Prochyliza nigricoxa ( Melander & Spuler, 1917 )

Martín-Vega, Daniel, 2014, On the identity of Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen) and Prochyliza nigricornis (Meigen) (Diptera: Piophilidae), with a synopsis of Prochyliza Walker and description of a new species, Zootaxa 3893 (2), pp. 277-292 : 287-288

Prochyliza nigricoxa ( Melander & Spuler, 1917)

Piophila nigricoxa Melander & Spuler 1917: 64 . Type locality: USA (Washington). Lectotype (♂) designated by Steyskal (1968) and paralectotypes (4 ♂ and 5 ♀) designated by Ozerov (2003) in Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Material examined. 1 ♂ ( CNC): Canada, Alberta, Sulfur Mountain; 28.vii.1967; leg. J. R. Vockeroth; det. J. F. McAlpine. 1 ♀ ( CNC): Canada, Alberta, Cameron Lake; 17.vi.1956; leg. E. E. Sterns.

Diagnosis. The following combination of characters is distinctive of P. nigricoxa : lower two- to three quarters of the frons orange; gena orange; front coxa darkened ( Fig. 5 A); mid and hind tibiae entirely yellow; mid tibia and hind coxa of males not ornamented. Male sternites 5 to 8 as in Fig. 2 G.

Remarks. The species identity was confirmed by Steyskal (1968) and Ozerov (2003), after studying the type specimens.

Biology. The larvae are necrophagous. Feeding larvae have been collected on the bone marrow of a human femur, and reared under laboratory conditions on chicken wings, oxtails, beef liver and cheese ( Skinner et al., 1988).

Distribution. Nearctic; originally recorded from Washington, Idaho and Montana, USA ( Melander & Spuler 1917), it is widely distributed throughout North America ( McAlpine 1977).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Male abdomen and genitalia of Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen), Prochyliza georgekaplani sp. nov., and Prochyliza nigricoxa (Melander & Spuler): (A) P. nigrimana, male abdomen, ventral view; (B) P. nigrimana, male sternites 5 – 8, ventral view; (C) P. nigrimana, male genitalia, lateral view; (D) P. georgekaplani, male abdomen, ventral view; (E) P. georgekaplani, male sternites 5 – 8; (F) P. georgekaplani, male genitalia, lateral view; (G) P. nigricoxa, male sternites 5 – 8 after Steyskal (1968). Abbreviations: ej apod = ejaculatory apodeme; ep = epandrium; ha = hypandrial arms; hypd = hypandrium; peg = peg-like process; ph = phallus; prgt = pregonite; s 5 – s 8 = sternites 5 to 8.

FIGURE 5. Prochyliza nigricoxa (Melander & Spuler), Prochyliza brevicornis Melander, Prochyliza azteca McAlpine, Prochyliza inca McAlpine and Prochyliza lundbecki (Duda). (A) P. nigricoxa, male head, lateral view; (B) P. brevicornis, male head, laterofrontal view; (C) P. azteca, female head, lateraofrontal view; (D) P. i nc a, male epandrium, laterodorsal view, sp = spines on the epandrium; (E) P. lundbecki, male mid tibia, highlighting the posteroventral brush of yellowish hairs.