Mesembrinella spicata, Aldrich., 1925

Whitworth, Terry L. & Yusseff-Vanegas, Sohath, 2019, A revision of the genera and species of the Neotropical family Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea), Zootaxa 4659 (1), pp. 1-146 : 49

Key to species of the M. spicata species-group

1. Disc, rim and fringe of setae of upper and lower calypters white; anterior spiracle yellowish. Male with short posterior projections medially on ST5 ( Fig. 245 ); epandrium, cerci and surstyli distinctive, as in Figs 27–28 ; female terminalia distinctive, as in Fig. 289.......................................................................... M . mexicana sp. nov.

- Discs of upper and lower calypters light tan to brown with dark rim and brown fringe; anterior spiracle brown [ M. spicata ] or yellow [ M. guaramacalensis ]. Male with long projections medially on ST5 [ M. spicata ], [condition unknown in M. guaramacalensis ]; female terminalia distinctive, Figs. 288, 290........................................................ 2

2 Anterior thoracic spiracle brown; T4 without marginal row of stout setae in both sexes; male with the rear margin of ST5 with pair of long projections midway ( Figs. 12 , 246 ); female T6 of RV shape................................... M. spicata

- Anterior thoracic spiracle yellow; T4 with marginal row of stout setae; [condition of ST 5 in male unknown]; female terminalia distinctive; T6 of WU shape ( Fig. 288 ).............................................. M. guaramacalensis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 239–251. Male sternites of Lanella spp. 239. L. fusconitida sp. nov. 240. L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. 241. L. nigripes Guimar„es 242. L. perisi (Mariluis). 243. L. purpurea sp. nov. 244. M. latifrons (Mello). 245. M. mexicana sp. nov. 246. M. spicata Aldrich. 247. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov. 248. M. woodorum sp. nov. 249. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 250. M. decrepita Séguy. 251. M. lara (Bonatto) (ST5 only).

FIGURES 27–32. Left lateral and posterior views of epandrium, cerci and surstyli of Mesembrinella spp. 27–28. M. mexicana sp. nov. 29–30. M. spicata Aldrich. 31–32. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov.

FIGURES 288–293. Female terminalia (T6–T8, epiproct, cerci) of Mesembrinella spp., dorsal view. 288. M. guaramacalensis sp. nov. 289. M. mexicana sp. nov. 290. M. spicata Aldrich. 291. M. epandrioaurantia sp. nov. 292. M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann). 293. M. decrepita Séguy.

FIGURES 9–14. Diagnostic characters of Mesembrinellidae. 9. Eggs of Laneella fuscosquamata sp. nov. 10. L. perisi (Mariluis), ventral view of tarsal claws, showing pale basal half. 11. L. fusconitida sp. nov., ventral view of tarsal claws, showing darker base. 12. M. spicata Aldrich, ventral view of male sternites, showing long projections on rear margin of ST5. 13. M. bicolor (Fabricius), posterior view of female occiput, showing median occipital sclerite. 14. M. socors (Walker), upper and lower calypters, showing disc, rim and fringe.