Helina araucana, Patitucci, Luciano Damián, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo & Mariluis, Juan Carlos, 2016

Patitucci, Luciano Damián, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo & Mariluis, Juan Carlos, 2016, Taxonomic review of the species of Helina R. - D. (Diptera: Muscidae) from Andean-Patagonian forests, Zootaxa 4150 (3), pp. 281-313 : 285-287

Helina araucana sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 9 A)

Description. Male ( Fig. 2 A). Length. Body: 5.90–7.31 mm, wing: 4.89–6.45 mm.

Head ( Fig. 2 B). Black with silver pollinosity. Holoptic, the shortest distance between eyes is 0.16–0.23 mm. 6– 8 pairs of frontal setae. Eye hairs long and sparse. Lunule dark brown; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, postgena, and occiput black with silver pollinosity. Parafrontal plate bare. Gena with brown pollinosity. Postocular setae proclinate. Antenna black; arista with short hairs two times as long as its basal diameter. Palpus black.

Thorax ( Fig. 2 C). Scutum black with three white-grey pollinose vittae; scutellum black; anepisternum, anepimeron, katepimeron, katepisternum, proepisternum, proepimeron and meron black; anterior and posterior spiracles brown. Chaetotaxy: acrostichal setae 2+1; dorsocentral setae 2+4; humeral setae 3, the inner one shorter and thinner; notopleural setae 2, of similar size. Prealar setae strong, less than one third of the anterior postsutural supra-alar setae. Scutellum with thinner and short basal and subapical setae. Anepisternum with a series of 6–8 strong setae.

Wing. Yellowish-hyaline; costal spine longer than the costal bristles; the transverse cross-vein dm-cu slightly curved; vein R 4+5 and vein M diverge apically; cross vein dm-cu in basal half of cell r4+5. Both calypters yellow with yellow margins.

Legs. Coxa, trochanter, femur I, tibiae, and tarsi black; mid and hind femora yellow, with the apical third black. Fore femur with rows of dorsal, posterodorsal, and posteroventral setae; fore tibia with 1 posterior seta and with 4 preapical setae. Mid femur with a row of posteroventrals setae at the apical middle; a ventral row of thinner and long hairs, and 2–3 preapical setae on dorsal to posterior surface; mid tibia with 4–5 posterior setae, and 4 apical setae (anterodorsal, posteroventral, ventral, and anteroventral). Hind femur with an anterodorsal row of setae and 6–7 long and irregular setae in the apical middle of anteroventral surface, and fine hairs in the apical middle on posteroventral surface; hind tibia a row of long anteroventral setae, 2–3 anterodorsal setae and a row of long posterodorsal setae, calcar absent. Fore claws and pulvilli longer than mid and hind.

Abdomen ( Fig. 2 D) Black with brownish pollinosity. Sternite 5 with similar length and width; setulose; posterior margin membranous with two pointed processes ( Fig. 2 E).

Terminalia . Cercal plate with a similar length and width, with two incisions (distal and proximal); and with four protuberances at the apex: inner protuberance short and rounded, outer protuberance with broad lobed shape ( Fig. 2 F). Surstylus broad and curving backwards distally, with some setae on inner surface ( Fig. 2 G). Aedeagus with aedeagal apodeme slightly curved and strongly sclerotized; epiphalus slightly sclerotized, paramere slightly bent downward with setula; gonopod with short setulae; and distiphallus tubular, slightly sclerotized ( Fig. 2 H).

Female. Length. Body: 6.08–6.94 mm, wing: 4.95–6.58 mm.

Differs from male as follows: Head, dichoptic, the shortest distance between eyes is 0.85–0.87 mm; frontoorbital plate setulose with 2 reclinate orbital setae. Parafrontal plate setulose. Eye hairs short and sparse. Legs. Mid femur with 3–4 strong of setae in the basal third on ventral surface. Hind femur with 3–4 setae in the apical middle of anteroventral surface; hind tibia brown-yellowish with 2–3 anteroventral setae, 2–3 anterodorsal setae. Claws and pulvilli similar size in all three legs. Terminalia . Tergite 8 divided into 2 enlarged parallel scletotized plates; epiproct with proximal margin curved, and several strong spines, cercus digitiform with strong spines ( Fig. 2 I). Hypoproct rounded, sclerotized and setulose ( Fig. 2 J).

