Dorhniphora cornuta ( Bigot, 1857 )

Kung, Giar-Ann & Brown, Brian V., 2006, Review of the Caribbean species of Dohrniphora Dahl (Diptera: Phoridae), Journal of Natural History 40 (32 - 34), pp. 1931-1945 : 1932-1933

Dorhniphora cornuta ( Bigot, 1857)

( Figures 1, 2 , 23, 24 )

Phora cornuta Bigot 1857, p 348 (French edition: 1857, p 827).

Diploneura (Dohrniphora) cornuta: Schmitz 1926, p 44 .

Dohrniphora cornuta: Borgmeier 1960, p 277 , Figure 28 .

Phora navigans Frauenfeld 1867, p 154 .

Phora cleghorni Bigot 1890, p 191 .

Phora chlorogastra Becker 1901, p 32 .

Phora mordax Brues 1911, p 531 , Figure 1 .

Dohrniphora venusta: Malloch 1912, p 432 .

Dohrniphora bequaerti Schmitz 1914, p 105 , Figure 1 .

Apocephalus flaviventris Silva Figueroa 1916, p 15 , Figure 8 .

Dohrniphora divaricata var. basalis Santos Abreu 1921, p 11 .

Dohrniphora divaricata var. obscura Santos Abreu 1921, p 11 .

Dohrniphora fulva Santos Abreu 1921, p 12 , Figure AB, Plate figure 1.

Dohrniphora opposita Borgmeier 1925, p 107 , Plate 2, Figure 6 ; 1960, p 277.

Dohrniphora crockeri Van Duzee 1933, p 70 .

Dohrniphora willowsi Van Duzee 1933, p 70 .

Dohrniphora cavifemur Borgmeier 1969, p 1 –2 (in part, male only), misidentification.

Syntypes: „, ♀. Cuba (Paris Museum) (not examined) .

Diagnosis

Dohrniphora cornuta has distinctive fine dorsobasal setae on the posterior face of the hind femur, in addition to a group of four to five ventrobasal peg-like setae ( Figures 1, 2 ). In his 1969 Dominica paper, Borgmeier describes the mid coxa as dark brown. We have examined specimens from the same localities, and the mid coxa is clearly yellow, the same colour as the rest of the legs.

We also examined the holotype female of Dohrniphora cavifemur Borgmeier , described from Dominica, and hereby synonomize it with D. divaricata (see below). The hind femur of the allotype male of D. cavifemur , however, resembles that of D. cornuta , except for the ‘‘dorsal excavation’’. A specimen of D. divaricata we examined had a similar distortion of the hind femora when placed in phenol, and thus the defining character of D. cavifemur is shown to be an artifact of preparation.

Description

Male. Mean body length 1.70 mm; range 1.62–2.25 mm. Mean frontal ratio 0.54; range 0.50–0.59. Frons dark brown to black. Ventral fronto-orbital setae at approximately same level as ventral interfrontal setae. Flagellomere 1 brown. Palpus orange, with five apical setae. Scutum and scutellum dark brown. Two pairs of scutellar setae present; posterior pair approximately 3.5 times length and thickness of anterior pair. Dorsal half of pleuron brown, ventral half yellow. Anepisternum slightly dark posteriorly. Mean wing length 1.69 mm; range 1.62–2.25 mm. Mean costal length 0.51 wing length; range 0.47–0.53. Mean costal sector ratio 8.96:2.14:1.00; range 6.80–11.67:1.50–3.00:1.00. Halter yellow. Legs yellow. Postcoxal lobes small, yellow. Posterior face of hind femur ( Figures 1, 2 ) with short, fine, sparse dorsal setae in basal third, in addition to a group of four or five thicker ventral peg-like setae. Hind tibia without isolated setae. Abdominal tergites mostly dark brown, with or without yellow to orange markings medially. Tergite 1 yellow laterally, anterior half of tergite 2 yellow. Venter of abdomen white. Mean cercus length 0.22 mm; range 0.19–0.28 mm ( Figures 23, 24 ).

