Ulivellia Speiser 1929
Creators: name: Kovac, Damir
name: Kameneva, Elena P.
name: Korneyev, Severyn V.
name: Araújo, Alexandre Santos
name: Savaris, Marcoandre
name: Smit, John T.
name: Schneider, Alexander
name: Schreiber, Robert
name: Korneyev, Valery A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Ulidiidae
Ulivellia

description: Ulivellia Speiser, 1929
Ulivellia Speiser 1929: 28.
Type species: Ulivellia inversa Speiser, 1929 (by original designation).
Ulivellia: Steyskal 1968: 54.22.
Diagnosis. The genus possesses all the diagnostic characters of the tribe Lipsanini and the Amethysa lineage: head and body with greenish or bluish metallic sheen, sparsely whitish microtrichose, ocellar setae strong; phallus bare or covered with fine microtrichia, shortened or sometimes bar-like, apically without glans; female abdominal tergites 4–6 without anteromedial apodemes, only two spermathecae present. Frons with short parafrontal setulae near orbits, and clearly differentiated from them strong frontal and interfrontal setae.
Species of Ulivellia are easily distinguished from most genera of the Lipsanini / Amethysa lineage by the presence of crossveins r-m and dm-m, which are strongly displaced basally, so that r-m is at the level of the Sc apex and dmm is slightly distal to R 1 apex level. All known species have an elongate and narrow pterostigma and setulose vein R 1. The other lipsaniine species with the crossvein r-m at the level of the Sc apex assigned to the genera Axiologina Hendel, 1909 and Euxesta Loew, 1868 (Figs 4 I–K) have subequal, low epistome and high clypeus (Fig. 3 D).
Halter either entirely black, or with a black knob, sometimes entirely yellow.
The species of Ulivellia can be distinguished from the closely related and superficially similar, elongate and moderately large metallic greenish flies of the Aspistomella group of genera, which also often have black halteres, by the combination of the wing discal crossband uniformly narrow or not reaching posterior half of the wing (in other genera, strongly widened posteriorly) and crossvein r-m at the level of vein Sc or basal of it (in other genera, distal to the apex of the vein R 1, except in Aspistomella garleppi, where the crossvein r-m is proximal to the apex of the vein R 1, but still distal to the apex of vein Sc, as in Fig. 6 D, as well as surstyli bearing numerous prensisetae in the species examined (in other genera, only non-thickened or 2–3 moderately thickened setulae are present on the inner surstylus as in Aspistomella steyskali, which are believed to appear independently).
Description. Body mostly dark brown or black, usually with metallic sheen, often faint bluish or greenish, partly hidden by sparse whitish or silvery white microtrichia (Figs 50, 51, 53, 55, 57).
Head generally as described for Aspistomella. Frons smooth (Figs 50 B, 51 E, 53 D, 55 C, 57 C), with fine wrinkles, reddish or brownish yellow with black, often greenish shining vertical plates and ocellar triangle to entirely black towards vertex; frontal plates with 4–9 short parafrontal setulae and 4–10 frontal setae; frontal vitta finely and sparsely microtrichose, usually with 3–10 interfrontal setae on each side; vertex and orbits with dense, thickened, short white microtrichia. Vertical plates with 1 long and 1 vestigial reclinate orbital setae anterior of it; ocellar triangle with ocelli forming elongate acute triangle and a pair of very long ocellar setae. Face in dorsal portion flat, covered with white microtrichia (Figs 50 B, 53 D, 55 C, 57 C), and with ventral portion strongly produced anteroventrally, forming large epistome 2–3× higher than clypeus, often metallic shining, covered with sparse, thin whitish microtrichia. Parafacial usually brownish yellow, densely white microtrichose. Gena widened posteriorly, brownish, sparsely white microtrichose, bearing 1–2 strong genal setae and 4–6 moderately long, proclinate peristomal setulae. Occiput densely white microtrichose. Scape short, dorsally with 6–8 black marginal setulae. Pedicel with rectangular incision; one long pedicellar seta and 20–25 setulae, of them ventral longest. Postpedicel oval, 1.8–2× longer than wide, rounded at apex, densely microtrichose; arista 2-segmented (Figs 50 C, 53 C, D). Palp elongate, 4–4.5× longer than wide and almost twice as long as postpedicel, white microtrichose, with numerous ventral and ventromedial setae almost as long as palp width and 2–3 apical setae 1.5–2× longer than the rest. Clypeus at least half lower than epistome, convex, microtrichose, almost hidden in oral cavity. Proboscis with prementum and labellum moderately large, bearing long thin setulae.
