Argentinomyia maculata ( Walker, 1852 )

Montoya, Augusto L. & Wolff, Marta, 2023, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Argentinomyia Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1891 (Diptera: Syrphidae), with description of 16 new species, Zootaxa 5234 (1), pp. 1-157 : 85-88

Argentinomyia maculata ( Walker, 1852)

( Figs 49 , 50 and 93C )

Paragus maculatus Walker, 1852: 220 . Type locality: Brazil, Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia. HOLOTYPE Female BMNH (Examined) (Previously SYNTYPE)

Rhysops maculatus . Thompson et al. 1976: 43

Argentinomyia maculatus . Navarro et al. 2009: 520

Rhysops minuscula Fluke, 1945: 11 . Type locality: Brazil. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia. HOLOTYPE Male AMNH (Examined). Refs.: Fluke, 1945: 27 ( Fig. 16 , head, frontal view, male, Fig. 17 , antenna, lateral view) 29 ( Fig. 47 , male abdomen); 1957: 279 (Figs 109–110, male genitalia)

Rhysops minuscula . Fluke, 1957: 266

Melanostoma discretum Frey, 1946: 157 . Type locality: Brazil. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia. HOLOTYPE Male ZMHU

Type material. HOLOTYPE. Adult Female, BRAZIL. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia ( BMNH, Previously SYNTYPE). “ SYNTYPE / Paragus maculatus / Walker, 1852 ” . HOLOTYPE Adult Male, BRAZIL. Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia , 300-500 m, 2.v.1937, F. Plaumann ( BMNH) “ HOLOTYPE / Rhysops / minuscula ” . PARATYPE. BRAZIL. Label with the same data as HOLOTYPE except : 3.v.1937 and 1.xi.1938, F. Plaumann (11♁, 1♀, BMNH) ; 24.vi.1937 and 29.vii.1938 (15♀, BMNH; 1♁, 1♀, AMNH); 500 m, 1964-1974 (1♁, 2♀, USNM ENT 00058844 ) ; 2.vi.1937 (1♀, AMNH) “ ALLOTYPE / Rhysops / minuscula ”; 3.vi-1.ix.1937 and 1938; vi-x.24.1937 and 1938 (11♁, 15♀, AMNH; 3♁, 3♀, WIRC) “ PARATYPE / Rhysops / minuscula ” .

Length (n= 5): Body, 5.4–6.1 mm; Wings, 3.8–4.5 mm.

Diagnosis. Small species, female frontal triangle with two rounded brown pollinose maculae; 3 rd to 4 th terga with triangular maculae; metatibia mostly yellow; metafemur yellow with a black ring or smudge on apical margin; surstylus in lateral view with dorsal margin slightly concave and ventral margin slightly convex, shorter than broad; hypandrium in ventral view expanded laterally towards the apex; aedeagal lobe in ventral view with apex acute.

