Eucelatoria luctuosa (Wulp, 1890)

Burington, Zelia L., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Eucelatoria ferox species group (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 5143 (1), pp. 1-104 : 36-37

Eucelatoria luctuosa (Wulp, 1890)

( Figs 14 , 59 , 179 )

Masicera luctuosa Wulp, 1890: 105 . Lectotype, Mexico, Tabasco, Teapa (NHMUK).

Eucelatoria luctuosa: Wood (1985: 44) .

Previous synonyms. Telothyria lugens Wulp, 1890: 177 . Resurrected as Eucelatoria lugens (Wulp) , comb. nov.; Exorista obscurata Wulp, 1890: 62 . Resurrected as Eucelatoria obscurata (Wulp) , comb. nov. [These species do not belong to the E. ferox species group; see below under “Previous synonyms in the E. ferox species group”.]

Type material examined. Lectotype ♀, labeled “Teapa,/ Tabasco./ Feb. H.H.S.”, “ B.C.A. Dipt. II/ Masicera / luctuosa,/ v.d.W.”, “ Central America. / Pres. by/ F.D.Godman. / O.Salvin. / 1903-172.”, “ LECTOTYPE ♀ / of Masicera/ luctuosa Wulp / designated 1979/ D.M. Wood ” ( NHMUK).

Other material. 1 ♀. Mexico — Veracruz : 1 ♀, “ VeraCruz / IX-5-42 Mex.”, “ Xiphomyia / gladiatrix/ R. Tns. ”, “Reinhard/ Collection”, “HOMOTYPE/ Masicera / luctuosa/ Compared by/ Wood ‘79”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00283” ( DMW) .

Recognition. This species is most similar to E. gladiatrix , as both are relatively large bodied, have V-shaped thoracic vittae, have the cuticle and setulae of the abdomen entirely black, and have unbroken abdominal bands. Females of E. luctuosa differ in their narrower parafacial, distinct and strong ocellar setae, and shorter piercer.

Redescription. Female [redescribed from 2 specimens]. Length 6.5–6.9 mm.

Head. Parafacial, fronto-orbital plate, vertex, post-ocular plate, and vibrissal angle tomentum dense yellow, appearing gold. Genal dilation, postgena, and occiput tomentum ash-gray to yellow. Pale occipital setulae gray to yellow. Ocellar setae one-half to subequal to length of posterior reclinate orbital seta. Gena with 3–4 setae, subvibrissal ridge with 2 setae. Facial ridge with setulae on less than lower one-third. Postocellar setae one-half to subequal to length of ocellar setae. Paravertical seta three-fourths length of postocellar setae. Outer vertical seta undifferentiated. Reclinate orbital setae 2–3. Frontal setae 5–6, last frontal seta level with base of postpedicel. Eye apparently bare. Eye height to head height ratio 0.86–0.87. Postpedicel length 0.40–0.43 height of head. Facial ridge length 0.50–0.51 height of head. Parafacial width 0.05 lateral length of head. Pedicel 0.28–0.30 length of postpedicel. Postpedicel 3.5 times width of parafacial in lateral view. Vertex 0.23 width of head in dorsal view. Palpus yellow, slightly dilated at apex; with short, stout setulae dorsoapically, several longer thinner setulae ventroapicaly, and thin, long and short setulae medioventrally and mediolaterally.

Thorax. Dorsomedial length 1.2–1.4 times width of thorax. Lateral tomentum gray, merging to yellow on anepisternum. Dorsal tomentum yellow. Presutural outer vitta subtriangular, connected to anterior margin by thin arc, connected to slightly disconnected from postsutural outer vitta. Postsutural outer vitta bar shaped, distinctly separate from inner vitta by thin area of tomentum, such that inner and outer vittae appear to make an open v-shape. Inner thoracic vittae rod-shaped, nearly as wide as outer vittae, extending to level of second postsutural dorsocentral seta. Scutellar dorsal tomentum yellow, covering over one half of dorsal area. Postpronotum with 4 setae, the fourth weak. Presutural area with 2 supra-alar setae, the anterior weak. Postsutural area with 3 setae. Scutellum with 1 pair discal setae. Fore tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae. Wing hyaline. Calypters tan to cream colored.

Abdomen. Cuticle and setulae entirely black. Dorsal tomentum bands gray to dirty gray, continuous across dorsum without medial vitta; covering one-half to three-fourths lengths of T3–5. Ventral tomentum bands ash-gray, extending over two-thirds to three-fourths lengths of T3–5. T4 with 1 pair of median marginal setae and 1 pair of lateral marginal setae.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 59 ). Piercer generally extending past apex of T1+2, in lateral view gradually curved to bent apex; in posterior view parallel sided on basal half, then gradually tapered to apex. Piercer lobe at least 3.5 times height of segment 7 base. Terminal segments not visible [not dissected due to small number of specimens].

Male. Unknown.

Host(s). Unknown.

Geographic extent and seasonal occurrence. Individuals of E. luctuosa have been collected from tropical moist and dry forest in southern Mexico at elevations from sea level to 100 m ( Fig. 179 ).

Discussion. Monty Wood’s “homotype” specimen [as described by the label] differs slightly from the lectotype in the yellow coloration of the gena, occiput, and postgena, but it is difficult to determine, withour additional specimens, whether this represents intraspecific variation or distinct lineages. The V-shaped thoracic vittae and continuous tomentum bands on the abdomen suggest E. luctuosa is most closely related to E. gladiatrix , but the ocellar setae are large and distinct, the head is nearly entirely yellow, and the parafacial is narrower. The female piercer is also distinctly shorter. It is unknown whether males possess abdominal T5 sex patches as in E. gladiatrix .

Figures

FIGURES 14–17. Female habitus photographs of Eucelatoria ferox group spp., dorsal view. 14. E. luctuosa (Wulp), Vera Cruz (ZLB_E.Ferox 00283) (DMW). 15. E. rivalis (Reinhard), holotype (CNC). 16. E. sabroskyi sp. nov., Southwest Research Station (ZLB_E.Ferox 00086) (USNM). 17. E. strigata (Wulp), Trinidad (ZLB_E.Ferox 00115) (CNC).

FIGURES 58–59. Female habitus photographs of Eucelatoria ferox group spp., lateral view. 58. E. jorgecortesi sp. nov., holotype (ZLB_E.Ferox 00401) (CNC). 59. E. luctuosa (Wulp), Vera Cruz (ZLB_E.Ferox 00283) (DMW).

FIGURES 174–179. Distribution maps of Eucelatoria spp. 174. E. yanayacu sp. nov., E. gladiatrix (Townsend), E. falcata sp. nov., E. charapensis (Townsend), and E. fordlandia sp. nov. 175. E. strigata (Wulp) and E. aurata (Townsend). 176. E. hafelei sp. nov., E. gustavogutierrezi sp. nov., and E. ritavargasae sp. nov. 177. E. ferox (Townsend), E. huitepecensis sp. nov., and E. inclani sp. nov. 178. E. kopis sp. nov., E. sica sp. nov., E. makhaira sp. nov., and E. tenebrionis sp. nov. 179. E. rivalis (Reinhard), E. luctuosa (Wulp), E. woodorum sp. nov., E. crambivora sp. nov., and E. jorgecortesi sp. nov.