Review of Neotropical Chonocephalus Wandolleck (Diptera: Phoridae)
Author
Disney, R. H. L.
text
Zootaxa
2008
2008-05-19
1772
1
1
54
https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1772.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.1772.1.1
11755334
5123977
Chonocephalus fletcheri
Schmitz
(
Figs 49–53
)
Chonocephalus fletcheri
Schmitz, 1912: 728
.
Lectotype
female,
Bangladesh
(
Eastern Bengal
):
Chaumashani
,
6 December 1911
, inside a rice stem, T.
B. Fletcher
(MKB) [
Examined
].
Chonocephalus laetus
Borgmeier, 1963: 251
(male and female).
Disney, 2002: 20
.
This species has been transported across the world by man, and now occurs in the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical and Oriental regions. In the Nearctic Region it extends from Florida to
Canada
and in the Afrotropical Region it is abundant in Arabia (
Disney, 2006
).
Material.
1 male
,
Cuba
,
Guantanamo
Bay Naval Base
,
8–19 February 1965
,
light trap
(
USNM
)
.
3 males
,
Jamaica
,
Montego Bay
,
March 1963
,
wind trap
,
J. B. Davies
(
USNM
)
;
4 females
, ex cocoon mass of
Apanteles flavipes
(Cameron)
, leg.
B. Pitkin
(
CUMZ
)
.
3 males
,
1 male
,
St Kitts
,
Basseterre
, coastal,
flight interception trap
,
8–31 July 1985
,
L. D. Coote
(
LACM
, 26-68)
.
1 female
,
Puerto Rico
,
Mayagüez
,
July 1980
, in semidried coffee imported from
Santo Domingo
(
Dominican Republic
) (
USNM
, misidentified as
C. mexicanus
)
.
1 male
,
Trinidad
,
St Augustine
,
July 1994
,
E. G. Hancock
(
CUMZ
, 4-97)
.
Natural history.
A series collected at turmeric (
Curcuma longa
L.,
Zingiberaceae
) infested with larval
Dichocrocis punctiferalis
(Guenée)
(
Lepidoptera
,
Pyralidae
) were possibly attracted to diseased or moribund caterpillars. Likewise a series reared from a cocoon mass of
Apanteles flavipes
(Cameron) (Braconidae)
were probably feeding on moribund pupae. Some females caught on the edible paddy straw mushrooms
Volvariella
(Plutaceae)
were probably ovipositing on over ripe sporophores.
Borgmeier (1963)
reported this species reared from an Easter Lily ‘bulla’ (= bulb) and from the diseased hearts of
Cocos nucifera
L A series from
Canada
was reared from a rotting bulb.