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

description: Eucelatoria sabroskyi sp. nov.
(Figs 16, 36, 61, 81, 102, 117, 131, 147, 164, 173)
Type material. Holotype ♂, labeled “ USA: AZ: Pima Co. Santa / Rita Mts. 3 mi. W of Hwy / 83. Greaterville Rd 3–5-/ VIII-1999 ptrap: 18/ J.O. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria texana var. 1”, “ HOLOTYPE / Eucelatoria / sabroskyi/ Z.L. Burington [red label]”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00070 ” (JOSC; to be deposited in USNM).
Paratypes, 14 ♀♀ and 6 ♂♂. USA — Arizona: 1 ♂, “ USA: AZ: Pima Co. Santa/ Rita Mts. 3 mi. W of Hwy / 83. Greaterville Rd 3–5-/ viii-1999 ptrap: 5/ J.O. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria texana var. 1”, “ PARATYPE / Eucelatoria / borealis/ Z.L. Burington [yellow label]”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00071” [genitalia in vial under specimen] (JOSC). 2 ♀♀, as previous except “ Madera Greaterville Rd. / 5000′ 31-viii–2-ix-1999 / Trap #5 J.O. Stireman III”, the specimen ID labels “ZLB_E.Ferox 00058” and “00085”, the second labeled “ Eucelatoria n. sp. 1/ Xiphamyia [sic] grp.” (JOSC). 2 ♀♀, as previous except the first with trap number “17” and specimen ID “00051” (JOSC); the second with “3” and “00059” (JOSC; to be deposited in USNM). 1 ♀, “ USA: AZ: Pima Co. Santa/ Rita Mts. 8 mi N of/ Sonoita 2-IX-1999 ptrap:2/ J.O. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria texana var. 1”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00063” (JOSC). 1 ♂, as previous except, “ptrap 15”, “ Pan Trap # 15/ Aug. 31–Sep 2 1999/?”, “ Eucelatoria n. sp. 1/ Xiphamyia [sic] grp.”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00081” (JOSC). 1 ♂, “ USA: AZ: Pima Co. Santa/ Rita Mts. Box Can Rd. 3/ mi. W. of Hwy 83/ Pan traps / 5000′ 3-Aug-1999 / J.O. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria texana var. 1”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00062” (JOSC). 1 ♂, “ USA: AZ: Cochise Co. / Huachuca Mts. Oversite/ Can. ~6500′ 9-Aug-1998 / J. Stireman II (tach. Hole)”, “ Eucelatoria armigera / (?)” [genitalia in vial under specimen] (JOSC). 1 ♀, “ USA: AZ: Cochise Co. / Garden Can. Huachuca / Mts. 5500′/ 22-July 1998 / J. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria / (Xiphomyia grp.)”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00069” (JOSC). 5 ♀♀, “ARIZ.: SW Res./ Sta. [Southwest Research Station], 5mi. sw./ Portal, 5400ft. / 5 [/] 25-IX-1965 ”, “CWSabrosky/ collector”, the museum ID labels “USNM ENT 00039944”, “00040018”, “00039942”, “00039943”, and “00039946”; the specimen ID labels “ZLB_E.Ferox 00075”, “00087”, “00077”, “00086”, and “00076”; the final specimen labeled “ Xiphomyia / long flat [at tip? indecipherable]” (USNM). 1 ♀, “ARIZ., S.W.R.S/ 5 Mi. W. Portal / Cochise Co., 5400ft. / 8-17 1965 ”, “H J Reinhard/ Collector”, “Reinhard/ Collection”, “ZLB_E.Ferox 00065” (CNC). 1 ♂ and 2 ♀♀, “ USA AZ Chiricahua Mtns. / Herb Martyr campgrd. &/ Ash Spring 5899–6100′/ 31°52′N 109°14′W / 17-18.viii.2007 J O’Hara”, the male labeled “Collected near loc./ CNCDC 621-11”, the specimen specimen IDs “ZLB_E.Ferox 00083” [♂; genitalia in vial under specimen], “00084” [♀], “00082” [♀] (CNC). 1 ♂, “ USA: AZ: Cochise County / Ash Creek / Chincahua Mountains / 5500′ 20-viii-2005 ”, “ John O. Stireman III”, “ Eucelatoria sp. ” (JOSC).
