Haplopeodes vittatus Eiseman & Lonsdale, sp. nov.

(Figs 385–389)

Holotype. USA. TEXAS: Wilson Co., Stockdale, Jackson Nature Park, 18.iii.2023, em. by 26.iv.2023, C. Burrier, ex Solanum triquetrum, #CSE8137, CNC2104785 (1♂).

Paratype. USA. NEW MEXICO. Hidalgo Co., Rusty’s RV Ranch, Estrella Parkway, 31.933033, −109.042150, 16–17.viii.2013, T.O. Burt & L.M. Carroll, Malaise trap, desert-dry creekbed, CNC810870 (1♀).

Etymology. The specific epithet (L. vittatus —striped) refers to the distinctive vittate scutum of the adult.

Host. Solanaceae: Solanum triquetrum Cav.

Leaf mine. Unknown. Photographs showing portions of the leaf from which this specimen was reared (iNat 151563633) show a whitish linear mine on the lower surface, partly following the midrib, with frass deposited in a few minute black grains. At the end, the mine doubles back on itself, and there is a short full-depth portion with conspicuous frass particles and what appears to be an exit hole made by a parasitoid. We suspect that the Haplopeodes mine was either very small when the leaf was collected or the larva had not yet hatched, and unfortunately no follow-up photos were taken. See Comments for a summary of the known Solanum -feeding Haplopeodes species and their larval biology.

Puparium. Not observed by us; formed outside the mine.

Phenology and voltinism. The only reared specimen was collected as an egg or larva in mid-March and emerged as an adult 39 days later. Another adult was captured in mid-August.

Distribution. USA: NM, TX.

Adult description. Wing length 1.5 mm (♂), 1.8 mm (♀).Vein dm-m absent. Eye height divided by gena height: 3.1–5.6. First flagellomere small, rounded, with slightly longer hairs on distal margin. Arista pubescent. Eye oblique, frons angled ventrally. Orbital plate moderately projecting anteriorly; parafacial narrow but distinct, continuing as cheek under eye. Notum with grayish pruinosity on dark portions.

Chaetotaxy: Three ori, one slightly longer ors. Postvertical and ocellar setae subequal to ori. Five dorsocentral setae, decreasing in length anteriorly, with fifth seta only slightly longer than setulae. Five acrostichal setulae in two rows.

Coloration: Setae dark brown. Base color of body light yellow. Ocellar tubercle dark brown; back of head mostly brown dorsally above foramen, and while spot does not touch eye, vertex or base of vertical setae, it is slightly projecting further below ocelli; clypeus brown. Notum with medial stripe between dorsocentral rows ending just behind second dorsocentral that attains anterior margin of scutum where it narrowly extends laterally to thin brown line on postpronotum; with one pair of posteriorly tapering intra-alar stripes that are faintly connected to central stripe presuturally where it slightly widens; with one pair of narrower, fainter floating postsutural supra-alar stripes that are almost indistinct in female. Scutellum with brown spot in lateral corner reaching base of lateral seta. Mediotergite dark brown; anatergite brown in anteroventral half; katatergite brown posteroventrally. Anepisternum with ill-defined brown spot that is wider than high; anepimeron with brown markings anteriorly; katepisternum brown to light brown ventrally, with spot not reaching base of seta; meron mostly brown. Mid and hind coxae with light brown mottling; tarsi faintly brownish, male with last two tarsomeres brown. Wing veins light brown, yellow at base. Calypter white. Abdomen yellow with markings not reaching sides of tergites and mostly ill-defined; T1 with wide brown lateral spots; female with small paired light brown spots on T2–6 and with ovipositor brown; male with T2 mostly brown with marking narrower anteriorly, posteromedially with faint narrow yellowish line, T3 with brown dorsal spot narrowing anteriorly, posteriorly with wider and well-defined yellow posteromedial line, T4 with one pair of ill-defined anteromedial spots anterior to limited mottling limited to base of setae, and T5 as for T4 but markings less extensive; epandrium brown with dorsum narrowly yellow.

Genitalia: (Figs. 385–389) Epandrium shallow, with one pair of small posteroventral spines; separate from surstylus. Surstylus subovate with straight base, outer surface bare and inner posterodistal margin with three very closely spaced tubercle-like setae. Cercus well-developed. Hypandrium narrow, slightly tapering to broadly rounded and irregularly sclerotized apex; inner lobe relatively large with anterior margin ill-defined and posterior margin relatively straight and thick with one empty socket and one strong seta medially; basal arms very short. Phallophorus narrowing and open ventrally; dorsal portion narrowed anteriorly. Basiphallus a single subquadrate sclerite that partially wraps around shaft laterally, is weakly sclerotized distally, and with several short well-sclerotized basal wrinkles that are longer laterally. Distiphallus not differentiated from thickened ejaculatory duct, tapering at apex; portion exposed past basiphallus slightly longer than portion of duct concealed by basiphallus. Ejaculatory apodeme large and well-sclerotized, as long and about as wide as ejaculatory duct / distiphallus past phallophorus; sperm pump semispherical but shallower, with base of apodeme sunken within it.

Comments: Haplopeodes vittatus is the seventh Haplopeodes species to be reared from Solanum. Haplopeodes kefi Steyskal, which has likewise been reared from S. triquetrum in Texas, as well as from S. umbelliferum Eschsch. in California, was said by Steyskal (1980) to form a highly irregular upper-surface blotch mine that is usually less than 2 cm long; Spencer & Steyskal (1986) described it as a short linear mine, and neither publication mentioned the mode of pupation. The mine of H. eurhabdus Steyskal, reared from S. elaeagnifolium Cav. in Argentina, has not been described (Steyskal 1980). The remaining four species were all described from Brazil. Haplopeodes bullati (Spencer) forms a linear-blotch mine on S. bullatum Vell., with frass in two conspicuous lines in the linear portion and in large, irregular lumps scattered centrally in the blotch, which may obliterate the linear portion; pupation is external (Spencer 1963). Haplopeodes lopesi (de Oliveira & da Silva) forms an inconspicuous lower-surface linear mine on S. argenteum Dunal, with frass in alternating rows; the mode of pupation was not recorded (de Oliveira & da Silva 1954). Haplopeodes verbascifolii (Spencer) forms an inconspicuous, dark green, linear mine on a plant identified as S. verbascifolium L. (a synonym of S. donianum Walp., which does not occur in Brazil according to POWO (2025)), pupating internally at the end of the mine (Spencer 1963). The mine of H. vogti Steyskal on S. erianthum D.Don (also not recorded from Brazil by POWO (2025)) is initially linear, expanding to an elongate upper-surface blotch along the leaf margin; 4– 10 larvae feed together in a single mine, depositing frass in scattered particles and pupating internally (Esposito 1991).

Haplopeodes vittatus can be readily diagnosed by being the only member of the genus with a vittate scutum. Similar species, such as H. minutus, have most of the scutum gray to the posterior margin adjoining the scutellum.