Noctiliostrebla maai Wenzel, 1966

Alcantara, Daniel Maximo Correa, Graciolli, Gustavo & Nihei, Silvio S., 2019, Revision of Noctiliostrebla (Diptera: Streblidae), parasites of bulldog bats (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae: Noctilio), Zootaxa 4560 (3), pp. 483-521 : 498-500

Noctiliostrebla maai Wenzel, 1966

( Figs 3C , 6 , 15C )

Noctiliostrebla maai Wenzel in Wenzel et al., 1966: 566 (figs 107a, 107c), 569–570 (description of ♂ and ♀, figs 109a–b). Holotype ♂ (FMNH). Type locality: Panama, Darién, Rio Tuira. Host: Noctilio albiventris [as Noctilio labialis labialis ]. Other references: Wenzel (1970: 11; catalog); Wenzel (1976: 111, 114–115, 117; figs. 44a–b, 45b, 45d; comments and list of examined material); Guerrero (1995: 148–149; part, catalog); Guerrero (1997: 11; catalog); Dick et al. (2016: 792 ; catalog).

Diagnosis. Noctiliostrebla maai is the smallest species of Noctiliostrebla. There are few diagnostic characters that can be used to confidently identify the female, but one is very reliable: the setae on the longitudinal sideband are of the same length as the setae on the median dorsal connexivum. The male is easily identified by the reduced sternite VI.

Redescription. Measurements (mm, n = 20, 9 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀). HFL: ♂ 0.41 (0.39–0.43), ♀ 0.46 (0.44–0.48); SL: ♂ 0.48 (0.47–0.49), ♀ 0.52 (0.49–0.55); TL: ♂ 0.43 (0.42–0.44), ♀ 0.46 (0.44–0.49); WL: ♂ 0.26 (0.23–0.28), ♀ 0.26 (0.22–0.29); WW: ♂ 0.13 (0.11–0.15), ♀ 0.14 (0.12–0.15).

Thorax. Mesepimeron with one seta on each side. Wing with 0–2 setae on median vein. Metasternum ( Fig. 6B ) with metasternal lobe slightly emarginate; distance between coxal condyle III and metasternal lobe apex 4–5 times wider than width of metasternal lobe emargination.

Female abdomen. Syntergite I+II ( Fig. 6A ) with 16–28 setae on each plate of lateral lobe; inner lateral margin strongly inclined or concave, wider than long, and of similar length as anterior lobe. Dorsal connexivum ( Fig. 6A ) resembling that of N. traubi except as follows: cluster of setae around spiracle III with longest setae 1/2–1/3 the length of longest setae on syntergite I+II; longitudinal sideband with 2–3 rows of setae, setae half the length of longest setae of cluster of setae around spiracle III; one seta near the inner side of spiracle V, twice as long as longest setae on longitudinal sideband; lateral pair of setae between each spiracle VI as long as longest setae of cluster of setae around spiracle III, and median pair of setae between each spiracle VI as long as setae near inner side of spiracle V. Tergite VII ( Fig. 6A, C ) with short lobe on posterior margin; longer and wider than epiproct, at most twice the length but not twice the width; inner lateral margin at most twice as long as lateral margin of epiproct; 4–5 setae on each plate. Sternite II ( Fig. 6B ) with two rows of setae on discal area; posterior margin straight or slightly arched, and longest lateral setae at most twice as long as shortest median setae. Sternite VII with 8–11 setae on each plate. Epiproct ( Fig. 6A, C ) with anteromedial pair of setae as long as anterolateral pair and 1/4 the length of posterior setae.

Male abdomen. Syntergite I+II with 25–35 setae on each plate of lateral lobe; inner lateral margin as in female. Ventral connexivum like in N. dubia , except segmental setae less easy to see. Sternite II ( Fig. 6D ) as in female. Hypopygium ( Fig. 6E ) like in N. dubia except as follows: sternite VI strongly reduced, pointed, and 1/3 the length of cercus. Genitalia ( Figs 3C , 6 F–H) with gonopod moderately curved before distal macrosetae, dorsal margin convex near apex, and with distance between distal setae and apex of gonopod more than twice and less than 2.5 times distance between distal setae and dorsal margin of gonopod; dorsal margin of aedeagus with a thorn-like membranous projection and sclerotized thorn.

Distribution. Colombia, Panama, Venezuela ( Fig. 15C ).

Host. Noctilio albiventris .

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: Panama: “GORGAS MEM. LABORATORY / Streblidae / PANAMA: Darién; Rio Tuira / 2 march 1958 / Pedro Galindo leg. / HOLOTYPE [♂] / Noctiliostrebla maai / Wenzel”, ““ Ectoparasites of Panama ” / Page 570 / Host: Noctilio l. labialis / Tipton-Handley #6376 / G.M.L. #64”, on slide ( FMNH) . PARATYPE (1 ♂): Panama: same data as holotype except 2/iii/1958 ( MZSP) .

