Zelia plumosa ( Wiedemann, 1830 )

Santis, Marcelo Domingos De, O’Hara, James E. & Couri, Márcia Souto, 2024, Partial revision of the exclusively Neotropical species of Zelia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Tachinidae: Dexiinae: Dexiini), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5419 (1), pp. 1-52 : 24-28

Zelia plumosa ( Wiedemann, 1830)

( Figs. 11–12 )

Dexia plumosa Wiedemann, 1830: 370 . References: Macquart (1848: 213, redescription); Bigot (1857: 342, distributional record).

Leptoda plumosa ( Wiedemann, 1830) . References: Brauer & Bergenstamm (1891: 102, new generic combination); Brèthes (1908: 297, catalogue of Diptera from Argentina).

Zelia plumosa ( Wiedemann, 1830) . References: Aldrich (1929: 6, redescription, new combination and notes on the type material); Guimarães (1971: 103, catalogue); O’Hara et al. (2020: 85, World checklist of Tachinidae ).

Remarks on the type material. Wiedemann (1830: 370) described Dexia plumosa from an unknown number of males from Brazil “In meiner Sammlung”. Aldrich (1929: 6) found only a single female at NHMW and noted “I do not doubt that this is one of the types”. This specimen is presumed to be the female at NHMW that bears an identification label written by Aldrich himself. However, neither Wiedemann or Aldrich restricted the name Dexia plumosa to a single type specimen so neither a holotype designation or lectotype fixation was made. In the interests of nomenclatural stability and to restrict the name to a single specimen, the female with Aldrich’s determination label is hereby designated as lectotype of Dexia plumosa Wiedemann, 1830 .

Type material examined. Lectotype female deposited at NHMW and labeled as follows: “ Brasilien ”; “ Dexia / plumosa Wied ” [handwritten]; “plumosa Wd / Coll; Winthem” [ ‘plumosa Wd’ handwritten]; “Type”; “ Zelia / plumosa Wd / det. ALDRICH” [‘ Zelia plumosa Wd’ handwritten]; “? Syntype / Dexia / plumosa/ examined 1999/ P. Sehnal” [‘ Dexia plumosa’ handwritten]; “(1)/ Typenk at./ P. Sehnal 1999”.

Additional material examined. BRAZIL. Amazonas: Manaus, F. Esteio , R. 1401, km-27 ZF3, 1 female, 04-18.xii.1995, L.E.F.R. Silva col., ditto, 1 female, armadilha malaise, 10-25.xi.1995 ( INPA) ; Bahia: Mucuri , 1 female, ii.1971, P,C. Elias ( MZSP) ; Igrapiúna, RESEC Michelin , 3 females, malaise, 16.xii.2012 - 20.i.2013, Aragão, Menezes, Mota & Andrena cols., ditto, 1 female 20.i-24.ii.2013 ( MZSP) ; Mato Grosso: Poconé, Margem oposta do Rio Claro , S16° 36’ 24,8” W56° 43’ 16,7”, malaise, 1 female, 30.xii.2012 - 19.i.2013, Lamas, Nihei & eq. Cols. SISBIOTA CNPq/FAPESP ( MZSP) ; Mato Grosso do Sul: Corumbá, B.E.P.— Transação Ciliar / Paratudal S19° 34’ 20,9” W057° 00’ 57,09”, 1 female, malaise, 15-30v.2012, Lamas, Nihei & eq. Cols. SISBIOTA CNPq/FAPESP ( MZSP) ; Rio de Janeiro: São Francisco de Itabapuana, E.E.E. Guaxindiba, Trilha Colégio Agrícola , 1 female, 20.ivv.2013, Eq. Col., Biota Diptera Fluminese ( MNRJ) ; São Paulo: Santo André, REBIO Paranapiacaba , 23° 46’ 44”S / 46° 18’ 40”W, 1 female, malaise, Gudin & Dios cols. ( MZSP) .

Diagnosis. Eye bare. Facial carina undeveloped. Fronto-orbital plate silvery pruinose, except by apical portion that is goldish pruinose. Postpedicel tawny-yellowish. Palpus clavate in females. Katepisternum with 2+1 setae. Wing smoky. The abdominal characters are similar to Z. limbata and females of Z. pickeli , but it can be differentiated by: abdomen globose with brownish black-reddish brown color; tergite 3 with silver pruinosity, but brownish black-reddish brown on posterior margin, a median spot on dorsal view, ending in a weak line anteriorly; tergite 4 with silver pruinosity, but brownish black-reddish brown on posterior margin, a median spot on dorsal view. First instar larvae without ventral stylets on segment 12.

