Liriomyza eupatorii

Liriomyza eupatorii (Kaltenbach)

Figs 85–87

Agromyza eupatorii Kaltenbach 1873: 320.

Liriomyza eupatorii. Hendel 1920: 143, 1931: 217; Frick 1959: 404; Spencer 1969: 174, 1976: 245 [designation of orbitella lectotype], 1981: 230; Spencer & Steyskal 1986: 129.

Liriomyza orbitella Hendel 1931: 236. Syn. Spencer (1976).

Description. Wing length 1.7–2.2mm (♂), 1.9–2.0mm (♀). Length of ultimate section of vein CuA 1 divided by penultimate section: 2.0–2.7. Eye height divided by gena height: 3.0–4.4.

Chaetotaxy: Two ori (sometimes three on one side), two ors. Acrostichal setulae in four irregular rows.

Colouration: As described for typical L. sativae specimens except as follows: lateral margin of frons brown (not encosing fronto-orbitals) if first flagellomere brownish on distal margin; only base of hind femur sometimes brown dorsally, or in western North America, femora brown basally and with light dorsoapical mottling (rarely with more extensive pigmentation), but less commonly with only basal markings or sometimes entirely yellow; yellow posterolateral spots on scutum sometimes large and distinct; anepisternum dark along anteroventral and ventral margins, sometimes with spot reaching base of anepisternal bristle.

Genitalia: Figs 85–87. Epandrium and surstylus as in L. sativae. Paraphallus well eveloped, subrectangular. Hypophallus thin and strongly curved. Mesophallus half width of distiphallus; mesophallus and distiphallus with complete ventral suture. Distiphallus broadly cup-shaped with sides slightly converging apically and basal margin thick and truncated (sometimes as narrow as in figure, often much broader). Ejaculatory apodeme with stalk thin and blade broad with dark distal margin.

Variation: Specimens “ex. Callistephus ” differ as follows: wing length 1.6mm; femora and first flagellomere entirely yellow; surstylus distinctly darker than epandrium; distiphallus subrectangular, not narrowing apically.

Hosts. Asteraceae — Aster chilensis, Eupatorium, Galeopsis, Lapsana, Solidago (Benavent-Corai et al., 2005), Xanthium strumarium *. Possibly Callistephus (Asteraceae).

Range. USA: California [Alameda, Los Angeles*, Orange *, Riverside*, San Bernardino*, San Mateo*], Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington. Canada: Alberta, Ontario, Quebec. Europe.

Type material. Agromyza eupatorii, Syntypes, AUSTRIA [not given]. (location of all types unknown) [Not examined]. Liriomyza orbitella: Lectotype, FINLAND. Esbo (1♂, NMW) [Not examined].

Additional material examined. USA. California: Los Angeles Co., Yuddingstone, 11.vii.1974, J.H. Hilgendorf, reared serpentine mine, Xanthium strumarium (1♀, UCR), Hawthorne, ix.1940, Callistephus (1♂ 2♀, UCR), Orange Co., O.F.F. 174, 18.v.1950, citronella bait trap (1♂, CSCA), Riverside Co., Riverside, A.L. Melander, 5.v.1935 (2♂, USNM), 22.ii.1935 (1♂, USNM), 24.ii.1935 (1♂, USNM), 25.v.1942 (1♂, USNM), San Bernardino Co., Chino, 23.vii.1974, J.H. Hilgendorf, reared from leaf Xanthium strumarium L. (1♂, UCR), San Mateo Co., La Honda, 10.viii.1963, P.H. Arnaud, Jr. (1♀, CASC), Montana: Glacier Park, Lake McDonald, 14.viii.1916, A.L. Melander (1♂, USNM).

Comments. When viewed ventrally, the broad, truncated base of the distiphallus is diagnostic of this widespread and sometimes locally abundant species, distinguishing it from similar taxa such as Liriomyza sativae, and one of the main reasons why the tentatively-identified Callistephus material has been included. The phallus is very similar to that of the Palaearctic L. pusilla (Meigen), but the distiphallus of that species is more globular and with one pair of rounded distal sclerotizations, the paraphalli are more splayed, the hypophallus is haired and the mesophallus is very slightly separated from the distiphallus.