Recognition. Individuals of E. sabroskyi sp. nov. are nearly identical to E. texana among Nearctic E. ferox group species in the coloration of the head and thorax, but can be reliably separated by the shorter, less digitiform surstylus and the marginal notch of the surstylus basal lobe, and less reliably by the increased extent of gold on the fronto-orbital plate. Females generally possess a longer piercer than that of E. texana. Individuals of E. sabroskyi sp. nov. are also nearly identical to the Mexican E. rivalis, as both have four relatively thin thoracic vittae, strong ocellar setae, broad parafacials, and long piercers, but E. rivalis differs in that the parafacial and fronto-orbital plate bear a greater extent of gold tomentum.
Etymology. This species is named for Curtis Williams Sabrosky, an American dipterist responsible for a partial revision of Eucelatoria (Sabrosky 1981) and the collector of several specimens included in this description.
Description. [Described from 14 ♀♀ and 6 ♂♂. Head measurements from 14 ♀♀ and 5 ♂♂.] Length 5.5–7.5 mm (mean = 6.5 mm).
Head. Parafacial, gena, post-ocular plate, face, postgena, and occiput tomentum ash-gray. Vertex tomentum dirty yellow, extending onto fronto-orbital plate along frontal vitta usually to middle of frontal setae, usually encompassing orbital setae, sometimes extending to all of fronto-orbital plate up to antennal angle and along eye margin to that level. Pale occipital setulae gray. Ocellar setae one-half to subequal to length of posterior reclinate orbital. Gena with 4 setae, subvibrissal ridge with 1 seta, occasionally with one more, smaller seta. Facial ridge with setulae on lower one-fourth to two-fifths, usually on lower one-third. Postocellar setae one-half to subequal to length of ocellar setae. Paravertical seta one-half to three-fourths length of postocellar setae. Outer vertical seta undifferentiated in male, one-third to one-half length of inner vertical seta in female. Reclinate orbital setae 2–3. Frontal setae 4–8, last frontal seta level with base of arista or one to two arista base widths beyond. Eye apparently bare. Eye height to head height ratio 0.80–0.90 (mean = 0.82). Postpedicel length 0.40–0.50 (mean = 0.43) height of head. Facial ridge length 0.45–0.65 (mean = 0.53) height of head. Parafacial width 0.07–0.15 (mean = 0.11) lateral length of head. Pedicel 0.20–0.50 (mean = 0.31) length of postpedicel. Postpedicel subequal to 2.7 (mean = 1.9) times width of parafacial in lateral view. Vertex 0.25–0.30 (mean = 0.28) width of head in dorsal view. Palpus yellow-tan, subcylindrical, with short black setulae on dorsoapical third and longer ventral setulae on middle third.
Thorax. Dorsomedial length 1.2–1.5 width of thorax. Lateral tomentum dense ash-gray, covering most of pleural sclerites. Dorsal tomentum ash-gray to yellow-gray, usually confined to anterior margin. Presutural outer vitta triangular, in many cases disconnected from anterior margin. Postsutural outer vitta fusiform, longer than presutural vitta, distinctly separate from presutural vitta, pointed at posterior apex, usually broadest near anterior apex. Inner thoracic vittae nearly parallel in males, more divergent in females, one-half to subequal width of presutural outer vitta, extending onto postsutural area level with first postsutural acrostichal seta or becoming indistinct. Scutellar dorsal tomentum ash-gray, extending over most or all of scutellum dorsum. Postpronotum with three setae, with at most 1 weak additional seta. Presutural area with 2 supra-alar setae, the anterior seta weak. Postsutural area with 4 dorsocentral setae, the second weaker than the others, occasionally absent. Scutellum with 1 pair discal setae. Fore tibia with 1–2 posterodorsal setae, the more basal seta sometimes much smaller. Wing hyaline. Calypters tan to cream colored.
