Helina australis Carvalho & Pont in Carvalho et al.1993

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 : 287-289

Helina australis Carvalho & Pont in Carvalho et al.1993

( Figs. 3 , 9 B)

For a complete list of references, see the catalog by Carvalho et al. (2005). Information subsequent to this catalog: Löwerberg-Neto et al. 2011 (biogeography); Löwerberg-Neto & Carvalho 2013 (checklist).

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 3 A). Length. Body: 6.74–7.03 mm, wing: 5.81–6.97 mm.

Head ( Fig. 3 B). Black with silver pollinosity. Holoptic, the shortest distance between eyes is 0.13–0.14 mm. 6– 8 pairs of frontal setae. Eye hairs long and sparse. Lunule pale brown; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, gena, postgena, and occiput black with silver pollinosity. Parafrontal plate bare. Postocular setae proclinate. Antenna black; arista with hairs three times as long as its basal diameter. Palpus black.

Thorax ( Fig. 3 C). Scutum black with three grey pollinose vittae, the central vitta is inconspicuous; scutellum black with grey pollinosity; anepisternum, anepimeron, katepimeron, katepisternum, proepisternum, proepimeron and meron black; anterior and posterior spiracles brown. Chaetotaxy: acrostichal setae 1-2+1; dorsocentral setae 2+4; humeral setae 3, the inner one shorter and thinner; notopleural setae 2, of similar size. Prealar seta strong, half as long as its anterior supra-alar postsutural seta. Scutellum with thinner and short basal and subapical setae. Anepisternum with a series of 8–10 strong setae.

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

Legs. Coxa and trochanter black; femora and tibiae yellow, tarsi dark brown. Fore femur with rows of dorsal, posterodorsal, and posteroventral setae; fore tibia with one posterior seta, 4 preapical seta. Mid femur with only 3– 4 setae in the basal middle on ventral surface; 3 preapical setae on dorsal to posterior surface; mid tibia with 4 posterior setae and 4 apical setae (anterodorsal, posteroventral, ventral, and anteroventral). Hind femur with an anterodorsal row of setae and 6–7 setae in the apical middle of anteroventral surface; hind tibia with 2–3 anteroventral setae, 2 anterodorsal setae and 2–3 posterodorsal setae, calcar absent. Claws and pulvilli of similar size in all three legs.

Abdomen ( Fig. 3 D). Black with brown pollinosity, with little spots on the base of each seta. Sternite 5 with similar length and width, with two long setae on apical third; posterior margin membranous with two projections ( Fig. 3 E).

Terminalia . Cercal plate with a similar length and width, with two incision (distal and proximal); with four protuberances at the apex: inner protuberance long and straight, outer protuberance short and straight ( Fig. 3 F), curved backwards of the inner protuberance in lateral view ( Fig. 3 G). Surstylus broad basally, distal part curved strongly forwards, on inner surface with setae in a button-shaped structure ( Fig. 3 G). Aedeagus with aedeagal apodeme curved and strongly sclerotized; epiphalus slightly sclerotized, paramere slightly bent downward with setula; gonopod with short setulae; and distiphallus tubular, slightly sclerotized ( Fig. 3 H).

Female. Length. Body: 5.23–6.75 mm, wing: 5.63–6.15 mm.

Differs from male as follows: Color: black with grey pollinosity ( Fig. 3 I). Head: dichoptic, the shortest distance between eyes is 0.66–0.86 mm; fronto-orbital plate setulose with 2 reclinate orbital setae. Parafrontal plate setulose. Thorax. Black with grey pollinosity, scutum brown with three grey pollinose vittae ( Fig. 3 J). Legs. Hind femur with 2–3 setae in the apical third of anteroventral surface; hind tibia with 3 anteroventral setae, 2 anterodorsal setae and without posterodorsal setae.

Terminalia . Tergite 8 with 2 parallel sclerotized plates, fused and with setulae on the distal margin; epiproct with proximal margin straight, and setulose, cercus digitiform with long setulae ( Fig. 3 K). Hypoproct rounded, sclerotized, with long setula on distal margin ( Fig. 3 L).

Material examined. ARGENTINA: Chubut: 1 male, PN Lago Puelo, Gendarmería, -42.097468, - 71.681953, I-2012, Mulieri & Patitucci leg. ( MACN) , 2 females, PN Los Alerces, Lago Futalaufquen, -42.840982, -71.632934, 14-I-1962 (MACN), 3 females, PN Los Alerces, Cabaña. La Cascada, -42.888499, -71.592376, II- 2013, Olea, Mulieri & Patitucci leg. (MACN); Neuquén: 1 male , San Martín de los Andes, I-1941, Bridarolli leg. ( MACN) , 1 female, PN Nahuel Huapí, Puerto Arrayanes, Villa Trafúl, -40.612373, -71.545571, 31-I-1968, Stange leg. (IFML). CHILE: Región de los Lagos: 3 females , 1 male, Osorno, Pucatrihue, -40.563537, -73.284407, 1/ 12- II-1980, Peña leg. (MACN), 1 female, Colonia El Chingue, -42.404234, -72.695709, 20/ 25-I-1990, Peña leg. (MACN).

Distribution ( Fig. 9 B). ARGENTINA: Chubut (new record); Neuquén (new record). CHILE: Región de los Lagos.

Remarks. Bigot (1885) described Yetodesia dubia with only one male specimen from an unspecified location of Chile. Later, Stein (1907) presented a brief redescription of the type specimen, and Malloch (1934) redescribed the species with new male specimens collected from Casa Pangue, Chile. Carvalho & Pont (Carvalho et al. 1993) established a junior primary homonym of dubia Meade, 1881 , and renamed the species as Helina australis . In this work, we provide a redescripton of the male and description of the female, including details of male and female terminalia .

Biology. Unknown. The specimens studied in this work were collected from PNLP and PNLA with a Malaise trap.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Helina australis Carvalho & Pont. 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 – L. Female: I. Lateral view (scale bar: 1 mm). J. Thorax, dorsal view. K. Apical portion of ovipositor, dorsal view. L. Apical portion of ovipositor, ventral view (scalebar: 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.)