Malacophagomyia rivadavia, Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo & Mello-Patiu, Cátia Antunes, 2013

Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo & Mello-Patiu, Cátia Antunes, 2013, Revision of the Neotropical genus Malacophagomyia (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3736 (4), pp. 368-378 : 376

Malacophagomyia rivadavia sp. nov.

( Figs 3, 6 , 22–29 )

Male ( Fig. 22 ). Body length = 8.8 mm.

Character states are the same as in the description of M. filamenta except as follows.

Head. Head length at antennal base 1.12 head length at vibrissal level. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plate with golden microtomentum, with a narrow strip of gray microtomentum near eye ( Fig. 3 ); parafacial plate with a few setulae on upper half; frontal vitta brownish; front at its narrowest point 0.23 head width; 7 frontal setae; outer vertical setae 0.3X the inner vertical and divergent; genal groove and genal dilation with golden microtomentum; 8 subvibrissal setae; antenna black, postpedicel black with grayish microtomentum, length 0.27 head height; palpus blackish with black setae on the apical half.

Thorax. Scutellum with intermediate stripes with silvery-gray and one spot of golden microtomentum at posterior margin; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and anepisternum with spots of yellowish-golden microtomentum; katepisternum and anepimeron with spots of silvery-gray microtomentum; Chaetotaxy: dorsocentrals 3–4 (not well differentiated) + 4 (spaced to four, the two anterior setae smaller than the posteriors), intra-alars 2+2 (anterior pair weak), supra-alars 1+3 (the middle pair stronger). Wing hyaline, tegula pale orangebrown, yellowish basicosta and dark brown veins, R1 basally setulose on 2/3 of its length, R4+5 setulose in proximal 0.8 of distance to crossvein r-m, Legs with middle femur with 2 anterior and 2 anteroventral setae; middle tibia with 2 anterdorsal setae; hind femur with rows of anterodorsal, anterior and anteroventral setae; hind tibia with a row of anterodorsal setae, 1 anteroventral seta, and 2 posterodorsal setae; middle and hind femora and tibiae somewhat villous; tarsi blackish.

Abdomen. Black; sternites exposed with silvery microtomentum; T1+2–T5 dorsally with silvery microtomentum; T1+2–T4 with latero-ventral spots of silvery microtomentum; T5 with latero-ventral part reddish, with lateral spots of light golden microtomentum; ST2–ST3 with lateral setae; ST4 with tufts of black spine-like setae on posterior corners, bare medially; ST5 V-shaped, reddish-brown, arms of ST5 with tufts of strong black spine-like setae on its inner surface ( Fig. 6 ).

Genitalia. Syntergosternite 7+8 black, with a median spot of golden microtomentum, having a marginal row of setae and some smaller black hair-like setae basally; epandrium reddish-orange with black hair-like setae; cerci densely villous, with cercal prong fused ( Fig. 27 ); cerci slightly curved forward in profile ( Fig. 28 ); surstyli black, broad and rounded, with villous setae ( Fig. 28 ); pregonite with sclerotized and bifid apex ( Fig. 25 ); postgonite somewhat long with one strong seta ( Fig. 26 ); phallus without vesica; juxta (or apical plate) well developed and sclerotized, curved upward in the anterior margin over the lateral styli (lateral view) ( Figs 24 , 29 ); lateral styli well developed and complex, composed of membranous lateral (outer) arms, and well sclerotized and long inner stylets ( Figs 24 , 29 ); median stylus greatly elongated and curved in lateral view; harpes well differentiated and spatulate ( Figs 24 , 29 ).

Type material. Male holotype ( Fig. 23 ) (MACN): “ Argentina, San Juan, / Rivadavia FCEFyN / S 31° 32' 34.11'' / W 68° 34' 38.22'' / 674 msnm 25-I-2006 / Muestra 18 tt Cerdo 1 / col: F. Aballay [printed on white label]” // “ Malacophagomyia rivadavia / HOLOTYPE / Mulieri det. 2010 [printed on red label]”. The holotype is in good condition, left mid leg glued on card below the specimen.

Distribution. Argentina (San Juan).

Etymology. A noun in apposition, referring to the name of the locality where the specimen was collected.

Remarks. Malacophagomyia rivadavia has the juxta apically more enlarged than in the other species of the genus. Additionally, the shape of its pregonite is not apically curved, as occurs in the other congeneric species. This new species constitutes the first record of the genus in a xeric biome from temperate areas of southern South America. The holotype of M. rivadavia was obtained during a forensic field experiment on a pig carcass.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Malacophagomyia species, males. 1 – 3. Head, fronto-lateral view. 1. Malacophagomyia filamenta (Dodge). 2. Malacophagomyia kesselringi Kano & Lopes. 3. Malacophagomyia rivadavia n. sp., holotype. 4 – 6. Sternite 5. 4. Malacophagomyia filamenta (Dodge). 5. Malacophagomyia kesselringi Kano & Lopes. 6. Malacophagomyia rivadavia n. sp., holotype (MACN). Abbreviations: Lb, lobes of sternite 5; ST 4, sternite 4 ST 5, setae on inner surface of arms of sternite 5. Scale bars 1 mm.

FIGURES 22 – 24. Malacophagomyia rivadavia n. sp., holotype (MACN). Scale bar 1 mm. 22. Male habitus, holotype. 23. Original labels of the holotype. 24. Phallus. Abbreviations Bph, basiphallus; H, harpes; iaLs, inner arm of lateral stylus; J, juxta; Ms, median stylus; oaLs, outer arm of lateral stylus. Scale bar 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 25 – 29. Malacophagomyia rivadavia n. sp., 25. Pregonite, left lateral view. 26. Postgonite, left lateral view. 27. Cerci, posterior view. 28. Cercus and surstylus, left lateral view. 29. Phallus, left lateral view. Abbreviations: Bph, basiphallus; Dph, distiphallus; H, harpes; iaLs, inner arm of lateral stylus; J, juxta; Ms, median stylus; oaLs, outer arm of lateral stylus. Scale bars 0.1 mm.