Argoravinia (Argoravinia) alvarengai Lopes, 1976

Filho, Fernando Da Silva Carvalho & Esposito, Maria Cristina, 2012, Revision of Argoravinia Townsend (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Brazil with the description of two new species, Zootaxa 3256, pp. 1-26 : 4-9

Argoravinia (Argoravinia) alvarengai Lopes, 1976

( Figs. 1 , 6 , 11 , 16–19 , 47 –49, 64 )

Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes, 1976: 693 –696 (description of male, female and first instar). Type locality: Brazil, Roraima, Surumu. Pape 1996: 175 (catalogue).

Male— Length: 5−7 mm (n = 6).

Head. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plate with golden or grayish microtomentum, with a row of black setulae along eye margin and many scattered setulae around reclinate fronto-orbital bristle; frontal vitta brown, reddish on anterior one-third; frons at vertex 0.33x head width; frontal row of 5–6 convergent bristles, upper one usually hairlike; one reclinate fronto-orbital bristle, proclinate fronto-orbital bristle absent; inner vertical bristle about 2.5x as long as frontal bristles; outer vertical bristle divergent and differentiated from the postocular setae; gena and postgena gray, gena with short black setae and postgena with slender and light long setae; scape and pedicel reddish, pedicel with short black setae and one long and slender seta on posterior margin, first flagellomere black with whitish microtomentum, about 3x as long as pedicel; arista plumose in basal half; palpus brown.

Thorax. Dark brown with silvery grey microtomentum. Postpronotal lobe with golden microtomentum. Pleura dark-brown with golden scattered microtomentum. Spiracular fringe light-brown. Chaetotaxy: acrostichals = 0+1 (weakly differentiated), dorsocentrals = 3+4 (two posterior longer), intra-alars = 2+3, supra-alars = 2 (anterior small)+3 (median longer), postpronotals = 3, postalars = 2, notopleurals = 4, scutellum with marginal bristles = 2, apicals = 1, discals = 1, meropleurals = 5−6, katepisternals = 3 (in a line). Wing hyaline, R1 setulose in proximal half, R4+5 setulose in basal 2/3 to crossvein r-m, costal spine not differentiated, third costal sector without ventral setulae, r4+5 open. Legs black with silvery grey microtomentum on femora; fore femur with a row of long setae dorsally and ventrally, one row of anterior bristles in the middle; fore tibia with two antero-ventral bristles and one apical postero-dorsal bristle; mid femur with one row of ventral setae on basal half, one row of anterior bristles in middle and two pre-apical anterior bristles, ctenidium present; mid tibia with one anterior bristle on apical third and two postero-dorsal bristles in the middle; hind femur with a row of bristles dorsally and ventrally, a row of anterior bristles in the middle and one preapical postero-dorsal bristle; hind tibia with two anterior bristles and four setae dorsally.

Abdomen. Dark brown with the usual pattern of silvery gray microtomentum ( Fig. 64 ), covered with short black setae; T1+2−3 without median marginal bristles; T4−5 with a row of marginal bristles. ST1−4 quadrangular, ST1 with short black setae, ST2−4 with long and slender light setae; ST5 with posterior arm long, divergent, with rounded apex, and with long setulae on inner lateral margin, posterior margin with a narrow, short median cleft ( Fig. 11 ).

Terminalia. Syntergosternite 7+8 very large and globulous, grayish with scattered short black setulae and three marginal bristles; epandrium reddish with short black setulae, cercus short and strongly bent backwards ( Figs. 1 , 16 ), with a short apical projection or swelling at the lateral corner of truncated apex ( Fig. 18 ), apex of cercus with a cluster of dorsal spines ( Figs. 17, 18 ), ventral surface of cercus with many scattered spines; lateral apophysis very long and narrow, covering basal portion of surstylus and lateral margin of cercus, with pointed claw-like apex ( Figs. 1 , 16 ); surstylus with narrow base and enlarged apex, with long and slender setae at apex. Pregonite very long and narrow and gently curved upward, apically bifid, with inconspicuous, pointed tip ( Fig. 6 ). Postgonite long and narrow, with apical half set perpendicular to basal half, and with a strong apical bristle on anterior margin ( Fig. 6 ). Phallus reddish; distiphallus with narrow base and enlarged apex; basal process of lateral stylus slightly sinuous; lateral plate large, folded and with apophysis ( Fig. 19 ); vesica short and membranous, V-shaped, with short and wide stem, and anterior margin very thick ( Fig. 19 ); lateral stylus long and tubular, striated at apex; median stylus very long and slender.

Female —Length = 4.0−7.5 mm (n = 3).

As described for male except as follows: two well developed proclinate fronto-orbital bristles; mid femur without ctenidium; T3 without marginal lateral bristle, T5 with 10 marginal bristles; T6 entire with narrow hind region and a series of marginal bristles; spiracle 6 situated in membrane and 7 within the sclerite; T8 divided into two narrow plates, without setae; ST1−2 quadrangular and covered with short setae, ST2 with four marginal bristles, two central ones stronger than laterals ( Fig. 49 ); ST3−4 oval and covered with short setae and with two strong marginal bristles ( Fig. 47 ); ST5 squared and with short setae and four strong marginal bristles ( Fig. 47 ); ST6−7 larger than other sternites, with long marginal bristles and short scattered setae on posterior half ( Figs. 47, 49 ); ST8 short, covered with short setae and long marginal bristles; hypoproct membranous and covered with short setulae and with long marginal bristles; cercus rounded, with long and short setae ( Fig. 48 ); epiproct membranous and bearing one long setula; spermathecae pyriform, strongly striated, similar to those of A. rufiventris ( Fig. 53 ).

