Melanagromyza angelicae (Frost)

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

Melanagromyza angelicae (Frost)

Figs 257-260

Agromyza angelicae Frost, 1934: 40. Frick 1952: 377, 1959: 362; Steyskal 1981: 38; Spencer and Steyskal 1986b: 24.

Description.

Wing length 2.8-3.2 mm (♂), 3.2-3.9 mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein M4 divided by penultimate section: 0.6-0.9. Eye height divided by gena height: 3.1-5.6. Clypeus broadly rounded. Ocellar triangle and fronto-orbital plate subshiny, ill-defined, extending slightly past posterior ori. Fronto-orbital plate slightly visible laterally (more pronounced in male). Gena rounded, highest behind midpoint of eye.

Chaetotaxy: Four ori with anterior seta strongly reduced to absent, and posterior seta sometimes appearing as third ors; two ors. Orbital setulae erect, in two, sometimes three irregular rows, sometimes with several reclinate, but becoming proportionately more proclinate anteriorly; widely spaced from eye margin. Eye pilose dorsomedially. Two dorsocentral setae. Acrostichal setulae in eight irregular rows. Mid tibia with two posteromedial setae.

Colouration: Body, including halter, dark brown in base colour. Gena, parafacial, distal margin of pedicel and inner-distal margin of fronto-orbital plate paler. Notum with faint greenish metallic shine (faded anteriorly). Calypter margin and hairs white. Abdomen metallic green.

Genitalia: (Figs 257-260 ) Epandrium shallow dorsally, with small posterodistal spine. Surstylus ~ 3/5 length distal region of epandrium, with broad distal margin shallowly angled; with several dense, irregular rows of tubercle-like setae on inner surface. Metepiphallus with several small spines on thickened venter and broad spinulose ridge on thickened lateral section. Proepiphallus short and U-shaped. Basiphallus U-shaped with dorsum broad, separated from mesophallus by several times its own height. Distiphallus relatively small with base not exceeding that of mesophallus; ventrolateral tubules small, inconspicuous; swollen basal section longer than flatter plate-like distoventral region, which has sides gradually narrowed.

Host.

Angelica atropurpurea , possibly other Angelica spp. ( Spencer and Steyskal 1986b).

Distribution.

USA: DE*, MD*, NY, OH.

Type material.

Holotype: USA. NY: Ithaca, [reared as a stem borer on Angelica atropurpurea ], A.S. Mills (1♂, USNM). [Not examined]

Paratypes examined

. USA. NY: Same data as holotype, 26.iii.1926 (1♀, USNM), 27.iii.1926 (1♂, USNM), 29.iii.1926 (1♀, USNM), 16.iv.1926 (1♂ 1♀, USNM), 17.iv.1926 (2♂, USNM), 21.iv.1926 (1♀, USNM), [no date] (2♂, USNM).

Additional material examined.

USA. DE: Wilmington , 9.vi.1974 (2♂, UDCC), MD: Cabin John, 20.vi.1931, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM), Montgomery Co., Bethseda, 28.iv.1968, G. Steyskal (1♂, USNM), 4mi SW of Ashton, 3.vi.1984, G.F. and J.F. Hevel (1♂, USNM), OH: 3 mi. E Streetboro, 20.iii.1970, Biol Note No. 17-1, D. Witwer (1♂ [with puparium], USNM), Biol Note No. 17-6 (1♂ [with puparium], USNM), Biol Note No. 17-11 (1♂ [with puparium], USNM), Biol Note No. 17-12 (1♀ [with puparium], USNM), Biol Note No. 17-13 (1♂ [with puparium], USNM) .

Comments.

Melanagromyza angelicae is only known from the eastern United States. Previous records from the western United States and Europe have been determined to belong to other Melanagromyza ( Spencer and Steyskal 1986b).

Similar described species with a wide space between the basiphallus and meso/distiphallus include Melanagromyza hicksi Steyskal, collected in Ontario and New York and reared fom Althaea rosea ; this species is very robust-bodied, has four or five ori, a gena 1/5-1/4 eye height, a mesophallus that projects further basally past the base of the distiphallus, and a distiphallus that is more strongly tapered apically ( Steyskal 1981: fig. 1). Melanagromyza lomatii Steyskal is known from Oregon and was reared from Lomatium nudicaule , and is of a similar size with a similarly high gena; this species has four or five ori, the facial carina is slightly pronounced and wide, the notum and abdomen have a faint bluish shine, the calypter margin and hairs are brown, and the distiphallus is relatively short and stout, and while strongly tapered in lateral view, it is broad and truncated in ventral view ( Steyskal 1981: fig. 4). Melanagromyza panacis Steyskal is known from Indiana and Ohio, and has been reared from Panax quinquefoilus ; it is slightly smaller (2.5-2.8 mm), the phallus is proportionally shorter, and the distiphallus is slightly larger and stouter with slightly less space between its base and the slightly stouter basiphallus.

Figures

Figures 257 - 260. Melanagromyza angelicae (Frost), male genitalia 257 phallus and proepiphallus, ventral 258 hypandrial complex, left lateral 259 external components, left lateral 260 hypandrium, ventral.