Mesorhaga lacrymans Parent

Bickel, Daniel J., 2007, The Mesoamerican Mesorhaga (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), with a taxonomic conspectus of the New World fauna, Zootaxa 1411, pp. 47-67 : 52-54

Mesorhaga lacrymans Parent ( Figs 1 a, b, c)

Mesorhaga lacrymans Parent 1928: 182 .

Type material. Parent described Mesorhaga lacrymans based on males and females from Costa Rica: La Caja, ii–iv.1924 ( ZMUH, destroyed). His description and figures allow this species to be identified with confidence. A male neotype is here designated with the label: COSTA RICA: Prov. GUANACASTE: Santa Cruz, Vista del Mar, Torre Cocesna, 972 m, 27–30 Jun 2001, Y. Cardenas, Aguamiel (INB00033144536) ( INBIO).

Additional material: COSTA RICA: ALAJUELA: 3 ɗ, P.N. Volcan Tenorio, Est El Pilón, 700 m, 21– 27.iii.2005, Azofeifa & Luz ( INBIO). GUANACASTE: ɗ, Vista Miravalles, est. Cubra Muca, 1100 m, 26.vi to 6.vii.2003, Azofeifa et al. ( INBIO); ɗ, 3 km SE Rio Naranjo, v.1992, F. Parker ( EMUS). PUNTARENAS: ɗ, 6 km S. San Vito, 13–18.iii.1963 ( WSU). ɗ, Guanacaste: Santa Cruz, Vista del Mar, Torre Cocesna, 970 m, 18.vi.2002, Y. Cardenas; SAN JOSé: ɗ, Escazú, C. Pico Blanco, 2000 m, 19.iv.1993, H. Vargas & M. Zumbado ( INBIO); ɗ Farm La Caja, iv.1928, H. Schmidt ( USNM). PANAMA: ɗ, CHIRIQUI: 25 mi NW David, 31.iii.1960 ( AMNH).

Description. Male: body length: 4.8–5.0 mm; wing: 4.8 x 1.7 mm.

Head: 5–6 strong postvertical setae present, forming cluster at end of postocular row; strong proclinate vertical present on lateral frons; vertex, frons, face, and clypeus dark metallic blue-green, with orientated silvery pruinosity; clypeus narrowed distally; palp dark brown with apical seta; proboscis brown; antenna black; arista dorsal, about as long as head height; ventral postcranium with abundant black setae.

Thorax: metallic green with bronze reflections; 3 pairs long ac present, with shorter paired setulae anteriad; lateral scutellar setae almost half as long as median setae.

Legs: legs dark brown to black; CI and CII with black anterolateral setae; CIII with strong, black lateral seta and some shorter setae; femora with av and pv rows of black setae. I: 4.5; 4.7; 2.3/0.7/0.5/0.5/0.5; TI with irregular posterior and pd rows of black setae, longer in basal third (these long posterior and pd setae continue onto the basal tarsomeres (MSSC); It3–5 with long dorsal setae; It5 ( Fig. 1 b) expanded and flattened, subtriangular, with long dorsal setae and expanded pulvilli (MSSC.); II: 5.5; 6.2; 3.6/ 1.5/ 1.0/ 0.7/ 0.5; FII with rows of long av and pv setae; TII bare of major setae except for apicoventral seta; II: 7.0; 8.0; 2.6/2.1/1.3/0.8/0.5. Wing ( Fig.1 c): with dark brown cloud over basal and anterior part of the wing, extending posteriad of CuA and beyond the bend in vein M; vein M with gentle, right-angle curve at about 1/3 between dm-cu crossvein and wing apex; CuAx ratio: 1.3; lower calypter dark brown with black rim, and fan of black setae; halter stalk dark brown, club black.

Abdomen: tergum 1 metallic blue-green, with short, dark setae dorsally; terga 2–6 black with metallic violet reflections, with black vestiture; terga 4–5 with long black ventral setae near lateral margins; sternum 8 with long setae; hypopygium black ( Fig.1 a); phallus and hypandrium elongate and narrow; long epandrial seta at base of epandrial lobe; epandrial lobe broadly ovate, with strong setae at 1/2 and 3/4; surstylus with setae as figured; cercus curved and distally expanded with some strong apical setae.

Female: no reliably associated specimens seen; however Parent’s description notes that females have yellow tibiae and basitarsi.

Remarks. Mesorhaga lacrymans occurs in Costa Rica and Panama, at elevations from 1000 – 2000 m. This species is readily recognized by the male modified leg I tarsomere 5 and dark brown wing. According to Parent’s description, females also have the dark brown wing.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Mesorhaga lacrymans Parent: a. hypopygium, left lateral. b. male distal tarsus I, dorsal. c. male wing, dorsal. M. cocori n. sp.: d. hypopygium, left lateral. M. sarukhani n. sp.: e. hypopygium, left lateral. M. funebris Parent: f. hypopygium, left lateral. M. hule n. sp.: g. hypopygium, left lateral.