Melanagromyza lanciformis Braun & Prado

Braun, Marina Reiter, Prado, Angelo Pires Do & Lewinsohn, Thomas Michael, 2009, New species of Neotropical Melanagromyza Hendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from Asteraceae flower heads, Zootaxa 2279, pp. 51-59 : 55-56

Melanagromyza lanciformis Braun & Prado , sp. nov.

( Figures 4, 5 )

Specimens examined: Holotype: ɗ (G, LW, PDC 200429 -C), BRAZIL: SÃO PAULO: Itirapina, 22º15’56”S 47º47’48”W, 17.ii.2005 (various collectors), ex Bidens gardneri (MZUSP). Paratypes: 1 ɗ (LW, PDC 040104 -A), São Carlos, 22º04’06”S 47º52’56”W, 23.i.2005 (various collectors), ex Viguiera arenaria . 1 ɗ (G, LW, PDC 050901 -B), São Carlos, 22º05’46”S 47º49’57”W, 24.i.2005 (various collectors), ex Viguiera arenaria . 1 ɗ (LW, PDC 200426), Itirapina, 22º15’56”S 47º47’48”W, 17.ii.2005 (various collectors) ex Bidens gardneri (ZUEC/ UNICAMP). 1 ɗ (LW, PDC 081209), Ibaté, 21º58’09”S 47º56’56”W, 30.iv.2004 (various collectors), ex Viguiera robusta . 1 ɗ (G, LW, PDC 050901 -A), São Carlos, 22º05’46”S 47º49’57”W, 24.i.2005 (various collectors), ex Viguiera arenaria . 1 ɗ (LW, PDC 200108), Itirapina, 22º15’56”S 47º47’48”W, 17.ii.2005 (various collectors), ex Viguiera arenaria (MZUSP).

Diagnosis: Medium coppery black species, wing length in male 1.6 to 1.78 mm, rectangular distiphallus and a narrow epandrium gap ( Fig. 5 ).

Description: Male adult: Wing length 1.6 to 1.78 mm (n= 7, mean= 1.7 mm, sd= 0,068). Squamae gray, margin black and fringe blackish brown.

Head: Head black. Eye width 0.30 to 0.42 mm (n= 7, mean= 0.38 mm, sd= 0.03) and frons width 0.18 to 0.27 mm (n=7, mean= 0.24 mm, sd= 0.02) not projecting above eye in profile; four orbital bristles, usually equal, orbital setulae reclinate; ocellar triangle medium, moderately shining, apex extending slightly beyond level of upper orbital bristle; gena one-sixth vertical height of eye; eyes bare in both sexes; arista only minutely pubescent.

Thorax and abdomen: Mesonotum coppery black, with two pairs of dorsocentral bristles; abdomen more brilliantly golden. Thorax length 0.70 to 0.96 mm (n=7, mean= 0.85 mm, sd= 0.08 mm). Pleuron bristles: two on notopleuron, two on anepisternum and two on katepisternum. Only one bristle on postpronotum.

Male genitalia: Aedeagus as in Fig. 11. Narrow epandrium gap ( Fig. 5 ).

Host plant/Biology: Bidens gardneri , Viguiera arenaria and V. robusta (Heliantheae) , larva feeding and pupating in seed head.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the form of the epandrium gap.

Distribution: Ibaté, Itirapina and São Carlos (São Paulo) - Brazil.

Comments: This species is the largest in this species group, the aedeagus is rectangular and the epandrium gap is very distinctive.

Figures

FIGURE 4, 5. Melanagromyza lanciformis sp. nov. 4, aedeagus; 5, epandrium. Reference scale = 0, 1 mm. Photographs and drawn by Marina R. Braun.