Polietina Schnabl & Dziedzicki, 1911

Nihei, Silvio Shigueo & Carvalho, Claudio José Barros De, 2009, The Muscini flies of the world (Diptera, Muscidae): identification key and generic diagnoses, Zootaxa 1976, pp. 1-24 : 18-19

Polietina Schnabl & Dziedzicki, 1911

Polietina Schnabl & Dziedzicki, 1911: 218 . Type species: Aricia pruinosa Macquart, 1846 [preocc. Aricia pruinosa Zetterstedt, 1845 ; = Mydaea concinna Wulp, 1896 ].

Diagnosis. Colouration yellowish-brown to blackish-brown with silver pruinosity; wing with maculae or infuscate on apex of Sc and R1, on apex of R2+3, and on r-m and dm-cu crossveins. Female with proclinate fronto-orbital seta ( Figs. 1–2 ); parafrons weakly setulose on upper half; interfrontal seta present ( Fig. 2 ). Dorsocentrals 2+3-4. Postsutural intra-alars 2; intrapostalar absent. Notopleurals 3 (one additional median, shorter than the usual two setae). Prosternum setulose. Katepisternals 1+2. Meron setulose. Postalar wall setulose ( Fig. 12 ). Anterior suprasquamal ridge usually setulose. Wing with the apical portion of stem-vein usually setulose dorsally and ventrally; R1 setulose dorsally; Rs node and R4+5 setulose dorsally and ventrally; M setulose ventrally between r-m and dm-cu crossveins; M straight, subparallel to R4+5. Lower calypter glossiform ( Fig. 12 ). Subcostal sclerite setulose ventrally. Calcar strong. Mid tibia with a strong submedian seta on ventral to posteroventral surface.

Comments. A cladistic analysis supporting the monophyly and indicating the phylogenetic relationships among the species of Polietina was performed by Nihei and de Carvalho (2007b). Furthermore, its monophyly and the major relationships were recovered by the multi-gene analyses of Schuehli et al. (2007).

Distribution (15 species). Nearctic (southern USA) and Neotropical.

References. Albuquerque (1956), Couri and de Carvalho (1997), de Carvalho and Couri (2002), Nihei (2004), Nihei and de Carvalho (2007b).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1. Head, Polietina orbitalis (Stein), female, lateral view. 2. Same, upper frontal view. 3. Head, Polietina major (Albuquerque), male, lateral view. 4. Head, Morellia (Xenomorellia) undescribed sp., female, frontal view. 5. Antenna, Pyrellia albocuprea Villeneuve, inner lateral view. 6. Prosternum, Biopyrellia bipuncta (Wiedemann), anteroventral view. 7. Prosternum, Morellia nigricosta Hough, anteroventral view. 8. Prosternum, Mitroplatia smaragdina (Séguy), anteroventral view. Figures 1 – 2 and 5 after Nihei and de Carvalho (2007 a); Figure 3 after Nihei (2002). Figures 6 – 8 on same scale.

FIGURES 12 – 14. Posterolateral portion of thorax and lower calypter: 12. Polietina flavithorax (Stein), dorsolateral view. 13. Myiophaea spissa (Walker), dorsolateral view. 14. Neomyia cornicina, oblique dorsolateral view. All figures on same scale.