Microcerella asymmetrica, Mariluis, Pablo Ricardo Mulieri Juan Carlos & Patitucci, Luciano Damián, 2010

Mariluis, Pablo Ricardo Mulieri Juan Carlos & Patitucci, Luciano Damián, 2010, Review of the Sarcophaginae (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina), with a key and description of a new species, Zootaxa 2575, pp. 1-37 : 16-17

Microcerella asymmetrica sp. nov.

( Figs. 28–33 )

Description of male. Body length = 7.8–8.8 (from anterior margin of head to the posterior margin of tergite 5). Head. Head length at antennal base 0.95–1.0 head length at vibrissal level. Parafacial and fronto-orbital plate with silvery microtomentum, parafacial with slight yellowish tinge; parafacial with a row of setae (stronger at the lower part) and few complementary setulae on the upper half; and fronto-orbital plate with sparse black setulae; postcranium with silvery microtomentum, the upper half of the postcranium (occiput) with black setulae; eyes bare; frontal vitta blackish; frons at its narrowest point 0.24–0.25 head width; 8–11 frontal setae, the row of frontals diverging strongly anteriorly at the level of pedicel; reclinate orbital setae present; inner vertical seta strong and reclinate, outer vertical seta less than 0.5x the inner vertical and divergent, similar to the postorbital setae; ocellar triangle black with silvery microtomentum, with one pair of divergent and proclinate ocellar setae and supplementary long and diverging setulae; post ocellar and paravertical setae present; postocular setae black in one row; genal groove with silvery microtomentum, genal dilation with golden microtomentum; postgena with silvery microtomentum and pale setae, gena with black setae; face with silvery microtomentum; facial ridge black with silvery microtomentum, with setae and setulae close to vibrissa; 4–6 subvibrissal setae; antenna black, first flagellomere black with brown microtomentum, length 0.24–0.26 head height, arista pubescent on basal half with hairs shorter as largest diameter of arista; palpus brown with black setae on the apical half. Thorax. Black, with gray-yellowish microtomentum; prescutum and scutum with intermediate stripes with gray-yellowish microtomentum, lateral stripes with golden microtomentum and three black bands; scutellum with intermediate stripes with gray-yellowish microtomentum and one apical spot of golden microtomentum at posterior margin; postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, katepisternum, anepimeron and anepisternum with spots of golden microtomentum; proepisternum silvery-gray, bare; one proepisternal seta strong plus 2 or 3 supplementary setae, two proepimeral setae, katepisternals 3 on the same level, postalar wall bare. Chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0+0, dorsocentrals 1–2+2 (posteriors), intra-alars 1+1, supra-alars 1+3 (the middle pair stronger), anterior postpronotal 1, basal postpronotal 1, postalars 2, notopleurals 4 (two big and two small). Scutellum with two pairs of lateral and one pair of discal setae. Wing hyaline, tegula dark brown, whitish basicosta and brown veins, R1 bare, R4+5 setulose in proximal 0.25 or less of distance to crossvein r-m, costal spine differentiated, third costal sector without ventral setae, cell r4+5 open at wing apex, lower calypteres whitish. Legs with coxae, trochanter, femora and tibiae with silvery gray microtomentum; middle trochanter with a ventral pad of short and stout spines; middle femur without posteroventral ctenidium on its apical portion, 2–3 anterodorsal setae and rows of anteroventral and posteroventral setae; middle tibia with 2 anterdorsal setae, 2 posterodorsal and 2 posterior setae; hind trochanter with a ventral pad of short and stout spines, and sparse short and stout spines on postero-ventral surface; hind femur with rows of anterodorsal, anterior and anteroventral setae, posteroventral surface with long hairs; hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae, 2 anteroventral seta, 2 posterodorsal setae and posteroventral surface with long hairs; tarsi blackish. Abdomen. Black; sternites exposed with silvery microtomentum; T1+2–T5 with dorsal silvery-gray microtomentum; T3–T5 with dorsal and lateral spots of golden microtomentum; T1+2–T4 with two pairs of lateral marginal setae, T3 and T4 without median marginal setae; T5 with a complete row of marginal setae; ST2–ST4 with long hairs, especially on sides; ST5 V-shaped, brown, with hair-like setae on the apical margins of its ventral surface. Terminalia. Syntergosternite 7+8 shining black, with a median spot of golden microtomentum, having a marginal row of three pairs of setae and some smaller black hair-like setae; epandrium orange-reddish with black hair-like setae; cerci asymmetrical, right cercus shorter than left cercus ( Fig. 29 ); cercal prong curved forward ( Fig. 30 ); cercal base with long hairs; surstylus narrow with few apical hair-like setae ( Fig. 29 ); pregonite curved with several hair-like setae ( Fig. 31 ); postgonite with one basal seta ( Fig. 31 ); phallus with flat vesica, not much extended; juxta well developed, curved forward (lateral view); with two pairs of asymmetrical membranous lobes in the anterior and lateral margins, respectively ( Figs. 32–33 ); lateral styli asymmetrical with microserration in the apical part; right lateral stylus longer than left one ( Figs. 32–33 ); harpes (or lateral plates) bifid and well sclerotized (lateral view) ( Fig. 32 ); median stylus not exposed.

Distribution: Neotropical – Argentina (Buenos Aires).

Type material. Holotype ɗ: “ Argentina , Las Chilcas / Dpto. Pila, Bs. As. / XII/09 S/ Mentha spp.” ( ANLIS). Paratype ɗ: same data as holotype.

Remarks: Microcerella asymmetrica agrees in general morphology with Microcerella . Moreover, in general appearance and coloration pattern this species resembles many of the Andean and Patagonian species of Microcerella . The combinationof a flat but short vesica, and the shape and antero-ventrally development of the juxta is reminiscent of Microcerella chilensis (Hall) or M. engeli (Hall) . However the remarkable modifications forming the anterior and lateral membranous lobes of the juxta, and lateral styli are unique in the genus. The presence of asymmetric features in the terminalia are not common among Sarcophagidae but were recognized in Oxysarcodexia varia , for the phallic structures ( Blanchard 1942a), or Engelimyia inops for cerci ( Pape & Mello-Patiu 2006).

Biology: Unknown. Flower visitor of Lamiaceae ( Mentha spp.).

Figures

FIGURES 28 – 33. Microcerella asymmetrica sp. nov. 28. Male holotype, left lateral view. 29. Cerci, dorsal (or posterior) view. 30. Left cercus, lateral view. 31. Pregonite and postgonite, left lateral view. 32. Phallus, left lateral view. 33. Phallus, apical (or ventral) view. Scale bars = 0.25 mm. Abbreviations: albj, anterior lobe of juxta; h (lp), harpes (or lateral plates); j, juxta; lbj, lobes of juxta; llbj, lateral lobe of juxta; lst, lateral styli; po, postgonite; pr, pregonite; sur, surstylus; v, vesica.