25. Morellia (M.) nigricosta Hough, 1900

(figs 51–64 in Albuquerque 1956)

Morellia nigricosta Hough, 1900: 216 . Type locality: BRAZIL, Mato Grosso, Chapada (dos Guimarães). Syntypes: 2 ƋƋ, 3 ♀♀, location not known, probably SEMC ; 1 ♂, FMNH (seen).

Musca nitida Wiedemann, 1830: 410 . Unavailable name; proposed in synonymy with Musca violacea Fabricius, 1805 (now in Calliphoridae). Locality: BRAZIL, Bahia. Specimens: 2 ƋƋ = Parapyrellia maculipennis (Macquart)], 1 ♀ (= Morellia nigricosta), NHMW (seen).

Pyrellia nitida Stein, 1918: 205 . Type localities: PERU, Vilcanota; PARAGUAY, San Bernardino; COSTA RICA, Higuito, San Mateo. Syntypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, HNHM (destroyed in 1956) ; 1 ♀, ZMHB (seen); 2 ♂♂, NHMW (Pont & Werner 2006: 73; Pont 2013: 93).

NOTE: Stein also noted that this species was in Winthem's collection in NHMW, labelled as nitida by Hoffmannsegg, and that other specimens with this label are actually violacea Fabricius [i.e. Parapyrellia maculipennis (Macquart)]. He was not aware of Wiedemann’s (1830) mention of nitida, nor did he validate this name.

Redescription. Colour. Black, with blue reflections. Frontal vitta and fronto-orbital plate shining black; face, parafacial, gena and antenna brownish-yellow, pedicel yellow, palpus yellow; thorax and abdomen with no pruinosity; legs brown; haltere whitish; calypters yellowish, upper calypter on outer half white and opaque; wing yellowish, with dark marking on humeral cross-vein, a long cloud-like spot from a little before Sc apex to wing apex, down from apex of Sc to r-m, R4+5, and dm-cu; subcostal apex connected to a spot on r-m and on apex of cell r1; abdomen without pruinosity.

Male. Body length: 6.0–7.0 mm; wing length: 5.0– 5.5 mm.

Head. Eyes bare, separated at level of anterior ocellus by about 0.15–0.18 of head width; frons divergent towards lunule; ocellar triangle with a pair of setae and some long setulae; 15–19 pairs of frontal setae; postpedicel 2.6–2.8 times the length of pedicel; pedicel with 2 setae and few short setulae; arista plumose, with 16–17 cilia, bare apicad, and with some secondary plumes as far as level of 4th to 5th cilia; vibrissa shorter than arista; 1 supravibrissal seta, less than half the length of vibrissa, and few setulae that extend to level of middle of postpedicel; 4 subvibrissal setae followed by 9–11 genal setae. Palpus expanded at apex.

Thorax. Acrostichals 0+1; dorsocentrals 0+2; intra-alars 1+1; presutural 1; prealar 1, strong, half the length of first supra-alar; supra-alars 2; postpronotals 3; notopleuron with 2 long, subequal setae and covered with groundsetulae; postalars 2; intrapostalar 1; scutellum with 1 basal, 2 latero-discal and 1 apical pairs of strong setae, and latero-ventrally with many setae, the basalmost ones downcurved; postalar wall and suprasquamal ridge bare; proepisternal depression bare; proepimeron with about 3 long setae and a few setulae; prosternum broad and setulose; anepisternum with a posterior row of about 12 setae, without upcurved setae on upper-anterior corner, and covered with long setulae; katepisternals 1+2, anepimeron extensively setulose on posterior half; katepimeron with 1 or 2 setulae; anatergite bare; katatergite setulose. Legs: fore femur with a posterodorsal row of setae, and a complete posteroventral row of setae; fore tibia with an anterodorsal row of short and strong setae, a row of short posteroventral setae on apical two-thirds, 1 dorsal and 1 posteroventral preapical setae, and anterior surface with a ctenidium of golden setulae; fore tarsus with strong setae ventrally; mid femur without a tubercle, with 3 preapical setae on dorsal to posterior surfaces, no ventral setae; mid tibia with a row of strong and very short dorsal setulae; posterior surface with 1 seta on each of basal, middle and apical thirds, 1 anterodorsal, 1 dorsal and 1 posterodorsal preapical setae, and 1 anteroventral, 2 posteroventral and 1 ventral apical setae; mid tarsus with strong setae ventrally; hind femur with an anteroventral row of setae, stronger on apical third, an anterodorsal row of setae, 2 posterodorsal setae on apical fourth, and a posteroventral row of setulae; hind tibia with 6 short and subequal anteroventral setae on apical two-thirds, an anterodorsal row of short setae, a dorsal row of short but strong setulae, 1 anterodorsal and 1 anterior preapical setae, no apical setae, and a posterior brush-like ctenidium; hind tarsus with strong setae ventrally. Wing with a uniform covering of microtrichia; dm-cu sinuous; stem-vein bare on both dorsal and ventral surfaces; R2+3 bare on dorsal and ventral surfaces; R4+5 setulose at base on dorsal and ventral surfaces; 1 strong seta on basicosta.

Abdomen. With a lateral tuft of setulae on tergites 2 and 3; tergites 4 and 5 with a few setae laterally; sternite 1 setulose, posterior margin of sternite 5 concave and with many setae.

Terminalia. Cercal plate with many setae, ventral surface with strong spines; surstylus with many setae on apical two-thirds; aedeagal apodeme narrowed apically; basiphallus long; aedeagus with spicules on anterior membrane of distiphallus; gonopod with 4 long and strong setae on basal half; paramere bare.

Female. Body length: 5.0–6.0 mm; wing length: 5.0–6.0 mm.

Similar to male, differing as follows: face and parafacial with silver pruinosity; eyes separated at level of anterior ocellus by 0.25–0.30 of head width; fronto-orbital plate with many proclinate setulae; hind tibia on anteroventral surface with 3 or 4 setae on apical half.

Ovipositor. Tergite 6 as 2 golf-clubshaped rods; tergite 7 as 2 rods, posteriorly with 2 plates with spines; tergite 8 as 2 rods, anteriorly curved, posteriorly with 2 narrow plates with long setae; sternite 7 as 3 plates with spines; sternite 8 as 2 small plates with setae; enlarged spicules on intersegmental membrane between segments 7 and 8; epiproct large with about 8 setae; hypoproct with many setae; cercus cylindrical.

Material examined. COSTA RICA, Higuito, San Mateo, P. Schild, vii.1918, 1 ♀ syntype of Pyrellia nitida Stein (ZMHB) . BRAZIL: Mato Grosso, Chapada (dos Guimarães), H.H. Smith, 1 Ƌ syntype of Morellia nigricosta Hough (FMNH) ; Mato Grosso, Sinop, x.1975, Alvarenga & Roppa, 1 Ƌ, 2 ♀♀ (MNRJ) ; Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, iii.1974, Alvarenga & Roppa, 1 Ƌ, 1 ♀ (MNRJ) ; Bahia, 1 ♀, as “ Musca nitida Wiedemann ” (NHMW) .

Distribution. NEOTROPICAL: Costa Rica, Peru, Guyana, Brazil (widespread), Paraguay.