Arthurella choelensis Patitucci & Mariluis

Patitucci, Luciano Damián, Mariluis, Juan Carlos & Aballay, Fernando Hernán, 2011, A new species of the South American genus Arthurella Albuquerque (Diptera: Muscidae), with a key to species and new records, Zootaxa 2810, pp. 56-62 : 57-59

Arthurella choelensis Patitucci & Mariluis , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–9 )

Diagnosis. This species is easily differentiated by the presence of dorsocentral setae 2+ 3, acrostichal setae 3+1, vein R1 dorsally setulose, with the setulae almost reaching the costal vein, and tergite 4 black with silver pollinose spots.

Description. Male. Length. Body: 5.58–6.96 mm, Wing: 5.33–6.60 mm.

Head. Holoptic, anterointernal ommatidia smaller than anteroexternal. 6-8 pairs of frontal setae distributed evenly between the lunule and the base of the ocellar triangle, the upper three shorter. Frontal vitta black; lunule pale brown; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, gena, postgena, and occiput black with silver pollinosity. Postocular setae divergent; inner vertical setae convergent and outer vertical setae divergent. Antenna with scape, pedicel and base of the postpedicel orange, its distal part brown; in lateral view inserted at the mid-level of the eye; arista bare. Palpus orange-yellow, slightly clavate.

Thorax. Scutum dark-brown with five silver pollinose vittae; scutellum yellow on apical two thirds; anepisternum, anepimeron, katepimeron, katepisternum, proepisternum, proepimeron and meron dark-brown with silver pollinosity; humeral callus yellow with silver pollinosity; anterior spiracle yellow; posterior spiracle brown. Chaetotaxy: acrostichal setae 3+1; dorsocentral setae 2+3; humeral setae 3; intra-alar setae 1+2; supra-alar setae 1+2; notopleural setae 2, of similar size, notopleuron with few ground-setulae. Prealar seta weak and short. Scutellum with basal, subapical, apical, and discal pairs of setae. Anepisternum with a series of 6 strong setae; katepisternals 2+2; anepimeron setulose on the posterior portion; katepimeron bare; meron with one short but strong setula; proepisternals 4; proepimerals 3. Prosternum setulose.

Wing. Hyaline; vein R1 setulose dorsally and almost reaching the costal vein; Rs node and base of vein R4+5 setulose dorsally and ventrally; vein R 4+5 and vein M slightly diverging towards apex. Both calypters hyaline with white margins; lower calypter glossiform; halter yellow.

Legs. All femora brown with yellow apices; and trochanters, tibiae and tarsi yellowish-brown. Fore femur with rows of dorsal, anterior, posterodorsal, and posteroventral setae; fore tibia with 3-4 short anterodorsal setae on basal half, one preapical dorsal seta, and one posteroventral apical seta. Mid femur with 4-5 setae in the basal twothirds on posteroventral surface; and 3 preapical setae on anterodorsal to posterior surface; mid tibia with 3-4 posterodorsal setae and 4 apical setae (anterodorsal, posteroventral, ventral, and anteroventral). Hind femur with anterodorsal, anteroventral, and posteroventral rows of setae; hind tibia with 2 short setae on medial third of anterodorsal suface and 3 short setae on medial third of anteroventral suface; calcar strong, longer than tibial width.

Abdomen. Black, syntergites 1+2 and tergite 3 with lateral yellow spots and with silver pollinosity over the spots and on the middle line; tergite 4 black with lateral silver pollinose spots; tergite 5 black with silver pollinosity on anterior half and yellow on posterior half. Sternite 1 bare. Sternite 5 with setae, the posterior margin with 2 terminal projections, and anterior margin straight ( Fig. 3 ).

Terminalia. Cercal plate with an upper incision at the anterior margin and with setae on posterior half of dorsal surface ( Fig. 4 ). Aedeagus with aedeagal apodeme straight and strongly sclerotized; paramere and gonopod with 3- 6 short setulae; aedeagus more strongly sclerotized on posterior surface ( Fig. 5 ).

Female. Length. Body: 4.96–6.58 mm, Wing: 4.72–5.87 mm.

Differs from male as follows: interocular space about one-third of head width at level of anterior ocellus; interfrontal cruciate setae present; fronto-orbital plate setulose with 2 reclinate orbital seta. Prealar seta strong and short. Fore tibia with 2 supramedian posterodorsal setae closer to the apex. Abdomen black, tergites 1+2-4 with silver pollinosity laterally and on the middle line.

