Lucilia albofusca, Whitworth, 2014

Whitworth, Terry, 2014, A revision of the Neotropical species of Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Zootaxa 3810 (1), pp. 1-76 : 22-24

1. Lucilia albofusca sp. nov.

Figs. 3 , 9 , 28, 34 , 39, 40 63, 64 , 87–89 , 123 , 135 , 147 , 159–161 , Tables 1, 2

Diagnosis. Gena with pale setae extending from the posterior edge about halfway forward, pale setae on the gena is a character state found in only 7 of the 23 Neotropical Lucilia species. Disc and rim of upper calypter pale whitish; disc and rim of lower calypter tan to brown in both sexes ( Fig. 9 ); this combination is found only in one other species in the neotropics, L. lucigerens (West Indies-Jamaica only), though upper calypter pale and lower dark is found in males of several species in the area ( L. eximia , L. deceptor , L. ibis , L. mexicana , L. ochricornis , L. retroversa , L. rica ). Other species with pale setae on gena have both upper and lower calypters brown, except L. rica which is known only from the West Indies and Bermuda. Vestiture of parafacial and gena is usually bright yellow-gold when viewed from above, orange when viewed from below. Dorsum of thorax polished when viewed from rear, little or no microtomentum on dorsum of thorax. Setae below and behind strong postocular row pale and weak.

Description. Male. Frons narrow, 0.02 (0.01–0.02/5) of head width at narrowest, narrower than the width of median ocellus. Anterior eye facets 1.5x posterior facets (60mm, 0.40mm), see Table 1 for comparison with other species (see methods section for explanation of how facets are measured). Fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and gena vestiture pale gold from above, orange from below; lower frontal vitta reddish, narrowed upper portion of frontal vitta obliterated as frons narrows; pedicel of antenna reddish brown, first flagellomere broader than parafacial, base orange, remainder pale yellow; occiput below and behind stout postocular row with dense, weak pale gold to silver setae; setae on facial ridge ascending about halfway up toward vertex. Anterior and posterior thoracic spiracles medium sized, brown in color; proepisternal depression usually with pale setae. Disc and rim of upper calypter pale, whitish; disc and rim of lower calypter tan to brown. Presutural area on thorax polished, with no microtomentum. Tegula black, basicosta brown. Abdomen, T3 and anterior third to half of T4 with whitish microtomentum, remainder of T4 and T5 polished.

Surstylus is digitate; medium in length and parallel sided in lateral view ( Fig. 39 ). In posterior view, surstyli curve slightly inward and cerci are about equal in length ( Fig. 40 ). The phallus is similar to other species, but the acrophallus and paraphallus are more slender than most ( Figs. 63, 64 ). The hypandrium, pre- and postgonites, ejaculatory sclerites and sternites are as in Figs. 87–89 , 123 .

Female. Similar to male, except frons 0.21 (0.20–0.22/5) of head width, unusually narrow for female Neotropical Lucilia (Table 1). Diameter of anterior eye facets, almost as large as males (0.60mm vs. 0.55mm), but the posterior facets in females are much smaller than those in males (0.28mm vs. 0.40mm). Frontal vitta is broad, mostly dark brown with the lower portion reddish. In bright light, the upper disc and rim of the calypter are all white, lower is brown; in low light the upper calypter may appear light tan, but the upper calypter is much lighter than the lower calypter. The ovipositor and spermathecae are as in Figs. 135 , 147 .

Type material. Holotype male from Panama, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Island, May 13, 1956, no. 1782, collected over a swarm raid of Eciton burchelli ( Eciton army ant), C.W. and W.E. Bettemeyer ( USNM) ( Figs. 28, 34 ). Allotype female, same location as holotype, June 28, 1968, Malaise trap, Roger E. Akre ( USNM). The holotype and allotype were originally in WSUP but permission has been granted to deposit them in USNM.

