Liriomyza frickella Spencer

Lonsdale, Owen, 2011, The Liriomyza (Agromyzidae: Schizophora: Diptera) of California 2850, Zootaxa 2850 (1), pp. 1-123 : 47-49

Liriomyza frickella Spencer

Figs 96–99

Liriomyza frickella Spencer 1981: 231 . Spencer & Steyskal 1986: 119.

Wing length 1.5mm (♂), 1.5mm (♀). Vein dm-cu absent. Eye height divided by gena height: 3.8. Scutum shining. Chaetotaxy: Two ori, two ors. Acrostichal setulae in four rows.

Colouration: Calypter margin and hairs grey. Head light yellow with ocellar tubercle, clypeus and posterolateral region of frons to base of outer vertical bristle dark brown; region between vertical bristles and lateral margin of frons to base of fronto-orbitals light brown; first flagellomere brownish, becoming yellow basally. Scutum dark with lateral margin yellow presuturally and yellowish above wing base; laterotergites dark. Pleuron dark brown with dorsal margin of anepisternum, meron and katepisternum yellow. Coxae brown on basal half (more extensive on hind coxa); femora brown basally and with extensive dorsal mottling; tibiae dark brown with fore tibia yellowish basally; tarsi dark brown, becoming lighter to base. Abdomen dark brown.

Genitalia: Figs 96–99 . Surstylus subquadrate with one subapical spine. Paraphallus slightly expanded apically, and narrowed and contiguous dorsally. Hypophallus well developed. Mesophallus fused to distiphallus; mesophallus and distiphallus with complete ventral suture forming shallow carina. Distiphallus narrow with distal half thinwalled, enclosing medial fringed process (possibly two separate structures). Ejaculatory apodeme with pileus ejaculatorius produced and truncated laterally; stem with medial texturing and blade rounded and thin with margin pale.

Variation: WN male with lateral pigment on orbital plate mostly absent, lateral margin of scutum with thin, but complete stripe postsuturally, tibiae and tarsi entirely dark brown, and mid and hind coxae brown with yellow mottling on distal 1/3. See comments.

Host. Unknown.

Range. USA. California [Los Angeles, Tuolumne], Washington *.

Type material. Holotype, USA. California: Tuolumne Co., summit of Sonora Pass, sweeping, Lot 115-2, 10.viii.1948, K.E. Frick (1♂, CASC) ; Paratype, USA. California: Toulumne Co., Same collection as holotype (1♀, CASC) .

Additional material examined. USA. California: Los Angeles Co., 6mi SW Pomona, 20.xii.1960, C.A. Toschi (1♀, EMEC) , Washington: Kennewick , 7.vi.1916, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM) .

Comments. Liriomyza frickella and L. paumensis are highly similar in colour and genitalic morphology, and while the dissected WN male shows more genitalic similarity to the latter species, the missing vein dm-cu identifies this male as L. frickella . Further investigation of the species boundaries of these, and putatively related species such as L. californiensis and L. frigida is warranted when more material is available.

Figures

FIGURES 96–103. Figs 96–99: Liriomyza frickella Spencer, male holotype genitalia; 96: phallus, left lateral and ventral, from original figure in Spencer (1981); 97: phallus, ventral; 98: ejaculatory apodeme; 99: external components, ventral. Figs 100– 103: L. frigida Spencer, male holotype genitalia; 100: external components, ventral; 101: ejaculatory apodeme; 102: phallus, left lateral and ventral, from original figures in Spencer (1981); 103: phallus, left lateral.