Abdomen. Cuticle and setulae entirely black. Dorsal tomentum bands ash-gray, extending one-third to fourfifths lengths of T3–5. Ventral tomentum bands same as above, appearing blue under direct light. T4 with 1 pair erect median marginal setae and a row of 3–4 pairs of lateral marginal setae; the lateral setae often forming a continuous widely space row with the median marginals; in females usually the lateral setae are decumbent.
Male terminalia (Figs 131, 147, 164). Sternite 5 basal plate with median teeth separated 0.4 width of basal notch; apical lobes 1.2 times length of basal plate. Postgonite with strong anterobasal angle; posterior margin broadly rounded; anterior emargination acutely angled, the depth two times width of postgonite at mid length. Surstylus slightly longer than cercus, length 2.1 times width, paddle shaped, apex blunt, margins curved to subparallel, with medial marginal notch on basal lobe in lateral view. Cercus in lateral view slightly dilated at base, gradually narrowed at mid length and distinctly dilated at apex, with slight posteroapical point; in caudal view broadly rounded at basolateral angle, parallel along mid length, gradually narrowed to subquadrate apex. Upper lobe 0.2 length of cercus. Median section 0.45 length of cercus.Apical cleft margins slightly divergent, 0.3 length of cercus. Syncercus apex width in caudal view 0.5 width of syncercus base.
Female terminalia (Figs 102, 117). Piercer generally extending past apex of T3, in some specimens extending past apex of T1+2 or to abdomen base, in lateral view gradually curved to tip, sometimes slightly bent at tip; in posterior view gradually narrowed to apex. Aculeate lobe 2.1–3.5 times height of segment 7 base. Tergite eight plates subtriangular, length four to six times greatest width, apex pointed. Cercus with 6 setulae; ventral elongation subequal to two times width of main cercus body. Postgenital plate with 12 setulae.
Host(s). Unknown.
Geographic extent and seasonal occurrence. Eucelatoria sabroskyi sp. nov. is known only from the foothills of the Santa Rita and Chiricahua Mountains of southern Arizona, within the Madrean Archipelago ecoregion (Fig. 173), and New Mexico (Fig. 1). They have been collected at elevations of 1500–1600 m in savannah woodlands with a mixed canopy of live oak and mesquite (J.O. Stireman, pers. comm.) in August and September. This species is potentially found in similar habitat throughout southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Mexico.
Discussion. This species is close to E. texana and the two intergrade in coloration, but usually in E. sabroskyi sp. nov. the fronto-orbital plate and vertex are more gold colored. The shape of the cercus and the small marginal notch on the basal lobe of the surstylus in lateral view are distinct from E. texana genitalia. Female specimens, tentatively placed here, have a longer piercer than E. texana, extending past the apex of T3, rarely to the base of the abdomen. Female specimens usually have a notably wider parafacial than males, such that the postpedicel appears to be subequal in width to the parafacial.
There is a large amount of size and color variation in this species, such that it likely represents a complex. Males from Herb Martyr Campground (Chiracahua Mts, AZ) in particular are larger with a greater amount of yellow tomentum on the head and a greater extent of tomentum bands on the abdomen. However, it is not possible to distinguish male genitalia in the few males available; further genetic evidence is needed.
The Mexican species E. rivalis is nearly identical to E. sabroskyi sp. nov. in appearance, except that in the former the yellow tomentum of the fronto-orbital plate extends partway onto the parafacial. However, they are genetically distinct (Fig. 1). The tree strongly supports a sister relationship between E. sabroskyi sp. nov. and E. auriceps, which despite distinctive differences in coloration are otherwise similar in male genitalia (cf. Figs 125, 131) and length of the female piercer (cf. Figs 96, 102).
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 38-40, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5143.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6601404