Eucelatoria inclani, Burington, 2022

Burington, Zelia L., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Eucelatoria ferox species group (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 5143 (1), pp. 1-104 : 19-20

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5143.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F71553B2-7D58-4E61-A883-546B2A0124D5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6601394
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038687B6-6958-8F5E-FF1B-FC32FA8786DB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Eucelatoria inclani
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Eucelatoria inclani View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 4 View FIGURES 2–5 , 49 View FIGURES 48–49 , 177 View FIGURES 174–179 )

Type material. Holotype ♀, labeled “ ECUADOR: Pichincha / Reserva Pululahua, San / Antonia de Pichincha / 3300m [elevation] 22–30.xii.2013 / D.J.Inclán ”, “ HOLOTYPE / Eucelatoria / inclani/ ZL Burington [red label]”, “DIECU14.016”, [pink label], “ Eucelatoria / Xiphomyia grp?/ Det. J.O. Stireman III”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00397” ( JOSC; to be deposited in MECN).

Recognition. Females of E. inclani sp. nov. share with E. ferox the unique condition of two parallel longitudinal vittae on the thoracic notum paired with the long, nearly abdomen-length piercer. The holotype of E. inclani sp. nov. differs in that the ocellar setae are minute, indistinguishable from the surrounding setulae of the ocellar triangle, the entirety of the head tomentum is yellow, and the calypters are orange-tinted.

Etymology. Named for the collector, Dr. Diego J. Inclán, Ecuadorian tachinidologist and ecologist, who was also responsible for recent work on the Eucelatoria obrumbrata (Wulp) species group ( Inclán & Stireman 2010).

Description. Female [described from 1 specimen]. Length 5.9 mm.

Head. Entirety of head tomentum yellow. Pale occipital setae yellow. Ocellar setae minute or apparently absent, indistinguishable from surrounding setulae. Gena with 3 setae, subvibrissal ridge with 3 setae, the lowest seta separate from both the genal setae and the upper two subvibrissal setae. Facial ridge with setulae on more than lower two-thirds. Postocellar setae one-half length of posterior reclinate orbital seta. Paravertical seta one-half length of postocellar setae. Outer vertical seta one-half length of inner vertical seta. Reclinate orbital setae 2, the posterior seta lateroclinate. Frontal setae 8, last frontal seta slightly ventral to base of arista. Eye with short setulae, each setula 3–4 facets in length. Eye height to head height ratio 0.78. Postpedicel length 0.43 height of head. Facial ridge length 0.55 height of head. Parafacial width 0.08 lateral length of head. Pedicel 0.33 length of postpedicel. Postpedicel 4.0 times width of parafacial in lateral view. Vertex 0.27 width of head in dorsal view. Palpus dilated and flattened at apex; brown near base, merging to yellow-tan apically; with long stout setae on apical half, both dorsal and ventral.

Thorax. Dorsomedial length 1.2 times width of thorax. Lateral tomentum yellow to yellow gray, covering entirety of pleurites. Dorsal tomentum dense yellow. Inner and outer vitta fused into single wide longitudinal vitta extending along entire notum; the two parallel vittae separated by band of tomentum one-half the width of vitta. Scutellar dorsal tomentum yellow, diffuse, covering entirety of scutellum, denser near apex. Postpronotum with 4 setae. Presutural area with 2 supra-alar setae, the anterior weak. Postsutural area with 3 dorsocentral setae. Scutellum with 1 pair of discal setae. Fore tibia missing. Wing lightly infuscated along anterior cells adjacent to costa. Calypters orange tinted with tan to cream colored margins.

Abdomen. Cuticle and setulae entirely black. Dorsal tomentum bands dense yellow, covering one-half to threefourths area of T3–5. Ventral tomentum yellow to yellow gray, covering entirety of T1–5. T4 with 1 pair of median marginal setae and 1 pair of lateral setae, with 2–3 long setae on margins adjacent to each lateral seta.

Terminalia. Piercer extending to base of abdomen, in lateral view gradually curved to bent apex; in posterior view parallel sided on basal one-fourth, then tapered to apex. Aculeate lobe more than four times height of segment 7 base. End tergite not visible. Cercus with 5 setae; ventral elongation not visible. Postgenital plate with 10 setae.

Host(s). Unknown.

Geographic extent and seasonal occurrence. This species is known only from the type locality, Pululahua Reserve in Ecuador, where it was collected in tropical montane forest at 3300 m elevation ( Fig. 177 View FIGURES 174–179 ) .

Discussion. Despite there being only a single known specimen, E. inclani sp. nov. is unique among all known Tachinidae for its two wide thoracic vittae, abdomen-length piercer, and absent ocellar setae. Other distinctive features include the lateroclinate posterior reclinate orbital seta, the dense yellow tomentum covering much of the cuticle, and the orange-tinted calypters. The related E. huitepecensis sp. nov. and E. ferox are easily separated by their strong ocellar setae. Genetic data places this species as sister to the E. gladiatrix subgroup ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).