Austrophyto Lopes, 1989

Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo, 2017, Saying goodbye to monotypy in the poorly known genus Austrophyto Lopes, 1989 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): new diagnosis and description of two new species, Zootaxa 4268 (1), pp. 88-100 : 89

Austrophyto Lopes, 1989

Austrophyto Lopes, 1989: 826 . Type species: Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes, 1989 , by original designation. References : Pape (1996: 39, 176) (diagnosis, world catalogue); Mello-Patiu et al. (2014) (key to genera and list of species from Argentina). Autrophyto : Lopes (1989: 826); incorrect original spelling of Austrophyto . Lopes (1989) used two original spellings, Austrophyto (p. 826) and Autrophyto (p. 826). By subsequent usage ( ICZN Code Article 24.2.4), Pape (1996: 39) acted as First Reviser and selected Austrophyto as the correct original spelling.

Generic diagnosis (males). Rows of frontal setae diverging strongly anteriorly at level of pedicel; proclinate orbital setae lacking; one row of parafacial setae near eye, increasing in length and thickness ventrally; genal setae dark; arista with reduced rays restricted to basal half; 0 + 1 acrostichal setae; postalar wall setulose; two pairs of lateral scutellar setae; apical scutellar setae present; 3 katepisternal setae; third costal sector without ventral setae; cell r4+5 open; male mid femur without an apical, posteroventral ctenidium; abdominal T4 with one pair of median marginal setae; T5 with a complete row of marginal setae; ST5 with a deep posterior cleft (V-shaped); arms of ST5 with basal rounded lobes; basal part of ST5 with a median desclerotized area (‘window’). Terminalia: epandrium reddish; syntergosternite 7+8 without a well-differentiated row of marginal setae; surstylus not flattened and curved inwards in posterior view; postgonite with two long setae; phallus short; basi- and distiphallus fused ventrally, and with an incomplete dorsal hinge; distiphallus noticeably broadened; distiphallus with a swollen, desclerotized ventral area proximal to vesica; dorsal surface of paraphallus curved apically; vesica short and weakly sclerotized, with a microserrated margin; harpes well developed, sclerotized and with a roughened surface, projecting from the ventral surface of the distiphallus; juxta scarcely developed, with apico-lateral membranous lobes and a medial sclerotization (= medial juxtal sclerite) between them; acrophallus not exposed; median stylus and lateral styli slender and tubular; lateral styli with microserrations.

Generic monophyly. The monophyly of this genus is tentatively supported by the unique morphology of the male terminalia. The distiphallus is noticeably broadened in both its ventral and dorsal parts. It has a swollen, desclerotized ventral surface proximal to the vesica ( Figs 12 , 14 ). Also, the dorsal surface of the paraphallus is curved, producing a distal expansion of the distiphallus. The juxta is not projected ventrally, as a cap-like structure, as occurs in many other genera of Sarcophaginae . Hence, the acrophallus is located within the “bell-shaped” distiphallus and is laterally covered by the strongly developed harpes, with the styli only exposed apically by the widely open tip of the distiphallus ( Figs 7–9 ). The connection between basi- and distiphallus, fused ventrally and with an incomplete dorsal hinge ( Figs 2 , 17 ), is similar to the condition found in Microcerella and Boettcheria Parker, 1914 . The reduced aristal rays ( Figs 28–29 ) are similar to those found in Microcerella and in a few Boettcheria (e.g., B. mundelli Blanchard, 1939 ). The shape of the surstylus and the poorly developed juxta resemble those of Boettcheria , but the vesica is much less developed in Austrophyto . Additionally, the absence of a well-differentiated row of marginal setae on syntergosternite 7+8 and postgonite with two setae are also possible autapomorphic characters of Austrophyto .

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 13. Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes (specimen from Córdoba, MACN). 10. Terminalia, left lateral view (phallus dissected). 11. Cerci and surstyli, dorsal view. 12. Phallus, left lateral view; arrow showing swollen, desclerotized ventral area. 13. Sternite 5, ventral view; arrows showing rounded basal lobes. Scale bars: 500 µm (Figs 10 – 11, 13); 200 µm (Fig. 12). Abbreviations: cer, cercus; ep, epandrium; pph, paraphallus, ST, sternite; stgst, syntergosternite; sur, surstylus; for other abbreviations, see Figs 1 – 9.

FIGURES 14 – 18. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov., paratype (MACN). 14. Phallus and gonites, left lateral view; arrow showing swollen, desclerotized ventral area. 15. Cerci and surstyli, dorsal view. 16. Cercus and surstyli, left lateral view. 17. SEM image of phallus and gonites, left lateral view; arrow showing incomplete dorsal hinge between basi- and distiphallus. 18. Sternite 5, ventral view; arrow showing rounded basal lobe. Scale bars: 200 µm. For abbreviations, see Figs 1 – 9 and 10 – 13.

FIGURES 1 – 9. Male terminalia of Austrophyto spp. 1. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of gonites, left lateral view. 2. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in apico-dorsal view; arrow showing incomplete dorsal hinge between basi- and distiphallus. 3. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in apical view; arrow showing partially broken left harpes. 4. Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes (specimen from Córdoba, MACN), phallus in latero-ventral view. 5. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), SEM image of phallus in lateroventral view. 6. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in latero-ventral view. 7. Austrophyto cordobensis (specimen from Córdoba, MACN), phallus in apical view. 8. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in apical view. 9. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN), phallus in apical view. Scale bars: 200 µm (Figs 1 – 4, 6 – 7, 9); 100 µm (Fig. 5, 8). Abbreviations: h, harpes; jl, juxtal lobe; ls, lateral stylus; mjs, medial juxtal sclerite; ms, median stylus; po, postgonite; pr, pregonite; v, vesica.

FIGURES 27 – 34. Austrophyto spp. 27 – 28. Austrophyto cordobensis Lopes (specimen from Córdoba, MACN). 27. Head in left lateral view. 28. Detail of arista, lateral view. 29 – 30. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MACN). 29. Detail of arista, lateral view. 30. Head in left lateral view. 31 – 32. Austrophyto noa sp. nov. (paratype, MNRJ). 31. Head in frontal view. 32. Left lateral habitus. 33 – 34. Austrophyto mariluisi sp. nov. (paratype, MACN). 33. Tip of abdomen in posterior view. 34. Left lateral habitus. Scale bars: 1 mm (Figs 27, 31 – 34); 200 µm (Figs 28 – 29); 500 µm (Fig. 30). For abbreviations, see Figs 10 – 13.