Three new genera and three new species of Nearctic Lasiopteridi (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Cecidomyiinae) from Asteraceae and Caprifoliaceae, and the tribe Rhopalomyiini subsumed under Oligotrophini
Author
Gagné, Raymond J.
text
Zootaxa
2016
4158
3
403
418
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4158.3.6
f703d70e-e971-44dd-bec8-2eccedb22f06
1175-5326
263699
216AD21E-D9CC-4BD6-A0A9-A7C7F679FAF1
Helianthecis capitum
Gagné
,
new species
Figs 4
,
7–18
.
Description.
Adult
: Wing (
Fig. 4
) length: male
2.3–2.9 mm
(n = 6, avg. = 2.6); female
2.3–2.7 mm
(n=6, avg.=2.5). Head as in
Fig. 7
, palpus 4-segmented, antennal flagellomeres as in
Figs 8–9
. Anepimeron with 12–17 setae (n=10). Acropods as in
Fig. 10
. Male terminalia and postabdomen as in
Figs 11–13
. Female postabdomen as in
Fig. 15
.
Pupa
. Anterior segments as in
Fig. 16
.
Larva
,
third instar
: Length,
2.1–2.5 mm
(n=10). Spatula and associated papillae as in
Fig. 17
. Eighth and terminal abdominal segments as in
Fig. 18
.
Material examined.
HOLOTYPE
, male, ex
Helianthus petiolaris
,
20.ix.1973
,
Wilbarger Co.
,
Texas
,
C.E. Rogers
.
Paratypes
: male,
3 females
, pupa, 6 pupal exuviae, same data as holotype; female,
H. petiolaris
,
5.viii.1977
,
Ulysses
,
Kansas
,
C.E. Rogers
;
5 larvae
,
Helianthus
sp.,
11.x.1972
,
Munday
,
Texas
,
C.E. Rogers
;
5 larvae
,
Helianthus annuus
,
4.x.1978
,
Bushland
,
Texas
;
3 males
, female,
H. annuus
,
6 to 13.viii.1971
,
Fargo
,
North Dakota
,
K. Kamali
, emerged
9 to 18.viii.1971
;
2 males
,
1 female
,
1 pupa
,
H. grosseserratus
,
30.vii to 23.viii.1979
,
West Okoboji
,
Dickinson Co.
,
Iowa
,
B.W. Minor
, emerged
5.viii to 23.viii.1979
.
Etymology.
The name
capitum
, genitive plural of
caput
(Latin for head), refers to the species' niche in the flower heads of its hosts.
Distribution.
The new species was collected in
North Dakota
,
Iowa
,
Kansas
and
Texas
from heads of
Helianthus annuus
L.,
H. grosseserratus
M. Martens
, and
H. petiolaris
Nutt.
Remarks.
Larvae of this species from
Helianthus annuus
in Wilbarger Co.
,
Texas
were first reported as
Dasineura
sp., and adults from
Helianthus petiolaris
, also in Wilbarger Co., were reported as
Rhopalomyia
sp. (
Rogers 1977
).
Rogers et al. (1979)
later reported both those larvae and adults as
Mayetiola
sp. The determinations for both reports were provided by me and reflect my evolving concept for the taxonomic placement of this new gall midge. By the time of the report by
Rogers et al. (1979)
, I had realized that the larvae and adults were the same species due to additional material I had seen from
Texas
and specimens obtained separately from
North Dakota
. The exact niche of or damage made by
H. capitum
is still uncertain.
Rogers et al. (1979)
stated that, “Although the larvae are thought to feed primarily in the corolla tubes, specimens from
North Dakota
were reared from floral ovaries.” Specimens were subsequently received from
Iowa
, reared from "galled inflorescences." That the adults were in all cases reared directly from inflorescences allows us to assume that pupation occurred in the heads, typical of species that live inside galled plant tissue.