Rhagoletis macquartii (Loew), 1873

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 : 238

Rhagoletis macquartii (Loew)

Figs. 37–40

Urophora scutellaris Macquart 1851: 261 (Syntype (s), number and sex not stated, “Brésil. Goyas [ Brazil: Goiás]. M. Castelnau. Muséum ”) (preocc. Wiedemann 1830).

Trypeta macquartii Loew 1873: 267 (new name for scutellaris Macquart ).

Rhagoletis macquartii: Loew 1873: 267 ; Foote 1967: 40, 1981: 37; Hernández-Ortiz & Frías 2000: 18.

Type data. Under number 1942 in the Macquart Collection ( MNHNP) there is one syntype with a label with “ Urophora scutellaris Macq. n. sp. ” in Macquart’s writing and a circular green-backed label with “16, 47”. Although missing its abdomen (Macquart said “abdomen (manque)” [lacking]), hindlegs, and left wing, this specimen, which is here designated as lectotype to stabilize usage of this name, is in relatively good condition and generally fits Foote’s (1981) diagnosis for R. macquartii .

Additional specimens examined. BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: São João del Rei , [Apr 1819], F. Sellow, 1♂ 1♀ on same pin ( ZMHU) [the pin of this specimen has a green handwritten label with “ San Joao d. Rey. Sello ”, and a white label with “2494”; it was determined by Hering as R. scutellaris , the preoccupied senior synonym of R. macquartii ] . Rio de Janeiro: Petropolís, 24–27 Oct 1919, Cornell University Expedition , 1♀ ( CUI USNMENT00212827 ) .

Biology. Host plant unknown.

Comments. Loew (1873) proposed a replacement name for Urophora scutellaris Macquart , considering it a secondary junior homonym of Trypeta scutellaris Wiedemann, 1830 , when he transferred the former to Trypeta , even though he transferred scutellaris Wiedemann to the Ulidiidae (as Ortalidae ) earlier in same publication (p. 142). Secondary junior homonyms replaced before 1961 are invalid according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

The wing pattern of the lectotype ( Fig. 39 ) is almost identical to Foote’s figure 83, with no accessory costal band, with a long narrow hyaline mark along the margin of cell r 2+3, and with cell bm and the base of cell dm entirely dark. The stripes of scutal microtrichia are narrowly connected anteriorly, thus this may not be as reliable a character to distinguish R. macquartii from R. jamaicensis as suggested by Foote (1981) (also see Martinez et al. 2017 discussion of variation in this character in R. jamaicensis ). The continuous marginal hyaline area in cell r 2+3 is present in all of the examined specimens, although its width varies, thus this may be the most reliable character to distinguish R. macquartii from R. jamaicensis and R. nicaraguensis .

Figures

FIGURES 37–40. Urophora scutellaris lectotype. 37, Habitus, dorsal; 38, Habitus, lateral; 39, Right wing; 40, Labels.