Liriomyza helianthi Spencer, 1981

Lonsdale, Owen, 2021, Manual of North American Agromyzidae (Diptera, Schizophora), with revision of the fauna of the " Delmarva " states, ZooKeys 1051, pp. 1-481 : 1

Liriomyza helianthi Spencer

Figs 640-644

Liriomyza helianthi Spencer, 1981: 240. Spencer and Steyskal 1986: 289; Lonsdale 2011: 56, 2017: 58; Eiseman et al. 2019: 313.

Liriomyza virginica Spencer in Spencer and Steyskal 1986: 297. Lonsdale 2011 [synonymy].

Description.

Wing length 1.3-1.5 mm (♂), 1.5-1.6 mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein M4 divided by penultimate section: 2.1-3.7. Eye height divided by gena height: 4.0-5.3. Scutum subshiny.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori; two ors (rarely three). Acrostichal setulae in four rows.

Colouration: Head light yellow with ocellar tubercle, back of head, clypeus, and posterolateral region of frons to inner vertical seta (paler between verticals) dark brown. Scutum dark with complete lateral yellow stripe. Scutellum yellow with lateral corner brown. Katatergite yellow and anatergite brown with posterodorsal corner yellow; mediotergite dark brown. Anepimeron mostly brown, anepisternum with variable brown striping on ventral 1/2, meron brown with dorsal margin yellow and katepisternum brown on ventral 3/4 (yellow around base of seta). Calypter margin grey. Tibiae, tarsi, and bases of coxae brown, with tarsi and sometimes tibiae becoming paler basally; femora sometimes with very small, weak basal spot. Abdomen brown, tergites narrowly yellow posteriorly and broadly yellow laterally.

Genitalia: (Figs 640-644 ) Epandrium with one posterodistal spine. Surstylus with single subapical spine. Basiphallus sclerotised along left lateral and most of dorsal surfaces. Paraphallus large and well-defined, becoming broader distally and sometimes strongly clavate; sometimes not strongly widened apically and base of distiphallus slightly thicker. Hypophallus well-developed. Mesophallus short and slightly wider and darker than distiphallus base; completely fused to distiphallus. Distiphallus with complete ventral suture widening apically; gradually widening in ventral view, with broad apical chamber enclosing paired fringed structures; distiphallus straight to slightly sinuate in profile and with relative dimensions and amount of pigment slightly variable between specimens. Ejaculatory apodeme large, dark, and well-developed; stem narrow at base and blade broad; sperm pump with sclerotised bar broad, thick and wide at ends.

Variation: Some material darker than “typical” specimens described above. Sometimes with yellow lateral stripe on scutum entirely brown to mottled postsuturally; sometimes lateral margin of frons brown (sometimes also including base of ors), femora striated or darker apically (at least on fore femur), and pleuron darker, sometimes with only dorsal margin of anepisternum, katepisternum and katatergite yellow; abdomen sometimes entirely brown. Additional variation among Canadian specimens discussed in Lonsdale (2017).

Hosts.

Asteraceae - Artemisia biennis , Chrysogonum , Helianthus annuus L., Xanthium strumarium L., Ambrosia psilostachya DC, “Nasturtium” (Spencer and Steyskal 1986; Lonsdale 2011, 2017; Eiseman et al. 2019).

Distribution.

Canada. AB, BC, MB, NB, NS, ON, QC, SK. USA. CA, CO, MD, NC, NM, OR, VA, WA.

Type material.

Holotype [ Liriomyza helianthi ]: USA. CA: Stanislaus Co., Patterson, 27.ix.1948, swept on Helianthus annuus , Lot 162-1, K.E. Frick (1♂, CASC).

Holotype [virginica]: USA. VA: Patrick Co., Vesta, 2800ft, 30.v.1962, J.R. Vockeroth (1♂, CNC).

Additional material examined.

USA. MD: Montgomery Co., Bethseda , 7.vii.1970, G. Steyskal (1♂, USNM), NM: Cimarron, 26.v.1969, W.W. Wirth, river margin (1♂ [head missing], USNM), OR: Lake Co. , 3.vii. 1971, 10 mi NE Christmas Valley, G. Steyskal (1♂ [head missing], USNM), WA: Kamiac Butte, 25.vii.1914, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM). Also see Lonsdale (2011, 2017) .

Figures

Figures 636 - 644. Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), male genitalia 636 ejaculatory apodeme 637 external genitalia, ventral 638 phallus, left lateral 639 phallus, ventral 640 - 644 L. helianthi Spencer, male genitalia 640 external genitalia, ventral 641 ejaculatory apodeme 642 phallus, ventral 643 phallus, left lateral 644 holotype phallus, left lateral. Originally published in Lonsdale (2011).