Thecomyia longicornis, Perty, 1833: 189

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 : 56-57

longicornis Perty, 1833: 189 ,

pl. 37, fig. 13

LT: ♀ labeled “ Brasil. Th. Longicornis Pty. ” ZSM, unnumbered. The original description gives “Amazonum Flumen” [number and sex of specimen(s) not provided].

Note 1: See Marinoni et al. 2003: 15 for their description of a few characters of the female type and their designation of it as a lectotype. However, the single female “type” specimen in ZSM probably is the holotype. In response to G.C. Steyskal’s inquiry of 14.II.1968, F. Ķlhorn, curator at ZSM, sent a description of a single specimen (sex not mentioned) that he referred to as “der Typus von Thecomyia longicornis Perty ” to Steyskal on 5.III.1968 (correspondence in LK files in USNM archives).

DIST: BRAZIL (Amapá; Pará). COSTA RICA (Puntarenas). FRENCH GUIANA (Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni). GUYANA (7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni; 3 Essequibo Islands-West Demerara; 5 Mahaica-Berbice; 8 Potaro-Siparuni). NICARAGUA (Chinandega). PERU (San Martín; Ucayali). SURINAME (see Note 5). VENEZUELA (Monagas). Map: Marinoni et al. 2003: 32, fig. 42

Note 2: The map by Marinoni et al. 2003 is partly in error. For Peru, the collecting record from San Martin is shown correctly, but the collecting record from Ucayali is misplaced. See Notes 3, 4, and 5 for more information about the distribution map of T. longicornis .

Note 3: Marinoni et al. 2003: 15 recorded a female of T. longicornis from "Mazaruni (high forest)," Guyana. There is no village or town named Mazaruni in Guyana. This specimen perhaps was collected on the Mazaruni River, which arises in the Guiana Highlands and empties into the Essequibo River at Bartica. Its entire course is in 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni. No information is available about the specific locality along the river, and Marinoni et al. 2003 did not show it on their distribution map (p. 32, fig. 42).

Note 4: Marinoni et al. 2003: 15 reported T. longicornis from " Rio Essequibo," Guyana. The Essequibo River is a 1,014-km-long river passing through or bordering five regions in Guyana. They are (from upstream to downstream): 9 Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, 8 Potaro-Siparuni, 10 Upper Demerara-Berbice, 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni, and 3 Essequibo Islands–West Demerara. It is impossible to say where along the long Essequibo the specimen was collected, and Marinoni et al. 2003 did not show it on their distribution map (p. 32, fig. 42). Thecomyia longicornis is known from other localities in 8 Potaro-Siparuni, 7 Cuyuni-Mazaruni, and 3 Essequibo Islands-West Demerara.

Note 5: The distribution of T. longicornis in Suriname requires clarification. Marinoni et al. 2003: 15 examined two male specimens held in USNM. The specimens were collected on 17 May 1927 and are in "Cornell University, Lot 760, Sub. 61." Marinoni et al. gave four different localities for the two specimens: "Moengo, Boven, Cottica, R. Suriname." Moengo is in the district of Marowijne. Both Boven and Cottica are in Sipaliwini. The Suriname River (Dutch: Surinamerivier) is a 480-km-long river that runs through six districts: Sipaliwini, Brokopondo, Para, Commewijne, Wanica, and Paramaribo. Marinoni et al.’s 2003 distribution map of T. longicornis (p. 32, fig. 42) provides no further data because only one site is shown for Suriname.

Note 6: Marinoni et al. 2003: 16 recorded two specimens of T. longicornis in USNM from Peru, both collected by J.C. Pallister: a male from Juanjui, San Martín, and a female from " Loreto: Pucallpa, 13 Nov 1946 (600 ft)." We can find no evidence of a place called Pucallpa in Loreto. Pucallpa is in Ucayali and is that region’s capital. Barcellos & Grazia 2003 examined a specimen of Pentatomidae in the AMNH collected by Pallister at the same place. They recorded (p. 426) that specimen from " PERU, Ucayali: Pucallpa (Alt. 600 ft.), 11.XI.1946, J.C. Pallister." We conclude that T. longicornis is known reliably from the departments of San Martín and Ucayali, Peru.

FIGS: Macquart 1844 (habitus), Marinoni & Mathis 2000 (antenna, ♂ terminalia, ♂ genitalia), Marinoni et al. 2003 (♂ genitalia; spermatheca)

BIOL: Knutson & Carvalho 1989 (phenology)

IMMATS: Unknown

CLAD: Marinoni et al. 2003