Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a

Domingos, Marcelo, 2024, Revision of the Neotropical Obscure Genus Ebenia Macquart 1846 (Diptera, Tachinidae, Dufouriini), Neotropical Entomology 53 (4), pp. 833-853 : 836-838

Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a , b

( Figs. 1 and 2 ).

Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a: 299 (also published separately in b: 171). References. Brauer (1898: 515, diagnostic traits); Townsend (1893: 22, catalogue); Thompson (1963: 478, redescription of male; 480, description of first instar larva); Guimarães 1971: 109, catalogue); O’Hara et al. (2020: 93, checklist of World Tachinidae ); Santis & Nihei (2022, phylogenetic analysis).

Described from an unspecified number of females from “ Brésil ” [ Brazil] from the collection of “M. Bigot”, which is the private collection of Jacques-Marie-Frangile Bigot. Bigot’s collection is mostly in the NHMUK and a smaller fraction in the OUMNH; all tachinids are deposited at NHMUK ( Crosskey 1971). For a complete explanation of the acquisition of Bigot’s collection by the NHMUK, the reader can consult Crosskey (1971).

At the NHMUK Diptera collection there is a single female that bears the usual label from Macquart that indicates a type specimen and includes the suffix “n.g., n.sp.” after the name [“ Ebenia claripennis ♀ ”] and the additional label of Bigot indicating the specific name and the sex symbol towards the top, the type-locality on the bottom left [“ Brésil ”] and authority of the species at the bottom right [“Macq.”]. Although there is a label attached to this specimen that indicates that this is a “ Holotype ”, Macquart did not restrict the name-bearing type to a single specimen and no lectotype fixation has been published subsequently. Thus, the “ holotype ” in NHMUK is technically a syntype (see Recommendation 73F of the Code (ICZN 1999), “Avoidance of assumption of holotype ”).

In the interests of nomenclatural stability and to restrict the name to a single specimen, female syntype in NHMUK is herein designated as lectotype of Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a , b.

The current combination for this species is Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a , b.

Type material examined Lectotype ♀: “Holo-/ type”; “ Ebenia / claripennis/ ♀. n. g. nov. sp.” [handwritten]; “ Ebenia claripennis ♀/ Brésil Macq.” [handwritten]; “ Ebenia / claripennis Macq. / holotype ♀/ Brazil [handwritten]/ ex. Bigot Coll:/ B.M.1960–539.”

Lectotype in poor condition. Specimen molded, with head, legs and abdomen detached from pinned thorax.

Additional examined material MEXICO. Veracruz: Acayucan, 1 ♂, 23.x.1957, R. & R. Dreisbach (ARC); BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo, 26.4.1937, 1 ♂, S. Lopes col. ( MZSP), Universidade Rural do Rio de Janeiro, 1 ♂, 24.v.1961, Deak col ( MZSP).

Diagnosis. Eyes with very small and widely scattered setulae. Fronto-orbital plate dark silver pruinose. Postpedicel entirely dark brown. Facial ridge with setulae only at base. Prosternum with setulae. Thorax with silver pruinosity. Wing hyaline; vein R 4+5 with setulae beyond the cross-vein r-m. Costal spine developed. Abdomen light brown with silvery pruinosity anteriorly on tergites 3 to 5. Male terminalia with surstylus bearing short spines laterally on posterior view.

Redescription of male.

Coloration ( Fig. 1 ): Occiput with silver pruinosity. Head with dark silver pruinosity. Scape light brown and pedicel dark brown. Postpedicel dark brown. Arista dark brown, but proximal 1/5 light brown. Palpus tawny to yellowish. Labellum light brown, prementum shiny black. Scutum brownish, but presutural region and anterodorsal portion of postsutural region with brownish-silvery pruinosity; presutural region with five brownish-black vittae, the three central ones narrow and the two peripheral ones broad. Scutellum brownish. Wing hyaline. Tegula light brown, basicosta yellow. Halter yellowish-brown. Posterior spiracle light-brown. Legs brownish. Upper and lower calypters hyaline. Abdomen light brown with anterolateral silver pruinosity on tergites 3 to 5.

Head ( Fig. 1 ): Vertex about 0.18 × head width in dorsal view. Width of parafacial, measured at distance between inner margin of eye and antennal insertion, 2 × height of gena. Postpedicel about 1.5 × the combined lengths of scape and pedicel. Frontal vitta narrowed dorsally. Eye about 0.8 × the head height. Gena about 0.12 × eye height. Prementum about 0.5 × head height. Labellum developed, about 0.1x as long as prementum.

Thorax ( Fig. 1a, c ): Acrostichal setae 3 + 3 (first presutural seta weak). Dorsocentral setae 2 + 2. Prosternum setulose. Setulose. Wing. Costal spine poorly developed. Vein R 4+5 with setulae dorsally beyond vein r-m and ventrally at base. Legs. Fore femur with posterodorsal and posteroventral rows of setae; fore tibia with 7 median anterodorsal, 1 posteroventral in distal third, 3 preapical, 2 anterodorsal and 1 posteroventral setae. Mid tibia with 4 anteroventral, 4 posteroventral setae on apical third; mid femur with anterodorsal setae on apical third, 2 preapical, and 2 posteroventral setae. Hind femur with posterodorsal and posteroventral rows of setae. Hind tibia with rows of anterodorsal (6) and posterodrosal setae (6), 3 submedian posteroventral, 4 preapical, 2 anterodorsal, and 2 posteroventral setae.

Abdomen ( Fig. 1a, c ): Syntergite 1 +2 with mid-dorsal longitudinal depression extending until ¼ to posterior margin. Syntergite 1 + 2 with at least 4 pairs of lateral marginal setae; tergite 3 with at least 4 pairs of lateral marginal setae and a pair of median marginal seta.

Terminalia ( Fig. 2 ): Sternite 5 with slightly developed lobules, setulose, with basal plate long and slightly curved ( Fig. 2a, c ); sensilla “ trichodea ” present on distal portion. Epandrium broad in posterior view, setulose, and closed dorsally. Surstylus somewhat narrow, not fused with epandrium, convex, setulose in posterior view and with eight short spines laterally on frontal view; distally tapered in lateral view. Extension of dorsal sclerite of distiphallus ending in an expanded region.

Female. Differs from male as follows: head with fronto-orbital plate about twice larger as the male, two proclinate and two reclinate orbital setae. Abdomen shorter and broader than male.

First instar larvae. A complete description was given by Thompson (1963: 480), and the reader is referred to that work.

Biology. Parasitoid of Coleoptera larvae. A specimen from MZSP is pinned with a larva of undetermined species of Hispinae ( Chrysomelidae ) with a puparium of E. claripennis inside it.

Distribution. Mexico (Veracruz, new record), Trinidad & Tobago and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, new record).

Figures

Fig. 1 Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a, b, male from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (MZSP). A. dorsal habitus. B. head, frontal view. C. lateral habitus

Fig. 2 Ebenia claripennis Macquart 1846a, b, Veracruz, Mexico (ARC). Male terminalia. A. epandrium, cerci and surstylus, posterior view. B. ejaculatory apodeme. C. epandrium, cerci, surstylus, hypandrium, phallapodeme, basiphallus, epiphallus, distiphallus, pregonite and postgonite, lateral view. Abbreviations: basph=basiphallus; cerc=cercus; distph =distiphallus; ej apod=ejaculatory apodeme; epand=epandrium; epiph=epiphallus; hypd=hypandrium; pgt=postgonite; phapod=phallapodeme; pregt=pregonite; sur=surstylus