was a series of somewhat teneral female specimens that had been misidentified by Borgmeier, in 1967, as Ecituncula halterata Borgmeier. He failed to realise they were the same as paratypes of Pulicimyia triangularis that he had designated in 1959. He also, in 1967, misidentified associated males as? Ecituncula . His misidentification of the females was evidently based on the resemblance of the haltere­like wing rudiments to those of E. halterata . However, in P. triangularis the wing rudiments bear a subterminal bristle ( Fig. 23 ), unlike in E. halterata ( Figs 3–7 ). The species not only has wing rudiments but also a distinctive triangular anterior flap of abdominal tergite 5 ( Fig. 22 ). The specific epithet refers to the latter feature. The hitherto unknown male is described below.

Male

The specimens are somewhat faded after half a century in alcohol. Frons with four supra­antennal bristles, 2­4­4 bristles and a pair of ocellars. The pre­ocellars are level with the anteroir ocellus and directly in front of the posterior pair. Postpedicels with numerous SPS vesicles whose diameters are subequal to sockets of SAs. Palps with 14–16 hairs of which the 5–6 most distal are progressively longer and more bristle like. Proboscis smaller than that of female and with a much smaller labrum. Eyes with lowest ommatidia larger than uppermost ones. Thorax with bare mesopleuron and three bristles on notopleuron. Scutellum with an anterior pair of hairs (subequal to those at rear of scutum) and a posterior pair of bristles. Abdominal tergites with hairs mainly in the rear third of each, and with T2 and T6 longer than the rest. Hypopygium as Fig. 24 . Legs typical for genus, except the transverse combs of the hind basitarsus lack any bifid spinules. Wing 0.8–0.9 mm long. Costal index 0.52. Costal ratios 0.6–0.7: 1. Costal cilia 0.02–0.03 mm long.

Material

Material examined: Female paratype, Panama, Barro Colorado Island, ex refuse deposit of Eciton burchellii , 1 March 1955, C. W. and M. E, Rettenmeyer (930, ex colony’ 55­B­iv) (Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut); female paratype, same data except 26 March 1956 (1568, ex colony E­132) (Cambridge University Muzeum of Zoology); 5 females, 4 males, same data except 8 March 1963, (2699, ex colony E­313) ( DEEBUC, CUMZ).

Affinities

A few Afrotropical species, a single Nearctic species, P. nuttingi Disney (1998) , and a single Neotropical species, P. hancocki Disney (2005) , retain small wing rudiments. This species differs from P. nuttingi by its distinctive, subtriangular, tapered anterior flap of abdominal tergite 5 and by the longer hairs on the abdomen. In the key to the Neotropical females ( Disney, 2003a) it runs to couplet 27, but the equally distinctive P. hancocki runs to couplet 7.

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 24. Puliciphora triangularis: (22) female, abdominal tergite 5; (23) female, right wing rudiment; (24) male, left face of hypopygium. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 7. Ecitophora females, wing rudiments: (2) E. collegiana, right rudiment; (3 – 7) E. halterata: (3 – 5) right rudiments of three different specimens; (6 – 7) Left and right rudiments of a single specimen. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.