Liriomyza miserabilis, Lonsdale, 2011

Lonsdale, Owen, 2011, The Liriomyza (Agromyzidae: Schizophora: Diptera) of California 2850, Zootaxa 2850 (1), pp. 1-123 : 72

Liriomyza miserabilis spec. nov.

Figs 157–160

Wing length 1.1mm (♂). Female unknown. Length of ultimate section of vein CuA 1 divided by penultimate section: 4.0. Vein dm-cu nearly in line with vein r-m. Eye height divided by gena height: 7.0. Scutum subshining. Holotype in poor condition—most bristles missing and colouration difficult to discern.

Chaetotaxy: Two ors; number of ori indistinguishable. Acrostichal setulae in four rows.

Colouration: Calypter margin and hairs grey. Head light yellow with back of head, ocellar triangle and posteroventral corner of frons to base of outer vertical bristle brown (lighter between base of verticals). Scutum with complete lateral yellow stripe; posteroventral margin of katatergite brownish; anatergite brown ventral to scutellum and yellow lateral to scutellum with venter brownish. Anepisternum with pale oblique stripe; anepimeron with thin anterior stripe; venter of meron brown; katepisternum with triangular spot on ventral half. Legs yellow with hind tibia brown and fore tarsus becoming brown on apical four segments. Tergites yellow with dorsum brown excluding posterior margin; epandrium brown.

Genitalia: Figs 157–160 . Surstylus with strong subapical spine. Paraphallus broad, leaf-like and weakly sclerotized. Hypophallus short and very thin. Distiphallus angled dorsally, with complete ventral suture; base (mesophallus) cylindrical with length twice width and venter weakly sclerotized; distal section darker, slightly wider, enclosing narrow chamber and with inner-distal surface spinulose. Ejaculatory apodeme with ends of pileus ejaculatorius pale and broadly rounded; blade relatively small and pale with distal margin slightly darker.

Etymology. The specific epithet, Latin for “pitiable” or ”wretched”, refers to the general condition of the holotype.

Host. Unknown.

Range. USA. California [Riverside].

Type material. Holotype, USA. California: Riverside Co., P.L. Boyd Res. Centre 3.5mi S Palm Desert, 6– 13.vi.1969, Malaise trap marker -5700, S. Frommer, UCRC ENT 235382 (1♂, UCR).

Comments. The holotype is in poor condition, with most bristles missing and the colour difficult to discern, but the pleuron appears to be almost entirely yellow, and the legs are yellow with the hind tibia brown and the tarsi becoming increasingly brown on the distal four segments. Other distinguishing features of this new species include vein dm-cu being nearly in line with vein r-m, the wing length is only 1.1mm, the pileus ejaculatorius is broad but clear, the hypophallus is very thin, the mesophallus is slightly longer than wide and fused to the distiphallus, which has a complete ventral suture, is barely wider than the mesophallus and has numerous inner-distal spines.

Figures

FIGURES 157–160. Liriomyza miserabilis spec. nov., male holotype genitalia; 157: external components, ventral; 158: phallus, left lateral; 159: phallus, ventral; 160: ejaculatory apodeme.