Agallamyia pendula Norrbom, 2010

Norrbom, Allen L., Sutton, Bruce D., Steck, Gary J. & Monzón, José, 2010, New genera, species and host plant records of Nearctic and Neotropical Tephritidae (Diptera) 2398, Zootaxa 2398, pp. 1-65 : 14-18

Agallamyia pendula Norrbom , new species

Figs. 11–20, 23–25, 27–29, 33

Description. Large, body length 5.5–11.5 mm. Mesonotum length 2.0–4.0 mm. Wing length 5.0–10.0 mm, width 1.6–3.7 mm, ratio 2.63–3.17. Mostly brown. Setae usually yellow (mostly brown in 2 males), short, acuminate. Setulae yellowish.

Head ( Figs. 11–12): Broad. Mostly microtrichose; anterior margin of parafacial, large anteroventral area on gena, and broad, bell-shaped ventral area on face shiny, nonmicrotrichose. Frons more than 2 times as broad as width of eye, with 4–9 frontal setae surrounded by numerous setulae, and 2 orbital setae, posterior seta often lateroclinate. Ocellar seta 2–3 times as long as ocellar tubercle. Postocellar seta usually well developed (absent in 1 male), 2/3 as long as to subequal to medial vertical seta, always yellow. Medial and lateral vertical setae subequal, 1/3–2/5 height of face. Lunule large and setulose ( Fig. 11), half as long as wide. Eye relatively small, genal height more than half (0.52–0.71) long diameter of eye ( Fig. 12). Antennae widely separated by 1.3–2 times width of scape, short, first flagellomere ca. 1.67 times as long as wide, no longer than pedicel, occasionally (2 specimens) with several dorsal setulae; arista minutely and sparsely pubescent (appearing bare except at high magnification). Proboscis large, capitate; palpus very broad, 3/5–2/3 as wide as long, oval.

Thorax ( Fig. 13): Microtrichose except extreme anteromedial margin of scutum and large ventral area on mediotergite. Scutum usually mostly dark red brown, with blackish broad medial vitta and less well defined pre- and postsutural sublateral areas, sometimes more extensively blackish; setulae yellowish, less dense on blackish areas. Scutellum short, high and convex, red brown to dark brown, without distinct yellow markings; setulose.

Legs: Stout, especially male fore femur, on which row of ventral setae stout and spinelike ( Fig. 14). Coxae and femora dark brown. Tibiae moderate to dark brown. Basal 2–3 tarsomeres yellow, distal tarsomeres brownish.

Wing ( Fig. 33): Elongate and relatively narrow. Pterostigma short and narrow, 1/5–1/4 length of cell c. Vein R 4+5 dorsally intermittently setulose to or beyond level of crossvein dm-cu. Lobe of cell bcu ca. half as long as width of cell. Crossvein r-m at 0.67–0.75 distance from bm-cu to dm-cu. Pattern predominantly brown, usually more orange in radial cells except br and proximal 2/3 of r 4+5, cell bcu and sometimes other basal cells, alula, and part of area bordering vein A 1 +Cu 2. Cell r 1 with 1 narrow to broad triangular marginal hyaline area aligned with or slightly distal to crossvein r-m, extending to vein R 4+5; r-m usually with narrow hyaline or yellow border. Cell c with small, sometimes diffuse, yellowish or hyaline spot or streak in basal third. Cells r 1, r 2+3, and r 4+5 with narrow oblique hyaline streak or series of spots subapically, often irregular in shape. Cell m medially with irregular, usually somewhat inverted V-shaped or triangular, hyaline mark or series of spots, extending anteriorly into cell r 4+5 or rarely with aligned spot in r 4+5, aligned slightly posterobasal to oblique mark in radial cells. Cell bm with narrow hyaline streak along transverse fold. Cell cu 1 with narrow, elongate hyaline streak in basal 2/3 of cell, often broader distally and/or fading to pale brown posteriorly. Cell dm posteromedially and distal third of cell cu 1 with narrow curved hyaline streak or series of spots.

Abdomen: Entirely brown. Tergites entirely microtrichose.

Male terminalia: Surstyli short, together with epandrium nearly oval ( Fig. 18). Glans ( Figs. 19–20) with sclerotized basal half stout and distal half slender, membranous; acrophallus relatively stout and strongly laterally curved.