Redescription. Female. Body length: 10.6 mm.

Coloration ( Fig. 11 ). Frontal vitta dark brown to black and ocellar triangle brownish.Head with silvery pruinosity, but gena brownish black and about 1/4 dorsal, at the front-orbital setae insertion, goldish pruinose. Occiput with long and silver to golden setulae. Scape and pedicel brownish to tawny, postpedicel tawny-yellowish. Palpus brownish, but apical portion yellowish. Thorax dark brown with silver pruinosity; scutum with four dark vittae, in prescutum the two inner vittae are thinner than the outer, in postscutum, the inner vittae is half the length of the outer, neither reaching the scutellum. Scutellum with silver pruinosity posteriorly. Wing smoky, and slightly light brown along the veins. Calypters hyaline. Halter yellow-tawny. Posterior spiracle brownish black. Legs blackish. Claws brown, pulvilli yellow. Abdomen brownish black-reddish brown, with silver pruinosity; syntergite 1+2 brownish black with silver pruinosity anteriorly; syntergite 1+2 brownish to black-reddish, with silver pruinosity only on anterolateral region; tergite 3 with silver pruinosity, but brownish to black-reddish on posterior margin, a median spot on dorsal view, ending in a weak line anteriorly; tergite 4 with silver pruinosity, but brownish to black-reddish on posterior margin, with a median spot of silver pruinosity on dorsal view, in some angles this spot appears to be in entirely median region; tergite 5 with silver pruinosity, but brownish on posterior margin, a median spot of silver pruinosity on dorsal view, in some angles this spot appears to be in entirely median region.

Head ( Fig. 11 ). Vertex about 0.28x head width in dorsal view. Frontal vitta, in the narrowest point, equal to or wider than ocellar triangle. Fronto-orbital plate with 11–12 pairs of proclinate setae; two proclinate and one reclinate orbital setae; narrower than frontal vitta and parafacial. Width of parafacial measured between inner margin of compound eye and antennal insertion is 0.5x the width of gena. Postpedicel slender, 4x the combined length of scape and pedicel. Facial ridge with four to five setulae on lower third. Lower facial margin protruding, visible in profile. Eye about 0.6x the head height. Gena about 0.43x eye height. Vibrissa long, inserted at the level of facial margin. Palpus somewhat clavate. Prementum about as long as palpus. Labella developed, little longer than 0.5x the prementum.

Thorax ( Fig. 11A, C ). Acrostichals 3-2+2. Dorsocentral 3+3. Intra-alar 2+3; intra-postalar absent. Supra-alar 2+3, first postsutural weak. Postpronotal lobe with four setae, three forming an anterior row and one posterior. Anepisternum with six strong setae and with one upward directed setulae anteriorly. Scutellum with one basal, one lateral, one apical and one discal pairs of setae. Katepisternum 2+1. Anepimeron with one long setae. Postalar callus with 2 setae. Legs. Fore coxa with many setae anteriorly; fore femur with dorsal and posteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae on apical third. Mid femur with one anterodorsal seta on median third, mid tibia with 3 posterodrosal setae on median third. Hind femur with 5 anteroventral setae; hind tibia with two anterodorsal and 1 posterodorsal on median third, 3 preapicals on anterodorsal surface.

Abdomen ( Fig. 11A, C ). Syntergite 1+2 with a pair of lateral marginal setae. Tergite 3 with one pair of median marginal seta and one pair of lateral marginal seta. Tergite 4 and 5 with a marginal row of setae. Terminalia ( Fig. 12C ) Tergite 6 and 7 with setae at the posterior margin, except ventral portion. Sternites 6 and 7 with few setae in all posterior margin. Sternite 8 with setulae mainly on the posterior margin. Sternite narrow at 1/4 posteriorly. Sternite 10 somewhat broad posteriorly, with setulae only on the posterior margin. Cerci well developed, sub-circular and somewhat elongated, with several setae apically with sternite 9.

First instar larvae ( Fig. 12A–B ): Posterior spiracles on small posterior protuberances, without ventral stylets on segment 12.

Male. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Cuba, Brazil (Amazonas, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo states, new records), Argentina (Rio Negro province).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Zelia plumosa (Wiedemann, 1830), female from Amazonas (INPA). A. Dorsal habitus. B. Head, frontal view. C. Lateral habitus.

FIGURE 12. Zelia plumosa (Wiedemann, 1830), female from Bahia (MZSP). A. Cephaloskeleton. B. First instar larva. C. Female terminalia.