Paratypes. (5 males, 176 females). Brazil (6 females): 4 females, Belém, state of Pará, April, 1969, D.J. Lewis ( BMNH); 1 female, State of Amazonas, Manaus, Reserva Ducke, July 31, 1981, flight trap, G.B. Fairchild ( FSCA); 1 female, State of Pará, 60km S Altmira, Rio Xingu Camp, 52°22'W 3°39'S, Oct. 2–8, 1986, Malaise trap, P. Spangler, O. Flint ( USNM). Colombia: 2 males, 4 females, Chocó Department, Teresita, various dates in 1967, Aug. 11, Oct. 7, 8, 20, Dec. 3, one no date, no collector given on any, a label states M.T. James Det. 1968 ( FSCA). Ecuador (7 females): 2 females [BNNR088], Apo Prov., Yasuni Res. Sta., 0°40'566'S 23°851'W, Sept. 30–Oct. 11, 2002, 250m, C. Brammer ( LACM); 1 female, Napo Prov., Coca, Napo River, April 12–May 30, 1965, 250m, L.Pena ( CNC); 1 female, Napo, Misahualli, nr. Tena, Aug. 26–Sept. 2, 2000, Steven and Paul Keller ( LACM); 2 females, Napo Province, Rio Saragaco, Jan. 29, 1997, J.Skartveit ( RC); 1 female, Orellana Prov., Yasuni Natl. Pk., Yasuni Res. Sta., 0°40.566'S 76°23.851'W, 250m, April 28–May 8, 2009, L. Hewitt ( UG); French Guiana: 72 females, Kaw Mt., 04°33'58"N 52°12'43"W, 310m, Feb. 8, 2008, bait trap, T.L. Whitworth ( TW); Guyana (British Guiana): 27 females, Essequibo River, Moraballi Creek, Aug. 27, 1929, Oxf. Univ. Expeden. BM, 1929-485 ( BMNH); Panama (3 males, 47 females): 1 male Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is., April 6, 1956, Carl W. and Mirian F. Bettenmeyer, no. 1615 ( WSUP); 6 females same data except collected over a swarm raid by Eciton army ants ( Eciton burchellii ), Feb. 16, 1956, no. 1172, March 8, no. 1414, March 8, no. 1411, March 27, no. 1574, May 11, no. 1755, July 25, no. 2178; 2 males, Barro Colorado Is., March 17, 1981, R.B. and L.S. Kimsey ( UCDC); 6 females, Canal Zone, B.C.I., Nov. 1, 2, 1975, rat carrion trap, O.P. Young ( USNM); 5 females, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is., Malaise trap, 1968, various dates July 15, 18, 19, 29, 30, Roger D. Akre ( WSUP); 1 female, same information except July 17, Richard Torgenson; 6 females, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is., various dates in 1967: 1 female, Feb. 16, 2 females Feb. 23, 1 female Feb. 25, 2 females March 2, 1967, Roger Akre ( WSUP); 7 females, Darien Province, Santa Fe, 1967, various dates, Jan. 7, May 11, May 25, Sept. 2, Oct. 1, Nov. 3, one has no date, no collector given ( FSCA); 1 female, Darién Prov., Morti River, June 22, 1967, no collector ( FSCA); 3 females, San Blas Province, June 29, 1967, no collector ( FSCA); 1 female, Darién Province, Yavisa, April 19, 1991, F.D. Parker ( LACM); 1 female, Canal Zone, Barro Colorado Is., April 17, 1967, Roger D. Akre; 1 female, Canal Zone, Cerro Galera, July 1, 1958, W.J. Hanson ( LACM); 1 female, Potrerillos, Jan. 17, 1934, D.V. Brown ( USNM); 1 female, Canal Zone, Gamboa, Pipeline Road, July, 1967, Malaise trap, W.W. Wirth ( USNM); 1 female, Gamboa, Aug. 14–17, 1986, Malaise trap, Riley Nelson ( BYU). Peru (9 females): 1 female, Boqueron, Loreto, 550m, July 9, 1965, J. Schunke ( LACM); 1 female, Avispas, Madre de Dios, Oct. 1–15, 1962, 400m, L. Pena ( CNC); 1 female, Pucallpa, Loreto, Oct.21–31, 1964, 200m, J. Schunke ( LACM); 1 female, Previsto, April 6, 1965, 700m, J. Schunke ( BMNH); 5 females, Pasco Province, 3 km N Puerto Bermundez, June 27, 1980, 200m, D. Baumgartner, B. Greenberg ( BG). Suriname: 1 female, Afobaka, Jan. 10, 1972, F. Scott ( CNC). Venezuela (3 females): 1 female, T.F. Amaz. Cerro de la Neblina base camp, 0°50'N 66°10'W, 140m, Feb. 4–12, 1984, D. Davis, T. McCabe ( USNM); 1 female, T.F. Amaz. Cerro de la Neblina base camp, 0°50'N 66°10'W, Jan. 21–31, 1985, flight intercept trap, P.J. and P.M. Spangler, R.A. Faitoute, W.E. Steiner ( USNM); 1 female, T.F. Amaz., Puerto Ayacucho (40 km S) El Tobogán, Cano Coromoto, Jan. 26, 1989, Malaise trap, P.J. Spangler, R.A. Faitoute, C.B. Barr ( USNM).

