Elcaribe laticornis (Loew) Webb & Metz, 2006

Webb, Donald W. & Metz, Mark A., 2006, A Revision of the New World Genera Brachylinga Irwin and Lyneborg and Lysilinga Irwin and Lyneborg (Diptera: Therevidae: Therevinae) with the Description of a New Genus, Elcaribe Webb, Zootaxa 1288 (1288), pp. 1-241 : 178-180

Elcaribe laticornis (Loew) New Combination

(Figs. 226, 240, 254, 268, 282, 296, 310, 324, 338, 350, 359)

laticornis Loew (1869:10 orig. desc.), Kröber (1911: 519 syn.; 1913:33 dist.) ( Psilocephala ). Type

locality Cuba. Holotype female in MCZ. New Combination. platycera Loew (1872: 114 n. name for P. laticornis Loew 1869:10 ), Kröber (1911:501 fem. key,

519 add. desc.; 1913:33 dist.; 1928a:7 dist., 12 fem. key) ( Psilocephala ). Type locality Cuba.

Holotype female in MCZ (Type Number 10675). Unjustified new name for laticornis Loew.

In 1869, Loew described Psilocephala laticornis , then in 1872 he renamed this species Psilocephala platycera but gave no justification for this new name. An examination of the literature determined that laticornis was not a primary homonym within Psilocephala , therefore, Psilocephala platycera is considered an unjustified new name for P. laticornis .

Diagnosis

Elcaribe laticornis is taxonomically associated with E. obscurus in having an anterodorsal patch of dark, short setae on the gena; in lacking anteroventral and posteroventral macrosetae on the midfemur; in having elongate, dark macrosetae along the ventromedial margin of the gonocoxite ( Fig. 240); and the gonocoxite in ventral view ( Fig. 240) lacking a posteromedial projection. Elcaribe laticornis differs from E. obscurus in having the gonocoxite in ventral view ( Fig. 240) with the medial third moderately thick and the posteromedial corner angulate with thick medial macrosetae; the posterior margin of hypoproct (Fig. 226) truncate to slightly emarginate; and the ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 296) clavate, flattened dorsoventrally in cross­section.

Description of male

Variation (n=10).

Body length 5.0–6.2, 5.4 mm.

Head. Ommatidia smaller ventrally and laterally. Frons pruinescence yellowish brown; setae dark reddish brown. Antenna dark brown, base of first flagellomere dark yellow, pruinescence on scape and pedicel gray, dense; setae on scape dark reddish brown, grading into macrosetae. Parafacial pruinescence blackish gray. Maxillary palpus dark yellow; setae white basally, dark reddish brown apically. Genal setae white. Occipital setae whitish yellow becoming dull gold, lanceolate, appressed dorsally.

Thorax. Macrosetae 3 np, 2 sa, 1 pa, 2 dc, 2 sc. Mesonotum pruinescence dull brown; setae dark reddish brown intermixed with pale gold, lanceolate, subappressed setae. Pleuron pruinescence gray, dense; setae pale gold on propleuron, anepisternum, katepisternum, laterotergite, and metanepisternum, lanceolate on scutellum. Wing. Membrane pale gray; veins pale brown; pterostigma slightly darker than membrane; cell m 3 closed, petiolate. Halter pale yellow. Legs. Femora dark brown, pruinescence white; ventral setae dark reddish brown on apical half of fore­ and midfemora; av 0–2:0:2–7, pv 0:0:1–2. Tibiae dark yellow, apex dark reddish brown. Tarsomeres 1–2 dark yellow, apex dark reddish brown; 3–5 dark reddish brown.

Abdomen. Dark reddish brown, glossy, posterior margin of tergites 2–6 pale gold; dorsal setae dark reddish brown, lanceolate, appressed with pale gold, lanceolate, appressed setae across posterior margins; lateral setae pale gold, elongate. Terminalia (ME I 040823) dark yellow. Tergite 8, epandrium, cercus, hypoproct (Fig. 226), setae dark reddish brown; posterior margin of hypoproct emarginate; apicoventral surface flat. Sternite 8 ( Fig. 240), posterior margin slightly emarginate. Gonocoxite ventral view ( Fig. 240), basomedial lobe broad, glabrous with posterior half of gonocoxite tapered to attenuate projection, setae dark reddish brown with anterior patch of short black setae and several black, thick macrosetae along medial margin, thinner macrosetae apically; dorsal view ( Fig. 254) gonocoxal bridge large; lateral view ( Fig. 268) oval, attenuate apically; ventral lobe ( Fig. 240) with ventral spines. Gonostylus (Fig. 282), basodorsal lobe short, broadly rounded; ventral margin curved with apical area of dark yellow macrosetae, not directed apically in distinct tuft; numerous fine, short spines laterally. Aedeagus with dorsal apodeme ( Fig. 296) quadrate, posterolateral margin expanded; ventral apodeme (Fig. 310) large, broad, truncate anteriorly; distiphallus dorsal view ( Fig. 296) short, thick, tapered apically to rounded point, lateral view ( Fig. 324) short, broad basally, curved ventrally at 90° angle, subapical hood absent; ejaculatory apodeme ( Fig. 296) dark yellow, anterior half bulbous, extending beyond anterior margin of dorsal apodeme, in crosssection flattened dorsoventrally with small, medial carina.

