Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth, 2019

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 : 27-33

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4659.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:57309E14-0330-4ED7-BCDA-355EE6618215
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DA87E6-0F20-FFF5-FF19-B8B6379DFD34
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth , sp. nov.

( Figs 9 View FIGURES 9–14 , 17–18 View FIGURES 15–20 , 107–108 View FIGURES 105–114 , 196 View FIGURES 195–201 , 240 View FIGURES 239–251 , 283 View FIGURES 282–287 , 327 View FIGURES 326–349 , 371 View FIGURES 370–400 , 412 View FIGURES 411–423 , 456 View FIGURES 455–459 , 488 View FIGURE 488 )

Diagnosis. A fairly large fly averaging 12.25 mm (11–13/4) in length. Basal half of tarsal claws darkened: orange, brown or black; thorax brown to reddish-brown; wing without brown spot on crossvein r-m; abdomen shiny metallic blue to purple; wing with section IV about 0.41. Male terminalia distinctive, in lateral view, cercus long and curved forward ( Figs 17–18 View FIGURES 15–20 ). Female terminalia as in Fig. 283 View FIGURES 282–287 ; spermathecae tuberform, shorter than in other species of Laneella ( Fig. 371 View FIGURES 370–400 ).

Description. Male [three specimens known]. Head. Frons 0.02/3 of head width at narrowest. Fronto-orbital, frontal vitta, parafacial and gena dark orange; frontal setae ascending 40% of distance to vertex; frontal vitta dark, obliterated about midway; gena with typical row of setae and with scattered dark setae; postgena and occiput dark with silvery tomentum and fine golden setae, median occipital sclerite shiny black; antenna dark orange except distal 2/3 of arista black; palpus typical; eye with median facets 3x size of lateral facets; ocellar triangle small, ocelli equal in size; facial ridge with long, stout black supravibrissal setae ascending facial ridge to about 40% of distance to antennal base.

Thorax brown to dark orange with heavy yellowish tomentum and irregular bare, shiny brown areas; pleura a dark orange; chaetotaxy: ac 2:3, dc 2:3, ia 1, ph 1, ppn 3x 3, kat 2:1, meral setae typical; 1 pair converging ap; 1 sa, 2 lat, 1 bas, 1 weak pb, 1 disc; subscutellum weakly developed; spiracles brown. Legs dark orange. Wing hyaline; subcostal sclerite without setae, with heavy pubescence only; basicosta orange; tegula dark orange; section IV 0.46 (0.41–0.51/3) of section III; upper and lower calypters dark brown; rim of upper calypter dark with short setae, rim of lower calypter brown with long reddish-brown setae.

Abdomen shiny metallic blue to purple with heavy white tomentum, T1+2 orange tinted; T3 with long slender lateral marginal setae, T4 with row of long slender marginal setae; disc of T5 without row of stout setae, whole segment with long fine setae. Terminalia in lateral view with surstylus parallel-sided, angling slightly forward; cercus large, robust, arching backward then curving forward in lower half ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 15–20 ); in posterior view cercus broad at base, gradually narrowing to tip ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 15–20 ); phallus in lateral view with long slender epiphallus curving posteriorly ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 105–114 ); in dorsal view hypophallic lobes large and circular ( Fig. 108 View FIGURES 105–114 ); T6, STS7+8, pre- and postgonite, ejaculatory sclerite, ST6 and hypandrium as in Fig. 196 View FIGURES 195–201 ; ST1–5 as in Fig. 240 View FIGURES 239–251 .

Female. Similar to male except frons broad, 0.32 (0.30–0.33/3) of head width at narrowest. T6 flattened, parallel-sided; T7 and T8 divided as separate sclerites; posterior edge of epiproct recessed midway ( Fig. 283 View FIGURES 282–287 ); ST 6 in shape of inverted pear, ST8 divided, ST6–8 unusually narrow ( Fig. 327 View FIGURES 326–349 ); spermathecae tuberform ( Fig. 371 View FIGURES 370–400 ), about half as long as in other Laneella ; ST1–5 broad with stout, dark setae ( Fig. 412 View FIGURES 411–423 ).

Egg. Of Phaonia - type [A. Grzywacz, pers. comm.; see Skidmore (1985) and Grzywacz et al. (2012)]. Translucent white, elongated, with dorsal surface flat or slightly concave and ventral surface convex, appearing to have a fully-developed eggshell ready for oviposition ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9–14 ). Micropyle at anterior pole set in a funnel-shaped area surrounded by slightly raised folds; posterior pole rounded. Median area on whole dorsal surface of egg broad, with broadly foliate hatching pleats throughout its entire length; hatching pleats probably with hexagonal pattern [detailed SEM investigation required]; hatching pleats simple along entire margin, not denticulate. Remaining egg chorion with distinct hexagonal pattern.

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂♦* ( TLW444 ) (Mexico, Federal ; USNM; Fig. 456 View FIGURES 455–459 ), labeled: R.E. P.S. A. [= Ecological Reserve of Pedegral of San Angel] Ciudad / de MEXICO / 25 Noviembre-15 / Troncoso D. / Trampa NTP-80; Troncoso D. / Nuñez C .; HOLOTYPE / Laneella / fuscosquamata / T.L. Whitworth.

ALLOTYPE ♀ ♦ ( TLW445 ): same data as holotype ( USNM).

PARATYPES: Mexico, Mexico. 1 ♀, Chapingo , 17.viii.1957, Wm. W. Gibson ( WSUP) ; 1 ♀, Cantera Oriente , Ciudad Universitaria, D.F., CPL493, C. Pedraza ( UNAM) . Chiapas, Union Juárez Municipality: 1 ♂*, 2 ♂♂, Ta- cana Chiquihuite, Pico de Gallo , 1.xii.2017, T. pitfall, T3, Luis López & Jorge León Cortéz ( ECOSC-E) ; 2 ♀♀, same data except Rio Malá , 9.viii.2018 ( ECOSC-E) . Guatemala, Guatemala. 1 ♀ *, Puerta Parada , 14°55ʹ66ʺN 90°46ʹ33ʺS, 1850 m, summer 2016, Malaise trap, Jack Schuster ( UVGC) .

Distribution. Guatemala, Mexico.

Remarks. This species is superficially similar to some species of the blow fly genus Calliphora Robineau- Desvoidy ( Diptera : Calliphoridae ).

The description of the egg is based on a subsample out of ca. 75 eggs extracted from the dissected abdomen of a female paratype of L. fuscosquamata sp. nov. from Chiapas, Mexico ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9–14 ). To our knowledge, this is the first record of a mesembrinellid with eggs. Another female of this species was dissected, but no eggs or larvae were found in the abdomen. Out of several hundred dissections of females of many species of mesembrinellids, this was the first in which we encountered eggs, though early instar larvae were often encountered in other species. A female of L. purpurea sp. nov., which clustered near L. fuscosquamata in the NJ tree ( Fig. 488 View FIGURE 488 ), was dissected and an early instar larva was found in the abdomen, but no eggs.

Guimar„es (1977) suggested that Laneella is the most primitive genus of this family, which may explain the egg-laying habit of one of its species. Compared to other Laneella , the ovipositor in L. fuscosquamata has T7 divided (vs. T7 is continuous in other Laneella ), which may reflect an egg-laying vs. larviparous habit.

Two specimens ( TLW 444–445) were barcoded and formed a distinct cluster near L. purpurea in our NJ tree ( Fig. 488 View FIGURE 488 ).

Etymology. The species name fuscosquamata is a combination of the Latin fusco (dusky) and squama (scale), which reflects the dark brown upper and lower calypters of both sexes.