Distribution. Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela ( Figs. 159 , 160 ).

Discussion. Males are very rarely collected, over 100 specimens of this species were collected in French Guiana with carrion bait traps, but no males were caught. Of 182 specimens examined only 6 males were found. Only a single specimen from Ecuador produced a full barcode of 658 base pairs, it grouped near L. pulverulenta ( Fig. 161 ).

Ecology and biology. Found primarily in the tropics. It was the most common species of Lucilia collected near Kaw Mountain, French Guiana in early February 2008. The holotype male and six females were collected over a swarm raid by the Eciton army ant in Panama, see data under holotype and paratypes .

Etymology. The species name is a combination of the words albus and fuscus which refers to the pale upper and dark lower calypters in both sexes, this is a distinctive character for this species.

Figures

FIGURE 159. Map of Lucilia species found in Central America.

FIGURE 160. Map of Lucilia species found in South America.

FIGURE 161. A neighbor joining tree of specimens and species of Neotropical Lucilia using CO1 DNA barcode, made with K2P distance and generated in BOLD.

FIGURES 1–6. 1–2. Left lateral view of gena=g and postgena=pg showing color of setae on gena. 1. L. cluvia, setae pale. 2. L. eximia, setae dark. Left lateral view of head showing condition of setae below and behind postocular row on occiput (white arrow). 3. L. albofusca female, setae pale and weak. 4. L. ochricornis female, setae stout and dark. Left lateral view of eye facet size, see white arrows 5. L. ochricornis male, anterior and posterior facets very small. 6. L. purpurascens male, anterior facets twice the diameter of posterior facets.

FIGURES 7–15. 7–9. Upper and lower calypter color. 7. L. eximia female, both pale. 8. L. japuhybensis female both dark, both sexes. 9. L. albofusca female, upper pale, lower dark, both sexes.10–11. Basicosta color left lateral view. 10. L. cluvia female, basicosta orange. 11. L. eximia female, basicosta brown. 12–15. Pattern of microtomentum on thorax viewed from the rear. 12. L. purpurascens female, heavy on whole dorsum of thorax. 13. L. woodi female, broad band on presutural area of thorax. 14. L. rognesi female, patches on presutural area of thorax. 15. L. nitida female, microtomentum absent, presutural area of thorax all polished.

FIGURES 28–34. 28. L. albofusca holotype male. 29. L. nitida holotype male. 30. L. pulverulenta holotype male. 31. L. rognesi holotype male. 32. L. vulgata holotype male. 33. L. woodi holotype male. 34. Holotype labels for the above species.

FIGURES 39–42. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 39, 40. L. albofusca. 41, 42. L. eximia.

FIGURES 43–46. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 43, 44. L. ibis. 45, 46. L. japuhybensis.

FIGURES 47–50. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 47, 48. L. mexicana. 49, 50. L. nitida.

FIGURES 51–54. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 51, 52. L. ochricornis. 53, 54. L. pulverulenta.

FIGURES 55–58. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 55, 56. L. purpurascens. 57, 58. L. rognesi.

FIGURES 59–62. Left lateral and posterior views of male genitalia of Lucilia spp. 59, 60. L.vulgata. 61, 62. L. woodi.

FIGURES 63–72. Phallus of male Lucilia in left lateral and dorsal views. 63, 64. L. albofusca. 65, 66. L. eximia. 67, 68. L. ibis. 69, 70. L. japuhybensis. 71, 72. L. mexicana.

FIGURES 87–98. Hypandrium, pre- and postgonites, and ejaculatory sclerite of male Lucilia. 87–89. L. albofusca. 90–92. L. eximia. 93–95. L. ibis. 96–98. L. japuhybensis.

FIGURES 123–134. Male Lucilia abdominal sternites ST1–5. 123. L. albofusca. 124. L. eximia. 125. L. ibis. 126. L. japuhybensis. 127. L. mexicana 128. L. nitida (ST1 is missing).129. L. ochricornis. 130. L. pulverulenta. 131. L. purpurascens. 132. L. rognesi. 133. L. vulgata. 134. L. woodi.

FIGURES 135–138. Ovipositors of Lucilia. 135. L. albofusca. 136. L. eximia. 137. L. ibis. 138. L. japuhybensis.

FIGURES 147–158. Spermathecae of Lucilia. 147. L. albofusca. 148. L. eximia. 149. L. ibis. 150. L. japuhybensis. 151. L mexicana. 152. L. nitida. 153. L. ochricornis. 154. L. pulverulenta. 155. L. purpurascens. 156. L. rognesi. 157. L. vulgata. 158. L. woodi.