Liriomyza biformata (Becker)

(Figs. 32–43)

Agromyza biformata Becker 1920: 213.

Agromyza braziliensis Frost 1939: 97 syn. n.

Liriomyza braziliensis (Frost), Frick, 1952: 402; Spencer 1963: 357; Spencer 1990: 188, 191. Agromyza ecuadorensis Frost 1939: 99 syn. n. (s ynonymized with L. braziliensis by Spencer 1963). Liriomyza ecuadorensis (Frost), Frick, 1952: 403.

Liriomyza subandina Blanchard 1954: 118 syn. n. (synonymized with L. braziliensis by Spencer 1973b). Liriomyza biformata, Spencer 1963: 372.

MNHN specimen. Holotype (♀). Ecuador: El Angel, alt. 3000 m, P. Rivet, 1903.

Additional specimens examined. Brazil: Cascata, Est. S. Paul. 1530. viii.1937. L.O.T. M. COL. Holotype L. braziliensis (1 ♂: NMNH). Ecuador: Baños, 19.ii.1937. S.W. Frost. Holotype L. ecuadorensis (1 ♂: NMNH); Napo: Termas de Papallacta (00°21’29”S; 78°08’52”W), 3520m, YPT in elfin forest, 3–4.iii.2005, L. Masner (1 ♂: LEM).

Host plant. Spencer (1963) recorded Liriomyza braziliensis (= L. biformata) mining tubers of Solanum (Solanaceae).

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Neotropical Liriomyza by its large size, large epistoma, first flagellomere brownish apically, prescutellar area yellow to level of second dc, mid tibial seta present, mostly yellow legs except for fore coxa, which is sometimes narrowly brown basally, and sometimes brown striations on the fore femur.

Description. Frons width 0.45 mm; ratio of frons width to eye width 1.8 (measured in dorsal view); orbit 0.2 times width of frons (frons including orbits) at midpoint; parafacial slightly projecting, forming narrow ring (cheek) below eye; 2 ors and 2 ori; orbital setulae short and mostly erect; first flagellomere small; arista slightly longer than maximum eye height; gena deep, conspicuously extended at rear (Fig. 33); gena height at midpoint: 0.30 times maximum eye height; maximum gena height (posteriorly): 0.42 times eye height; upper margin of clypeus narrow, rounded; epistoma deep, with distance between upper clypeus margin and base of facial keel (arrow, Fig. 32) measuring 0.14–0.18 mm; eye bare. One presutural and three postsutural dorsocentrals; acrostichal setulae in 4 irregular rows; notopleuron with 2 setae; postpronotum with 1 strong seta and a few additional setulae; anepisternum with 2 strong setae on posterior margin a little above midpoint, fore femur with 1 row of strong setae posteriorly and 1 row ventrally; mid tibia with strong lateral seta at about midpoint; wing length 3.3–3.6 mm; M1+2 ending at wing tip; costa extending to M1+2; last section of CuA1 1.1 times length of penultimate.

Colour (see Comments for variation in L. braziliensis holotype). Frons yellow with upper orbits normally dark to level of anterior ors (Fig. 34), both vt usually on brown; hind margin of eye brown; face yellow; all antennal segments yellow except for apically pale brown first flagellomere; palpus yellow; clypeus brown. Mesonotum dark brown with prescutellar area yellow to approximately level of second postsutural dc (pin obscuring yellow area in L. biformata holotype), yellow area sometimes pointed anteriorly (Fig. 37); scutellum bright yellow centrally with stripe sometimes relatively wide (Figs. 35–37); basal scutellar setae on brown; postpronotum yellow with a central brown patch; strong seta of postpronotum on yellow ground; notopleuron yellow with a narrow brown line on anteroventral corner; anepisternum and katepisternum mostly brown except narrowly yellow on dorsal 1/4 (Fig. 33); katatergite yellow with posteroventral corner brown; calypter, margin and fringe dark brown; legs yellow except for fore coxa, which is narrowly brown basally, and femora, which sometimes have brown striations.

Male genitalia. Distiphallus short, somewhat cylindrical, and about ¼ length of mesophallus; mesophallus unevenly sclerotized in distal half, with pronounced curvatures anteriorly; surstylus with 3 distinct spines and tuft of hairs anteriorly (Fig. 40); posteroventral margin of epandrium with small spine (Fig. 40); ejaculatory apodeme large and deeply pigmented with blade evenly expanded (Fig. 41).

Comments. The holotype of Liriomyza braziliensis (synonymized here with L. biformata) is overall paler in colour, with the orbit, first flagellomere and fore coxa completely yellow, the vti is on yellow, the anepisternum and katepisternum are more extensively yellow, and the scutellum mostly yellow with the brown lateral patch reaching the basal scutellar setae (Fig. 36). The scutellum of the L. biformata holotype (♀) and the male specimen from Napo have the scutellum narrowly yellow (Fig. 35), while in Liriomyza ecuadorensis (Frost) (synonymized with L. braziliensis by Frick, 1952), the yellow stripe is slightly wider (Fig. 37). Spencer (1963) discussed the overall colour differences between the various specimens he had examined, but he did not mention the colour of the scutellum; he dissected and examined specimens attributable to L. ecuadorensis and L. braziliensis from Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia, and concluded that they all belong to the same species with the darker forms occurring at higher elevations in the Andes.

Although Spencer (1963) mentioned that Liriomyza braziliensis (Frost) had two presutural dc, examination of the holotype confirms that it has only one presutural dc as in L. biformata. The holotype of L. ecuadorensis also has only one presutural dorsocentral seta (not two as mentioned by Spencer 1963). The comparison of the male genitalia of the holotype of L. braziliensis (Figs. 38–41) with holotype of L. biformata from Napo (Figs. 42–43) confirms that they belong to the same species. We thus conclude that these external differences are not significant, and we synonymize L. braziliensis with L. biformata.