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
Author
Whitworth, Terry
text
Zootaxa
2010
2663
1
35
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.276279
280ecfda-718e-4b4c-b3a6-1077053c708c
1175-5326
276279
Lucilia fayeae
sp. nov.
Figs. 44–45
,
56–57
,
70–72
,
84
,
91
,
95
Diagnosis.
A small, nondescript
Lucilia
easily confused with similar species; length averaging about
6mm
(5–7.75) (
Fig. 95
). Both sexes blue to green in color, often with pink to purple highlights; many specimens appear teneral and pinned specimens are often distorted; fronto-orbital, upper parafacial and postocular areas with predominantly pale to bright gold color in good specimens though these areas can darken in poor specimens; upper and lower calypters gray to tan or dark brown in both sexes, all other known
Lucilia
in the region have a pale upper calypter.
Male
frons exceptionally narrow, averaging 0.02 of head width, narrower than width of median ocellus; fronto-orbitals meet midway on the frons.
Description.
Male
. Head dark in ground color, postocular, fronto-orbital, and parafacial areas with pale to bright yellow-gold microtomentum when viewed from above; frontal vitta dark reddish; ocellar triangle small; frontal setae ascend to about midway to vertex where fronto-orbitals meet; antenna gray, pedicel dark brown with orange base; gena with black ground color with silvery microtomentum and black setae, postgena with pale setae; eyes with inner facets about twice diameter of outer facets; occiput with fine, pale setae; palp orange. Thorax blue to green color; presutural area of pronotum with whitish tomentum when viewed from rear, bare shining areas on posterolateral corners; postsutural area mostly polished, anterolateral areas with whitish tomentum; scutellum shining; notum with setal pattern typical for genus; thoracic spiracles brown to dark brown; proepisternal area with silvery vestiture and pale setae. Legs tan in color with a setal pattern on tibia as follows, t1 1p; t2 1a, 2p,
1v
; t3 no pronounced setae. Wings hyaline, bases slightly infuscated; basicosta tan to brown; upper and lower calypters and rims usually gray to tan, sometimes color washed out in poor specimens. Abdomen blue to green, often with pink to purple highlights; T1+2 and T3 with whitish microtomentum when viewed from rear; Puerto Rican and
St. Vincent
specimens with all of T4 and T5 polished; Dominca and
St. Lucia
specimens with only rear of T4 and all of T5 polished.
Frons narrow, 0.02 (0.02–0.03/16) head width, 0.41 (0.33–0.55/15) ocellar span, and 0.32 (0.25–0.38/16) first flagellomere. Fronto-orbital plates touching on upper half. Parafacial, at widest, 2.4 (2.0–2.75/16) head width, 0.75 (0.63–0.85/16) first flagellomere, 0.95(0.9–1.2/15) ocellar span, and 0.25 (0.21–0.28/16) vibrissal interval; cheek width 0.34 (.032–0.38/16) eye height.
Genitalia in lateral view with surstylus straight, digitate, expanded slightly in distal half; cercus with narrow base, tapering to a point, longer than surstylus. In posterior view, surstylus curved inward; cercus with gradual taper to a broad point (
Figs. 44–45
). Some specimens with geniculate surstylus. Phallus and other characters are typical for the
L
.
eximia
group (
Figs. 56–57
,
70–72
,
84
).
Female.
Features very similar to male. Frontal setae ascend to vertex; upper half of frontal-orbital plate with a patch of dark setulae on each side of ocellar triangle, lower half with fine pale setulae. Frons 0.25 (0.22–0.27/16) head width, 3.8 (3.2–4.3/16) ocellar span, 2.6 (2.2–3.1/16) first flagellomere. Parafacial 0.35 (0.30–0.40/16) frons width, 0.90 (0.72–1.1/16) first flagellomere, 1.3 (1.1–1.6/16) ocellar span, 0.37 (0.35– 0.40/16) vibrissal interval; cheek width 0.37 (0.35–0.40/16) eye height. Ovipositor (
Fig. 91
) very similar to other
Lucilia
in
L
.
eximia
group.
Type
material.
Holotype
male, allotype female and 85
paratypes
(
42 males
and
43 females
) from
Dominica
, West Indies: St Andrew Parish, near Calibishe,
15°35'28"N
61°20'09"W
,
March 17, 2009
, trap baited with dead fish, T.L. Whitworth.
Holotype
and allotype deposited in
USNM
, additional
paratypes
deposited there and in
BMNH
,
CAS
,
CMNH
,
CNC
,
FSCA
,
JC
,
KR
,
TW
,
UCD
,
UGG
,
UPR
,
USU
,
WSUP
.
Additional
paratypes
.
