Scoliocentra brachypterna (Loew, 1873)

Rotheray, Graham E., 2012, Morphology of the puparium and breeding sites of eight species of Heleomyzidae (Diptera), Journal of Natural History 46 (33 - 34), pp. 2075-2102 : 2081-2083

Scoliocentra brachypterna

Puparium. Length 4–5 mm (n = 9), length of second abdominal segment 0.4 mm, red-brown in ground colour; dorsal transverse striae slight and little developed; locomotory spicules numerous, mostly uniform in size except some large spicules in posterior rows ( Figure 6B ); and occurring in short and long bars or rows; anterior spiracles fan-shaped with six respiratory bulbs ( Figure 3B ); projections bearing posterior spiracular plate about as tall as basally wide and in dorsal view, spiracular plates close, separated by less than the width of a spiracular plate; spiracular plate ( Figure 4B ), with smooth rim, not indented or with additional projections; posterior spiracular slits short, about as long as the diameter of the ecdysial scar; head skeleton ( Figure 9C,D ), length 0.9 mm; mandible with a pin-hole window; intermediate sclerite bar-shaped with ventral bridge towards anterior end ( Figure 9C ); epipharyngeal plate lightly sclerotized.

Material examined. Four puparia, Berkshire, Temple, ex nest of the kestrel, Falco tinnunculus , approximately 10.6 m high in a cedar tree, Cedrus sp , nest consisting of twigs, cedar needles, Quercus leaves, sheep wool and vegetable mould, nest collected 7 May 1931, adults emerged 24 June 1931, EB Basden.

Additional rearing records. Excluding specimens referred to above, Basden reared 115 specimens of this species from three nests of two host species: Buckinghamshire, Temple, 95 specimens ex nest of a Kestral, Falco tinnunculus , nest 10.6 m high in a cedar tree, Cedrus sp , nest collected 7 May 1931, adults emerged 18–24 June 1931; same locality, eight specimens from nest of a carrion crow, Corvus corone , nest 9.1 m high in a Scots pine tree, Pinus sylvestris , nest collected 11 June 1931, adults emerged 22 June to 9 July 1931; Sussex, Seaford, 12 specimens, nest of a carrion crow 6 m high in a hawthorn bush, Crataegus monogyna , nest collected 8 June 1934, adults emerged 4–21 July 1934. Scotland, Inverness-shire, Boat of Garten, 14 specimens ex nest of a tawny owl, Strix aluco , nest collected 27 June 1967, EC Pelham-Clinton (National Museums of Scotland).

Taxonomic notes

The puparia of E. microps , Sc. brachypterna and H. borealis are most similar to each other compared with the other puparia described here. They all have bar-shaped intermediate sclerites, posterior spiracular slits that are short, about as long as the diameter of the ecdysial scar and locomotory spicules of fairly uniform size. The puparium of E. microps is readily distinguished from that of Sc. brachypterna and H. borealis by the supporting projections of the posterior spiracular plates. The projections of E. microps are shorter than basally wide and separated apically by more than twice the width of a spiracular plate. Those of Sc. brachypterna and H. borealis are taller, in both species about as high as basal width but the spiracular plates are closer in Sc. brachypterna (separated by about the diameter of a plate) than in H. borealis (separated by twice the diameter of a plate). The puparium of H. borealis is also easily distinguished from the other heleomyzines by the anterior spiracles which are transverse rosette not fanshaped, the presence of spicules on the dorsum of the abdomen and the annulations of the abdominal segments.

Figures

Figure 3. Heleomyzidae, anterior spiracles, lateral view, scale bar 0.1 mm, fan shape: (A) Eccoptomera microps, (B) Scoliocentra brachypterna; transverse rosette shape: (C) Heleomyza borealis, (D) Tephrochlamys flavipes, (E) Tephrochlamys tarsalis, (F) Heteromyza rotundicornis; rosette shape: (G) Suillia variegata, (H) Suillia laevifrons, and (I) Suillia ustulata.

Figure 4. Heleomyzinae and Heteromyzinae, posterior spiracles, apical view, scale bar 0.1 mm, Heleomyzinae: (A) Eccoptomera microps, (B) Scoliocentra brachypterna, (C) Heleomyza borealis; Heteromyzinae: (D) Tephrochlamys flavipes, (E) Tephrochlamys tarsalis, (F) Heteromyza rotundicornis.

Figure 6. Heleomyzinae, locomotory spicules, across mid-ventral zone of the posterior margin of the second and the anterior half of the third abdominal segment, uppermost vertical line indicates the mid-ventral point, horizontal line indicates approximate segment boundary, (A) Eccoptomera microps, (B) Scoliocentra brachypterna, (C) Heleomyza borealis.

Figure 9. Heleomyzinae, head skeletons, left hand figures, whole structure, lateral view, mandible to the right, right hand figures, dorsal view of intermediate sclerite and mandible in that order, scale bar 0.25 mm, (A, B) Eccoptomera microps, (C, D) Scoliocentra brachypterna, (E, F) Heleomyza borealis.