Houghia longicercus Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 61-62

Houghia longicercus Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Fig. 29 a–f

Diagnosis. Similar to H. latigena , and part of the H. latigena group of related species in which the gena is 1/10 head height ( H. longicercus , H. latigena , H. latilobus , and H. velutina ). Its most distinctive feature compared to the other three species in the group is the elongate cerci and relatively small dorsal V-shaped notch ( Fig. 30 d, and key couplets 26 and 27).

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises distinctly above middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere extending to facial margin. Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of frontoorbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing to be notched anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye bare. Postpronotum restricted to the three main postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with short setae except for usually 3 to 5 distinctly larger setae. Katepisternum with three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches not distinctly shiny. Terminalia: surstylus wedge shaped, posterodorsal half haired, apex bearing few short apical spines, tip straight. Cerci rounded, apex with straight tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci straight, about as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 large and rounded apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge straight, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia longicercus has been reared 36 times, from a total of 917 caterpillars of Pyrrhopyge zenodorus Godman & Salvin (Pyrginae, Hesperiidae ) feeding on rain forest Vismia baccifera Vandelli (Hypericaceae) and 10 times from a total of 153 Pyrrhopyge crida (Hewiston) , caterpillars feeding on rain forest Vismia billbergiana Beurl. It has been reared from no other species of ACG caterpillar, but there are two other very similar species of Houghia ( H. velutina and H. romeroae , see below), using other species of food plants and very similar caterpillars.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Loaiciga (11.01983°, -85.41342°), 445 m, 12/01/2003, Petrona Rios, DHJPAR0008473.

Paratypes. 43 ♂, 43 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste & Alajuela, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0021021, DHJPAR0008450, DHJPAR0021035, DHJPAR0008462, DHJPAR0008473, DHJPAR0027897, DHJPAR0008463, DHJPAR0008481, DHJPAR0024625, DHJPAR0027858, DHJPAR0037552, DHJPAR0019589, DHJPAR0008447, DHJPAR0008484, DHJPAR0035903, DHJPAR0008492, DHJPAR0029701, DHJPAR0008465, DHJPAR0008449, DHJPAR0008446, DHJPAR0008490, DHJPAR0008472, DHJPAR0008464, DHJPAR0008468, DHJPAR0008453, DHJPAR0008460, DHJPAR0008474, DHJPAR0008443, DHJPAR0008439, DHJPAR0024454, DHJPAR0008440, DHJPAR0008457, DHJPAR0008461, DHJPAR0008485, DHJPAR0008477, DHJPAR0008493, DHJPAR0008449, DHJPAR0008467, DHJPAR0008437, DHJPAR0008482, DHJPAR0008451, DHJPAR0008458, DHJPAR0008459, DHJPAR0008466, DHJPAR0008438, DHJPAR0008470, DHJPAR0008441, 00-SRNP-14472, 00-SRNP-20509, 94-SRNP-9325, 00-SRNP-20514, 04-SRNP-32813, 00-SRNP-14836, 04-SRNP-33914, 03- SRNP-37153, 95-SRNP-494, 00-SRNP-20631, 96-SRNP-1079, 97-SRNP-6583, 07-SRNP-20895, 00-SRNP- 20507, 07-SRNP-32120, 03-SRNP-10574, 09-SRNP-68452.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective, “ latus ” meaning broad, and the modern Latin noun “ cercus ”, meaning tail, thus a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest (primarily) and dry forest, 123–675 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 29. General morphology of Houghia longicercus sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.

FIGURE 30. General morphology of Houghia longipilosa sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.