Diogmites misellus Loew

Dennis, D. Steve, Barnes, Jeffrey K. & Knutson, Lloyd, 2008, Pupal cases of Nearctic robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae), Zootaxa 1868 (1), pp. 1-98 : 44

Diogmites misellus Loew

( Figs 25–26 )

The pupa of Diogmites misellus was described by Malloch (1915) under the name Deromyia winthemi . The following description is based on one female pupal case with pinned adult from the United States National Museum. It is labeled " Tappahannoch, Va.; B. 46, H. Fox; Aug. 9, 1915; reared from maggot attacking Lachnosterna ."

Redescription: Greatest length, including anterior antennal processes, 18.0 mm; greatest width of thorax 6.3 mm; greatest width of abdomen 5.1 mm, tapering to 2.0 mm at greatest width of abdominal segment 8. Anterior half of integument subshining golden brown, lower half lighter golden brown to whitish yellow; most spines and other processes glistening reddish brown, darker apically; abdominal spurs and spines uniformly colored.

Head with pair of long, dorsally flattened, ventrally wedge­shaped anterior antennal processes, not joined at base and group of 3 basally fused, apically blunt posterior antennal processes ventrolaterally on each side; middle and outer posterior processes slightly closer together, straight; outer posterior process elbowed basally; middle posterior process with outer basal pore. Labral sheath smooth except for 5 short grooves along midline, and slight posterior callosity. Proboscial sheath smooth, with longitudinal shallow groove on each side of midline, small median ridge posteriorly, and small callosity posterior to ridge. Maxillary sheath smooth, extending one­half to two­thirds length of proboscial sheath, with inner median tubercle at junction of labral and proboscial sheaths.

Anterior coxal sheath smooth with anterior, median, longitudinal split. Prothoracic spiracle elongate­oval, on minute callosity with slight anterior ridge. Anterior mesothoracic spines consisting of pair of long, narrow, medially bent, posteriorly curved, pointed spines on either side of thorax above base of mid leg sheath; outer spine slightly longer than inner spine; basal area of cuticle surrounding spines highly rugose. Posterior mesothoracic callosity rugose, with small, straight, apically rounded, highly sclerotized posterior mesothoracic spine. Wing sheath irregularly rugulose, bent directly in front of abdominal segment 1; median and basal tubercles absent. Thoracic area above wing sheath rugulose. Apex of hind leg sheath reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment 3.

Abdominal spiracles elongate­oval, almost flush with surface, situated along midline laterally.

Abdominal segment 1 with dorsal transverse row of 27 long, apically recurved spurs; median pair of spines three­fourths length of adjacent spines; dorsolateral bristle­like spines absent; 6 lateral bristle­like spines present behind each spiracle; venter obscured by wing and leg sheaths.

Segments 2–7 with dorsal transverse row of 8 long, recurved spurs alternating with 7 short, narrow, straight to apically recurved spines; some median short spines bifurcate or trifurcate and wider than adjacent spines; 6–9 dorsolateral bristle­like spines on each side and 9–11 lateral bristle­like spines behind each spiracle.

Segment 2 with 5 ventral bristle­like spines on each side of hind leg sheaths; segment 3 with incomplete, transverse row of 25 ventral bristle­like spines; segments 4–7 with complete transverse row of 30–37 ventral bristle­like spines; many ventral bristle­like spines of unequal length.

Segment 8 with 4–5 dorsal spurs of subequal length on each side of midline and 5 lateral bristle­like spines on each side; lacking spiracle, dorsolateral bristle­like spines, and ventral bristle­like spines.

Segment 9 rugose, with pair of long dorsal posterolateral processes curved toward each other and pair of short ventral posterolateral processes curved toward but not basally fused to dorsal posterolateral processes; ventral tubercles absent.

Figures

FIGURES 25–26. Diogmites misellus Loew, 26. posterior antennal process, dorsolateral view, 27. abdominal segments 8–9, posteroventral view. Abbreviations: dpp = dorsal posterolateral process, vpp = ventral posterolateral process.