Melaloncha ronnai, BORGMEIER, 1935

Brown, Brian V., 2004, Revision of the subgenus Udamochiras of Melaloncha beekilling flies (Diptera: Phoridae: Metopininae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 140 (1), pp. 1-42 : 33-35

MELALONCHA RONNAI BORGMEIER ( FIG. 87 )

Melaloncha ronnai Borgmeier, 1935: 262 , fig. 14, plate 1, figs 2, 3; 1971: 129.

Melaloncha simillima

Melaloncha

87 ronnai

Borgmeier

Borgmeier 88

92 piliapex Melaloncha Borgmeier

94 sinuosa n. sp.

Melaloncha Melaloncha Melaloncha triangularis villosa woodi n. sp. n. sp. n. sp. 89 90 91

95 Melaloncha triangularis n. sp.

96 Melaloncha villosa n. sp.

Melaloncha rubricornis: Borgmeier, 1968: 221 (in part).

Phora apum Amerling, 1862: 239 [nom. nudum].

Holotype. ♀, BRAZIL: Districto Federal [Rio de Janeiro]: Deodoro , 22.xi.1935, A. Ronna, ex. Apis mellifera [ LACM ENT 122494 ] ( MZSP).

Recognition. This species can be recognized by the narrow, elongate ovipositor, with setae that are so short and sparse that the ovipositor appears nearly bare ( Fig. 87 ). Ronna (1936) described the larva and pupa of this species. Borgmeier (1935) described the male.

Description. Body length 2.7–3.8 mm. Frons orange, except ocellar triangle black. Setal base of all setae coloured like rest of frons. Mean frontal width 0.3 head width; range 0.3–0.32. Frons with fine reticulate sculpturing, slightly shiny, slightly punctate (punctures shallow, nearly invisible), with small dark setulae. Median furrow faint, but present. Frontal setae normal; arrangement of frontal setae unmodified, with ventral interfrontal setae near venter of frons. Dorsal interfrontal setae present, 0.6 length of postocellar setae, approximately one-half distance between level of ventral ocellus and dorsal fronto-orbital setae. Palpus unmodified. Ocular and genal setae flattened, yellow. Fore tarsomeres yellowish-brown, relatively narrow. Combined length of fore tarsomeres approximately 0.8 tibial length. Fore tarsomere 1 approximately twice as long as tarsomere 2. Fore tarsomere 5 slightly expanded. Pulvilli of fore leg large. Tarsal claws of all legs enlarged, deeply bifurcate. Mid and hind leg yellowish-brown. Mean costal length 0.55 wing length; range 0.52–0.57. Tergite 6 of similar colour to other tergites. Tergites 2–6 lateroventrally black, with silver pollinosity. Venter of abdomen grey. Ovipositor relatively tubular, strongly curved ventrally. In dorsal view, lateral setae of ovipositor minute, sparse. Ventrally, ovipositor with minute, sparse setae. Surface of ovipositor with faint, somewhat longitudinally directed sculpturing. Intersegment 7–8 extraordinarily elongate, with thin dorsal sclerite. Stylet also unusually long.

Host. This species has been reared from the honey bee, Apis mellifera in both Brazil ( Ronna, 1936, 1937), Costa Rica ( Ramírez, 1984) and Guatemala (see Other Material Examined). Obviously, this is not a natural host for this species, as honey bees were introduced into Brazil for agricultural purposes, and have since spread throughout South and Central America, as far north as the southern USA. Interestingly, M. ronnai has not been collected in the wild in Costa Rica, and might have been able to expand its range with its adopted honey bee host. The flies have not been found in association with any bees native to the New World. The records of Costa Rican parasitoids of A. mellifera are all of M. ronnai . Ramirez (1984) speculated that more species were involved, but this conjecture lacks any supporting evidence. Ronna (1937) mentions that flies attacked their hosts on flowers of caboatá ( Cupania vernalis Cambess. ; Sapindaceae ).

Geographical distribution. Guatemala to Argentina.

Other material examined. ARGENTINA: Misiones: Loreto, Ruinas Jesuiticas , 27.77∞S, 57.28∞W, 1♀, 24.viii.2000, P. Fidalgo, yellow pan trap ( LACM) . BRAZIL: Districto Federal: Deodoro , 1♂, 1♀, viii.1935, 1♂ (with puparium), 22.xi.1935, 2♂, 1936, A. Ronna, ex. Apis mellifera (MZSP) ; Minas Gerais: near Timoteo , 1♀, 23–30.viii.1997, 1♀, 9.viii.1999, 1♀, 23.viii.1999, 1♀, 13.x.1999, E. R. DePaula ( EMUS, LACM) ; Rio de Janeiro: Jardin Botanico , 1♀, viii.1934, H. Sousa Lopes ( MCZC) , Rio Claro , 1♀, 1♀, 28.ix.1935, H. Sousa Lopes ( MCZC) ; Santa Catarina: Nova Teutônia , 27.18∞S, 52.38∞W, 2♀, vi.1970, 1♂, 1♀ [no date], F. Plaumann ( LACM, MZSP, USNM) . COSTA RICA: Alajuela: Grecia , 10.08∞N, 84.30∞W, 2♀, 28.x.1977, W. Ramirez [ex. Apis mellifera ] ( LACM, MUCR) ; Guanacaste: 3 km SE Rio Naranjo [ Finca Montezuma ], 1♀, 19–22.ii.1993, F. D. Parker, [Malaise trap] ( EMUS) ; San José: Escazu , 1♀, 24–30.i.1988, F. D. Parker ( EMUS) , Farm La Caja , 1♀, 20.vii [no year], H. Schmidt ( USNM) , Palmitos , 10.07∞N, 84.47∞W, 3♀, 13.xii.1976, C. Torres, ex. Apis mellifera (MUCR) , San José, 9.98∞N, 84.07∞W, 3♀, 16.x.1977, D. Edwards ( INBC, LACM, MUCR) . GUATEMALA: Antigua , 14.59∞N, 90.62∞W, 12♀, 10.ii.1983, R. Spencer, ex. Apis mellifera (KSEM, LACM, USNM) .

Figures

Figures 87–97. Melaloncha spp., ovipositors. Fig. 87, dorsal and left lateral. Figs 88–91, dorsal. Figs 92–97, left lateral.