Thorax mostly shining black or brown, with faint bluish, greenish or golden sheen and moderately dense, thin, semierect white microtrichia not hiding entirely shining cuticle. Postpronotal lobe with 1 seta and 5–15 setulae; proepisternum with 1 short proepiesternal seta (sometimes absent or indistinct) and 5–20 fine subequal setulae on proepiesternal ridge. Prosternum higher than wide, with distinct longitudinal suture and shallow ventral incision, sparsely microtrichose, without conspicuous setae. Mesonotum steel shining, with slight green or bluish sheen of cuticle not entirely hidden by sparse or moderately thick white microtrichia (Figs 50 E, 51 F, 53 E, 55 E, 57 E); scutum setulose, except prescutellar area posterior of dorsocentral setae; dorsocentral setulae forming clear row, with 8–18 12 poorly ordered rows of setulae between them; 1 postpronotal, 2 notopleural, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 intra-alar and 1 postalar, 2 dorsocentral and setae present; acrostichal seta present in U. amnoni, U. laetitiae and U. pseudinsolita, but absent in U. arcuata and U. tenoris. Anepisternum setulose almost entirely anterior to vertical squama, with strong seta and 5–12 shorter setae at posterior margin. Katepisternum with one, occasionally two strong posterodorsal seta. Scutellum subtriangular, slightly convex, smooth, with 2 pairs of scutellar setae, no setulae on disc and margins, sparsely microtrichose. Subscutellum matt, microtrichose. Mediotergite smooth, sparsely or densely microtrichose.
Wing from moderately elongate, 2.0–2.8× longer than wide to strongly elongate, 3.5× longer than wide (in U. tenoris), with dark banded wing pattern (or extensive dark pattern in males of U. arcuata); venation modified, with the crossvein r-m displaced basally to the level of Sc apex and dm-m closer to the level of R 1 apex than to R 2+3 apex (Figs 4 A–G). Vein R 1 dorsally with 7–15 setulae (not known in U. inversa). Pterostigma longer than wide, costal vein straight before apex of subcostal vein or very slightly bent in U. pseudinsolita; in U. arcuata, costal vein conspicuously curved distally of apex of subcostal vein. Cell r 4+5 slightly or conspicuously narrowed apically. Vein CuA Z-shaped, cell cua with moderately short posteroapical lobe along vein CuP (in U. amnoni, U. laetitiae, and U. arcuata) or moderately long (in U. pseudinsolita and U. tenoris). Calypters white, with white cilia. Halter creamy white (in U. amnoni, U. laetitiae, and U. tenoris) to brown with black or brown knob (in U. arcuata, U. inversa, and U. pseudinsolita).
Legs variable in coloration; coxae yellow to brown, femora usually entirely brown or black, tibiae and tarsi yellow to brown. Fore femur with 2 posterodorsal rows of setae, posteroventrally with row of 2–10 setae. Mid femur on anterior and posterior surface with row of moderately long, antero- and postero-ventrally directed setulae. Mid tibia apicoventrally with strong spur-like seta 1.5× longer than tibia width. Hind femur with 2–3 subapical setae dorsally.
Abdomen subshining brown to black, tergites and sternites with metallic green or yellow sheen, sparsely white microtrichose (Figs 50 F, 51 C, 53 B, 55 A, B, 57 F). Male and female abdomen with 5 visible tergites, of them tergites 3–5 subequal in length; female tergite 6 hidden underneath posterior margin of tergite 5. Sternites 3–5 unmodified, subrectangular, sternite 5 trapezoid (Fig. 52 A).
Male postabdomen. Sternite 8 setulose, with 2 longer setae. Cerci wide oval, moderately developed, partly fused at bases; in U. arcuata, flat and joined by subtriangular proctiger; in U. laetitiae, short oval, in U. pseudinsolita longer, sack-like; setulose (Figs 52 D, E; 54 A, B; 56 A–D). Epandrium ovoid, dorsally short, moderately setulose (Figs 52 C, 54 A, B, D, 56 A–D). Surstyli basally wide, in U. laetitiae, outer surstylus simple with narrow, elongated, mesally directed ventral lobe apically bearing dorsally directed pimple-like process, but without distinct antero-ventral and postero-ventral lobes; inner surstylus with 12–15 thickened prensisetae (Figs 54 B, D, E); in U. arcuata, mesally directed ventral lobe short and without pimple-like process, but with single sclerotised prensiseta at base (Figs 52 B, C); inner surstylus with row of 6–8 gradually enlarging prensisetae; in U. pseudinsolita, outer surstylus flattened, posteroventrally directed, apically oval with single trichoid sensillum; inner surstylus with 4 very strong claw-like mesally directed prensisetae (Figs 56 A, C). Pregonites symmetrical, with 3–5 setulae ventro-mesally, conspicuously anterior of postgonites. Postgonites on laterobasal part of the phallic guide lobes, with 5–6 small trichoid sensilla (Figs 52 F, 54 E, 56 E). Phallus in U. laetitiae and U. pseudinsolita moderately short and narrow, about 3–4 times as long as epandrium high, almost bare, in rest coiled at right side of abdomen (Figs 56 A–D); in U. arcuata, phallus short and wide, bowed to the right side of abdomen, but neither coiled, nor hidden in the rest, apically with pair of denticles at both sides of gonopore (Figs 52 B–E). Ejaculatory apodeme short, bar-like, with relatively small sperm pump (Figs 52 D, 56 B).
