Cochliomyia minima Shannon

Whitworth, Terry, 2010, Keys to the genera and species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the West Indies and description of a new species of Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy, Zootaxa 2663, pp. 1-35 : 16

Cochliomyia minima Shannon

Figs. 24, 26, 28 , 30, 33, 34

Cochliomyia minima Shannon, 1926: 124 Callitroga minima: Hall, 1948: 148

Cochliomyia minima: Dear, 1985: 136

Diagnosis. See comments under C. aldrichi regarding characters shared with C. minima . T5 with uniform dusting of microtomentum and no visible spots; occiput with pale setae only below postocular setae; frons of male broader, 0.083 (0.075–0.09/2) head width, broader than width of first flagellomere.

Male genitalia. Surstylus short and digitate, the lower end directed somewhat rearward, the cercus has a broad base which tapers sharply to a pointed end ( Figs. 33, 34 ). Phallus has a typical epiphallus, basiphallus has a posteroventral projection; paraphallus long, the anterior end has a 90° bend downward ending in a complex hypophallus and acrophallus ( Fig. 24 ). Ejaculatory sclerite fan-shaped as in L. aldrichi , but base has a slender petiole that expands abruptly into a fan ( Fig. 26 ). Pregonite slender with four setae; postgonite digitate with a single fine seta ( Fig. 28 ). Male sternites similar to those in C. aldrichi , but ST5 is narrower ( Fig. 30 ).

Distribution. Specimens were examined from Cuba (USNM), Dominican Republic (CMNH), Jamaica (USNM), and Puerto Rico (TW, UPR, CMNH). Dear (1985) listed this species from Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Florida Keys. This species is rare in museum collections, but I commonly collected it in tropical habitat on the edge of the University of Puerto Rico campus.

Discussion. Dear listed C. minima in the Florida Keys, but he may have been mistaken. A specimen identified by him as C. minima in USNM is in fact C. aldrichi . I examined numerous C. aldrichi from the Florida Keys, but never found C. minima there.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 28. Cochliomyia. 21 – 23. C. aldrichi. 21. Black setae on upper genal dilation. 22. T 5 with coppery color and white spots. 23. Left lateral view of phallus. 24. C. minima, left lateral view of phallus. 25. C. aldrichi, ejaculatory sclerite. 26. C. minima, ejaculatory sclerite. 27. C. aldrichi, pre- and postgonites. 28. C. minima, pre- and postgonites.

FIGURES 29 – 34. 29. Cochliomyia aldrichi, male abdominal sternites. 30. C. minima, male abdominal sternites. 31 – 32. 31. C. aldrichi, left lateral view of male genitalia (epandrium, surstylus, and cercus). 32. posterior view of male genitalia. 33 – 34. 33. C. minima, left lateral view of male genitalia. 34. posterior view of male genitalia.