Liriomyza parabella, Lonsdale, 2011

Lonsdale, Owen, 2011, The Liriomyza (Agromyzidae: Schizophora: Diptera) of California 2850, Zootaxa 2850 (1), pp. 1-123 : 81-82

Liriomyza parabella spec. nov.

Figs 47–49

Wing length 1.9–2.0mm (♂), 2.2mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein CuA 1 divided by penultimate section: 1.9–2.1. Eye height divided by gena height: 1.8–2.2. Scutum grey pruinose. Parafacial, orbital plate and cheek pronounced.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori, two ors. Acrostichal setulae in four rows, becoming scattered and sparse anteriorly and posteriorly.

Colouration: Calypter margin and hairs brown. Wing veins yellow. Scutum with dark anteromedial stripe reaching midpoint of postsutural scutum, one pair of thick lateral stripes that meet medial stripe presuturally, and one pair of thinner posterolateral stripes; katatergite yellow; anatergite dark below scutellum and yellow lateral to scutellum with venter brownish. Anepisternum with small anteroventral spot; katepisternum with small anteromedial stripe; meron with posteroventral spot; katepisternum with large triangular spot on ventral half. Legs yellow. Abdomen yellow with epandrium brownish (perianal region yellow); female sternite 6 with medial stripe.

Genitalia: Figs 47–49 . Surstylus with small posterobasal process and one posterodistal spine. Right posterodistal margin of epandrium apparently with developmental flaw, producing emargination and two small, separate spines. Paraphallus thin, basally fused to basiphallus. Hypophallus with weakly-sclerotized base and short apical hairs. Mesophallus approximately as long as high, with ventral suture, and separate from (and darker than) distiphallus. Distiphallus bifid with narrow sclerotized base and long, thin clear apical tubules. Ejaculatory apodeme very large with stem short, and pileus ejaculatorius broad, truncated and thickened at ends; most of blade destroyed during dissection.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the close relationship between this species and L. bella .

Host. Unknown.

Range. USA. California [Del Norte].

Type material. Holotype, USA. California: Del Norte Co., Smith River , 22.vii.1932, J.M. Aldrich (1♂, USNM) ; Paratypes, USA. California: Del Norte Co., same collection as holotype (1♂ 1♀ 1?, USNM; 1♂, CSCA) .

Comments. The new species Liriomyza parabella is most similar in morphology to L. bella , also found in California — the phallus of both is highly similar, the orbital plate and parafacial are projecting, the scutum is grey with yellow stripes and the body is predominantly yellow. The phallus of L. parabella , however, is shorter and mostly straight, the tubules are darker, and more broadly spaced basally and without any vestiges of a collar, there are four rows of acrostichal setulae (not two), the notal stripes are more broadly separated, the male wing is larger and the eye is 2.9–3.0 times higher than the gena (not 1.8–2.2 times).

Liriomyza parabella also shows a slight resemblance to L. cunicularia , but the phallus of that species is much heavier, the notum is less pruinose, there are no stripes on the scutum and there is only one ori. Among the European fauna, L. parabella appears to be related to L. lutea (Meigen) , which is similarly patterned, but cell dm is smaller, and the distiphallus has shorter tubules and a basal collar. Liriomyza suecica Rydén also has similar terminalia and a matt notum. The known hosts of these putative relatives are in the Umbelliferae ( L. lutea — Angelica, Heracleum and Pastinaca ) and Solanaceae ( L. cunicularia — Capsicum [?]).

Figures

FIGURES 43–49. Figs 43–46: Liriomyza bella Spencer, male genitalia; 43: ejaculatory apodeme; 44: external components, ventral; 45: phallus, left lateral; 46: phallus, ventral. Figs 47–49: L. parabella spec. nov., male holotype genitalia; 47: external components, ventral; 48: phallus, left lateral; 49: phallus, ventral.