Terminalia. Intersegmental membrane with microtrichiae. Tergites 6 and 7 divided into 2 enlarged parallel scletotized plates; tergite 8 divided into 2 short plates, each with setulae on distal margin; epiproct triangular with setulae on distal margin, cercus digitiform ( Fig. 7 ). Sternites 6 and 7 undivided; sternite 7 enlarged posteriorly; sternite 8 divided into 2 sclerotized plates, each with setulae on distal margin; hypoproct rounded, weakly sclerotized and setulose ( Fig. 8 ). Three spermathecae ( Fig. 9 ).

Type material. Holotype male: “ Argentina R. Negro / Choele-Choel / 18-I-1977 / Mariluis col.” ( MACN). Paratypes: three males and one female, same label data as holotype ( MACN).

Other specimens studied. ARGENTINA: CÓRDOBA: 1 male Guanaco Muerto, II-1975, Mariluis leg. ( ANLIS); 1 female Capilla del Monte, 1000 m, 31-I-2002, Mariluis leg. ( ANLIS). LA PAMPA: 1 female Santa Rosa, 2-VIII-2008, Di Iorio leg. ( ANLIS). MENDOZA: 1 female, 1 male, Dpto Capital: 32°53'55.87"S, 68°52'23.17"W, 24-V-2007, Aballay leg. ( IADIZA); 5 females, 1 male, 32°53'58.55"S, 68°52'23.82"W, 09-IV- 2008, 1 male, 03-IV-2008, 1 male, 17-IV-2008, 1 female, 8 males, 06-IV-2008, 1 female 04-IV-2008, Aballay Leg. ( IADIZA); 1 female, 32°53'53.41"S, 68°52'26.29"W, 10-IV-2008, Aballay leg. ( IADIZA); 2 females, 32°53'52.13"S, 68°52'22.48"W, 31-X-2008, 1 female, 01-XI-2008, 1 female, 02-XI-2008, 1 male, 04-XI-2008, 1 female, 1 male, 05-XI-2008, 1 female, 1 male, 06-XI-2008, 1 female, 3 males, 07-XI-2008, 3 females, 1 male, 08- XI-2008, 2 females, 2 males, 09-XI-2008, 1 female, 11-XI-2008, 1 female 12-XI-2008, 1 female, 14-XI-2008, 1 female, 2 males, 18-XI-2008, 1 female, 1 male, 20-XI-2008, 1 male, 29-XI-2008, Aballay leg. ( IADIZA); 1 female, 32°53'57.34"S – 68°52'28.85"W, 01-XI-2008, 1 female, 01-XI-2008, 2 females, 05-XI-2008, 2 females, 06- XI-2008, 1 female, 07-XI-2008, 1 male, 08-XI-2008, 1 male, 13-XI-2008, 2 females, 1 male, 14-XI-2008, 1 female, 15-XI-2008, 1 male, 17-XI-2008, Aballay leg. ( IADIZA). RÍO NEGRO: 7 females, 17 males Choele- Choel, 19-I-1977. Mariluis leg. ( ANLIS); 1 male San Antonio Oeste, 14-I-1977, Mariluis leg. ( ANLIS).

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). ARGENTINA: Córdoba, Mendoza, La Pampa, Río Negro.

Comments. Arthurella choelensis sp. nov. has been recorded on rotten cow meat in Río Negro and Córdoba provinces (JCM). Also, the specimen collected in La Pampa province was found in the nest of “Leñatero” ( Anumbius annumbi (Vieillot, 1817) , Furnariidae ) (Osvaldo Di Iorio, pers. comm.). In Mendoza province, A. choelensis sp. nov. was captured in the proximity of decomposing pig carcasses in the spring (November) and autumn (April- May) (FHA). The immature stages of this species are unknown.

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of Arthurella species in South America. Black dots: distribution of A. choelensis sp. nov.; gray squares: previous distribution of A. nudiseta; gray stars: new records of A. nudiseta.

FIGURES 2 – 5. A. choelensis sp. nov., male. 2: Lateral habitus. 3: Sternite 5 (scale bar: 0.5 mm). 4: Cercal plate, dorsal view. 5: Aedeagus, lateral view (scale bar: 0.1 mm). Abbreviations: aed, aedeagus; aed apod, aedeagal apodeme; epiph, epiphallus; gon, gonopod; pm, paramere.

FIGURES 6 – 9. A. choelensis sp. nov., female. 6: Lateral habitus. 7: terminalia, dorsal view. 8: terminalia, ventral view (scale bar 1 mm). 9: Spermathecae (scale bar 0.05 mm).