Copestylum smithae, (THOMPSON, 1965)

Rotheray, Graham E., Marcos-García, Maria-Angeles, Hancock, Geoff, Pérez-Bañón, Celeste & Maier, Chris T., 2009, Neotropical Copestylum (Diptera, Syrphidae) breeding in Agavaceae and Cactaceae including seven new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (4), pp. 697-749 : 706

COPESTYLUM SMITHAE (THOMPSON, 1965)

Puparium: (prothoracic plate missing), length 4 mm, anterior fold without extra large spicules. Abdominal vestiture of short, upright setae. Anal lobe with indistinct broad setae. Anteriorly directed spicules little sclerotized and indistinct or possibly absent on the ventral surface of the abdomen. Posterior breathing tube orange, not tapering. AP smooth and shiny and about 0.8¥ as long as TR is wide. Pupal spiracles orange, matt, shining apically, and with openings in upper two thirds. Pupal spiracles about 3¥ as wide apart as a pupal spiracle is long.

Taxonomic notes: The adult of C. smithae is similar to adults of the Pictum group in general form but has unmarked wings and thick, scale-like setae on the eyes that set this group apart (F. C. Thompson, unpubl. data). The larva is distinct from other species described here by its small size and pupal spiracles separated by about 3¥ their length. The absence of anteriorly directed spicules on the ventral surface of the abdomen indicates that this is not a member of the Pictum group. It was not possible to determine the presence of anterior spiracles, another character indicating membership of the Pictum group, because of the absence of the prothoracic plate from the specimen.

Material examined: 1 ♀, one puparium BOLIVIA, Santa Cruz, Jardín Botánico , 17–20.ix.2004 ex Opuntia cactus G. E. R., E. G. H. ( NMS) .