Thecomyia abercrombiei, Marinoni & Steyskal, 2003

Murphy, William L., Abercrombie, Jay, González, Christian R. & Knutson, Lloyd, 2023, Overview of the Sciomyzidae (Diptera: Sciomyzoidea) of the Americas south of the United States, Zootaxa 5345 (1), pp. 1-113 : 53-54

abercrombiei Marinoni & Steyskal, 2003 in Marinoni et al. 2003: 20 ,

figs. 9, 21, 33 (♂ genitalia; spermatheca)

HT: ♂ “Brit. Guiana, 1908. K.S. Wise. B.M. 1908–207.” NHMUK, unnumbered

PT: ♀ “ Guyana: Mazaruni-Potaro Dictrict [sic], Takutu Mountains 6°15’N; 59°5’W, 6 December 1983.” USNM

DIST: GUYANA (7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni). PERU (Madre do Dios). Map: Marinoni et al. 2003

Note 1: The distribution of T. abercrombiei presents some interesting issues. The species is known from only three specimens collected in three localities in two countries, as detailed by Marinoni et al. 2003. Label data give only the country for the locality of the holotype — British Guiana (presently Guyana). The lone paratype, also from Guyana, was collected in 1983 in the district of Mazaruni-Potaro. The 1980 administrative reform in Guyana did away with districts and replaced them with regions. Most of the district of Mazaruni-Potaro was placed in the region of 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Guyana’s regions bear both numbers and names). Fortunately, the collectors (W.E. Steiner & P.J. Spangler of the EARTHWATCH Research Expedition) provided the coordinates of the collecting locality—latitude 6°15ʹ N, longitude 59°5ʹ W. This locality is a few kilometers west of Bartica, the regional capital, securely in the region of 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni. The paratype is labeled as being collected in the Takutu Mountains, but we could find no mountain range named Takutu in 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni. When asked about this, one of the collectors commented [in litt. Warren Steiner, USNM, 7 February 2022 to WLM]: “ … the label data are the best to go with. The lat/long given on this site https://www.mindat.org/feature-3375785.html are very close. We rode logging trucks from Bartica to get to this primitive camp and label locality was roughly found by aeronautic charts back home. Locals called the area ‘Takutu Mountains’ but they are low hills.” The paratype bears a label “Malaise trap near stream in mountain rainforest.” Most of 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni is characterized as forested highlands.

Note 2: Marinoni et al. 2003 examined a third specimen of T. abercrombiei from “Avispas,” in the Department of Madre de Dios, Peru. We could find no “Avispas” in Madre de Dios; however, there is a town named Avispa in Madre de Dios. The label data from that specimen (a male) indicates that it was collected at an elevation of 400 m. After reviewing specimens collected from “Avispas, Madre de Dios, 400 m,” some with coordinates 12°59’0”S 70°21’0”W, James E. O’Hara ( CNC) confirmed that the correct name of the Peruvian locality actually is “Avispas.”

FIGS: None

BIOL: Unknown

IMMATS: Unknown

CLAD: Marinoni et al. 2003