Phytomyza obscura Hendel

Guglya, Yuliia, 2021, Rearing mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from host plants as an instrument for associating females with males, with the description of seven new species, Zootaxa 5014 (1), pp. 1-158 : 75-77

Phytomyza obscura Hendel

( Figs. 236–239 , 606–611 )

Material examined: Ukraine: Transcarpathia: Nova Stuzhytsa, Uzhanskyi National Park , 49°02’N, 22°34’E, 16.vii.2019, Yu. Guglya, ex Mentha sp. (1♂) ; Kyiv Region: Kyiv , 50°23’42”N, 30°32’53”E, 09.viii.2019, Yu. Guglya, ex Mentha sp. (1♀) ; Kharkiv Region: near Rubizhne , 50°06’N, 36°46’E, 8–14.viii.2020, Yu. Guglya, ex Clinopodium vulgare (7♂ 5♀) .

Hosts. Lamiaceae : Clinopodium L., Satureja L. ( Benavent-Corai et al. 2005), Nepeta L. ( Warrington 2021). Mentha sp. —a newly recorded host plant.

Mine. ( Fig. 236 ) The larva forms a brown upper surface linear-blotch mine at the apex of the leaf. The mine begins near the centre of the leaf, only later adjoining the leaf margin. Pupation takes place within the mine near the leaf margin.

Puparium. ( Figs. 237–239 ) Virtually colourless, translucent, glossy, 2.0 mm long, with shallow but distinct segmentation; surface quite smooth except for wide bands of fine spines. One row of sparse larger spines encircles each segment medially. Posterior spiracles set on short, stout, conical protuberances that are entirely separate; black, with ten to twelve fine sessile bulbs set in a kidney-like configuration. Ventral portion of last abdominal segment distinctly protruding posteriorly viewed from the side. Anal plate strongly protruding above the surface of the puparium viewed from the side and directed ventro-posteriorly.

Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. ( Fig. 606 ) Mouthhooks equal in size, each bearing two accessory teeth. Intermediate sclerite straight, 1.31× as long as maximum height of mouthhook. The mouthhook, the intermediate sclerite and the dorsal cornu ventro-anteriorly are strongly sclerotized; the dorsal cornu dorsally and posteriorly and ventral cornu are much less so. The dorsal cornu bears an “open” window ventro-posteriorly. The ventral cornu bears a “closed” window located centrally. Indentation index 80.

Female head. ( Figs. 607, 608 ) Black, with only proboscis bright yellow; orbit not projecting above eye in profile; 2 orb s, 1 fr s; lunule broad, higher than a semicircle, reaching the level between fr s and the anterior orb s. Arista strong and long; pped large, flattened anteriorly; gena medially 0.2× as high as maximum height of eye.

Female genitalia. ( Figs. 609–611 ) Capsule of spermatheca elatively small, 0.18× as high as height of anterior part of oviscape. Spermathecae equal in size, dark brown, flattened ovate, wider than high. Spermathecal duct weakly sclerotized. Ventral receptacle S-shaped, with long, narrow, well sclerotized tail that widens basally. Body of receptacle suboval with sharply curved basal connecting tube, strongly sclerotized, 0.53× as wide as diameter of spermatheca; with opening equal in diameter with spherical part of body.

Distribution. European species that occurs in Austria,Azores Islands, British Isles, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Madeira, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain ( Papp & Černý 2019). Ukraine (first record).

Comments. Externally it is difficult to differ P. obscura and P. origani except having 4 fronto-orbitals in P. origani and 3 in P. obscura . In male genitalia the most reliable indication is the shape of the hypophallus (See in Nowakowski 1959: Figs. 2 c, 4 c ). In female terminaria shape of spermatheca and ventral receptacle are distinctly different (See descriptions above and below and figs. 610, 611, 616).

Figures

FIGURES 236–244. Figures 236–239: Phytomyza obscura Hendel; 236: mine with puparium (indicated by arrow)in Mentha sp. leaf; 237: empty puparium viewed from the side; 238: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view); 239: posterior spiracles (posterior view). Figures 240–244: P. origani Hering; 240: mine with puparium (indicated by arrow) in Origanum vulgare leaf; 241: mine with puparium (indicated by arrow) in Mentha × piperita leaf; 242: empty puparium viewed from the side; 243: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view); 244: posterior spiracles (posterior view).

FIGURES 606–611. Phytomyza obscura Hendel; 606: cephalopharyngeal skeleton; 607: frontal view of head; 608: head viewed from the side; 609: oviscape, ventral receptacle and spermathecae proportionally; 610: spermatheca; 611: ventral receptacle.

FIGURES 1–8. Figures 1–4: Agromyza abiens Zetterstedt; 1: mine in Cynoglossum officinale leaf; 2–3: posterior segments of puparium; 2: lateral view; 3: posterior view. 4: posterior spiracles (posterior view). Figures 5–8: A. albipennis Meigen; 5: mine with larva (indicated by arrow) in Elymus repens leaf; 6–7: posterior segments of puparium; 6: lateral view; 7: posterior view. 8: posterior spiracles (posterior view).