Redescription. MALE. Head ( Fig. 49A ): Face black, very highly polished blue-black; sides of face black, whitish on gena and lower occiput; mid-vitta highly polished with a narrow gray pollinose vitta, which reaches from the base of antennae almost to the first depression; this pollinose vitta connects with a narrow vitta, which follows downsides of the face to the oral margin and connects with a broad patch of pollen, which in turn connects to a narrow strip along the eyes, broadening on frontal triangle with a narrow point projecting toward the antennae, but not quite reaching them; tubercle low and with two faint transverse depressions; side of the face between tubercle and the eyes is a flattened rugose patch which has about three ridges on dorsal half of patch. Frontal triangle pollen brownish-black but bordered with gray pollen. Ocellar triangle dark brown with coppery reflections; pile all black. Occiput metallic blackish-black, glossy, whitish pollinose and white pilose, only black pilose on dorsal 1/3. Antennae yellow, short, ratio 1.2:1.1:1.8, scape and pedicel about equal in length, pedicel about half as long as scape or basoflagellomere, yellow in color, basoflagellomere black dorsal and at the apex; arista yellow at base and dark on apical 1/3, pilose. Thorax ( Figs 49B–C ): Brown to black metallic, mesonotum dark, black pilose with paler hairs on disc; with two faints brownish pollinose vittae on anterior half. Pleura shining, very lightly pollinose, especially around propleura, pile all yellowish-brown. Scutellum highly polished with a greenish-black hue, pile light brown. Scutellum with slightly longer hairs; disc with about five faint transverse depressions; notopleura tubercle very prominent. Wing ( Fig. 49C ): Hyaline, stigma light brownish, microtrichose, except cell c bare on basal 1/3, cell bm bare on basal 1/3 and r bare on basal 1/4 or more, cell cua microtrichose; calypter wholly dark brown; plumula light golden; halter yellowish red, capitulum slightly brownish. Legs ( Fig. 49C ): Yellow; pro- and mesofemora and tibiae yellow; metafemur yellow on basal 2/3, with a darker smudge on apical margin, pile sparse, long, black on dark areas; metatibia yellow on middle 1/4; tarsus yellow. Abdomen ( Fig. 49B ): Somewhat spatulate, opaque to dull black but shining alongside; with two pairs of yellow triangular maculae located in the anterior corners of 3 rd and 4 th terga; yellow pilose and rather elongate alongside the 2 nd tergum; sterna polished, the incisure between the 2 nd and 3 rd sternites yellow; male genitalia: polished black, with black pile; surstylus in lateral view ( Fig. 50A ) with dorsal margin slightly concave and ventral margin slightly convex, shorter than broad; hypandrium in ventral view ( Fig. 50C ) expanded laterally towards the apex; aedeagal lobe in ventral view ( Fig. 50C ) with apex acute.

FEMALE ( Figs 49D–F ). Similar to male except for usual sexual dimorphism and differing in the pollen on face whitish, as is also the pile. Frontal triangle is wide with two large dark brown pollinose maculae, which are narrowly connected and are located in front of the ocelli; a narrow band of white pollen separates the dark spots from the ocelli and a narrow brown vitta runs from the median ocellus to highly polished lunule. Mesonotum more shining blackish, with vittae bluish in color and pile all white. The abdomen is more oval, semi-shining on disc, highly polished alongside; yellow spots often obscured.

Taxonomic notes. Argentinomyia maculata is similar in appearance to A. pollinosa differing from them by the female frontal triangle with two rounded brown pollinose maculae ( Figs 49D, F ); metafemora yellow with a black ring or smudge on apical margin; metatibiae mostly yellow ( Figs 49A, C, D, F ); 3 rd to 4 th terga with triangular maculae ( Figs 49B, E ). In A. pollinosa the female frontal triangle with a complete transverse black fascia ( Figs 63D, F ); metafemora yellow except the apical 1/5 narrowly brown; metatibiae yellow on basal 1/4 ( Figs 63A, C, D, F ); 3 rd to 4 th terga with quadrate maculae ( Figs 63B, E ). Based on males, A. maculata differs from A. pollinosa in having the surstylus in lateral view ( Fig. 50A ) with dorsal margin slightly concave and ventral margin slightly convex [versus surstylus with dorsal and ventral margins approximately of the same width in the whole length in A. pollinosa ( Fig. 64A )]; aedeagal lobe in ventral view ( Fig. 50C ) with apex acute [versus aedeagal lobe circular, with apex rounded in A. pollinosa ( Fig. 64C )] (see “diagnosis” under each species or key).

Comments. The Holotype specimen of R. minuscula is currently in the AMNH. Photos are available on their website AMNH: https://sci-web-001.amnh.org/imulive/iz.html?#details=ecatalogue. 10021028.

Geographical range. Argentinomyia maculata (n= 153) is the second most abundant species in collections, distributed in Argentina * (Tucumán) and Serra da Fartura and Serra do Mar in Brazil (Paraná, Santa Catarina) ( Fig. 93C ). The species is present at low and middle altitudes (400–1274 m) in the following biogeographical domains and provinces: Paraná (400–1274 m) : Araucaria Forest (895–1274 m) , Paraná Forest (400–500 m) ; Chacoan: Chaco (526–915 m) .

