Euxesta abdominalis Loew, 1868

Korneyev, Severyn V., Hauser, Martin, Kameneva, Elena P. & Gaimari, Stephen D., 2022, A key to species of the Euxesta sororcula species group (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Lipsanini), with new synonymy and a new record from the U. S. A., The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 98 (2), pp. 150-162 : 152-153

Euxesta abdominalis Loew, 1868

Fig. 1d

Euxesta abdominalis Loew, 1868:307 (description), 1873:163 (English translation of description); Hendel, 1909:152 (key), 170 (comparison with argentina), 1910:25 (catalog); Curran, 1935:10 (key); Steyskal, 1968:54. 16 (catalog); Kameneva, 2004:614 (records from Central America).

Type Specimen. Syntype 1 ♂, labeled: “Cuba, Pocis [???; unclear handwriting; green paper]”; “159”; “basalis m. abdominal.” [Loew’s handwriting]; “coll. Loew”; “Type 13264” (MCZ).

Additional Specimens Examined. 1 ♀, ANGUILLA: 28.XII.1983, Parker (USNM), new country record. 1 ♀, BELIZE: Johnson (LACM). 1 ♂, COSTA RICA: San José, Farm La Caja, 20.VII.[19]19, H. Schmidt (USNM); 3 ♂, 4 ♀, Hiquito, San Mateo [no date], P. Schild (USNM); 1 ♂, 1 ♀ Cartago: Turrialba, 29. XI. 1979, [ex] “papaya” [specimens with puparia, reared], Fischer (USNM). 1 ♂, 3 ♀, CUBA: “Pöpp, 1843”, “abdominalis / Alte Sammlung” (NHMW). 1 ♂, HONDURAS: La Ceiba, 10.X.1966, Dyer (USNM). 1 ♀, MEXICO: Tampico, IX.1965, Krauss (USNM); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Veracruz [no date], Crawford (USNM). 12 ♂, 12 ♀, U.S.A.: Florida: Dade Co., VI.1976, Higgins (USNM); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Miami, 12.IV.1967, Stegmaier (USNM).

Remarks. Described from both male and female syntypes from the collection of J. C. Gundlach and deposited in the collection of the Cuban National Museum of History of Sciences (Havana), which have not been examined. EPK examined the specimen from MCZ in 2001; it is still unclear if it is one of the Cuban specimens determined by Loew after 1868. Hendel’s description of E. wettsteinii fits the original description and morphology of E. abdominalis , except the syntergite 1+2 entirely black (partly brownish yellow in E. abdominalis ). However, in three of four females from Hiquito, San Mateo (Costa Rica) here determined as E. abdominalis , the abdomen is entirely black as in E. wettsteini , showing that their differences may be only a result of individual variability.

Distribution. Anguilla (this study), Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mona, Saint Thomas, Saint Martin, Jamaica; Costa Rica, Panama ( Steyskal 1968), Belize, Honduras ( Kameneva 2004), Mexico ( Segura Ponce de León, 2021), U.S.A.

Figures

Figure 1. Wings: (a) Euxesta latifasciata; (b) E. leucomelas (=E. fascipennis); (c) E. wettsteini; (d) E. abdominalis, syntype, MCZ; (e) E. sororcula, type, NHMD; (f) E. obliquestriata, syntype, NHMW. (a–b modified from Wulp (1899); and d modified from EOL site https://eol. org/pages/734579/media). Abbreviations: SA = subapical band; A = apical band; phi – preapical hyaline interspace. Fine black lines show the ratio of SA and phi along vein R4+5 and light blue arrows indicate other characters mentioned in the key.