Curtonotum punctithorax Fischer

Klymko, John & Marshall, Stephen A., 2011, Systematics of New World Curtonotum Macquart (Diptera: Curtonotidae) 3079, Zootaxa 3079 (1), pp. 1-110 : 102-104

Curtonotum punctithorax Fischer

Figure 195–202

Curtonotum punctithorax Fischer, 1933: 88 .

Diagnosis. Distinguished from congeners other than C. atlanticum , C. papillatum , C. hunkingi , and possibly C. desperatum (this species is included here due to the degraded state of the only specimen available) by its orangeyellow frons with prominent brown medial and lateral vittae. To distinguish this species from C. desperatum see the diagnosis of that species. Of the remaining species it is the only one with highly contrasting maculae on tergites 3–5 that extend nearly to the hind margin and palpi that are conspicuously darker than the clypeus.

Description. Length: 6.8–9.0 mm.

Head: Frons orange-brown, with pink or green iridescence (visible from oblique angle) and narrow medial and broader lateral medium brown vittae, lateral vittae medial of narrow microtomentose strip; frons with moderate bulge ventrally and scattered dark setulae, width 1.3–1.4 times length, slightly broader ventrally, lateral margin narrowly silver microtomentose. Ocellar triangle and narrow lateral strip yellow-grey microtomentose, microtomentum of ocellar triangle extending slightly anterior of anterior ocellus, anterior margin rounded or with dull point, lateral microtomentose strip extending from median occipital sclerite to just anterior of proclinate seta. Proclinate seta at ca. one-third sagittal distance between anterior ocellus and ventral margin of frons, anterior to and slightly lateral of major reclinate seta; minor reclinate seta anterior to and slightly medial of major reclinate seta. Face silver microtomentose, ground colour pale yellow-brown; vibrissa ca. twice as large as adjacent subvibrissals. Parafacial and gena moderately broad, former densely silver microtomentose, latter moderately so, ground colours pale yellow-brown and medium brown, respectively, eye height 5.0–6.2 times gena height. Clypeus, palpus and prementum with yellow-brown, dark brown and medium brown ground colours, respectively, former 2 silver microtomentose and microtrichose, respectively, latter sparsely so. Scape and pedicel silver microtomentose with orangebrown ground colour; first flagellomere densely yellow-white microtrichose, orange-brown on proximal half and dark brown on apical half.

Thorax: Ground colour medium brown, paler ventrally, grey microtomentose. Scutum moderately arched, each scutal, postpronotal, scutellar (laterally) and anepisternal seta and setula with dark spot around socket. Scutellum grey microtomentose laterally, brown microtomentose medially, with indistinct narrow pale medial vitta. Postpronotal lobe with 3 setae, center seta ca. 0.5 times length of posterior seta, anterior seta smaller still; notopleuron setulose; scutellum with 2 pairs of marginal setae. Anepisternum with 2 large subequal setae and 2 smaller setae on posterior half (Tacuarembo, Uruguay specimen with 3 large subequal setae and single smaller seta on left anepisternum); katepisternum with 2 prominent lateral setae, anterodorsal seta much smaller than posteroventral seta; linear tuft of setulae under fore coxa orange-yellow. Area below and behind posterior spiracle bare (without fringe of setulae); minute setulae present on ventral half of meron.

Legs: Legs with orange-yellow ground colour, coxae heavily white microtomentose, legs otherwise lightly so. Chaetotaxy black except for very dense, regularly spaced transverse rows of setulae anteroventrally on apical half of fore tibia and similar setulae on fore tarsomere 1, these gold-brown. Fore femur with 5–6 posterodorsal setae and 7–10 relatively long and thick ctenidial setae; mid femur with 4–6 anterior setae; hind femur with single subapical seta. Mid tibia with 2 strong, 1 moderate, and several weaker apical ventral setae, the moderate seta between the strong setae. Row of cuneiform setae absent on anteroventral margin of mid and hind tarsomere 5 in most specimens, in a few specimens present on proximal third to three-quarters of both mid and hind tarsomere 5.

Wing: Similar to C. atlanticum except as follows. Costal cell medium brown infuscate.

Abdomen: Ground colour medium brown. Tergite 1 grey microtomentose; tergite 2 with broad, diffuse brown microtomentose medial vitta, brown microtomentose dorsally on posterior ca. third, otherwise grey microtomentose; tergites 3–5 with dark brown microtomentum and ground colour along lateral margin, dorsally on posterior ca. quarter to eighth, eighth to tenth, and narrowly along posterior margin, respectively, and on relatively narrow lateral and medial vittae.

