Houghia spathulata Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 82-84

Houghia spathulata Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Fig. 43 a–f

Diagnosis. Although sequence data suggests that it is more closely related to H. aerata , H. spathulata closely resembles members of the cluster of species surrounding H. blancoi ( H. blancoi , H. romeroae , H. chavarriae , H. marini , and H. matarritai ). It is distinguished from the other species within that cluster by, by its barcode, and by the elongate, straight-sided surstylus ( Fig. 43 e) that extends far beyond the apex of the cerci.

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises approximately at level of middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere almost extending to facial margin (usually shorter by less than length of pedicel).

Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae or extensively covered with setae, and fine hairs. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of frontoorbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above, appearing rounded anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye with inconspicuous hairs. Postpronotum with 4 or 5 postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with long setae, none distinctly larger than the others or forming a row. Katepisternum bearing three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark, usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus equilaterally oblong shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with light inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci sharply pointed or distinctly tapered, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci deep narrow V shape, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, apical seta absent.

Hosts. Houghia spathulata has been reared only 3 times, among 50000+ caterpillars of Notodontidae , Noctuidae and Geometridae ; owing to the variety of hosts and its DNA barcode variability, this morphology-based species name is likely to be found to cover two species of tachinid when a larger sample is available.

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Santa Elena, Vado Descanso (10.86336°, -85.72535°), 70 m, 01/05/2003, Guillermo Pereira, DHJPAR0008830.

Paratypes. 4 ♂ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0048673, DHJPAR0040647, 03-SRNP-25.

Etymology. An adjective derived from the Latin noun “ spatha ”, a broad, two-edged sword without a point, meaning “spatha-shaped” or like a spatha, referring to the shape of the surstylus.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest and dry forest, 70–380 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 43. General morphology of Houghia spathulata sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.