Eucelatoria yanayacu Burington 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Burington, Zelia L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tachinidae
Eucelatoria
Eucelatoria yanayacu

description: Eucelatoria yanayacu sp. nov.
(Figs 1I, 20, 40, 65, 85, 105, 120, 135, 151, 168, 174)
Type material. Holotype ♂, labeled “ECUADOR-Cosanga/ YBS-[Yanayacu Biological Station] Pan Traps / 1– 10[/]Jul[/]08/ Diego Inclán”, “ HOLOTYPE / Eucelatoria / yanayacu/ Z.L. Burington [red label]”, “DIP550 [specimen ID for Yanayacu tachinid pan trap survey]”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00191” (JOSC; to be deposited in MECN).
Allotype ♀, labeled “ECUADOR-Cosanga/ YBS-Pan Traps / 1–10[/]Jun[/]08/ Diego Inclán”, “ ALLOTYPE / Eucelatoria / yanayacu/ Z.L. Burington [red label]”, “DIP312”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00184” (JOSC; to be deposited in CNC).
Paratypes, 20 ♀♀ and 8 ♂♂. Ecuador — Napo: 1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀, labeled “ECUADOR-Cosanga/ YBS-Pan Traps / 1–8[/] May [/]07/ Diego Inclán ”, the Yanayacu ID “DIP1505”, “1506”, and “1507”, the specimen IDs “ZLB_E.Ferox 00178” [♀] (JOSC), “00177” [♀] (JOSC), and “00188” [♂] (JOSC; to be deposited in CNC). 1 ♂, as previous except date “1–8/Jul/07”, Yanayacu ID “1763”, and the specimen ID “00190” (JOSC). 1 ♂, as previous except date “4–11/Feb/08”, Yanayacu ID “131”, and specimen ID “00296” (JOSC). 1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀, as previous except date “1–10/ May /08”, Yanayacu IDs “252”, “257”, and “258”, and specimen IDs “00171” [♀], “00176” [♀], and “00180” [♂] (JOSC). 1 ♂ and 7 ♀♀, as previous except date “1–10/Jun/08”; Yanayacu IDs “826”, “332”, “283”, “289”, “296”, “444”, “286”, “298”; and specimen IDs “00170” [♀], “00173” [♀], “00174” [♀], “00175” [♀], “00182” [♀], “00187” [♀], “00186” [♀], and “00189” [♂; genitalia in vial under specimen] (JOSC). 1 ♀, as previous except “DIP328”, “B11” [terminalia in vial under specimen] (JOSC) 1 ♀, as previous except date “1–10/Aug/08”, Yanayacu ID “688”, and specimen ID “00181” (JOSC). 1 ♀, as previous except date “1–10/Sep/08”, Yanayacu ID “738”, and specimen ID “00179” (JOSC). 1 ♀, as previous except “1–10/Oct/08”, Yanayacu ID “1005”, and specimen ID “00185” (JOSC). 1 ♀, as previous except date “1–10/Nov/08”, Yanayacu ID “1106”, and specimen ID “00183” (JOSC). Pinchicha: 1 ♂, “ Tandapi, 40 km./ SW. Quito, 1300–/ 1500m. ECUADOR / 15–21.VI.65, Pena ”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00193” (CNC). 1 ♀, “ ECUADOR, Pich. / 2 km E Tandapi / 4.VI.83 1520m / G. & M. Wood ”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00194” (DMW). Bolivia — Cochabamba: 2 ♂♂ and 4 ♀♀, “ BOLIVIA Cbba Chapare/ Villa Tunarí-Cochabamba / road - km 365 - 1800/ G. & M. Wood ”, the specimen IDs “ZLB_E.Ferox 00195” [♀], “00197” [♀], “00199” [♂], “00192” [♀], “00198” [♀], and “00196” [♂] (DMW). 1 ♂, “ BOLIVIA, El Limbo/ 65°36′W 17°07′S / 2200m. Nov. 63/ F. Steinbach ”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00200” (CNC).
Recognition. This species is most similar to E. gladiatrix, E. falcata sp. nov., and E. charapensis in its large body size, minute to absent ocellar setae, and V-shaped vittae on the thoracic dorsum. It is distinguished from these species by the dense gold coloration of the head and thoracic dorsum tomentum, the broad parafacial, nearly onesixth the length of the head and often approaching the width of the postpedicel, the thick and uninterrupted V-shaped vittae, and the diffuse, nearly indistinct tomentum of the scutellum and abdominal dorsum. The female piercer generally extends at least to the apex of T1+2, if not over the entire length of the abdomen.
Etymology. Named for the type locality, the Yanayacu Biological Station, Ecuador, which means “black water” in Kichwa.
Description. [Described from 21 ♀♀ and 9 ♂♂. Head measurements are from 4 ♀♀ and 3 ♂♂.] Length 6.1–10.5 mm (mean = 8.5 mm).
