Houghia pilosifrons Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 78-79

Houghia pilosifrons Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Figs. 8 a, 40 a–f

Diagnosis. This species lacks distinctive character states, except for the more pilose, entirely gold tomentose, fronto-orbital plate. The antenna arises at the level of the middle of head height. Ground colour of the abdomen may be either entirely black or somewhat reddish laterally at base. Apex of the surstylus in posterior view abruptly narrowed and bent medially ( Fig. 40 d).

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises approximately at level of middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere shorter than facial margin (usually shorter by at least the length of the pedicel). Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of fronto-orbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing to be notched anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye bare. Postpronotum restricted to the three main postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with long setae, none distinctly larger than the others or forming a row. Katepisternum with three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus bayonet shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip with strong inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci rounded, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci straight, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia pilosifrons has been reared 7 times, from a sample of 3500+ rain forest and dry forest Megalopygidae : Megalopyge lanata (Stoll) (1X), Podalia orsilocha Cramer (4X), and Trosia nigropunctigera Fletcher (2X).

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Alajuela, Sector Rincon Rain Forest, Jacobo (10.94076°, -85.31170°), 461 m, 08/13/2009, Noe Castillo, DHJPAR0037559.

Paratypes. 78 ♂, 80 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0008822, DHJPAR0008823, DHJPAR0008824, DHJPAR0008825, DHJPAR0016102, DHJPAR0029682, 04-SRNP-40371, 03-SRNP-12380.1, 06-SRNP-7049, 95-SRNP-8077, 09-SRNP-69792, 08-SRNP-72108.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective “ pilosus ”, meaning covered with hair, and the noun “ frons ”, meaning forehead, in reference to the denser small hairs entirely covering the fronto-orbital plates, thus a noun in apposition.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest and dry forest, 260–645 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Lateral view of thorax. Red circle indicates position of middle katepisternal seta. a. Houghia pilosifrons sp. nov., with middle katepisternal seta present but small. b. Houghia sexmaculata sp. nov., middle katepisternal seta absent.

FIGURE 40. General morphology of Houghia pilosifrons sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.