Female terminalia: not dissected.
Preimaginal stages. Egg unknown.
Third instar larvae. The third instar larvae of Ulivellia are known from Ulivellia arcuata and U. tenoris. The morphology and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton of Ulivellia larvae were basically the same as in Aspistomella (Table 2). Aspistomella and Ulivellia could be distinguished mainly by the structure of the posterior spiracles and the locomotory creeping welts. Aspistomella larvae had three rows of posteriorly oriented spinules on abdominal segment I (Figs 21 A, 47 A), three rows of posteriorly oriented spinules in the anterior portion of abdominal segments II-VIII (rows b and c, Figs 21 B, 47 B) and an anterior row of anteriorly oriented spinules on segments III-VIII (row a, Figs 21 C, 47 C). In contrast, Ulivellia larvae have five rows of posteriorly oriented spinules on abdominal segment I (Figs 58 B, 60 A), five or more rows of posteriorly oriented spinules in the anterior part of the creeping welts of abdominal segments III-VIII (rows b and c, Figs 58 C, 60 B) and two to three anterior rows of anteriorly oriented spinules on segments II-VIII (rows a, Figs 58 D, 60 C).
The posterior spiracular slits of U. arcuata resembled silhouettes of kneeling and bowing humans, their spiracular slits 1 and 2 were symmetrical, and the yellow area above the spiracular slits widened towards the edge of the spiracle (Figs 9 D, 58 F). In contrast, the spiracular slits of U. tenoris had an additional turn in the central part, spiracular slits 1 and 2 were asymmetrical and the width of the yellow line above the spiracular slit was almost constant (Figs 9 C, 60 G); furthermore, the shape of the spiracle was more rectangular than the more oval shape of the other four species and the distance between the spiracles was comparatively large (high sd/sw index, Table 2).
Ulivellia tenoris could be distinguished from U. arcuata by having a double row of large spinules (rows d, Fig. 60 C), while U. arcuata had only one (rows d, Fig. 58 D). Furthermore, in U. tenoris rows b in the anterior half of the creeping welts of abdominal segments II-VIII were discontinuous, slightly curved and mesh-like (Fig. 60 C), while in U. arcuata they were relatively parallel to each other and continuous (Fig. 58 D). Ulivellia arcuata had a continuous central row c (Fig. 58 D), whereas U. tenoris row c had a discontinuous row c (Fig. 60 C).
Puparium (Figs 9 E, H). Puparia of Ulivellia were similar to those of Aspistomella, but could be distinguished by their posterior spiracles and creeping welts, just as in larvae (compare spiracular slits in Figs 9 D, E). In addition, Aspistomella puparia were widest at abdominal segments 3–4, whereas Ulivellia puparia were widest at abdominal segment 7 (Figs 9 G, H). Puparia of U. arcuata were smaller than those of the other three species.
Habitat. The larvae of Ulivellia arcuata and U. tenoris live in the water-filled internodes of young bamboo culms of Guadua angustifolia. The biology of Ulivellia is described in the Biology section.
Remarks. In the original description, Speiser (1929) characterised Ulivellia as “…somewhat reminiscent of Rivellia [a genus of the Platystomatidae —VK] in the general appearance; however, this form belongs to the group around Euxesta H. Lw., including Pareuxesta Coquill. because the end of R 1 is setulose and the analis [vein CuA + CuP] disappears just behind the anal cell [cua].
