Ophiomyia simplex (Loew)

Lonsdale, Owen, 2021, Manual of North American Agromyzidae (Diptera, Schizophora), with revision of the fauna of the " Delmarva " states, ZooKeys 1051, pp. 1-481 : 1

Ophiomyia simplex (Loew)

Figs 69 , 70 , 388-393

Agromyza simplex Loew, 1869: 46.

Melanagromyza simplex . Hendel 1920: 128; Frick 1952a: 379, 1959: 366.

Triopisopa simplex . Enderlein 1936a: 179.

Ophiomyia simplex . Spencer 1966 a: 55, 1969: 98; Spencer and Steyskal 1986b: 39; Zlobin 2005b: 177.

Hexomyza simplex . von Tschirnhaus 2000: 113; Papp and Černý 2015: 180.

Description

(Figs 69 , 70 ). Wing length 2.1-2.4 mm (♂), 2.3-2.5 mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein M4 divided by penultimate section: 1.0-1.2. Eye height divided by gena height: 4.5-5.4. Facial carina thin and shallow with bulb absent. Gena strongly recessed anteriorly, highest behind midpoint of eye. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial strongly projecting and continuing under eye as distinct cheek; parafacial shiny. Ocellar triangle shiny. Clypeus narrow with sides parallel to slightly bowed. Buccal cavity broad. Distance between crossveins narrow. Costa extending just past R4+5.

Chaetotaxy: Male vibrissal fasciculus absent. Two or three ori; two ors. Mid tibia with one posteromedial seta.

Colouration: Body, including halter dark brown and shiny. Calypter margin and hairs dark brown.

Genitalia: (Figs 388-393 ) Epandrium with shallow ventromedial point. Surstylus small and lobate/subtriangular, folded inwards just below midpoint of anterior margin of epandrium, and with scattered, marginal tubercle-like setae. Hypandrium relatively broad with sides parallel at base and arms meeting posteriorly; with stout apical process; additional circular sclerite absent. Metepiphallus short with one pair of basal spines and one pair of basolateral arms. Halves of basiphallus separate and broadly twisted dextrally. Mesophallus broad, inserted slightly off base of distiphallus towards its venter. Distiphallus cup-shaped with ventromedial suture continuing onto mesophallus; with one pair of ventral processes with inner margin shallowly spinulose. Ejaculatory apodeme asymmetrical and relatively thin distally, with dark, well-developed stem and medial rib.

Host.

Asparagaceae - Asparagus officinalis . Adults have been collected on potato and beans.

Distribution.

Canada: BC*, ON, QC. USA: Widespread. Europe.

Type material.

Holotype: USA. "Middle States" (1♂, destroyed).

Material examined.

Germany. Berlin, from C. Schirmer (1♂ ♀, USNM), Crossen a.O., 22.v.1932, Hering, Mine an Asparagus officinalis No. 3871, CNC358570 (1♂, CNC) . Canada. BC: Armstrong , collected from asparagus, 18.v.1976, 76-535, CNC358571 (1♂, CNC), ON: Ottawa, 25.v.1941, G. Matthewman, CNC358565-358569 (2♂ 3♀, CNC), Simcoe, 2.vi.1989, G.E. Shewell, CNC358564, CNC358572-358574 (2♂, 2♀, CNC), Vineland, 20.vi.1937, G.E. Shewell, CNC358577 (1♀, CNC), QC: Abbotsford, 2.ix.1936, G.E. Shewell, CNC358576 (1♀, CNC), 24.vii.1936, CNC358575 (1♀, CNC) . USA. CA: Lakeside, 4.iv.1944, Asparagus (1♂ 1♀, USNM), DC: “DC” (1♂, USNM), DE: Rising Sun, 12.v.1953, on asparagus, D. MacCreary (1♂, UDCC), Georgetown, 17.v.1955 (1♂ 2♀, UDCC), Stanton, 7.viii.1951 (1♂ 1♀, UDCC), GA: Tifton, 24.ix.1896, A.L. Melander (1? [head and abdomen missing], USNM), IA: Pleasant Valley , 29.vii.1931, H.M. Harris (1♀, USNM), IL: Chicago, A.L.Melander (1♂, USNM), MD: Cabin John, 10.v.1897 (2♂, USNM), Chillum, 6.iii.1914, collected on Asparagus (1♂, USNM), Colesville, 20.viii.1975, Malaise trap, W.W. Wirth (1♂, USNM), College Park, “6-29”, C.T. Greene (2♂, USNM), College Park, 10.viii.1914, collected on potato, W.H. White (1♂, USNM), College Park, “6-29”, C.T. Greene (1♀, USNM), MI: E Lansing, 1.vi.1929, on asparagus, R.W. Pettit (2♂ 1♀, USNM), Grand Rapids, 13.iv.1931, C.W. Sabrosky (1♂ 1♀, USNM), NY: Ithaca, A.L. Melander (2♂ 2♀, USNM), No. 2, Williamsville, Swp. 1, beans, 25.vii.1964 (1♂, UDCC) .

Comments.

Ophiomyia simplex is one of the few Ophiomyia with an anteriorly recessed gena, a strongly shiny and pronounced fronto-orbital plate and parafacial, a costa that extends only slightly past R4+5, a basiphallus composed of one pair of twisted bands and a bell-shaped distiphallus.

This species was transferred to Hexomyza by von Tschirnhaus (2000), which was rejected by Zlobin (2005), but again considered Hexomyza by Papp and Czerny (2015). The boundaries and definition of Hexomyza was considered by Lonsdale (2014), who found the genus to be polyphyletic and the type species embedded within Ophiomyia ; as a result, Hexomyza was subsequently included as a junior synonym of Ophiomyia , and the new genus Euhexomyza Lonsdale was erected for the remaining related orphaned species. Ophiomyia simplex appears to share none of the defining characters of Euhexomyza , except for the high lunule, pronounced orbital plate and parafacial and smaller posteriormost intra-alar, which commonly occur throughout the genus group, including Ophiomyia . There are no convincing adult or larval characters that would ally this stem miner with the gall-forming species previously considered Hexomyza , especially among the highly dissimilar male genitalia.

Figures

Figures 69 - 77. Ophiomyia simplex (Loew), head 69 anterior 70 lateral 71, 72 Ophiomyia abutilivora Spencer, head 71 anterior 72 lateral 73, 74 Ophiomyia ultima (Spencer), head 73 anterior 74 lateral 75 - 77 Ophiomyia coniceps (Malloch), head 75 anterior 76 lateral 77 ventral.

Figures 388 - 393. Ophiomyia simplex (Loew), male genitalia 388 external components, posterior 389 external components, left lateral 390 hypandrium, ventral 391 ejaculatory apodeme 392 phallus, left lateral 393 phallus, ventral.