Non-type material examined. ARGENTINA . Tucumán, Burruyacu, Quebrada La Toma, -26.593592, - 64.811185, 526 m, 21.xii.1950, R. A. Golbach (2♁, 1♀, WIRC) ; Villa Padre Monti , -26.488779, -64.971602, 915 m , 5.ii.1948, R.A. Golbach (1♁, 2♀, WIRC) . BRAZIL. Paraná, Refugio de vida silvestre dos campos de Palmas , -26,533807, -51,599362, 1200 m, A. Couto (4♁, DZUP) ; Guarapuava, Estância Santa Clara , -25,3833, -51,45, 1098 m , 10.vi.1986, PROFAUPAR (1♀, DZUP 43075 , Det. F.C. Thompson) ; Ponta Grossa, Pq Estadual de Vila Velha-IAPAR, -25,246336, -50,02104, 895 m , 15.xi.2000, N. G. Ganho and R. C. Marinoni (1♀, DZUP 42303 , Det. L. Marinoni) ; Antonina, Reserva Biológica Estadual Sapitanduva , -25,4667, -48,8333, 60 m, 11.iii.1986, PROFAUPAR (1♁, DZUP 43074 , Det. F.C. Thompson) ; Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia , -27,183334, -52,383334, 500 m , 1.vii.1964, F. Plaumann (1♁, 2♀, USNM ENT 00058844 ; 00058844) ; 10.v.1937, F. Plaumann (11♁, 15♀, AMNH); (3♁, 3♀, WIRC) ; 5.ii.1937, F. Plaumann (1♀, AMNH) ; 2.iii.1937, F. Plaumann (27♀, BMNH) ; 6.viii.1937, F. Plaumann (1♁, AMNH) ; 29.vii.1938, F. Plaumann (8♁, BMNH) ; 6.i.1964, F. Plaumann (1♁, CNC DIPTERA 112208 , Det : J.R. Vockeroth) ; Same data, except: (22♁, 12♀, USNM ENT 01406354 ; 01406293; 01406278; 01406326; 01406193; 01406346; 01406402; 01406372; 0140233; 01406199; 01406303; 01406323; 01406378; 01406194; 01406339; 01406343; 014006381; 01406263; 01406259; 01406230; 01444377801406257; 01406341; 01406261; 01406301; 01406336; 01406254; 01406327; 01406310; 01406355; 01406210; 01406290; 0140639; 01406266; 01406397) ; 11.i.1969, F. Plaumann (1♁, 1♀, CNC DIPTERA 112209-10 , Det : J.R. Vockeroth) ; 7.i.1971, F. Plaumann (1♁, 3♀, AMNH) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. Argentinomyia belmira sp. nov., male Holotype (CEUA 95284): A. Head, frontal view; B. Dorsal view; C. Lateral view. Female (CEUA 95481): D. Head, frontal view; E. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 17. Argentinomyia belmira sp. nov., male Holotype, genitalia A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. D. Type locality in a pristine Andean forest at the Páramo of Santa Inés Belmira in Antioquia, Colombia. The specimens were collected flying in leks over the Native Bromeliad species, Guzmania coriostachya (Bromeliaceae).

FIGURE 47. Argentinomyia luculenta (Fluke, 1945), male (CEUA 47454): A. Head, frontal view; B. Dorsal view; C. Lateral view. Female: D. Head, frontal view; E. Dorsal view (CEUA 87095); F. Lateral view (USNM ENT 0143772). Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 49. Argentinomyia maculata (Walker, 1852), male (USNM ENT 01406339): A. Head, frontal view (Detail of black ring or smudge on apical margin of metafemur); B. Detail of triangular maculae, dorsal view; C. Lateral view. Female (USNM ENT 01406336): D. Head, frontal view; E. Detail of triangular maculae, dorsal view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 50. Argentinomyia maculata (Walker, 1852), male genitalia. A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 63. Argentinomyia pollinosa (Hull, 1942), male (USNM ENT 01406570): A. Head, frontal view; B. Dorsal view; C. Lateral view. Female (USNM ENT 01406570): D. Head, frontal view; E. Dorsal view; F. Lateral view. Scale bars: 5 mm.

FIGURE 64. Argentinomyia pollinosa (Hull, 1942), male genitalia. A. Whole genitalia, lateral view; B. Epandrium, dorsal view; C. Hypandrium, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm. D. Natural habitus of a male specimen in Mozart 424, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina (iNaturalist catalogue number 37828673; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37828673). Photo taken by ©Paula Zermoglio.

FIGURE 93. Geographical distribution of Argentinomyia species in the North Andes and southeastern South America.