Female

Similar to male except for following.

Variation (n=10).

Body length 4.3–7.0, 5.3 mm.

Head. Frons yellowish brown, gray ventrally; setae dark reddish brown, short.

Thorax. Macrosetae 3 np, 2 sa, 1 pa, 2 dc, 2 sc. Setae pale gold on propleuron, scutellum and dorsally on anepisternum, white on anepisternum, katepisternum, laterotergite and metanepisternum. Legs. Anteroventral macrosetae 1–3:0:2–6, pv 0:0:1–2.

Abdomen. Dark reddish brown, tergite 1 with pruinescence gray, remaining tergites glossy, posterior margin of tergites 2–3 yellow with pruinescence white, posterolateral area of tergites 4–6 dark yellow; dorsal setae dark reddish brown with white setae along posterior margin of tergites 1–3; lateral setae whitish yellow on tergite 1, dark reddish brown on remaining segments. Terminalia (MEI 039678). Anterior margin of sternite 8 ( Fig. 338) with large triangular medial projection. Furca (Fig. 350) oval; length 0.42 mm, width 0.24 mm; anterolateral, posteromedial, and anteromedial projections short. Common duct (Fig. 350) shorter than furca. Spermathecal duct (Fig. 350) sac­like posteriorly, then becoming thread­like.

Distribution Elcaribe laticornis has been collected in Cuba and the Dominican Republic ( Fig. 359).

Habitats and phenology

Adults of Elcaribe laticornis have been handnetted, collected in pan traps, and in Malaise traps in deciduous forest and beach scrub. Specimens have been collected from 13 July to 5 December.

Specimens examined

Type specimen. The holotype female of Psilocephala laticornis Loew ( MCZ Type Number 10675) is labeled "Cuba" and is in the MCZ. Other specimens. CUBA. Baragu [21.69, ­78.63], 11.IV.1928, Scaramuzza, L. C., 1♀ MEI 077645 ( MCZ) , at light; San Diego de los Banos [22.65, ­83.37], date?, collector?, 1♂ MEI 040251 ( USNM) ; Soledad , 8.II.1925, C. Salt, 1♂ MEI 077646 ( MCZ) ; Cienfuegas , 22.VI.1950, 1♂ MEI 040200 ( USNM) . Ciudad de la Habana. La Playa [23.1000, ­82.4500], 11.V.1913, Hine, J. S., 1♂ MEI 040257, 1♀ 040258 ( OSU) . Guantanamo. Guantanamo Bay, U. S. Naval Air Station [19.91, ­75.1], 3.IX.1964, Josey, T. S., 2♂ MEI 003723, 003731 ( FSCA) , black light (UV). SANTIAGO DE CUBA. Santiago, Jardin Botanico [20.05, ­76.367], 5.XII.1995, L. Masner, 2♂ MEI 140816–7, 1♀ 140809 ( CNC) , pan trap; Peck , S., 1♀ MEI 140867 ( CNC) , flight trap, scrub forest. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. PEDERNALES. 26 km N Cabo Rojo [18.1, ­71.633], 730 m, 13–25.VII.1990, L. Masner, J. Rawlins, C. Young, 2♀ MEI 030433, 030440 ( CMNH) , flight intercept trap; 23.5 km N Cabo Rojo [18.1, ­71.633], 540 m, 19–21.VII.1990, 5♂ MEI 100162 ( INHS) , 100167 (MEIC), 100232–3, (CMNH), 100234 (CIDA), 1♀ 100238 ( CMNH) , flight intercept trap, deciduous forest; 23.5 km N Cabo Rojo [18.1, ­71.633], 540 m, 13.VII.1990, C. Young, J. Rawlins, S. Thompson, 1♀ MEI 030432 ( CMNH) ; 13–25.VII.1990, L. Masner, J. Rawlins, C. Young, 2♂ MEI 039679–80, 4♀ 039674 ( INHS) , 039675 (MEIC), 039676, 039678 (CMNH), flight intercept trap, deciduous forest; Oviedo [17.783, ­71.367], 5.XI.1986, W. J. Pulawski, 3♀ MEI 111834–6 ( CAS) . PUERTO PLATA. Sosúa [19.75, ­70.52], 0 m, 19.VII.1986, D. Grimaldi, 3♂ MEI 040822–4, 2♀ 039667, 040825 ( AMNH) , Malaise trap, beach scrub. SAN CRISTOBAL. 5.VIII.1967, 1♂ MEI 039721 ( CNC) . THE BAHAMAS. Grand Turk Island [21.46, ­ 71.14], 19.II.1953, Hayden, E. B., Giovannoli, L., 1♂ MEI 040801 ( AMNH) .