Notiochyromya sp.

Ebejer, Martin J., 2023, A first account of Chyromyidae (Diptera: Acalyptratae) from continental Central and South America and some Caribbean Islands, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 5319 (3), pp. 301-331 : 309

Notiochyromya sp.

Fig. 6

Material: WEST INDIES: 1♀, St Maarten, Philipsburg, -. vii.1979, leg. N.L.H. Krauss ( UZMC) . Diagnosis: An entirely yellow species with no external structural or chromatic distinguishing features.

Description

Female.

Head: all yellow except for dark reddish ringed ocelli; frons narrowed anteriorly, at level of antennae 0.8 width that at level of anterior ocellus and at vertex about 1/3 width of head, with few minute pale setulae; gena narrow in front, deeper behind, in profile, below middle of eye, about equal to half height of eye, with several scattered pale setulae; occiput in profile narrowly visible behind eye, with postocular setulae in one row; mouth parts all yellow; 1 vibrissal seta moderately developed; face short, poorly sclerotized and depressed; median carina not developed; antenna yellow; first segment of arista yellow, second broken on both antennae just beyond base; chaetotaxy: 3 fronto-orbitals, with short setulae in between, paraverticals short and crossed; 1 inner and 1 outer vertical broken; ocellars broken.

Thorax: scutum orange yellow; pleura pale yellow; chaetotaxy: 1 postpronotal with 3 short setulae medial to it, 1 pre-alar, 2 notopleurals, 1 postalar, 2 dorsocentrals, acrostichals numerous, very short, in 6 to 8 irregular rows, a transverse row of 4 prescutellars, medial pair longer, almost as long as dorsocentrals, 4 scutellars, 1 anepisternal with a curved vertical row of 12 setulae anterior to it, 1 katepisternal at upper posterior corner with 3 setulae horizontally anterior to it.

Wing: veins all pale yellow; distance on costa between R 2+3 and R 4+5 about 0.5 that between R 4+5 and M; distance between cross veins about x2 length of posterior cross vein, which lies only slightly oblique and is about half length of apical section of vein Cu. Haltere pale yellow.

Legs: not modified, entirely yellow and pale setulose.

Abdomen: all tergites yellow except for some irregular brown post-mortem discolouration; tergite 4 about 1.3 times longer than tergite 3, tergites with relatively few brown setulae especially along posterior margins, longest only about 1/5 length of respective tergite.

Male: unknown.

Body length: 1.6mm, Wing length: 1.5mm.

Similar species: in the NHMUK, London are two female specimens from Peru, most likely of the same species [one from Rimac Valley, S.L. 28.vii.1971, C. & M. Vardy, BM 1971-533 ; the second from Chancay, shrubs near river, 40 miles N of Lima, fertile irrigated region in coastal desert, 29.vii.1971, P.S. & H.L. Broomfield ( BM 1971- 486 )]. They are similar to the specimen described above, but males for all are required to confidently ascertain their status. In London, t here are also two male and eight female paratypes of Gymnochiromyia hawaiiensis Hardy, 1980 . This species fits in Notiochyromya rather than in Gymnochiromyia and it differs from all the above listed specimens in chaetotaxy and general appearance. African and Australasian species of this genus have various black or brown distinctive marks on the abdomen. Species in this genus from the Oriental and Neotropical regions are not adequately known to permit more comparative comments .

Figures

FIGURE 6. Notiochyromya sp. female. A. lateral view. B. anterodorsal oblique view.Arrow indicating prealar seta.