Houghia delospilota 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 : 47-48

Houghia delospilota Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Fig. 20 a–f

Diagnosis. One of 5 species with reddish or yellowish abdominal tergites 3 and 4, The sex patches of this species are restricted to tergites 4 and 5; these consist of black appressed hairs on either a pale reddish ground colour or on a spot with some darker pigment beneath, but otherwise the ventral surfaces of the tergites are pale. The frontoorbital plate is mostly silver tomentose, with gold tomentosity and short recumbent hairs, extending from vertex only to the level of the anterior fronto-orbital setae ( Fig. 20 b).

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises distinctly above middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere shorter than facial margin, (usually shorter by at least the length of the pedicel). 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 gold on upper half, from vertex to midway down face (up to 50% coverage). Surface of fronto-orbital 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 with 4 or 5 postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another with brownish or gray tomentosity, appearing paler than stripes, but darker than remainder of scutum. 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 abdominal tergite 3 and in some specimens parts of other tergites as well, dark medially but reddish laterally. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen partially or entirely reddish or yellowish. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches not distinctly shiny. Terminalia: surstylus bayonet shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with strong inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci rounded, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci deep narrow V shape, up to 85% 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 inwardly curved, apical seta absent.

Hosts. Houghia delospilota has been reared 13 times, from four species of dry forest Nystalea Guenée (Notodontidae) , N. collaris DHJ13 (1X), N. guzmani Schaus (3X), N. morona (Druce) (8X), and N. multiplex Dognin (1X), among a sample of 2500+ Nystalea caterpillars.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector El Hacha, Sendero Bejuquilla (11.03004°, -85.52699°), 280 m, 02/03/2000, gusaneros, DHJPAR0008837.

Paratypes. 38 ♂, 49 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0008828, DHJPAR0048672, DHJPAR0008834, DHJPAR0029712, DHJPAR0008826, DHJPAR0008833, DHJPAR0008831, DHJPAR0008827, DHJPAR0008832, DHJPAR0008845, DHJPAR0008829, DHJPAR0008836, DHJPAR0011472, 00-SRNP-2271, 12-SRNP-20327, 99-SRNP-16134, 03-SRNP-19519, 02-SRNP-29961, 00-SRNP-2110, 98- SRNP-14306, 02-SRNP-29968, 05-SRNP-47671.

Etymology. From Greek, delos, evident, and spilotos, spotted, here intended as an adjective to describe the conspicuous sex patches on tergites 4 and 5 (use of the name as an adjective was discussed by Orr & Fliedner 2011).

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Guanacaste, rain forest and dry forest, 220–550 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 20. General morphology of Houghia delospilota 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.