Amiota buccata Wheeler, 1952

Jones, Lance E. & Grimaldi, David A., 2022, Revision Of The Nearctic Species Of The Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2022 (458), pp. 1-181 : 129-131

Amiota buccata Wheeler, 1952

Figures 68C–D , 72B , 74 , 94C

Amiota buccata Wheeler, 1952: 171 (original description); Wheeler, 1965: 761 (Nearctic catalog); Brake and Bächli, 2008: 250 (world catalog).

DIAGNOSIS: Large fly (ThL 1.54–1.71 mm), dark brown, nearly black; cheek very deep (EL/ CW 5.46–6.18), white posteriorly; frons brown, dull, arista with few, short branches; epandrium dorsally complete; surstylus slender, foot-shaped; subepandrial sclerite with spindle-shaped central appendage; aedeagal apodeme large, shieldlike, quadrate in dorsal view; outer paraphysis a broad complex in lateral view, posterior portion laterally flattened and short with small preapical dorsal hook, base with large spine facing ventrally; inner paraphyses a simple pair of narrow lobes.

DESCRIPTION: Large fly (ThL 1.54–1.71 mm), dark brown, almost black, legs yellow. Cheek very deep (EL/CW 5.46–6.18), white posteriorly. Frons entirely dark golden-rust. Facial marking large, semicircular, width 0.5× length. Palp golden, tip brown. Tergite 1 lightly colored. Arista: Very short, plumose; longest branch D2; A.R. 0.26; 4 dorsal, 0 ventral branches, none pointed mediad/laterad; arista trunk with medium microtrichia along entire length. Male genitalia: Epandrium fused at midline, not distinct, barely grading with membrane surrounding cercus. Cercus small, oval, distinct from membrane. Surstylus armlike, slender, bent distally with scattered setulae; 7 prensisetae, apices blunt, closely spaced, of increasing size laterally. Subepandrial sclerite large, nearly as long as the aedeagal apodeme; with thin, spindle-shaped central appendage. Outer paraphysis very complex: posterior portion a moderately long, laterally flattened lobe with a small preapical dorsal hook; base of lobe with patch 4–5 sensilla; lateral to lobe, a small appendage, facing posteriorly; anterior portion of outer paraphysis bifurcate, 2 long, darkly sclerotized rods, tapering to point, facing ventrally. Inner paraphysis narrow, simple, wedge shaped, immediately anterior to outer paraphyses. Aedeagal apodeme long, shieldlike, anterior 1/3 curved; distal end widely flared with a concave depression; 2 lobes near the base, large, as wide as distal lobes. Hypandrium simple; lateral arm with large gonopod, oriented dorsally. Ejaculatory apodeme 0.5× length of epandrium. Head and thorax measurements: (n = 5; Am 13, 14, 17, 18, 20) FL/FW 0.63 (0.59– 0.75), EL/EW 1.37 (1.30–1.48), EL/CW 6.12 (5.46–6.18), FML/FMW 0.38 (0.33–0.44), PR /RR 0.58 (0.46–0.77), ThL 1.63 (1.54–1.71 mm).

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype: Data taken from Wheeler (1952): “ ♂, No. 2170.5, from Mill Canyon, Magdalena Mts., near Magdalena, New Mexico, taken by the writer in June, 1951,” [not examined]. Deposited in National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C. ( USNM). Paratypes: Localities and numbers of paratype specimens in AMNH differ slightly from Wheeler (1952) in some cases: “6, with same data as holotype” [Mill Canyon, Magdalena Mts., S. Magdalena, VI /26- VI /27/51, 2170.5, W.B. Heed/M. R. Wheeler, paratype], [34.008746, -107.201329], 2♂ and 2♀ (Am 14–16, 17*, AMNH); “Cherry Creek Camp near Silver City (4)” [12 mi. N. Silver City, Aug 1950, M. R. Wheeler, paratype], [33.019248, -108.263582], [all specimens are A. nebojsa Máca , see Comments], 4♂ (specimen numbers under A. nebojsa Máca, AMNH ); “Long Valley in Coconino National Forest (2)” [Arizona: Clover Springs, Coconino Nat’l. Forest , 50 mi. S. Flagstaff, VI /22- VI /23/51, W.B. Heed/M. R. Wheeler, paratype], [34.506258, -111.362842], 1♂ and 1♀ (Am 18*, 19, AMNH); “Mogollon Road south of Flagstaff (4)” [Mogollon Rim Road, Arizona, June 1951, M. R. Wheeler and W.B. Heed, 2169.8, paratype], [34.326000, -110.958445], 3♂ and 1♀ (Am 7.5*, 12, 13*, 20, AMNH) .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED: Known only from the type series.

DISTRIBUTION: This species seems to be restricted to the Arizona Mountains Forest ecoregion in Arizona and New Mexico.

COMMENTS: The paratype series of A. buccata Wheeler at the AMNH contains another species. The four specimens from 12 mi. N. of Silver City are of A. nebojsa Máca. While the holotype specimen at the USNM has not been dissected for confirmation, its identity is assumed to be the same as the paratypes taken from the same series as the holotype.

Figures

FIG. 68. Heads and lateral views, ungrouped species. A–B. A. barretti (Johnson) (Am 1490). C–D. A. buccata Wheeler (Am 14, paratype). E–F. A. didens, sp. nov. (Am 444, holotype, lateral image flipped).

FIG. 72. Aristae, ungrouped species. A. A. barretti (Johnson). B. A. buccata Wheeler. C. A. didens. D. A. humeralis Loew. E. A. floridiensis. F. A. imperator. G. A. laevifurca. H–I. A. sinaloensis. Not to the same scale.

FIG. 74. Male terminalia, A. buccata Wheeler. A. Epandrium and cerci. B. Lateral view. C. Ventral view. D. Aedeagal apodeme. E. Surstylus. (Am 14, paratype).

FIG. 94. Distribution maps, A. nagatai species group. A. A. raripennis. Ungrouped species. B. A. barretti (Johnson). C. A. buccata Wheeler.