Procecidochares atra (Loew)

Norrbom, Allen L., Sutton, Bruce D., Steck, Gary J. & Monzón, José, 2010, New genera, species and host plant records of Nearctic and Neotropical Tephritidae (Diptera) 2398, Zootaxa 2398, pp. 1-65 : 43-44

Procecidochares atra (Loew)

Fig. 89

Distribution. Foote et al. (1993, map 60) showed the range of this species to extend from southeastern Canada (Nova Scotia, Ontario) throughout the midwestern and northeastern United States (south to Virginia and west to Kansas), with single records from Georgia and northern Florida, and four records from Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Foote (1967) also cataloged it from Mexico (northern Sonora and Chapingo). Sutton et al. (2003) reported P. atra from the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, and Sutton & Steck (2005) reported that it is present in the panhandle of Florida. A few records reported below further verify and extend the known distribution of P.atra in the southern United States to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

The data point on the Foote et al. (1993) map in Colorado was based on a male (USNM USNMENT00214379) from Westcliffe, 10 Jun 1926, E.G. Anderson, which is not P.atra . It has the two large triangular hyaline areas between the wing bands similar in size, and the scutellum has one white setula basal to the basal seta, characters not occurring in P. atra . It may be P. anthracina Doane. The other three western United States records are questionable and need confirmation.

The record from Sonora in Foote (1967) is presumably based on the record of Wulp (1899a: 408, as Oedaspis atra ) who reported four specimens (probably in the BMNH) collected by Morrison. They are doubtfully P. atra if Wulp’s figure of the wing (Tab. XI, fig. 29) is accurate, as the subapical hyaline triangle is broader than the one between the two bands on the middle of the wing. The record from Chapingo (presumably the locality in the state of Mexico) was based on an unknown source, but also is suspect.

Material examined. Alabama: Gulf Crest , 4 Nov 1916, A. H. Sturtevant, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214424 ) ; Spring Hill , 26–27 Oct 1916, A. H. Sturtevant, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00214274 ) ; Mobile Co., Kushla , 1–8 Nov 1916, A. H. Sturtevant, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214341 ) ; same, 2 May 1920, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214421 ) ; Saraland , 26–27 Oct 1916, A. H. Sturtevant, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00214410 ) . Georgia: Dawson Co., Amicalola Falls , 2300 ft., 20 May 1972, G.W. Byers & N. Penny, 1♀ ( UKaL) . Louisiana: Baton Rouge , 21 Mar 1947, W. W. Wirth, 1♂ ( USNM USNMENT00214395 ) . Mississippi: Claiborne Co., Port Gibson , 5.4 mi. NNE, 23 Apr 1972, G.W. Byers & party, 1♀ ( UKaL) . Missouri: Blackwater , 4 Jun 1981, J. R. Schrock, 1♀ ( UKaL) . Tennessee: Knox Co., 17 May 1957, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214414 ) ; same, 29 May 1957, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214413 ) . Texas: Victoria Co., Victoria , 8 Oct 1908, J. D. Mitchell, 1♀ ( USNM USNMENT00214353 ) .