Dominica
(
21 males
and
38 females
):
3 males
,
3 females
, Clark Hall Estate,
May 16, 1966
, G. Steyskal on human feces (
USNM
);
2 females
, Neba., May, 1909, Dr. H.A.A. Richolls (
BMNH
);
1 female
, Parish of St. David, Emerald Pool Natl. Park,
580m
, Malaise in humid forest,
18–21 March
, 2003,
15°22'8"N
61°20'5"W
, M.E. Irwin, M.B. Shepard, E. Benson, G. Carner (
KR
);
14 males
,
12 females
, Parish of St. Joseph, Springfield Estate,
15–20 March
2003
, 430m,
15°20'8"N
61°22'1"W
, M.E. Irwin, E. Benson, G. Carner (
KR
,
USU
);
1 male
,
10 females
, Parish of St. Mark,
1 km
W Pte. Guingnard,
15°14'6"N
61°22'3"W
, Malaise in dry wash of deciduous forest,
100m
,
17–19 March
, 2003, M.E. Irwin, M.B. Shepard, E. Benson, G. Carner (
KR
);
1 female
, Parish of St. Paul, nr Pont Casse Trail to Morne Trois Pitons;
15°22'8"N
61°20'5"W
Malaise in humid forest,
750m
,
3/18/2003
, M.E. Irwin, M.B. Shepard (
KR
);
1 female
, Parish of St. Paul, Springfield Estate,
2.5 km
e ne Canefield,
15°21'N
61°22'W
,
11–18 June
, 1991, J.E. Rawlins, S.A. Thompson (
CMNH
);
1 male
,
1 female
; Parish of St Paul,
ATREC
, Springfield Plantation,
15°20'54"N
61°22'04"W
,
2 June 2006
, yeast and NH4CO
3 in
bait trap, J.A. Cammack (JK);
1 male
,
4 females
, Parish of St Peter, Anse Multare Ravine,
2km
s Dublane,
15°30'3"N
61°27'8"W
,
50m
, dry deciduous forest, Malaise trap in dry wash,
15–19 March
, 2003, M.E. Irwin, M.B. Shepard, E. Benson, G. Carner (
KR
);
1female
, Morne Diablotin Natl Park Road to Snydicate Trail,
15°31'23"N
61°24'57"W
,
27 May
, 2006, J.A. Cammack (JK);
1 male
; St. Paul Parish,
ATREC
, Springfield Station,
2 June
, 2006, J.A. Cammack (JK);
2 females
; Syndicate Trail, Tac #7, trail to Morne Diablotin; 2006 (no specific date), J.A. Cammack (JK).
Puerto Rico
(
20 males
,
49 females
):
1 female
, Adjuntas,
June 2, 1915
, R.H. Von Zwalenburg (
USNM
);
1 female
, Cayey Bosque Estatal de Carie,
4.2 km
se Campamento Guavate,
18°05'25"N
66°02'07"W
,
580m
,
7 June
, 1996, C. Young
et al
. (
CMNH
);
1 female
, El Yunque,
May 20–22, 1954
, J Maldonado and S Medina (
UPR
);
1 male
, Isabela-Bosque Estatal de Guajataca, Montanas Aymamom forest,
18°26'06"N
66°57'55",
210m
,
14–15 June
, 1966, J. Rawlins
et al
. (
CMNH
);
1 male
,
5 mi
NE Jayuya,
July 17–19, 1969
, H. and A. Howden (
CNC
);
2 females
, Loiza-Bosque Estatal de Pinones,
7.5 km
wnw Loiza,
18°28'10"N
65°56'27"W
, mangroves, sea level,
18 June
, 1996, W. Zanol
et al
. (
CMNH
);
4 females
, Mayaguez,
Aug 1–31, 1958
, J. Maldanado, Capriles collection;
1 male
, Mira,
10–24 Nov.
, no year, H. Seda (
UPR
);
1 female
, Mayaguez, Sept–Nov., 1965, A. Ruiz Seda (
UPR
); Mayaguez,
14 Nov.
, 1981, R.A. Oliveri (
UPR
);
1 male
Mayaguez, Univ.
Puerto Rico
Campus, Finca Alzamora,
Nov. 20–26, 2006
, insect net,
18°02'57"N
67°08'26"W
, S. Youseff (
UPR
);
16 males
,
36 females
, Mayaguez, Univ. of
Puerto Rico
campus,
18°13' 16"N
67° 08' 74"W
,
3 March
, 2009, T.L. Whitworth (
TW
);
2 females
, Rio Grande, El Verde Station,
3.1 km
wnw Pico El Yunque, Sierra de Luquillo,
18°19'15"N
65°49'11"W
, 3–
6
June, 1996, C. Young
et al
. (
CMNH
);
1 female
, San Germdo, Nov.10,1967, T.E. Rogers collection (
BMNH
).
St
.
Lucia
(
1 female
): Saltibus Trail,
460m
,
24 Dec.
, 2002, S. A.
Marshall
(
UGG
).
St
.
Vincent
(
3 males
,
6 females
):
2 males
, Montreal,
26 March
, 1989, Wayne Mathis (
USNM
);
1 male
, Montreal,
13°12'N
61°11'W
,
3 June
, 1991, W.N. and D. Mathis (
USNM
);
5 females
, Majorca,
July 7–8, 1972
, Malaise trap, A.D. Harrison (
CMNH
);
1 female
, leeward side, 1907, H.H. Smith (
BMNH
).
Non
Paratypes
.
Some specimens were discolored or distorted and thus not labeled
paratypes
. From
Dominica
there were
9 males
and
35 females
,
Puerto Rico
,
2 males
and
13 females
.
Specimens examined.
98 males
,
186 females
, including non
paratypes
.
Distribution.
Known only from
Dominica
,
Puerto Rico
,
Saint Vincent
, and
Saint Lucia
, but likely on nearby islands.
Ecology and biology.
This species is widespread, but most abundant in pockets of humid jungle, often near water. I trapped it on the University of
Puerto Rico
campus along with numerous
Cochliomyia minima
. Its life history is unknown, but it was attracted to carrion. Examined specimens were collected from a variety of habitats both moist and dry and at elevations as high as
500m
.
Variation.
Specimens from
Dominica
and
St. Lucia
have T4 with whitish microtomentum on the front half to 2/3 while those from
Puerto Rico
and
St. Vincent
have all of T4 polished. It is surprising that
St. Vincent
specimens are like those in
Puerto Rico
as the island is much closer to
Dominica
and
St. Lucia
. Despite this distinction, the specimens are otherwise virtually identical. Occasional specimens of both sexes are seen with the fifth abdominal tergite coppery as in
L
.
lucigerens
(James)
, but the darker upper calypter in
L
.
fay
eae separates it.
Etymology.
The species name was chosen to honor my wife Faye who has accompanied and assisted me on numerous collecting trips over the past 40 years.