Female terminalia: Oviscape 1.2–1.9 mm long, 0.55–0.59 times as long as mesonotum. Setulae on medial half to 3/4 inclinate. Aculeus ( Figs. 16–17) elongate, slender, 1.70–2.25 mm long, 6.5–7.5 times as long as wide, gradually tapering to needlelike apex. Spermathecae small, ovoid.

Biology. Agallamyia pendula forms a large spherical stem gall up to 2.5 cm in diameter on Perymenium ghiesbreghtii B.L. Rob. & Greenm. ( Figs. 21–25) and P. grande Hemsl. ( Figs. 26–29) ( Asteraceae : Heliantheae ). The gall is unusual in being mostly hollow, with the single puparium sometimes loose inside. The larva anchors its posterior end in a frass mass in the top of the gall and feeds on the sides of the gall while hanging downward ( Figs. 25, 28–29). The exit hole for the adult is in the middle of the frass mass.

Distribution. Known only from highland areas (> 1700 m elevation) of Guatemala (Baja Verapaz, Huehuetenango, Sacatepéquez, Zacapa; Santa Rosa?).

Type data. Holotype ♀ ( USNM USNMENT00212040 ), GUATEMALA: Huehuetenango: 8.6 km (air) NW of Cuilco , 15.44475°N 92.03582°W, 2108 m, emerged 18 Dec 2007 – 2 Jan 2008 reared ex stem gall on Perymenium grande collected 24 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, F. Camposeco . Paratypes: GUATEMALA: Baja Verapaz: Finca Santa Rosa, Pantin - Salama Road , 15.24515°N 90.28169°W, 1729 m, emerged 22 Dec 2007 reared ex stem gall on Perymenium grande (07G44) collected 20 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, 1♀ 1 puparium ( USNM USNMENT00104327 , USNMENT00212035 ) . Huehuetenango: 8.6 km (air) NW of Cuilco , 15.44475°N 92.03582°W, 2108 m, emerged 18 Dec 2007 – 2 Jan 2008 reared ex stem gall on Perymenium grande collected 24 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, F. Camposeco, 1♂ 1 puparium ( USNM USNMENT00104329 , USNMENT00212024 ) , 1♀ ( UVG) . Sacatepéquez: Cerro Carmona, Finca El Pilar , 14.54176°N 90.71384°W, 1773 m, emerged 18 Dec 2007 reared ex stem galls on Perymenium grande collected 14 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, 1♂ ( FSCA USNMENT00212038 ) . San Miguel Dueñas , 3–6 km W of, reared ex stem gall on Perymenium grande Hemsl. (90G7) collected 17 Oct 1990, A. L. Norrbom, 2♂ 1♀ 4 puparia ( USNM USNMENT00213286–89 ) ; Volcan de Agua, trail from Santa Maria de Jesus , 14.47464°N 90.71904°W, 2415 m, emerged 18–26 Dec 2007 reared ex stem galls on Perymenium grande (07G11) collected 13 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, 1♀ 2 puparia ( USNM USNMENT00104326 , USNMENT00212039 ) , 1♂ 1♀ ( FSCA USNMENT00212034 ) ; Volcan de Agua, trail from Santa Maria de Jesus , reared ex stem gall on Perymenium grande Hemsl. (90G15), 21 Oct 1990, A. L. Norrbom, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00213285 ) ; Volcan de Agua, trail from Ciudad Viejo , reared ex stem gall of Perymenium grande Hemsl. (90G15), 19 Oct 1990, A. L. Norrbom, 4♂ ( USNM USNMENT00213293–96 ) . Zacapa: road to plateau N of San Lorenzo , near campsite at end of road, 15.1166°N 89.68259°W, 2215 m, emerged 10–26 Dec 2007 reared ex stem gall on Perymenium ghiesbreghtii (07G27) collected 16 Nov 2007, B.D. Sutton, G.J. Steck, A.L. Norrbom, J. Monzón, 2♂ 3♀ 4 puparia ( USNM USNMENT00212029–30 , USNMENT00671391–94 ) , 1♂ 2♀ ( FSCA) .

Other material examined. GUATEMALA: Santa Rosa: Cerro Mira Mundo, Finca Mira Mundo , 14.20402°N 90.51535°W, 1850 m, 21–24 May 2008, B.D. Sutton & J. Monzón, 1 dead adult that appears to be this species found in the exit hole of a gall on a scrubby Perymenium sp .

Etymology. The name of this species is an adjective and refers to the habit of the larva of hanging from its posterior end within the gall.