Phytoliriomyza melampyga (Loew)

Guglya, Yuliia, 2021, Rearing mining flies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from host plants as an instrument for associating females with males, with the description of seven new species, Zootaxa 5014 (1), pp. 1-158 : 63

Phytoliriomyza melampyga (Loew)

( Figs. 284–286 , 542–544 )

Material examined: Ukraine: Transcarpathia: “Skalka”, near Uzhhorod , 48°41’N, 22°24’E, 20.ix.2016, Yu. Guglya, ex Impatiens noli-tangere (1♂ 1♀) ; Volyn Region: Dachne, near Lutsk , 50°48’N, 25°22’E, 9–10.vi.2019, Yu. Guglya, ex Impatiens parviflora (1♀) .

Hosts. Balsaminaceae : Impatiens noli-tangere L., I. parviflora DC. ( Papp & Černý 2017) . I. capensis Meerb. , I. granulifera H. Perrier , I. scabrida DC. ( Ellis 2001 –2021).

Mine. ( Fig. 284 ) The solitary larva forms an irregular white upper surface linear-blotch mine. Pupation takes place outside the mine in the soil.

Puparium. ( Figs. 285, 286 ) Dark orange, semi-glossy, 2.6 mm long, with distinct segmentation; surface quite smooth except for one-row spine bands. Posterior spiracles set on scarcely visible conical protuberances that are entirely separate; brown, with one large hook-like sessile bulb directed ventrally and 2 small rounded bulbs directed dorsally. Anal plate brown, slightly protruding above the surface of the puparium viewed from the side and directed ventro-posteriorly.

Cephalopharyngeal skeleton. ( Fig. 542 ) Right mouthhook much larger than the left, each bearing two long and sharp accessory teeth. Left hook with ventral portion sharply abducted. Intermediate sclerite massive, slightly curved dorsally, equal in size to the maximum height of the left mouthhook. The mouthhook and the intermediate sclerite centrally are strongly sclerotized, the intermediate sclerite dorso-anteriorly and ventro-posteriorly and the pharyngeal sclerite much less so. The ventral cornu bears a narrow “closed” window in the posterior half. Indentation index 90.

Female genitalia. ( Figs. 543, 544 ) Capsule of spermatheca relatively small, 0.21× as high as height of anterior part of oviscape. Spermathecae unequal in size, dark brown, obovate, flattened basally, with shallow internal duct invagination. Largest spermatheca 1.25× as high as the smallest one. Neck of spermatheca distinctly narrower than spermathecal base. Spermathecal duct weakly sclerotized.

Distribution. Widespread Holarctic species ( Papp & Černý 2017). Ukraine (first record).

Comments. In Ukraine reared material is known only from two localities, but this species seems to be common based on the presence of numerous mines on Impatiens parviflora and I. noli-tangere in many regions. Besides Transcarpathia and the Volyn Region, empty mines were found in the Vinnytsa, Khmelnytsk, Chernyhiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava and Sumy Regions.

Figures

FIGURES 278–286. Figures 278–283: Phytomyza veronicicola Hering; 278–280: mine in Veronica longifolia leaf; 278: viewed from upper leaf surface; 279: viewed from lower leaf surface; 280: “pupal blister” with puparium. 281: empty puparium viewed from the side; 282: posterior segments of puparium (posterior view); 283: posterior spiracles (posterior view). Figures 284–286: Phytoliriomyza melampyga (Loew); 284: mines in Impatiens parviflora leaf; 285–286: posterior segments of puparium; 285: lateral view; 286: posterior view.

FIGURES 537–544. Figure 537: Liriomyza pusilla (Meigen), head with additional orb s. Figures 538–541: Nemorimyza posticata (Meigen); 538: cephalopharyngeal skeleton; 539: frontal view of head; 540: head viewed from the side; 541: spermatheca. 542–544: Phytoliriomyza melampyga (Loew); 542: cephalopharyngeal skeleton; 543: oviscape and spermathecae proportionally; 544: spermathecae.