Distribution

Cosmopolitan.

Material examined

Bahamas: South Bimini Island , 1 „, July 1951, 2 „, August 1951, C. and P. Vaurie, 1 „, 10–14 April 1952, E. Mayr ( USNM). Dominica: Anse Bouleau, 1 „, 10 October 1964, P. J. Spangler, Bredin-Archbold Smithsonian Biodiversity Survey (5BASBS); Clarke Hall, 1 „, 10–20 April 1964, O. S. Flint, light trap (allotype of D. cavifemur ), 4 „, 11–20 January 1965, 7 „, 21–31 January 1964, 3 „, 11–20 February 1965, 1 „, 1–10 March 1965, 1 „, 11– 20 March 1965, W. W. Wirth, Malaise trap, BASBS; Fond Figues River , 1 „, April 1966, R. J. Gagne, 400 ft; Manets Gutter, 1 „, 5 March 1965, W. W. Wirth, BASBS; Saint Paul, Springfield Estate , 2.5 km ENE Canefield, 15.35 ° N, 61.37 ° W, 1 „, 11–18 June 1991, J. E. Rawlins, S. A. Thompson, 450 m; South Chiltern Estate, 1 „, 2 February 1965, W. W. Wirth, BASBS; Woodford Hill, 1 „, 27 February 1965, W. W. Wirth, swamp forest, BASBS ( USNM). Dominican Republic: Pedernales, 23.5 km N Cabo Rojo, 18.10 ° N, 71.63 ° W, 2 „, 13–19 July 1990, 11 „, 19–25 July 1990, L. Masner, J. Rawlins, C. Young, intercept trap, deciduous forest, 540 m, 26 km N Cabo Rojo, 18.10 ° N, 71.63 ° W, 9 „, 13– 20 July 1990, 1 „, 13–25 July 1990, L. Masner, J. Rawlins, C. Young, intercept trap, deciduous forest, 730 m, La Abeja , 38 km NNW Cabo Rojo, 18.15 ° N, 71.63 ° W, 1 „, 15 July 1987, J. C. Rawlins, R. L. Davidson, 1250 m ( CMNH) . Jamaica: Runaway Bay , 1 „, 1–8 March 1970, W. W. Wirth, Malaise trap ( USNM). Nevis: Dasents Estate , 17.12 ° N, 62.57 ° W, 1 „, 28 August to 21 September 1985, L. Coote, T. Blanchette, Malaise trap, citrus orchard ( LACM) . Puerto Rico: Rio Grande, El Verde Station, 2.1 km WNW Pico El Yunque, Sierra de Luquillo, 18.32 ° N, 65.82 ° W, 1 „, 3–6 June 1996, C. Young, R. Davidson, M. Klingler, W. Zanol, J. Rawlins, S. Thompson, 355 m ( CMNH). Saint Kitts: 17.35 ° N, 62.73 ° W, 1 „, 1–27 August 1985, L. Coote, Malaise trap, 300 m ( LACM) . Saint Lucia: Anse Galet , 1 km SSW Anse La Raye, 13.93 ° N, 61.05 ° W, 1 „, 21–30 June 1991, J. E. Rawlins, S. A. Thompson, 50 m ( CMNH) .

Figures

Figures 1–4. Posterior face of hind femur. (1, 2) Dohrniphora cornuta [LACM ENT 186301]. (3, 4) D. dispar [LACM ENT 219829].

Figures 23–32. Male genitalia, right and left lateral views. (23, 24) Dohrniphora cornuta. (25, 26) D. dispar. (27, 28) D. divaricata. (29, 30) D. seriata. (31, 32) D. sexspinosa.

Figures 5–8. Posterior face of hind femur, variation in Dohrniphora divaricata. (5, 6) Paratype, Saint Vincent [LACM ENT 210546]. (7, 8) Dominica [LACM ENT 210539].