Additional material examined. Colombia: 1 ♀, Chocó, Golfo de Urabá, Unquia , 8–11.iii.1950, P. Hershkovitz leg., on N. albiventris ( FMNH) . Venezuela: 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Falcon, Boca de Yaracuy, 28km WNW de Pto. Cabello, 2m, tropical dry forest, 27.ix.1965, A. L. Tuttle & M.D. Tuttle leg., on N. albiventris ( FMNH) ; 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Apure, Hato Cariben, 32km NE de Pto. Paez, La Villa , 76m, tropical dry forest, 24.xii.1965, A. L. Tuttle & M.D. Tuttle leg., on N. albiventris ( FMNH) ; 2 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Amazonas, 163km ESSE de Pto. Ayacucho, Manipiare river , 155m, 20.vii.1967, M. D. Tuttle & F.L. Harder leg., on N. albiventris ( FMNH) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Monagas, Mata De Bejuco , 55km SSE de Maturin, 18m, tropical dry forest, 04.vi.1968, A. L. Tuttle & M.D. Tuttle leg., on N. albiventris ( FMNH) .

Remarks. The diagnosis of the males of this species, provided by Guerrero (1995), is not consistent with N. maai . The male of N. maai is the only in Noctiliostrebla that has a reduced and narrow sternite VI, which stands in contrast with Guerrero’s description of this structure as “ muy prominent abultado [= very voluminous and wide]”. Guerrero’s (1995) diagnosis of the female, however, is consistent with that of females of N. maai . Since N. maai was the only known Noctiliostrebla species parasitizing Noctilio albiventris , all specimens of Noctiliostrebla collected on that host after its description have been identified as N. maai . Guerrero (1995) based his species diagnosis on samples from various localities. Among these, only Venezuela was confirmed as N. maai in this study. It is probable that records from other countries ( Bolivia, Brazil and Peru) are misidentifications. Schad et al. (2012) identified specimens collected on the Panamanian bat species Noctilio albiventris as Noctiliostrebla aitkeni . In the present study, N. maai was the only species recorded on N. albiventris in Panama, a result also obtained by Wenzel et al. (1966). We were not able to examine the material of Schad et al. (2012).

Figures

FIGURE 3. General morphology of abdomen and genitalia of male Noctiliostrebla spp. A. Abdomen of N. morena sp. n. (paratype from Mato Grosso do Sul, Base de Estudos do Pantanal, MZSP) in lateral view, with detail of lateral lobe of syntergite I+II and hypopygium. B. Posterior portion of abdomen of N. morena sp. n. (paratype from Mato Grosso do Sul, Base de Estudos do Pantanal, MZSP) in lateral view, with detail of hypopygium. C. Morphology of genitalia of N. maai Wenzel, modified from Wenzel et al. (1966). D. Detail of aedeagus of N. morena sp. n. (paratype from Mato Grosso do Sul, Base de Estudos do Pantanal, MZSP) in lateral view. E–G. Detail of posterior portion of abdomen of N. morena sp. n. (paratype from Mato Grosso do Sul, Base de Estudos do Pantanal, MZSP), showing hypopygium in (E) ventral view, (F) posteroventral view and (G) dorsal view. Abbreviations: aed., aedeagus; aed.a., aedeagal apodeme; cer., cercus; dt.s., distal seta; epa., epandrium; gon., gonopod; hyp.a.+hyp., hypandrial apodeme and hypandrium; l.l., lateral lobe of syntergite I+II; par., parameres; pr.s, proximal seta; proc., proctiger; sp.II, spiracle II; sp.VII, spiracle VII; st.VI, sternite VI; st.X, sternite X; sur., surstylus; sytgo.VII+VIII, syntergosternite VII+VIII; tg.VII, tergite VII; tho., sclerotized thorn.

FIGURE 6. Noctiliostrebla maai Wenzel, ♀ (Venezuela, Falcon, Boca de Yaracuy, FMNH) and holotype ♂ (FMNH). A. Female abdomen in dorsal view. B. Detail of posterior portion of female thorax and abdomen in ventral view, showing metasternal lobe and sternite II. C. Female tergite VII (with setae insertions) and epiproct in dorsal view. D. Detail of male abdomen in ventral view, showing sternite II. E. Detail of male abdomen in ventral view, showing hypopygium. F. Male genitalia in lateral view. G. Distal portion of gonopod in lateral view. H. Distal portion of aedeagus in lateral view.

FIGURE 15. Distributional maps of Noctiliostrebla species. A. N. dubia (Rudow). B. N. traubi Wenzel. C. N. maai Wenzel. D. N. aitkeni Wenzel.