Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) ecuatoriana ( Lopes, 1988 )

Barbosa, Taciano M., Mello-Patiu, Cátia A. & Vasconcelos, Simão D., 2021, Revision of the New World subgenus Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), with a reassessment of diagnostic characters, Journal of Natural History 55 (5 - 6), pp. 305-340 : 325-327

Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) ecuatoriana ( Lopes, 1988)

( Figures 7 (b), 8(c–d))

Cucullomyia ecuatoriana Lopes, 1988:101 . Type locality: Ecuador, Loja, Zaruma rd, S . Pedro. Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) ecuatoriana ; Pape 1996: 431 (catalogue); Méndez et al. 2008: 256 (citation); Buenaventura and Pape 2018: 844 (morphological phylogeny).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂ [photography of terminalia]: ECUADOR, Loja, Zaruma Rd. , S. Pedro, 1100 m., 9.iv.1965, L. Peña leg. ( CNC) . PARATYPE 1 ♂: the same data as holotype ( MNRJ) [lost].

Diagnosis. Scutellum with a lateral patch of black hair-like setulae; distiphallus apically globose; vesica as long as wide, without a proximal membranous portion; juxta with the distal end facing upward; median stylus with broad base, showing a tube-shaped apex and spinous apical half; lateral styli with similar length to the median stylus and also showing a tube-shaped apex and with spinous distal half ( Figure 8 (c), d; figs. 13−14 in Lopes 1988).

Redescription. MALE (n = 2). Body length: = 10.0–12.0 mm.

Head. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plates with golden pruinosity, both with sparse setulae ( Figure 7 (b)); parafacial plate measuring about 0.65 of distance between the vibrissae; frons about 0.33 head width at level of ocellar triangle; frontal vitta entirely blackish; rows of frontal setae parallel except anteriormost 1 slightly divergent, 8–10 welldeveloped frontal setae reaching level of base of pedicel, the uppermost one not equidistant, reclined and moved close to the reclinate orbital seta ( Figure 7 (b)); reclinate orbital seta present, proclinate orbital setae absent; outer vertical setae 0.5x inner vertical setae and divergent; ocellar setae as developed as upper frontals; ocellar triangle dark brown; postocellar and paravertical setae present; postocular area with golden pruinosity; gena with golden pruinosity, black setae in anterior part and whitish setae close to occiput; postgena with silvery pruinosity and numerous whitish setae; face with silvery pruinosity; facial ridge black with silvery pruinosity, with short setulae in lower half; antenna dark brown, total length 0.87 of distance from insertion to vibrissal level, first flagellomere brown with grey pruinosity and approximately 2.5x longer than pedicel; arista long plumose on basal 3/4; palpus blackish.

Thorax. Black with silvery-grey pruinosity, postpronotum with slightly yellowish pruinosity; chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0 + 1, dorsocentrals 5–7 poorly differentiated + 4 (posteriormost 2 well developed), intra-alars 1 + 2, supra-alars 2 + 3, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 4; katepisternals 3, almost in a straight line; postalar wall setulose; postalar callus with 2 setae; scutellum with a patch of black hair-like setulae on tlateral margin and reaching ventral part, pairs of basal, lateral and subapical setae (lateral pair shorter), a pair of preapical discal setae, and no apical setae; meral setae 10–11; proepisternum bare; prosternum setulose. Wing. Hyaline, with dark brown veins; tegula dark brown; basicosta yellowish; vein R1 bare; vein R4+5 with setulae dorsally on 1/2 of distance to crossvein r-m; cell r4+5 open at wing margin; third costal sector bare ventrally. Legs. Blackish-brown with silvery pruinosity, pulvilli yellowish-brown; mid femur with a row of 3 − 4 median anterior setae, 3 median anteroventral setae, 2 preapical posterodorsal setae, 2 median setae and a ctenidium of 6–8 spiniform setae on posteroventral surface; mid tibia with 2 median anterodorsal, 1 basal and 1 median posterior setae, 1 median posterodorsal and long ventral hair-like setae; hind femur with a row of anterodorsal setae, a row of anterior setae in the proximal half, 1 apical dorsal and 1 apical posterodorsal and 3 median posteroventral setae, a row of anteroventral setae; hind tibia with 1 median anterior seta, 1 basal, 1 median and 1 apical seta in the same position on the anterodorsal and posterodorsal surfaces, and a median anterodorsal seta; hind coxa and trochanter with normal setae.

Abdomen. Dark brown with silvery grey pruinosity in lateral and dorsal spots, T5 reddish brown with golden pruinosity; T1 + 2− T4 with lateral marginal setae; T3− T5 with a set of long setae with wavy apex on ventral surface, more numerous on T5; T4 with a pair of median marginal setae; T5 with a complete row of marginal setae (ca. 10 − 12); ST2 − 4 rectangular with long setae in distal half; ST5 deeply cleft with short base, narrow arms covered by long and dense hair-like setae (Fig. 11 in Lopes 1988).

Terminalia . Reddish brown; syntergosternite 7 + 8 and epandrium with golden pruinosity, cercus and surstylus dark brown ( Figure 8 (c)); epandrium with a pair of poorly developed dorsal setae; surstylus elongated, triangular or boomerang-like, with anterior margin projected forward, about 0.5x the cercus length, with long setae in almost all extension ( Figure 8 (c)); cercal prongs narrow and parallel in posterior view, with distal end rounded in profile ( Figure 8 (c)); pregonite with broad base, spatulated and narrow apex; postgonite about 2/3 of the pregonite, with a long median setae and small setulae ( Figure 8 (c,d)); basiphallus about 2.5x paraphallus length, paraphallus with 2 dorsal keels ( Figure 8 (d)); distiphallus apically globose; vesica short, as long as wide, without a proximal membranous projection; juxta with the distal end facing upward; median and lateral styli showing a tube-shaped apex and with spinous distal half, both with similar length ( Figure 8 (c,d); figs. 13−14 in Lopes 1988).

Female. Unknown.

Distribution (Neotropical). Ecuador.

Comments. Titanogrypa (C.) ecuatoriana closely resembles T. (C.) luculenta as both have a patch of black setulae on the lateral margin of the scutellum, pregonite with broad base and narrow apex, and a triangular or boomerang-like surstylus. This species differs from other congeneric species mainly by having distiphallus apically globose, vesica short, without a proximal membranous projection, and juxta with the apex facing upward ( Figure 8 (c,d)).

Figures

Figure 7. Male specimens of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) and Oxysarcodexia. (a) Head of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) luculenta. (b) Head of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) ecuatoriana. (c) Scutellum of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) larvicida. (d) Scutellum of Titanogrypa (Cucullomyia) luculenta. (e) Scutellum of Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker). Head – The arrow shows the upper frontal bristle; Scutellum – the arrow show the patch of setulae.