Copestylum tacanense, Rotheray & Hancock & Marcos-García, 2007

Rotheray, G. E., Hancock, E. G. & Marcos-García, M. A., 2007, Neotropical Copestylum (Diptera, Syrphidae) breeding in bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) including 22 new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 150 (2), pp. 267-317 : 277

004. COPESTYLUM TACANENSE SP. NOV.

ROTHERAY & HANCOCK

Diagnosis – male holotype: Face yellow, with diffuse, black, mid-dorsal vitta, but distinct, black, lateral vittae ( Fig. 4 ); mostly black haired with yellow hairs about mouthedge; eye hairs black; mesonotum black with yellow lateral vittae; hairs on mesonotum yellow in the anterior part, black posteriorly; scutellum yellow with yellow hairs at base, and black elsewhere; pleura mainly black, only yellow marks on the posterior anepimeron and the katepisternum; wing dark along the costal margin; legs with coaxe and trochanters fuscous, femorae black at base, tibiae black at apex, and tarsi fuscous, otherwise legs yellow; black haired except for some yellow hairs on posterior margin of mid and hind femorae; abdominal tergites 2–4 with pairs of yellow square-shaped spots occupying more than 75% depth of each tergite, tergites otherwise black; black haired except for spots on tergite 2; sternites mainly yellow with black hairs and dark posterior margins; genitalia – surstylus narrow and elongate; hypandrium lacking lateral projections; aedeagus without serrated apical margin ( Figs 32, 33, 34 ); female – similar to holotype male except eye hairs mostly yellow and mesonotum with a pair of middorsal yellow vittae; width of the vertex about 13% of width of head. Length: body, 8.56–10.15 mm; wing, 7.75–8.16 mm (N = 4).

Diagnosis – larva and puparium: Suckers on abdominal segments 1–6; marginal band of fleshy lobes coated in long, fine, unbranched setae, present on abdomen only, not including the thorax; vestiture comprising thick upright setae; third pair of lappets part of the marginal band, setulate only at base; posterior breathing tube orange with three pairs of more or less straight and parallel spiracular openings; pupal spiracles black with openings about halfway down, not clustered at widened apex.

Material examined – holotype: Male with puparium, Mexico, Chiapas, El Triunfo, Reserva de la Biosfera, 28 July 2003, ex live small epiphytic bromeliad ( Bromeliaceae ), collected by GER and MAM ( NMS) .

Material examined – paratypes: One female with puparia, same data as holotype ( NMS); one female with puparium, Mexico, Chiapas, Talquián, Tacaná , 23 July 2003, ex live small epiphytic bromeliad ( Bromeliaceae ), collected by GER ( CIBIO); one female with puparium, Mexico, Chiapas, Talquián , Tacaná , 23 July 2003, ex live epiphytic bromeliad ( Bromeliaceae ), collected by GER ( NMS); one larva, same data as holotype except collected on 27 July 2003, GER ( NMS) .

Etymology: The name ‘ tacanaense’ is descriptive of the name of the volcano Tacaná where this species was first reared.

Taxonomic notes: In general, appearance and structure of the male genitalia the adult of C. tacanaense is similar to C. gelenitae . They are the only oscillans subgroup species with complete black vittae that extend across the gena from the lower eye margin to the mouthedge. They also have pairs of large, yellow spots on the abdomen with complete black margins to tergites 2–4. However, C. tacanaense differs from C. gelenitae in having a dark, not a yellow, mesonotum, and in lacking lateral projections to the hypandrium. It is unique among tank group species in having a male with black eye hairs. In all other species the eye hairs are either yellow or orange. The early stages of C. tacanaense are readily distinguished by the thick, upright, dorsal vestiture, and the underside of the third pair of lappets setulate only at the base.

Biology: Adults were reared from larvae in water tanks of small-sized bromeliads ( Bromeliaceae ) growing on exposed rocks, cliff-faces, and under storey trees, and are known only from Chiapas State, Mexico.

Figures

Figures 1–6. Adult Copestylum, lateral view of the head; scale line = 3.5 mm. 1. Copestylum galantei sp. nov., male holotype; 2. Copestylum gelenita sp. nov., male holotype; 3. Copestylum oscillans sp. nov., male holotype; 4. Copestylum tacanense sp. nov., male holotype; 5. Copestylum tapanti sp. nov., male holotype; 6. Copestylum xalapensis sp. nov., female holotype.

Figures 32–40. Adult Copestylum, male genitalia; right and left-hand figures scale line = 0.50 mm, for middle column figures, left-hand scale line = 0.85 mm. 32–34. Copestylum tacanense sp. nov., male holotype: 32. genitalia and associated structures, lateral view; 33. epandrium, ventral view; 34. surstylus, ventral view. 35–37. Copestylum tapanti sp. nov., male holotype: 35. genitalia and associated structures, lateral view; 36. hypandrium, ventral view; 37. surstylus, ventral view. 38–40. Copestylum volcanorum sp. nov., male holotype: 38. genitalia and associated structures, lateral view; 39.