Type material. Holotype male, pinned, label: “Arg. Neuquén, P.N. Lanín / Rucachoroi 1245m (Baited trap) / 39°13’53’’ S 71°10’37’’ W / I-2013 Mulieri leg.” ( MACN) . Paratypes: one female: “Arg. Neuquén, P.N. Lanín / Rucachoroi 1245m (Baited trap) / 39°13’53’’ S 71°10’37’’ W / I-2013 Mulieri leg.” ( MACN), two females, pinned, one with abdomen dissected: “Arg . Neuquén, P.N. Lanín / Rucachoroi 1245m (Baited trap) / 39°13’53’’ S 71°10’37’’ W / I-2013 Patitucci leg.” ( MACN), one female, pinned, one with abdomen dissected: “Arg . Neuquén, P.N. Lanín / Rucachoroi 1245m (Baited trap) / 39°13’53’’ S 71°10’37’’ W / I-2013 Patitucci leg.” ( IFML) .

Other specimens examined. ARGENTINA: Neuquén: 1 female, APN Batea Mahuida , -38.845457, - 71.093002, I-2013, Olea, Mulieri & Patitucci leg. ( MACN) , 1 male, APN Batea Mahuida , -38.837593, -71.097928, XII-2013, Mulieri leg. ( MACN) , 2 males, PN Lanín, Lago Huechulafquen , -39.790825, -71.217776, 14-XII-2013 Mulieri & Patitucci leg. ( MACN) , 2 males, PN Lanín, Lago Tromen , -39.563419, -71.418872, 12-XII-2003, Medan, Devoto & Torretta leg. ( FAUBA) , 1 male, PN Lanín, Lago Tromen , -39.563419, -71.418872, XII-1998, Medan & Basilio leg. ( FAUBA) , 3 females, 8 km northwest of San Martin de los Andes , 27-IX-1986, Gentili leg. ( IFML) .

Distribution ( Fig. 9 A). ARGENTINA: Neuquén.

Remarks. Helina araucana sp. nov. is similar to H. xena , but is distinguished by the number of dorsocentral setae, longer aristal hairs, wings without cloud, cross-vein dm-cu slightly curved, abdomen without spots.

Biology. Specimens collected by the authors from PNL and ABM were obtained with baited and Malaise traps. Several specimens studied in this work were collected on Discaria chacaye with a hand net. All specimens were captured over 1000 m a.s.l.

Etymology. The name refers to Araucaria araucana , the dominant tree species of the forests where the species was collected.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Helina araucana sp. nov. A – H. Male: A. Lateral view (scale bar: 1 mm). B. Head, frontal view. C. Thorax, dorsal view. D. Abdomen, dorsal view (scale bars: 0.5 mm). E. Sternite 5 (scale bar: 0.2 mm). F. Cercal plate and surstyli, posterior view. G. Cercal plate and surstylus, lateral view (scale bar: 0.1 mm). H. Phallic complex, lateral view (scale bar: 0.1 mm). I – J. Female, apical portion of ovipositor: I. Dorsal view. J. Ventral view (scale bar: 0.5 mm). (Abbreviations: aed apod, aedeagal apodeme; distiph, distiphallus; epiph, epiphallus; epiprct, epiproct; gon, gonopodo; hyprct, hypoproct; i protub, inner protuberance; o protub, outer protuberance; par, paramere; st 8, sternite 8; tg 8, tergite 8.)

FIGURE 9. Geographical distribution. A. Helina araucana sp. nov. B. Helina australis Carvalho & Pont. C. Helina bigoti Malloch. D. Helina chilensis Malloch. E. Helina connexa Malloch. F. Helina discolor (Stein). G. Helina dorada sp. nov. (Green area: Andean-Patagonian forests; orange circle: new records; blue triangle: previous distribution.)