Revision of the untreated taxa of Melaloncha s. s. bee-killing flies (Diptera: Phoridae)
Author
Brown, Brian V.
text
Zootaxa
2006
2006-08-03
1280
1
1
68
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1280.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.1280.1.1
11755334
5070710
55F01BD6-4319-49C1-AA45-AAF0B27AEF15
Melaloncha dibitettii
new species
Fig. 38
Recognition.
This small yellow species is distinctive in its lack of the ventral frontoorbital and ventral interfrontal setae.
Description.
Female (male unknown). Body length
1.5–1.9 mm
. Frons dark yellow, bare of setulae except few along eye margin, ventral frontoorbital and ventral interfrontal setae absent; ocellar triangle black. Mean frontal width 0.48 head width, range 0.43–0.50. Medial furrow absent. Ocular and genal setae yellow. Flagellomere 1 white basally, mostly yellow; aristomeres 1–2 and base of 3 yellow, apex of 3 brown. Palpus white; palpal setulae thin, yellow. Scutum yellowishbrown, with posterolateral dark brown spot. Scutellum yellowishbrown, with anterolateral round black spot. Pleuron yellowishbrown, except basalare black. Legs yellowishbrown. Combined length of foretarsomeres equal to length of foretibia. Foretarsal claws recurved, with large basal lobe. Mean costal length 0.48 wing length, range 0.44–0.50. Halter yellow. Abdominal tergites anteriorly yellow, posteriorly black. Venter of abdomen yellow. Ovipositor basally yellow, mostly black; tubular, except indented along lateral seam of dorsal and ventral lobes; slightly in apical onethird; with scattered, short setae.
Host.
At Zona Protectora El Rodeo,
Costa Rica
, we observed this species attacking
Plebeia
sp.
The flies generally resembled
M
.
acoma
Brown & Kung (2006)
, but were first recognized by their different behavior: unlike
M. acoma
, which attack from a 45° angle in front (behavior described by
Brown & Kung, 2006
), this species attacks from the side of the bee (90° angle), apparently aiming for the posterior part of the head or anterior part of the thorax.
At Uruguaí,
Argentina
, we observed this species attacking
Tetragonisca angustula
(Latreille)
and
Plebeia
sp.
Geographical distribution.
Argentina
,
Costa Rica
.
Derivation of specific epithet.
Named for Dr. Mario Di Bitetti, who along with his wife, Daniela Rode, were extremely helpful during our visit to
Misiones
.
Holotype
.
♀
,
ARGENTINA
:
Misiones
:
Reserva Vida Silvestre Uruguaí
,
25.97°S
,
54.11°W
,
15.xii.2003
,
B. Brown
, honey spray,
400 m
[
LACM
ENT 188374
] (
MACN
).
Paratypes
.
ARGENTINA
:
Misiones
:
Loreto
,
27.32°S
,
55.53°W
,
1♀
,
i.2001
,
P. Fidalgo
,
Malaise trap
(
LACM
)
,
Parque Nacional Iguazu
,
25.68°S
,
54.44°W
,
1♀
,
2.xii.2003
,
B. Brown
,
G. Kung
, bee screen (
LACM
)
,
2♀
,
4.xii.2003
, B.
Brown
, G.
Kung
,
Syagrus
palm flowers (
LACM
,
MACN
)
,
Reserva Vida Silvestre Uruguaí
,
25.97°S
,
54.11°W
,
6♀
,
10.xii.2003
,
5♀
,
11.xii.2003
,
11♀
,
12.xii.2003
,
6♀
,
15.xii.2003
,
10♀
,
17.xii.2003
,
15♀
,
18.xii.2003
,
3♀
,
21.xii.2003
,
2♀
,
22.xii.2003
,
5♀
,
27.xii.2003
,
3♀
,
28.xii.2003
,
6♀
,
29.xii.2003
, B.
Brown
, L.
Gonzalez
, G.
Kung
, honey spray,
400 m
(
LACM
,
MACN
,
MCZC
,
USNM
)
.
COSTA RICA
:
Guanacaste
:
Bagaces
,
Palo Verde
,
Cerro Guayacán
,
17♀
,
9.ii–10.iii.2000
,
I. Jiménez
,
Malaise trap
, #55155 (
INBC
)
;
San José
:
Zona Protectora El Rodeo
,
9.91°N
,
84.28°W
,
1♀
,
1.viii.2001
, B.
Brown
, G.
Kung
, attacking
Plebeia
bees (
LACM
)
,
1♀
,
8.viii.2001
, B.
Brown
, G.
Kung
, bee screen (
LACM
)
.