Rhagoletis jamaicensis Foote, 1981

Rodriguez, Pedro Alexander, Norrbom, Allen L., Peñaranda, Guadalupe Caicedo Emilio Arévalo & Balseiro, Francisco, 2021, New species and host plant records for Neotropical Rhagoletis Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae), Zootaxa 5060 (2), pp. 231-244 : 236-238

Rhagoletis jamaicensis Foote

Figs 14, 16, 18, 20

Rhagoletis jamaicensis Foote 1981: 39 (Holotype ♀ (Canadian National Collection, Ottawa), Jamaica: Hardwar Gap, 4000 ft.); Hernández-Ortiz & Frías 2000: 18; Martínez et al. 2017: 550.

Distribution. Recorded from Costa Rica, Jamaica ( Foote 1981), Venezuela ( Norrbom et al. 1999) and Colombia: Antioquia, Cundinamarca and Santander departments (Martínez et al. 2017). Here, we report it also from the departments of Boyacá and Norte de Santander. The Venezuela record in Norrbom et al. (1999) was based on the specimens listed in the following section. The record from Costa Rica ( Foote 1981) appears to pertain to R. nicaraguensis .

Specimens examined. COLOMBIA: Boyacá: Jenesano, Predio Villa Lilia 5.3866°N 73.3633°W, 2108 m., McPhail trap 134, 26 Apr 2019, 1♂ 1♀ ( ICAMF00000521 ); same, 8 May 2019, 1♂ ( ICAMF00000521 ); same, 7 Jun 2019, 4♂ 1♀ ( ICAMF00000517 ); same, 21 Jun 2019, 2♀ ( ICAMF00000518 ) . Cundinamarca: Anolaima, Finca Villa Mariana , 4.801332°N 74.175323°W, 1533 m., fruits of Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schrtdl. collected 30 Apr 2017, emerged 20–30 May 2017, P.A. Rodriguez, 16♂ 18♀ 8 larvae ( ICAMF00000512–513 ); same, collected 4 Jan 2018, emerged 12–15 Feb 2018, 25♂ 8♀ ( ICAMF00000514 ) 9 larvae ( ICAMF00000515 ); Finca Villa Mariana, 4.80175°N 74.47569°W, 1558 m, multilure trap, 10–24 Aug 2015, A.L. Norrbom & P.A. Rodriguez, 4♂ ( USNM); same, emerged 5–7 May 2015 reared ex fruit of Acnistus arborescens collected 3 Apr 2015, P.A. Rodriguez, 5♂ 2♀ ( FSCA) 4♂ 3♀ ( USNM); Tena vía la Gran Vía a la Esperanza roadside, 4.652611°N 74.419444°W, 1127 m., fruits of Witheringia solanacea L’Her collected 13 May 2020, emerged 19–23 Jun 2020, P.A. Rodriguez, 5♂ 1♀ 11 larvae ( ICAMF00000516 ); San Francisco, vía San Francisco- La Vega, vereda El Bosque Finca Villa Maria, 5.0044°N 74.2810°W, 1696 m., McPhail trap 10, 8 Oct 2019, 5♂ ( ICAMF00000519 ) . Norte de Santander: Los Patios Km 12- Los Vados predio El Ají, 7.7890°N 72.5213°W, 456 m. , McPhail trap 22, 26 Jun 2016, 23♂ 3♀ ( ICAMF00000560 ); Pamplonita , 7.4171°N 72.622W 4, 1996 m., trap 22, 22 Apr 2014, ICA, 6♂ 2♀ ( FSCA) 6♂ 3♀ ( USNM USNMENT00677250–58 ) . Santander: Concepción, Finca Estadero Las Delicias , 7.29694°N 73.16388°W, 956 m. , McPhail trap 20, 10 Nov 2017, 5♂ 6♀ ( ICAMF00000522 ) . VENEZUELA: Mérida: near Timotes, [8.98722°N 70.73722°W], 16 May 1949, F. Fernández Yépez, 1♂ 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT01355414–15 ; additional specimens in Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay ) .

Biology. Specimens from Cundinamarca were reared from fruits of two Solanaceae species without economic importance: Acnistus arborescens ( Figs. 23–27 ), locally know by the common names “tabaquillo” or “fruto gallino”; and Witheringia solanacea ( Figs. 28, 29 ), locally known by the common name “hierbamora cimarrona”. In the former, the larvae fed on the tissue (locular cavity) that surrounds the seeds of the fruit ( Fig. 27 ). Fruits of the latter attacked by larvae can be easily recognized by the dark coloration that contrasts with the intense red of the ripe fruits ( Fig. 29 ). One or two larvae per fruit were found in both host plant species.

Comments: This is the first host plant information available for R. jamaicensis and confirms the strong relationship of the striatella species group with species of the family Solanaceae . Previously reported host plants for the group include husk-tomatoes, Physalis spp. , reported for R. striatella Wulp ( Smith & Bush 1999) and Solanum appendiculatum Hum. & Bonpl. ex Dunal and Lycianthes sideroxyloides (Schltdl.) Bitter reported for Rhagoletis solanophaga Hernández-Ortiz & Frías ( Hernández-Ortiz & Frías 2000, Rull et al. 2016).

Figures

FIGURES 23–29. Host plants of R. jamaicensis: 23–27, Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schrtdl from Anolaima; 23, Shrub; 24, Fruiting branch; 25, Fruit detail; 26, Ripe fruits detail; 27, Larva feeding; 28–29, Witheringia solanacea L’Her from Tena; 28, Fruiting branch; 29, Detail of fruit with damage of larvae.