A new species of Neolasioptera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Parkinsonia aculeata (Leguminosae) in Argentina for possible use in biological control in Australia, with a key to Neotropical species of Neolasioptera
Author
Gagné, Raymond J.
Author
Kay, Fernando Mc
Author
Heard, Tim A.
text
Zootaxa
2011
2866
61
68
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.277453
c45e0c87-440b-47a7-b673-b8db9baede4e
1175-5326
277453
Neolasioptera
spp. with unknown or previously undescribed larvae
Neolasioptera aeschynomensis
(Brèthes)
was described from only the female sex reared from
Aeschynomene montevidensis
Vogel (Leguminosae)
in Buenos Aires,
Argentina
. A single slide-mounted female
type
specimen exists in the MACN, but the mounting medium has cracked with time so that the specimen cannot be viewed critically. Additionally, a previously undescribed slide-mounted larva with similar data accompanies the
type
. It, too, is in poor condition but the spatula is drawn here (
Fig. 15
) for the record. Unfortunately, it is distorted on the mount, but can be seen to be cruciate and thus distinct from the non-cruciate spatula of
N
.
aculeatae
.
Neolasioptera argentata
(Brèthes)
is known from
syntype
adults now in the MACN that were reared from
Physalis viscosa
L. (
Solanaceae
) in Buenos Aires,
Argentina
and another series in the USNM that was subsequently reared from an undetermined
Physalis
in Cordoba Province and compared to the
syntypes
earlier by RJG. The female of the series from Cordoba Province differs from
N
.
aculeatae
in the longer eighth abdominal tergite that is 1.5 times as long as the preceding tergite rather than the same length. The male differs from
N
.
aculeatae
in having the seventh tergite fully sclerotized instead of only the posterior half.
Neolasioptera baezi
(Brèthes)
is known from
syntypes
, a male and two females, taken from
Teucrium inflatum
Sw. (Lamiaceae)
in Entre Ríos Province,
Argentina
. This series is mounted on a single slide deposited in the MACN. The two females are obscured by the cracked mounting medium and cannot be critically studied. The male terminalia are only partly visible; the silhouette of a gonostylus is drawn here (
Fig. 13
) to help with future comparative studies. That structure is somewhat longer than is that of
N
.
aculeatae
.
Neolasioptera phaseoli
Möhn
was reared from
Phaseolus
sp. (Leguminosae) in
El Salvador
. It is known from only the female and the pupa. Original illustrations show that the pupal antennal bases are angular at their apex and the frons lacks papillae. In
Neolasioptera aculeatae
, by contrast, the pupal antennal base is broadly rounded and the frons has a distinct pair of setose frontal papillae.
Neolasioptera piriqueta
Felt
, a species reared from
Piriqueta
ovata
Urb. (
Turneraceae
) in
Puerto Rico
, is known only from three females and a pupa encasing a barely visible male. All four specimens are mounted on one slide. The proportions of the distinguishing parts of the female postabdomen do not appear to be appreciably different from those of the new species.
Neolasioptera piriqueta
has, however, many scales on the epimeron, and scales cover the entire seventh abdominal tergite. In contrast, the new species has no scales on the epimeron and anterior half of the seventh tergite.
Neolasioptera urvilleae
(Tavares)
, reared from
Urvillea uniloba
Radlk.(Sapindaceae)
in Rio Grande do Sul,
Brazil
, is known only from an inadequate original description of the adults and has not been recorded since. The existence of the
types
is doubtful (
Gagné 1994
). Nothing further can be said about this species until it is found again.