Houghia luteiventris Fleming & Wood

Fleming, Alan J., Wood, Monty, Smith, Alex, Hallwachs, Winnie & Janzen, Daniel H., 2014, Revision of the New World species of Houghia Coquillett (Diptera, Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Zootaxa 3858 (1), pp. 1-90 : 64-66

Houghia luteiventris Fleming & Wood sp. nov.

Fig. 31 a–f

Diagnosis. This is the only species of Houghia in which the ground colour of the abdomen is translucent yellow and there are only 2 katepisternal setae. Both sexes may be recognized by these two character states. Setae on the male sex patches are black, and confined to tergites 4 and 5 (they are paler and present also on tergite 3 in H. gracilis and H. graciloides ).

Description. Male. Antenna black. When viewed in profile, antenna arises approximately at level of middle of eye. Length of first flagellomere almost extending to facial margin (usually shorter by less than length of pedicel). Facial ridge bare except for a few (usually 3–5) decumbent small setae above vibrissa. Palpus pale, usually distinctly yellowish. Postgena behind postoccipital row, above level of lower facial margin, with a small patch of few black setae or extensively covered with setae, and fine hairs. Parafacial silver. Colour of fronto-orbital plate pale brassy to gold on its entire length from vertex to base of antenna (more than 50% coverage). Surface of frontoorbital plate covered with small recumbent hairs, especially near margin of eye. Ocellar triangle, when viewed from above appearing to be notched anteriorly. Diameter of anterior ocellus equal to, or greater than, diameter of base of adjacent ocellar seta. Ocellar setae arising beside, or slightly in front of, anterior ocellus. Eye with inconspicuous hairs. Postpronotum with 4 or 5 postpronotal setae. Dark stripes on either side of dorsocentral row of setae, separated from one another by yellow tomentosity. Median and lateral stripes on either side of scutum united to one another posteriorly. Postsutural dorsocentral setae 4. Anterior quadrant of anepisternum covered with short setae except for usually 3 to 5 distinctly larger setae. Katepisternum with two setae. Vein R1 bare dorsally. Legs ranging from reddish brown to yellow tinged but overall dark. Coxae dark usually concolourous with remainder of leg. Ground colour of dorsal surface of abdominal tergite 3, and in some specimens parts of other tergites as well, dark medially but reddish laterally. Ground colour of ventral surface of abdomen partially or entirely reddish or yellowish. Sex patches present on tergites 4 and 5. Ground colour of sex patches not distinctly shiny. Terminalia, surstylus equilaterally oblong shaped, posterodorsal half bare, apex bearing many stout apical spines, tip straight. Cerci rounded, apex with blunt, hooked tip, ventral surface haired, separation between cerci deep narrow V shape, up to 85% as long as surstylus. Lobe of sternite 5 small and pointed apically, inner margin covered in dense tomentosity appearing darker than surrounding cuticle, internal edge inwardly curved, single long apical seta emanating from apex.

Hosts. Houghia luteiventris has been reared 5 times, from 3 species of rain forest Oxytenis (Saturniidae) in a total of 2155 Oxytenis Hübner , caterpillar collections, but has been captured as an adult in other parts of rainforested Costa Rica (see localities below).

Holotype. ♂, CNC. Type locality: Costa Rica, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Prov. Guanacaste, Sector Del Oro, Canyon Rio Mena (10.99616°, -85.45562°), 560 m, 08/19/2009, Lucia Rios, DHJPAR0036505.

Paratypes. 10 ♂, 5 ♀ ( CNC) Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, ACG database codes: DHJPAR0008534, DHJPAR0019538, DHJPAR0027790, DHJPAR0017037, DHJPAR0021186, 06-SRNP-65811, 09-SRNP-22471, 03-SRNP-21186; Costa Rica, Guanacaste, P.N. Guanacaste, Sector Pitilla, 9 km S. Santa Cecilia, 700m, Jun 1994, C. Moraga, L N 330200_3800200 #3002; Costa Rica, Prov. Cartago, P.N. Barbilla Camino a Valle Escondido, 2 km S. Rio Dantas, 700m, 24 May 2000, E. Rojas, Manual L.N. 218200_594400 #63172; Costa Rica, Prov. Cartago, P.N. Barbilla, Turrialba, Tayutic, Campamento 2, 1200m, 5-9 May 2005, D. Briceño, M. Moraga, Libre, L_N_213371_600782 #80271; Costa Rica, Prov. Punt, Rancho Quemado, 200 m, Peninsula de Osa, 12 a 31 mar 1993. A. Gutiérrez. L-S-292500, 511000.

Etymology. From the Latin adjective, “ luteus ”, yellow, and the feminine gender, “ ventris ”, of the noun “ venter ”, meaning belly, in reference to the pale yellow ground colour of the abdomen, particularly prominent on the underside.

Distribution. Costa Rica, Puntarenas Province north to Cartago, and ACG (Prov. Alajuela & Guanacaste), rain forest, 200–1200 m elevation.

Figures

FIGURE 31. General morphology of Houghia luteiventris sp. nov. a. Dorsal habitus. b. Frontal view of head. c. Lateral habitus. d. Posterior view of male terminalia. e. Lateral view of male terminalia. f. Ventral view of sternite 5 + segments 7 + 8.