Helina connexa Malloch, 1934

Patitucci, Luciano Damián, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo & Mariluis, Juan Carlos, 2016, Taxonomic review of the species of Helina R. - D. (Diptera: Muscidae) from Andean-Patagonian forests, Zootaxa 4150 (3), pp. 281-313 : 294-295

Helina connexa Malloch, 1934

( Figs. 6 , 9 E)

Redescription. Male ( Fig. 6 A). Head. Black with silver pollinosity. Holoptic. 6–8 pairs of frontal setae. Eye hairs long and numerous. Lunule pale brown; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, gena, postgena, and occiput black with silver pollinosity. Gena with black setae. Postocular setae proclinated. Palpus black.

Thorax. Scutum black with two grey pollinose vitta; scutellum; anepisternum, anepimeron, katepimeron, katepisternum, proepisternum, proepimeron and meron black; anterior and posterior spiracles brown. Chaetotaxy: acrostichal setae 1-2+1; dorsocentral setae 2+4; humeral setae 2; notopleural setae 2, of similar size. Prealar strong, half as long as its anterior supra-alar postsutural seta. Anepisternum with a series of 8–10 strong setae.

Wing. Yellowish-brown; costal spine longer than the costal bristles, the transverse cross-vein dm-cu curved; vein R 4+5 and vein M slightly divergent; cross vein dm-cu in basal half of cell r4+5. Both calypters yellow with yellow margins.

Legs. Coxae, trochanter, and fore femur black; fore tibia brown-yellow; mid and hind femora and tibiae yellow; tarsi black. Fore femur with long and fine setula on dorsal, posterodorsal, and posteroventral surface; fore tibia with 1–2 posterior setae, and four strong preapical dorsal setae. Mid femur with long and fine setula on dorsal, posterodorsal, and posteroventral surface, and 3 preapical setae on posterodorsal to posterior surface; with 3 preapical setae on poseterodorsal to posterior surface; mid tibia with 3 posterior setae, 2 anterodorsal setae, and 4 apical setae (anterodorsal, posteroventral, ventral, and anteroventral). Hind femur with a strong anterodorsal row of setae, an anteroventral row of curved setae at the apical middle, and posteroventral row of setae at the apical middle; hind tibia with several anteroventral setae, 2 anterodorsal setae and several posterior setae, calcar absent.

Abdomen. Dark brown with grey pollinosity, a central line without pollinosity.

Female. Length. Body: 5.64–7.06 mm, wing: 5.27–6.81 mm.

Differs from male as follows: Head, dichoptic, the shortest distance between eyes is 0.71–0.84 mm; frontoorbital plate setulose with 2 reclinate orbital setae. Parafrontal plate setulose. Legs. Mid femur with 3–4 setae in the basal middle on ventral surface; and a row of setae in the basal middle on anterior surface. Mid tibia with 2–3 setae on anderodorsal surface, and 4–5 setae on posterodorsal surface. Hind femur with 2–3 setae in the apical middle of anteroventral surface; hind tibia with 3–4 anteroventral setae, 3–4 anterodorsal setae, without seta on posterior surface.

Terminalia . Tergite 8 divided into 2 enlarged parallel scletotized plates; epiproct with proximal margin straight, and several setulae on distal margin, cercus digitiform and setulose ( Fig. 6 D). Hypoproct rounded, sclerotized, and setulose ( Fig. 6 C).

Type material examined. (MNRJ). Paratype 1 male, pinned, without antenna and wings damaged, labels ( Fig. 6 B): “Porto Blest / XII.2.26” handwritten on white paper; “Rio Negro / Arg Nov 1926 / R & E Shannon” printed on white paper; “Paratype No [printed] / 49858 [handwritten] / U.S.N.M. [printed]” on red paper; “ Helina / connexa ” handwritten on white paper; “♂” handwritten on white paper; “M.N.R.J [printed] / 1437 [handwritten]” on white paper, black frame.

Other material examined. ARGETINA: Chubut: 1 female, PN Los Alerces, Delta del río Stange , - 42.872517, -71.774445, II-2013, Mulieri leg. ( MACN) ; 1 female, PN Los Alerces, Arroyo Torcido , -42.761269, - 71.751391, X-2014, Patitucci leg. ( MACN) ; Neuquén: 1 female, PN Lanín, Laguna Pudu-Pudu , -40.364956, - 71.468841, II-2011, Mulieri leg. ( MACN) ; 1 female, PN Lanín, Pucará , I-1973, Fritz leg. ( MACN) ; Santa Cruz: 1 female, PN Los Glaciares, Península Magallanes, Río Mitre , -50.418967, -72.742651, I-1996, Mariluis leg. ( MACN) , 1 female, X-1994, (MACN): 1 female, PN Los Glaciares, Ventisquero Moreno, I-1977, Stange leg. (IFML); Tierra del Fuego: 2 females, PN Tierra del Fuego, -54.834897, -68.446657, I-1996, Mariluis leg. ( MACN) . CHILE: Región de los Lagos: 1 female, el Chingue, I-1980, Peña leg. ( MACN)

Distribution ( Fig. 9 E). ARGENTINA: Chubut (new record), Neuquén, Río Negro, Santa Cruz (new record), Tierra del Fuego (new record). CHILE: Región de los Lagos, Región Magallanes.

Remarks. This species was briefly described by Malloch (1934) based on male and female specimens from several locations. This author suggested that this species is similar to H. nigrimana , but different in the shape of the cercal plate ( Malloch 1934: 307, fig. 55b, c). We provided a redescription based on a single male paratype housed in MNRJ, and females collected in several loacations. No male terminalia extraction was performed.

Biology. The specimens captured by the authors were collected over rotten meat with a hand net and with a baited trap.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Helina connexa Malloch. A – B. Paratype, male: A. Lateral view (scale bar: 1 mm). B. Labels. C – D. Female, apical portion of ovipositor: C. Dorsal view. D. Ventral view (scalebar: 0.5 mm). (Abbreviations: epiprct, epiproct; hyprct, hypoproct; st 8, sternite 8; tg 8, tergite 8.)

FIGURE 9. Geographical distribution. A. Helina araucana sp. nov. B. Helina australis Carvalho & Pont. C. Helina bigoti Malloch. D. Helina chilensis Malloch. E. Helina connexa Malloch. F. Helina discolor (Stein). G. Helina dorada sp. nov. (Green area: Andean-Patagonian forests; orange circle: new records; blue triangle: previous distribution.)