Lucilia retroversa (James)

Whitworth, Terry, 2010, Keys to the genera and species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of the West Indies and description of a new species of Lucilia Robineau-Desvoidy, Zootaxa 2663, pp. 1-35 : 26-28

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.276279
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6209798
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6758CE0B-4E41-9936-FF20-F8A8CD6ED8B1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Lucilia retroversa (James)
status

Treatment

Lucilia retroversa (James) View in CoL

Figs. 48–49 View FIGURES 38 – 49 , 60–61 View FIGURES 52 – 61 , 76–78, 86 View FIGURES 73 – 87. 73 – 81 , 93 View FIGURES 93 – 94

Phaenicia retroversa James, 1971: 382 View in CoL

Diagnosis. Male frons narrow, 0.025 (0.02–0.03)/7 of head width; female frons 0.26 (0.24–0.28)/10. Basicosta pale yellow to orange, inner edge sometimes tan. Male upper calypter light tan to whitish, lower calypter light tan to brown; female with upper and lower calypters white. Setae on tibia, t1 1p; t2 1ad, 1av, 1p to pv; t3 with no prominent setae. Body color usually bluish; though the thorax is sometimes green and the abdomen is usually blue to blue-purple. Presutural area of the thorax mostly microtomentose, posterolateral areas polished; anterior abdominal tergites with tomentum, T4 and T5 polished. Male genitalia in lateral view with surstylus narrow at base, expanding broadly posteriorly in lower half; cercus tapering to a point from a broad base, much longer than surstylus. In posterior view, surstylus curved sharply inward, cercus short ( Figs. 48, 49 View FIGURES 38 – 49 ). Phallus and other male characters and ovipositor are typical of the L. eximia group ( Figs. 60–61 View FIGURES 52 – 61 , 76– 78, 86 View FIGURES 73 – 87. 73 – 81 , 93 View FIGURES 93 – 94 ).

Distribution. Specimens were examined from several Bahamas islands, including Grand (USNM, WSUP), New Providence (WSUP), and San Salvador (USNM). Other locations include Cayman Islands (UCD), Cuba (BMNH, USNM), Dominican Republic (CMNH, USNM) and Haiti (USNM). A single specimen of this species was examined from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (USNM). It was reared from spoiled meat and collected by H.L. Dozier, Jan. 27, 1936. I examined numerous specimens from Puerto Rico and never found this species again. James (1972) listed this species from Bahamas and Cuba.

Discussion. A long series of specimens from the Dominican Republic is very close to L. retroversa . The most obvious difference is the postocular area is yellow to gold and the lappets of the anterior spiracle are orange compared to Bahamian specimens, which have a silvery postocular area and a brown spiracle. After extensive comparison of morphology, including examination of male and female genitalia, it was concluded the differences are not sufficient to describe these specimens as a separate species.