Head. Parafacial, fronto-orbital plate, vertex, post-ocular plate, face, and gena tomentum dense yellow gold, appearing almost as gold leaf without magnification. Postgena and occiput tomentum mostly ash-gray, often with a small amount of gold speckling adjacent to post-ocular plate. Pale occipital setae bright yellow-gold to pale yellow. Ocellar setae minute, indistinct, or setula-like, usually less than one-third length of posterior reclinate orbital seta. Gena with 4–6 setae, subvibrissal ridge with 2 strong setae, sometimes with 3. Facial ridge with setulae on less than lower one-third. Postocellar setae three-fourths to subequal to length of posterior reclinate orbital setae, occasionally with third seta located on the mid line. Paravertical seta one-half to two thirds length of postocellar seta. Outer vertical seta hair-like, no more than one-fourth length of inner vertical seta. Reclinate orbital setae 3. Frontal setae 5–9, last frontal seta level with arista base or as much as 3 arista bases beyond. Eye with sparse ommatrichia no more than two facets in length. Eye height to head height ratio 0.78–0.84 (mean = 0.81). Postpedicel length 0.38– 0.44 (mean = 0.40) height of head. Facial ridge length 0.47–0.65 (mean = 0.54) height of head. Parafacial width 0.12–0.16 (mean = 0.14) lateral length of head. Pedicel 0.30–0.40 (mean = 0.34) length of postpedicel. Postpedicel width 1.2–1.7 (mean = 1.5) times width of parafacial in lateral view. Vertex 0.24–0.30 (mean = 0.27) width of head in dorsal view. Palpus dark-brown to black, subcylindrical in males, dilated at apex in females; with short dense setae extending along apical half and several long thin mediolateral setae.
Thorax. Dorsomedial length 1.4 times width of thorax. Lateral tomentum gray, merging to yellow-gold on upper part of anepisternum. Dorsal tomentum yellow-gold. Outer vittae elliptical to bar-shaped, fused at notopleural suture, separated from inner vitta by only thin line of tomentum, fused to inner thoracic vitta level with first or second postsutural dorsocentral seta, such that entire fused vitta resembles an elongate, parallel sided, thick armed ‘V’ extending from anterior margin to posterior margin of mesonotum. Scutellar dorsal tomentum diffuse gray, visible clearly only at the apex. Postpronotum with 4 setae. Presutural area with 2 supra-alar setae. Postsutural area with 4 dorsocentral setae. Scutellum with 1–2 pairs discal setae. Fore tibia with 2 posterodorsal setae. Wing lightly to moderately infuscated around wing base, costa, subcosta and radial sector, occasionally also infuscated around media and posterior wing veins.
Abdomen. Cuticle and setulae entirely black. Dorsal tomentum bands diffuse gray, extending one-half to threefourths length of T3–5. Ventral tomentum bands ash-gray, appearing bluish in direct light, extending over threefourths to entirely covering T1–5. T4 with 1 pair erect median marginal setae; in female, with 1–2 pairs of lateral marginal setae; in male, with 4 or more pairs of lateral marginal setae forming continuous row to ventral margin of T4.
Male terminalia (Figs 135, 151, 168). Sternite 5 basal plate with median teeth blunt, usually divergent, separated 0.4 width of basal notch; apical lobes subequal to length of basal plate. Postgonite broadly rounded on posterior margin; incised margin semicircular, depth subequal width of postgonite at mid length. Surstylus subdigitiform; posterior and anterior margins rounded, posterior margin distinctly convex, not parallel; with rounded, blunt apex; with margin of basal lobe gradually rounded. Cercus in lateral view straight, dilated at base, margins parallel along mid length; apex with small point; in caudal view lateral margin narrowing from upper lobe to base of apical notch, broadened slightly at apical notch, with blunt apex. Upper lobe subquadrate; 0.2 length of cercus. Median section 0.5 length of cercus. Apical cleft slightly divergent, 0.3 length of cercus. Syncercus apex in caudal view 0.6 width of syncercus base.
Female terminalia (Figs 105, 120). Piercer extending to at least the apex of T1+2, often extending to base of abdomen or beyond; in lateral view gradually curved with slightly bent apex; in posterior view parallel on basal third, slightly broadened at mid length, gradually narrowed to apex. Aculeate lobe length more than three times height of segment 7 base. End tergite wedge-shaped, apex pointed, ten times as long as wide. Cercus with 8–9 setae; ventral elongation more than three times width of main cercus body, flared past midpoint, extending more than half the distance to apex of end tergite. Postgenital plate with 12 setae.
Host(s). Unknown.
Geographic extent and seasonal occurrence. Eucelatoria yanayacu sp. nov. is known only from the tropical montane forests of northern Ecuador and the Yungas montane forests of Central Bolivia (Fig. 174), where it has been collected at elevations of 1300 to 2200 m. At Yanayacu Biological station (n = 23), specimens have been collected year round, with most individuals collected in May and June. This species’ range likely includes similar humid montane forest habitat in Peru, and may also extend into the montane forests of Colombia.
Discussion. The size and coloration of E. yanayacu sp. nov. makes both males and females distinctive among E. ferox group species. Other diagnostic characters in addition to those mentioned above include the minute ocellar setae and the large number of genal setae. The general “hairiness” of this species is exemplified by occasional large stray discal setae on the abdominal tergites, including T1+2, and the unusual third postocellar seta present in several specimens. The shape of the surstylus varies between Ecuadorian and Bolivian populations, with Bolivian males having a wider, less digitiform surstylus in lateral view. These are otherwise inseparable.
Individuals may be confused with specimens of Eucelatoria species allied with E. dimmocki (Aldrich), one of which is nearly identical in size and coloration and known to be sympatric with E. yanayacu sp. nov. These “mimics” are otherwise distinguished by their hairy eyes, apical scutellar setae, the short piercer of the female, the long basal plate of the fifth abdominal sternite, and other characteristics similar to Eucelatoria dimmocki and related species. Research on beetle mimics of tachinid and sarcophagid flies has suggested similar mimicry complexes form in response to bird predation; individuals benefit from looking similar because birds recognize them as being evasive and difficult to catch (Hespenheide 1973; Vanin & Guerra 2012). However, it is not clear whether these represent part of an actual mimicry complex, or if so, who is mimicking whom.
description: Published as part of Burington, Zelia L., 2022, A taxonomic revision of the Eucelatoria ferox species group (Diptera: Tachinidae), pp. 1-104 in Zootaxa 5143 (1) on pages 47-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5143.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6601404