[…]Due to the peculiar position of the small transverse veins, the use of Hendel's key […] of the “Genera Insectorum”, one is easily misled into interpreting the form as Axiologina Hendel; leaving this aside, one arrives quite easily at Pareuxesta Coquill. —however, apart from the setae on the frontal vitta, which are much more similar to those of Euxesta, the vertical plates of the frons are only short, so that they hardly reach further forward than the ocellar triangle, and thus barely reach a third of the length of the frons. On the other hand, the ocelli are not arranged in an equilateral triangle, as in Pareuxesta, but in an acute-angled isosceles triangle. The clypeus [face—VK] is not only shallowly concave, but rather deeply depressed transversely above the centre; its upper, slightly transversely curved part has a fine median longitudinal keel, as in some Euxesta species; the lower part is well curved. The 3rd antennal joint [postpedicel] has a shallowly concave upper edge, otherwise the morphology of the head and its appendages, as well as that of the thorax and its bristles, does not differ from that of compared genera. The wing vein, however, has some peculiarities: The first posterior marginal cell [= cell r 4+5 —VK] is very clearly narrowed by the convergence of the longitudinal veins. The small transverse vein [= r-m—VK] is displaced proximally (further than in E. insolita Hendel, but not as far as in Axiologina); it is slightly further than at the end of the first quarter of the disal cell length. Due to a peculiar divergence of the cubitus [= vein M 4] towards the posterior margin, the discal cell is already widened from the first quarter of its length, so that at the the posterior transverse vein it is at least three times as wide as its base; its postero-distal corner is acute-angled. The character of the anal cell and vein has already been mentioned.”
[Original description: “Im Gesamtbilde etwas an Rivellia erinnernd, gehört diese Form gewissermassen vermittelnd in die Gruppe um Euxesta H. Lw. —Man könnte sie fast ebenso gut als etwas weitergehend seitwärts entwickelte Euxesta neben E. insolita Hendel stellen, wie man mit grösserem formalen Recht sie zur Gattung Pareuxesta Coquill. rechnen könnte, weil das Ende von R 1 (Subcosta bei Hendel) dicht beborstet ist und die Analis ein Stückchen hinter der Analzelle restlos aufhört.
Hendel will ja auch schon diese Inselgattung Pareuxesta für „etwas problematisch“ halten. Immerhin ist sie deutlich genug gekennzeichnet, und anderseits die jetzt neu vorliegende Form doch im Geäder einigermassen abweichend, um nicht ohne Zwang weiterer Tatsachen alles zu vereinigen und damit tiergeographische Hinweise unnötig zu verwischen. Durch die eigenartige Stellung der kleinen Querader wird man bei Benutzung von Hendel's Tabelle in fase. 106 der „Genera Insectorum" leicht verleitet, die Form als Axiologina Hendel aufzufassen, lässt man diese Klippe beiseite, gelangt man ziemlich zwanglos auf Pareuxesta Coquill. —Abgesehen aber von der Beborstung der Stirnstrieme, die erheblich mehr derjenigen bei Euxesta entspricht, sind auch die Scheitelplatten der Stirn nur kurz entwickelt, sodass sie kaum weiter nach vorn reichen, als das Ocellendreieck, und also kaum ein Drittel der Stirnlänge erreichen. Die Ocellen anderseits stehen nicht, wie bei Pareuxesta, in einem gleichseitigen, sondern in einem spitzwinklig gleichschenkligen Dreieck. Der Clypeus ist nicht nur seicht konkav, sondern oberhalb der Mitte ziemlich tief quer eingedrückt, sein oberer, wenig in der Quere gewölbter Teil weist, wie bei einigen Euxesta-Arten auch, einen feinen Mittellängskiel auf; der untere Teil ist gut gewölbt. Das 3. Fühlerglied weist eine seicht konkav ausgebuchtete Oberkante auf, sonst bietet die Morphologie des Kopfes und seiner Anhänge, ebenso diejenige des Thorax und seine Beborstung keine Abweichungen gegenüber den verglichenen Gattungen. Das Flügelgeäder indessen hat einige eigentümliche Züge: Die erste Hinterrandzelle ist durch Convergenz der Längsadern sehr deutlich verengt. Die kleine Querader ist (weiter als bei E. insolita Hendel, aber nicht so weit, wie bei Axiologina) wurzelwärts zurückverlagert; sie steht ein wenig weiter als am Ende des ersten Viertels der Discoidalzellenlänge. Die Discoidalzelle ist durch eine eigentümliche Schwingung des Cubitus gegen den Hinterrand zu schon von dem ersten Viertel ihrer Länge ab buchtig erweitert, sodass die hintere Querader gut dreimal so lang ist wie ihre Basis; ihr unteres äusseres Ende ist spitzwinklig. Die Beschaffenheit der Analzelle und -ader wurde bereits erwähnt.”
description: Published as part of Kovac, Damir, Kameneva, Elena P., Korneyev, Severyn V., Araújo, Alexandre Santos, Savaris, Marcoandre, Smit, John T., Schneider, Alexander, Schreiber, Robert & Korneyev, Valery A., 2024, Revision of the Aspistomella group of genera (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Pterocallinae: Lipsanini), pp. 1-117 in Zootaxa 5530 (1) on pages 85-88, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5530.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023149