Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ( Brues, 1919a )

Ament, Danilo Cesar & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2013, Taxonomic revision of the genus Neopleurophora Brown (Diptera: Phoridae), with the description of thirty seven new species, Zootaxa 3657 (1), pp. 1-93 : 6-8

Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ( Brues, 1919a)

(Fig: 1)

Paraspiniphora scutellata var. jamaicensis Brues, 1919a: 431 .

Chaetocnemistoptera jamaicensis ; Schmitz, 1927: 31; 1929: 93.

Chaetopleurophora jamaicensis ; Brues, 1943: 52; Borgmeier, 1961: 3; 1962: 452; 1968: 13.

Chaetopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ; Borgmeier, 1969: 38.

Neopleurophora scutellata var. jamaicensis ; Brown, 1992: 51.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, JAMAICA: Liguanea Plain , xii.1911, C. Brues col. ( MCZ).

Comments. The female holotype of N. scutellata var. jamaicensis differs from the female holotype of N. scutellata in having three posterodorsal setae on hind tibia, while N. scutellata has four. Its status has been changed over the years depending on the view if this represents sufficient variation to separate them as different species. Both holotypes are females and could not be associated to males with confidence. Neopleurophora hind leg chaetotaxy sometimes can be used to diagnose species, but species as N. kleini sp. nov., N. colobopyga sp. nov., N. setipes and N. browni sp. nov. show intraespecific variation of this character, in some cases even in the same specimen. Since the diagnoses of most species are based on male terminalia, which are not available in this case, and hind leg chaetotaxy is extremely plastic within the genus, we do not see enough evidence to accept them as different species.

For the sake of the construction of a system within the genus to organize our knowledge on the diversity of species, but without having to erect additional formal taxa below the generic level, we propose groups and subgroups of species. Two main divisions—I and II—contain respectively groups 1 to 4 and 5 to 6. Group 6 is further divided into sections A and B. Even though we tried to gather the species based on features that seemed to correspond to apomorphic states (especially from the male terminalia characters), a formal study of the phylogenetic relationships within the genus is still wanting.

I. Species with free-ending epiphallus

Diagnosis. Epiphallus free-ending, bearing thin, transparent scales; phallic ventral plate usually not very developed, restricted to right side of phallus ( Figs. 6 , 252–277 ). Right subepandrial setulose process absent ( Fig. 51 ). Midtibia with three or more anterodorsal setae, hind tibia with five or more anterodorsal setae. Tergites with dense microtrichia producing a silvery sheen.

Species included. Neopleurophora scleropyga and N. synaptodrilus (group 1); N. acrensis , N. kleini , N. microssoma , N. prionotopyga and N. reginensis (group 2); N. acrochaetopyga , N. carcharopyga , N. dichaeta and N. tanytarsus (group 3); N. atlantica and N. boliviana (group 4).

Group 1.

Diagnosis. Right arm of phallus fused to basiphallus ( Figs. 252–255 ).

Species included: Neopleurophora scleropyga and N. synaptodrilus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Neopleurophora. 1. N. scutellata var. jamaicensis holotype habitus; 2. N. kungi head in lateral view; 3. N. lamasi head in dorsal view; 4. N. balbii wing; 5. N. megalopyga hypopygium in dorsal view (as the hypopygium is twisted it is the hypopygial left lateral); 6–7. Schematic drawings of the distinct main morphologies of the phallus found in Neopleurophora (colors representing homologies). Abbreviations: bs, basiphallus (in green); cp, core plate (in red); dp, dorsal process; epi, epiphallus (in blue); LGS, lower genal seta; ra, right arm; ssp, secondary scaled plate; UGS, upper genal seta; vp, ventral plate.

FIGURES 252–255. Neopleurophora phallus. 252–253. N. scleropyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 254–255. N. synaptodrilus, dorsal and left lateral view respectively. Abbreviations: bs, basiphallus; cp, core plate; epi, epiphallus; ra, right arm; vp, ventral plate.

FIGURES 256–259. Neopleurophora phallus. 256–257. N. acrensis, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 258–259. N. kleini, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 260–263. Neopleurophora phallus. 260–261. N. microssoma, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 262–263. N. prionotopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 264–267. Neopleurophora phallus. 264–265. N. reginensis, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 266–267. N. acrochaetopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 268–271. Neopleurophora phallus. 268–269. N. carcharopyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 270–271. N. dichaeta, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 272–275. Neopleurophora phallus. 272–273. N. tanytarsus, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 274–275. N. atlantica, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 276–279. Neopleurophora phallus. 276–277. N. boliviana, dorsal and left lateral view respectively; 278–279. N. brachypyga, dorsal and left lateral view respectively.

FIGURES 48–51. Neopleurophora tanytarsus hypopygium. 48. Dorsal; 49. Ventral; 50. Left lateral; 51. Right lateral.