Male terminalia

Sternite 5 truncate posteriorly, with invaginate area of weak sclerotization on distal margin, weakly sclerotized area without setulae; tergite 6 poorly sclerotized, desclerotized dorsally; tergite 7 relatively long, dorsal length ca. 0.4 times dorsal epandrial length; sternite 6 and 7 separated into right and left portions, sternite 6 broad, well sclerotized, left portion more heavily sclerotized along proximal margin; right portion of sternite 7 large, nearly as long as right portion of sternite 6. Epandrium relatively small, with large posterolateral lobe (particularly evident in posterior profile), scattered setulae (these longest on posteroventral lobe); surstylus moderately large, laterally articulating and medially fused with epandrium, in lateral profile ventral margin rounded, posterior margin concave, in posterior profile lateral margin rounded, medial margin and medial face concave adjacent to postgonite, with narrow, elongate medially oriented process dorsal of postgonite, minutely setulose on ventral margin and medial face. Cercus stout, with ventral margin concave, longest cercal setulae subequal to longest epandrial setulae. Hypandrium with broad-based rounded dorsobasal lobe, posterior bridge produced ventrally, hypandrial arm bent slightly ventrally posterior to concavity on ventral margin within epandrium, with 1 ventromedially and 1 ventrally oriented setulae just posterior to invagination, the latter lateral of the former, broadly fused apically to opposite hypandrial arm; postgonite occluded by surstylus in lateral profile, dorsally minutely setulose, with short lateral apical dorsal process. Phallapodeme with relatively large, anteriorly bulging “fan”, margin opposite fan convex basally, concave distally; basiphallus moderately elongate, weakly sclerotized basally, expanded and with slight left bend apically, rounded bulge on right at apex; distiphallus base elongate, with large, left bending flat process on distal half, contracted apically, apex bilobed, lobes subequal in length, left lobe relatively straight, nearly perpendicular to axis of phallus, moderately sclerotized on narrow band ventrally on proximal half, heavily sclerotized on lateral margin to forward-facing, spinose moderately sclerotized process, heavily sclerotized nearly to margin ventrally on distal half, otherwise membranous, ventrally smooth, dorsally with sparse, fine elongate spinules, apex rounded, with small subapical, broad-based projection on right, right lobe moderately sclerotized medially on ventral surface, well sclerotized dorsally on left to midpoint from near base to midpoint or further, ventral surface and lateral margins with pebbled texture, dorsally with dense, fine spinules, apex broadly rounded. Ejaculatory apodeme outside of basiphallus, elongate, pointed apically, slightly expanded and with small pores on basal half.

Female terminalia: Ovipositor slender and elongate. Sternite 5 length 1.8–2.0 times width, sternite 6 length 1.3–1.5 times width. Tergite 7 desclerotized medially. Sternite 8 with broad heavily sclerotized marginal area on apical ca. half, sclerotized area free of microtrichia, posterior surface slightly concave, posterior margin broadly rounded to slightly pointed. Sternite and tergite 8 poorly sclerotized posteriorly. Sternite 10 heavily sclerotized and with antrorse spinules medially, area of sclerotization flaring proximally, proximal margin with slight dorsal bend, profile narrow on proximal half, broader on distal half. Spermatheca elongate, densely rugose, with thinly scattered papillae. Ventral receptacle with base oblique, neck well sclerotized, narrowing distally, poorly sclerotized cap expanded, its margins reflexed into hood over apex of neck, duct with fine transverse wrinkles.

Type material. Two paratypes have been examined for the purposes of this study. Fischer (1933) based his description on 75 specimens he collected in Bairro da Avenida Paulista , São Paulo, Brazil, between 14.xii.1932 and 14.ii.1933. Given that the type series is from a single location and a relatively short window of time it is unlikely to represent more than one species, and as such examination of the holotype, which was deposited in Fischer’s personal collection, was not necessary .

Paratypes (two of 75 with identical locality data examined): BRAZIL. São Paulo: ♂, Capital , 30.i.1933, ♀, 5.ii.1933, all C.R. Fisher (all USNM) .

Other material examined. BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: ♂, Nova Teutônia, 300–500 m, 27˚11’S, 52˚23’W, 27.i.1957 , ♂, 12.iii.1959, ♀, 15.xii.1959, ♀, 19.xii.1959, ♂, 21.xii.1959, ♀, 22.i.1960, ♂, 29.i.1960, ♂, 11.i.1961, ♀, iii.1963, ♀, i.1965, 2♂, 2♀, ii.1965, 3♂, i.1966, ♂, ♀, ii.1966, ♀, xii.1966, 2♂, i.1967, 3♀, iii.1968, all F. Plaumann (all CNCI), same data except ♂, i.1969, F. Plaumann ( USNM), same data except ♂, 9.xii.1936, 2♂, 2.ii.1937, 2♂, 2.iv.1937, ♂, 16.xi.1938, 3♂, ♀, 4.i.1939, ♀, i.1937, ♀, 2.i.1937, ♀, 6.i.1937, 2♀, 9.i.1937, ♀, ii.1937, 3♀, i–ii.1937, ♀, 4.i.1939, all F. Plaumann (all BMNH) ; ♂, Nova Teutônia, iv.1967, F. Plaumann ( MZSP) ; 2♂, 2♀, Rio das Antas, A. Camargo, i.1953, ♂, 2♀, Camargo & Dente, i.1953 ( MZSP) . São Paulo: ♂, Faz. do Bonito , Serra da Bocaina, S. Jose do Barreiro, 1.i–10.ii.1960 , Vulcano (Sau Paulo). PARAGUAY. Guairá: 2♂, Villarica, xii.1936 , 2♂, ix.1938, all F. Schade (all USNM) . URUGUAY. Tacuarembó: ♀, 40 km NW Tacuarembo , 10–16.ii.1963 , J.K. Bouseman ( USNM) .

Figures

FIGURES 195–202. Curtonotum punctithorax Fischer. 195. Male terminalia, left lateral. 196. Distiphallus, dorsal. 197. Male terminalia, posterior. 198. Female sternite 8, ventral. 199. Female sternite 10, ventral. 200. Spermatheca. 201. Ventral receptacle. 202. Ovipositor, left lateral.