Type material examined. Paratypes: BRAZIL: Roraima: Surumu, IX.1966, M. Alvarenga & F.M. Oliveira leg. (1 3 and 1 Ƥ, MNRJ).

Additional material examined. BRAZIL: Amapá: Macapá, 28.I.2007, sobre carcaça de porco [= on pig carcass], R. Nonato leg. (1 3, MPEG); ibidem, 13.II.2007 (1 3, MPEG); ibidem, 19.II.2007 (1 3, MPEG); ibidem, 16.II.2007 (1 Ƥ, MPEG). Pará: Vigia, Campo do Palha, 7.XII.1988, Arm. Malaise [= Malaise trap], W. França leg. (1 3, MPEG). Roraima: Surumu, IX.1966, M. Alvarenga and F.M. Oliveira leg. (1 3 and 1 Ƥ, MZUSP).

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL: Brazil (Amapá, Pará, Roraima), Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago ( Trinidad), Venezuela.

Remarks. This species is similar to A. rufiventris , A. catiae and A. paraensis in having the cercus strongly bent backwards and with spines on dorsal surface. Argoravinia alvarengai differs from the other species in having a very long and narrow lateral apophysis with a claw-like apex ( Figs. 1 , 16 ). In the other three Brazilian species the apophysis is broad and short, with a rounded apex and without point ( Figs. 21 , 25 , 34 ). This is the first record from the state of Pará.

Biology. Nothing is known about the biology of A. alvarengai , except that males and females have been collected on a pig carcass in a secondary forest in Macapá, state of Amapá. In the key by Carvalho and Mello-Patiu (2008) to the adults of the most common forensic species of Diptera in South America, A. alvarengai was not included. This absence may be explained by the fact that most experiments using pig carcasses were performed in southern Brazil, and A. alvarengai seems to be restricted to northern Brazil. Lopes (1976) described the first instar larva of A. alvarengai , which he obtained from females stored in alcohol.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Epandrium and cercus, lateral view. 1. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes. 2. Argoravinia catiae sp. nov. 3. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann). 4. Argoravinia paraensis sp. nov. 5. Argoravinia aurea (Townsend). Scale bars = 0.2 mm. Abbreviations: C = cercus; E = epandrium; LA = lateral apophysis; S = surstylus.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Postgonite and pregonite, lateral view. 6. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes. 7. Argoravinia catiae sp. nov. 8. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann). 9. Argoravinia paraensis sp. nov. 10. Argoravinia aurea (Townsend). Scale bars = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: PRG = pregonite; PTG = postgonite.

FIGURES 11 – 15. Fifth sternite, ventral view. 11. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes. 12. Argoravinia catiae sp. nov. 13. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann). 14. Argoravinia paraensis sp. nov. 15. Argoravinia aurea Townsend. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 16 – 19. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes, male. 16. Lateral apophysis and cercus, lateral view. Scale bar = 90 µm. 17. Cercus apex, dorsal view. Scale bar = 20 µm. 18. Cercus apex, dorso-lateral view. Scale bar = 20 µm. 19. Distiphallus, ventral view. Scale bar = 23 µm. Abbreviations: LA = lateral apophysis; LP = lateral plate; MS = median stylus; V = vesica.

FIGURES 47 – 54. 47 – 49. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes, female. 47. Terminalia and abdominal sternites, ventral view. 48. Terminalia, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. 49. First and second abdominal sternites. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. 50 – 53. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann), female: 50. Terminalia and abdominal sternites, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. 51. Terminalia, ventral view. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. 52. First and second abdominal sternites. Scale bar = 0.3 mm. 53. Spermatheca. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. 54. Argoravia aurea (Townsend), female, spermatheca. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Abbreviations: ce = cercus; ep = epiproct; hy = hypoproct; St = sternite; T = tergite.

FIGURES 61 – 66. Male abdomens of Argoravinia species. 61 – 62. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann). 63. Argoravinia catiae sp. nov. 64. Argoravinia alvarengai Lopes. 65. Argoravinia paraensis sp. nov. 66. Argoravinia aurea (Townsend). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 20 – 24. Argoravinia catiae sp. nov., male. 20. Distiphallus, lateral view. Scale bar = 120 µm. 21. Epandrium and cercus, postero-lateral view. Scale bar = 180 µm. 22. Distiphallus, ventral view. Scale bar = 100 µm. 23. Posterior margin of fifth sternite. Scale bar = 50 µm. 24. Cercus apex; dorso-lateral view. Scale bar = 25 µm. Abbreviations: BPS = basal process of lateral stylus; LA = lateral apophysis; LP = lateral plate; LS = lateral stylus; MS = median stylus; V = vesica.

FIGURES 25 – 30. Argoravinia rufiventris (Wiedemann), male. 25. Lateral apophysis, lateral view. Scale bar = 30 µm. 26. Cercus apex, dorsal view. Scale bar = 30 µm. 27. Distiphallus, lateral view. Scale bar = 50 µm. 28. Distiphallus, ventral view. Scale bar = 60 µm. 29. Pregonite apex, lateral view. Scale bar = 20 µm. 30. Posterior margin of fifth sternite. Scale bar = 60 µm. Abbreviations: BPS = basal process of lateral stylus; LA = lateral apophysis; LP = lateral plate; LS = lateral stylus; V = vesica.

FIGURES 31 – 34. Argoravinia paraensis sp. nov., male. 31. Distiphallus, lateral view. Scale bar = 100 µm. 32. Distiphallus, ventral view. Scale bar = 60 µm. 33. Epandrium and cercus, lateral view. Scale bar = 200 µm. 34. Lateral apophysis, lateral view. Scale bar = 40 µm. Abbreviations: BPS = basal process of lateral stylus; LA = lateral apophysis; LP = lateral plate; LS = lateral stylus; V = vesica.