Blepharoneura xalapensis Hernández-López & Hernández-Ortiz, 2024

Hernández-López, Mónica & Hernández-Ortiz, Vicente, 2024, Descriptions of six new Mexican species of the genus Blepharoneura (Diptera, Tephritidae) belonging to the femoralis species-group, Zootaxa 5448 (2), pp. 225-247 : 232-234

Blepharoneura xalapensis Hernández-López & Hernández-Ortiz , new species

( Figures 4 A–G )

Diagnosis. This new species can be distinguished from other known members of the femoralis group by the presence of two oblique bands (AAB, PAB) on the apical third of wing, in addition to the yellow pleuron. These characters form a group of seven species: B. bivittata Norrbom & Condon , B. brevivittata Norrbom & Condon , B. cornelli Norrbom & Condon , B. hirsuta Bates , B. lutea Norrbom & Condon , B. rupta (Wulp) , B. tau Norrbom & Condon , as well as B. isabelae sp. nov. herein described. It differs from B. bivittata , rupta , and tau because they possess a scutellum usually dark spotted on disc. In addition, this new species is distinguished from B. brevivittata , cornelli , hirsuta and lutea by having a single medial spot in cell dm, a preapical spot #25 merged with spot #15 of cell r 4+5, and by the presence of two hyaline spots in cell cu 2 [#32, #33]. The new species shows strong resemblance with B. tau , especially for having abdominal tergites with a yellow medial T-shaped pattern, and similar wing pattern, only distinguishable by the hyaline spot on the distal posterior edge of cell cu 2 [#37] which is absent in B. tau .

Other diagnostic features include the notopleuron, scutellum and pleural sclerites are fully yellow, whereas B. tau has a notopleuron with a large dark brown spot posteriorly on lateral margin, brown spots in the anepisternum and posterior third of anepimeron, and a scutellum with a pair of submedial brown spots on the basal half of disk.

Description. Head ( Figs. 4A–C ): Face yellow, and frons with two brown markings that extend from anterior lunule to the sides of ocellar tubercle; 2 frontal setae, and 2 orbital setae; ocellar seta long and well developed, nearly as long as interior vertical seta; the scape, pedicel and flagellomere yellow; arista pubescent, yellow basally, and dark apically; labella with rows of spinules; genal area with a small brown mark, and genal seta reddish brown; ocellar tubercle black, vertex yellow laterally; medial occipital sclerite with two submedial brown spots, lateral sclerites to occipital suture yellow, with only small brown spots on the upper margin near the eye.

Thorax ( Figs. 4B–C ): 2.24–2.48 mm long, and 1.7–1.9 mm wide (M-ratio= 1.31–1.32, n=2); the following setae are present: 2 scapulars, 2 postpronotals, 1 presutural supra-alar, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 intra-alar, 3–4 asymmetrical intra-postalars, 1 dorsocentral forward to postalar; 1 acrostichal, and 3 scutellars. Postpronotal lobe yellow, with a small brown mark on anterior margin; scutum non-microtrichose except on lateral margins; dorsal setulae dark brown; the mesonotum has submedial and sublateral brown stripes, both separated at the transverse suture; submedial vittae faint after suture, and sublaterals reaching inwards level of intra-alar seta, becoming deeply coloured at posterior end; prescutellar dorsolateral brown spots present; posterior scutum with two subtriangular brown spots close together, covering bases of the acrostichal setae; scutellum disc yellow including lateral bases, microtrichose; subscutellum and mediotergite with lateral brown spots; notopleuron and most of pleuron yellow, with the anepisternum, katepisternum, katatergite, anatergite, and meron yellow; anepimeron and basalare with brown spots; legs mostly pale yellow, the mid- and hind-femora with a brown apicoventral blotch occupying less than ¼ of distal femur.

Wing ( Figs. 4C–D ): Measurements 5.76–6.25 mm long, and 2.95–3.25 mm wide (W-ratio= 1.92–1.95x); crossvein R-M located at 0.52–0.57x the distance from BM-Cu to DM-Cu; apex of vein R 1 ends at the level of R-M; dorsal setulae on vein R 4+5 extend beyond R-M; vein Cu 1 dorsally setulose along the body cell bm, extending close to DM-Cu. The basal third of wing pattern brown with hyaline markings in basal cells r 1, br, bm, bcu, and anal lobe, alula smoked; apical third of wing with an anterior apical band (AAB) unbroken along the costal margin, ending approximately at mid-cell r 4+5; posterior apical band (PAB) nearly as wide as AAB. Costal cell with two subquadrate hyaline spots separated by a distinct brown marking; pterostigma brown; cell br with two hyaline spots, a basal one [#12] and other proximal to R-M [#13]; hyaline spot [#20] on cell r 1 present; cell bcu with broad hyaline spot, posteroapical corner brown; medial section of cell r 1 (at the end of R 1) with a triangular hyaline mark [#5] narrowed downwards, and extending into cell r 2+3 [#8]; apical section of cell r 1 brown along the costal margin; basal and apical section of r 2+3 brown; subbasal hyaline spot on cell r 4+5 absent [#14], and a hyaline spot [#15] above DM-Cu present; apical margin of cell r 4+5 with a single wide hyaline spot open to costal margin, extending into r 2+3 and reaching inferior margin of r 1; cell dm mostly brown, with subquadrate hyaline spot on basal half, extending to upper margin and merged with hyaline spot [#13]; subapical anterior hyaline spot [#25] present; cell m with two large hyaline spots reaching wing margin, merged anteriorly to hyaline spot on cell r 4+5; medial spot [#49] of cell m absent; cell cu 2 with two large hyaline spots [#33 and #37], separated from each other.

Abdomen: Tergites mostly dark brown, medially yellow, except on the basal and posterior margins of syntergite 1+2, and posterior margin of T4.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 4E–G ): Epandrium spherical, brownish dorsally; lateral surstylus yellow, moderately elongated, strongly curved medially in posterior view, apex spatulate and arched backwards in lateral view; medial surstylus short triangular-shaped with two big prensisetae of similar size, distinctly separated from each other; phallus moderately long, with glans large, membranous translucent basally, with a small basal lobe, bulbous medially with sclerotized areas, broad and membranous apically with few micro-spines at apex.

Female: Unknown.

Material Examined. Holotype ♂ ( IEXA) MEXICO. Veracruz, Xalapa, Santuario Bosque de Niebla , 1338m, 19.5121°N 96.9421°W, McPhail trap, 24 Jun 2021, V Hernández & F Dzul . Paratype: MEXICO, Veracruz, Xalapa , JB Clavijero, 1338m, 19.5091°N 96.9431°W, McPhail trap, 12 Jan 2022, V Hernández & F Dzul (1♂ IEXA) .

Etymology. This species is named in reference to the City of Xalapa ( Mexico), where the type specimens come from. The native vegetation of the region comprises a Mountain Cloud Forest.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Blepharoneura xalapensis, new species: A) head and mesonotum, dorsal view; B) head and mesopleuron, lateral view; C) general male habitus, dorsal view; D) wing pattern (scale 1 mm). Male terminalia: E) epandrium and surstyli, posterior view; F) lateral and medial surstyli, postero-lateral view; F) glans.