Houghia bivittata 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 : 37-38

Houghia bivittata Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Figs. 9 a, 10 e, 14 a–f

Diagnosis. One of a group of seven closely related species in ACG, and many more in Central and South America, the H. crypta group, in which the second postsutural dorsocentral seta is missing, leaving a gap between first and third setae ( H. omissa , H. confinis , H. triangularis , H. destituta , H. crypta , H. biseriata , H. bivittata ). Houghia bivittata shares with H. biseriata the presence of a pair of wide dark scutal stripes ( Figs. 13 a, 14a) as a result of dark brown tomentosity between the two longitudinal dark scutal stripes on each side. The fronto-orbital plate is gold tomentose from vertex to antennal bases ( Fig. 14 b).

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, without black setae or 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 fronto-orbital plate almost bare. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing concolorous with frontal vitta. Diameter of anterior ocellus less than diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising behind anterior ocellus but closer to anterior than to posterior ocelli. Eye bare. Postpronotum restricted to the three main 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 united to one another posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 3, with a gap between first and third seta. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with short setae except for usually 3 to 5 distinctly larger setae. Katepisternum bearing 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 shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus equilaterally oblong shaped, posterodorsal half haired, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with strong inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci sharply pointed or distinctly tapered, 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, single long apical seta emanating from apex, lobe size large and rounded apically.

Hosts. Houghia bivittata has been reared 25 times, from the combination of Euptychia westwoodi Butler and Euptychia mollis Staudinger ( Satyrinae , Nymphalidae ) feeding on the foliage of rain forest Selaginella arthritica Alston (Selaginaceae) , in a sample of 351 caterpillars of these two species of butterflies (whose caterpillars are currently indistinguishable from each other).

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Alajuela, Sector Rincon Rain Forest, Quebrada Escondida (10.89928°, -85.27486°), 420 m, 01/04/2011, Jose Perez, DHJPAR0042656.

Paratypes. 9 ♂, 11 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Alajuela and Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0048576, DHJPAR0048628, DHJPAR0048577, DHJPAR0046667, DHJPAR0046648, DHJPAR0048575, DHJPAR0046625, DHJPAR0046614, DHJPAR0046668, DHJPAR0046631, DHJPAR0046633, DHJPAR0046634, DHJPAR0048548, DHJPAR0048547, DHJPAR0048574, DHJPAR0046644, DHJPAR0046663, DHJPAR0048640.

Etymology. From the Latin adverb,” bis ”, “ bi -” meaning two, and the adjective “ vittatus ” derived from “ vitta ”, meaning ribbon or stripe, in reference to the pair of broad dark stripes on the scutum.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest and dry forest, 400–710 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Dorsal view of wing, showing haired nature of vein R 1. a. Bare, Houghia bivittata sp. nov., position of vein R 1 shown in red. b. Haired, Houghia nigrofemur sp. nov.

FIGURE 13. General morphology of Houghia biseriata 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 14. General morphology of Houghia bivittata 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.