Liriomyza nigriscutellata Spencer

Lonsdale, Owen, 2011, The Liriomyza (Agromyzidae: Schizophora: Diptera) of California 2850, Zootaxa 2850 (1), pp. 1-123 : 78

Liriomyza nigriscutellata Spencer

Figs 169–174

Liriomyza nigriscutellata Spencer 1981: 253 . Spencer & Steyskal 1986: 108.

Wing length 1.4mm (♂), 1.6mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein CuA 1 divided by penultimate section: 2.6– 3.0; vein dm-cu sometimes absent. Eye height divided by gena height: 4.2–4.8. Epistoma distinct. Scutum subshining. First flagellomere enlarged, truncated apically and sometimes with dorsoapical corner slightly pointed. Orbital plate and parafacial slightly projecting anteriorly.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori, two ors; sometimes appearing as three ori and one ors. Acrostichal setulae in two rows.

Colouration: Calypter margin and hairs light grey to yellow. Distal 2/3 of first flagellomere brownish (paratype), lightly infuscated (holotype) or entirely yellow; posterolateral corner of frons dark brown to base of inner vertical bristle (region between base of vertical bristles paler in holotype), and with thin brown line along posterior margin of eye; lateral margin of frons with thin brown line that extends to base of posterior ors in all specimens, and very faintly to base of anterior ors and posterior ori in all specimens excluding holotype; ocellar triangle and back of head dark brown (with brownish connection); clypeus dark brown; ventral margin of gena with light brownish stripe that fades posteriorly; face brownish in holotype; tip of palpus sometimes slightly infuscated. Thorax dark brown with notopleuron yellowish posterolaterally (palest along transverse suture); types with relatively small light yellow spot on notopleuron, postpronotum brown with margins yellow (venter more broadly yellow in holotype) and holotype with region immediately behind transverse suture light yellow; centre of scutellum yellowish. Legs dark brown with femora yellowish apically (palest on fore femur) and tarsi paler to base. Abdomen dark brown.

Genitalia: Figs 169, 170 . Surstylus thin and with single subapical spine. Swollen apical section of duct only slightly narrowed at ends. Paraphallus membranous. Hypophallus curved with long apical hairs. Mesophallus slightly longer than wide, cylindrical, slightly narrowed apically and fused to distiphallus. Distiphallus with dark bulbous base (inner surface with several small spinules) and with clear apical tubules; base of tubules continue ventrally along bulb, becoming darker and thinner. Ejaculatory apodeme with pileus ejaculatorius darker laterally, stem relatively long and thin and blade small and pale with slightly darker submarginal band.

Variation: Material from Darwin Falls ( Figs 171–174 ) and Wister differ as follows: eye height divided by gena height 5.0–5.7; calypter margin yellow; orbital plate entirely yellow or only dark to level of anterior ors; epistoma indistinct; base colour of postpronotum and sometimes notopleuron light brown; scutum shining; base of all tibiae yellow; tubules on distiphallus with base more strongly arched to meet apex of dark, heavily spinulose dorsobasal dome.

Host. Unknown; adult[?] collected on Bebbia juncea (Asteraceae) .

Range. USA. California [Imperial*, Inyo*, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo*, Santa Barbara*].

Type material. Holotype, USA. California: Riverside Co., P.L. Boyd Desert Research Center, Coyote Creek , 3.5mi S of Palm Desert, 27.iv.1974, J.K. Mollett (1♂, CASC) ; Paratype, USA. California: San Bernardino Co., 3mi S Kramer Jct. , 6.iv.1966 (1♀, UCD) .

Additional material examined. USA. California: Imperial Co., Wister , 13.iv.1986, T10 S, R14 E, S5, R. D. Goeden & D.W. Ricker, field collected from Bebbia juncea (Benth) Greene , BJ-86-6k (1♂, UCR) , Inyo Co., Darwin Falls, 14.v.1969, P.A. Rude (1♂, EMEC), Mazourka Cyn., Independence , 8mi NE, 11.v.1969, J. Powell (1♀, EMEC) , San Luis Obispo Co., 10mi SE Creston , 25.iv.1968, J. Powell (1♂, EMEC) , Santa Barbara Co., Davey Brown Cpgd. , 12mi NE Los Olivos, 10.viii.1983, Malaise trap 9A-5 P, M. Wasbauer & P. Adams (1♀, CSCA) .

Comments. The distiphallus of the holotype has a relatively short basal section with a minutely-spinulose dorsal chamber and straight apical tubules, but the dissected non-type males differ slightly externally and in the structure of the phallus: the tubules of the distiphallus are strongly curved, the basal section is elongate with the basal section dome-like and heavily spinulose, the mesophallus is smaller and the ejaculatory apodeme is broader.

Figures

FIGURES 169–174. Figs 169–170: Liriomyza nigriscutellata Spencer, male genitalia; 169: male holotype genitalia; 170: phallus, ventral (Creston male). Figs 171–174: L. nigriscutellata, male genitalia (Darwin Falls male); 171: ejaculatory apodeme; 172: external components; 173: phallus, left lateral; 174: phallus, ventral.