Houghia inflatipalpis Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 56-58

Houghia inflatipalpis Fleming & Wood , sp. nov.

Fig. 26 a–f

Diagnosis. No external features have yet been found that distinguish males of H. inflatipalpis from H. marini . The surstylus of H. inflatipalpis is, however, noticably longer than the cerci, extending beyond the apex of the cerci by at least the width of the surstylus ( Fig. 19 e). Females of H. inflatipalpis , however, have swollen palpi (hence the name) unlike females of H. marini and most other species of Houghia .

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises distinctly above middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere extending to facial margin. Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale [in females appearing swollen at its tip], usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate gold only at vertex, adjacent to ocellar triangle, the remainder silver (up to 25% coverage). Surface of fronto-orbital plate almost bare. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing to be notched anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising behind anterior ocellus but closer to anterior than to posterior ocelli. Eye bare. Postpronotum with 4 or 5 postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum separate from each other posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with short setae except for usually 3 to 5 distinctly larger setae. Katepisternum with three setae, the middle one always the smallest. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdomen dark to black. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen entirely black. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches shiny black. Terminalia: surstylus bayonet shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing few short apical spines, tip with light inwardly apical curve when viewed dorsally. Cerci sharply pointed or distinctly tapered, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci straight, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia inflatipalpis has been reared 56 times from 749 wild-caught caterpillars of rain forest Celaenorrhinus Burns 01 and 4 times from from a sample of 266 dry forest wild-caught Celaenorrhinus eligius (Stoll) (Hesperiidae) caterpillars, all feeding on Acanthaceae ; none have been reared from any other caterpillars, yet there are three other species of Celaenorrhinus Hübner , in the same two ecosystems (1041 rearings).

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, Sendero Cueston (10.99455°, -85.41461°), 640 m, 02/19/2007, Duvalier Briceño, DHJPAR0019777.

Paratypes. 51 ♂, 37 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0019667, DHJPAR0008128, DHJPAR0021020, DHJPAR0010327, DHJPAR0019720, DHJPAR0019670, DHJPAR0024495, DHJPAR0005485, DHJPAR0011488, DHJPAR0005456, DHJPAR0016617, DHJPAR0016618, DHJPAR0016606, DHJPAR0016500, DHJPAR0008504, DHJPAR0008125, DHJPAR0008494, DHJPAR0008495, DHJPAR0008497, DHJPAR0008503, DHJPAR0008501, DHJPAR0048658, DHJPAR0040682, DHJPAR0008506, DHJPAR0008499, DHJPAR0008507, DHJPAR0008498, DHJPAR0008505, DHJPAR0005560, DHJPAR0008500, DHJPAR0008229, DHJPAR0008130, DHJPAR0011534, DHJPAR0019668, DHJPAR0037565, DHJPAR0016608, DHJPAR0016622, DHJPAR0016601, DHJPAR0029637, DHJPAR0011525, DHJPAR0019632, DHJPAR0019689, DHJPAR0040733, DHJPAR0037261, DHJPAR0037306, DHJPAR0008496, DHJPAR0008502, 06-SRNP-8517, 09-SRNP-73005, 07-SRNP-41250, 07-SRNP-1165, 08-SRNP-1253, 05-SRNP-43061, 93-SRNP-7384, 99-SRNP- 13361, 95-SRNP-10639, 08-SRNP-5015, 04-SRNP-60567, 04-SRNP-30777, 02-SRNP-19302, 01-SRNP-5048, 07-SRNP-2200, 99-SRNP-12313, 04-SRNP-55667, 00-SRNP-12865, 03-SRNP-10036, 02-SRNP-7747, 02- SRNP-21439, 02-SRNP-19302, 06-SRNP-8521, 06-SRNP-8615, 06-SRNP-8614, 06-SRNP-8091, 07-SRNP- 1468, 07-SRNP-2282, 09-SRNP-33184, 07-SRNP-32393, 05-SRNP-6211.

Etymology. From the Latin participle, “ inflatus ”, derived from the verb, “ inflo ” to blow into (inflate), and the noun “ palpus ”, literally the palm of the hand (palpus), in reference to the swollen palpi of the female of this species.

Distribution. Costa Rica, ACG, Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste, rain forest (primarily) and dry forest, 280–900 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 19. General morphology of Houghia crypta sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.

FIGURE 26. General morphology of Houghia inflatipalpis sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.