Revision of the Neotropical genus Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae)

Abstract

The genus Mulfordia (Diptera, Muscidae) was described by Malloch (1928) based on one female of Mulfordia ferruginea from Bolivia. The genus now includes three species, M. ferruginea Malloch, 1928, M. longipes (Stein, 1911 and M. secunda Snyder, 1951. Mulfordia longipes was originally described by Stein (1911) in Mydaea and posteriorly transferred to Mulfordia by Pont (1972).The genus is little known and very poorly represented in collections (practically only the type material). After the original descriptions of the species, no other paper treated them, except catalogues (Séguy 1937;Pont 1972;Carvalho et al. 1993Carvalho et al. , 2005, keys to identification (Couri & de Carvalho 2002) and a short reference to the type specimen of M. ferruginea (Carvalho 1980). The distribution of the species of the genus is limited to the Neotropical region and, according to the present knowledge, is restricted to Bolivia and Peru.Species of Mulfordia can be recognized by the absence of prealar seta, dorsocentrals 2+3, suprasquamal ridge setulose, katepisternals 1+2, posterior spiracle triangular and with a few black hairs on center, hind coxa setulose on posterior surface and R 4+5 with few short ventral setulae at base. The genus was originally positioned among the Phaoninae, but in the current classification of Muscidae (Carvalho et al. 2005), it is positioned within the subfamily Cyrtoneurininae.This paper aims to provide a revision of the three species included in Mulfordia, including redescriptions of the genus and of the species and a key to their identification. Complete redescriptions are presented, except for the terminalia of M. longipes and M. secunda as the dissections were not allowed by the curators of the museums where the material is deposited, due to the scarcity of specimens in the collections. Only the terminalia of the type-species, M. ferruginea, was dissected, described and illustrated. MATERIAL AND METHODSThe holotypes of M. ferruginea and M. longipes, deposited respectively at National Museum of Natural History (USNM) and Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde (SMT), were directly examined. The redescription of the holotype of M. secunda was based on photos gently sent by the Diptera curator and by the photographer of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), where the type is deposited. Personal notes of Dr. Dalci Albuquerque on the holotype were also used. The terminology followed McAlpine et al. (1981) and Stuckenberg (1999) Diagnosis. Male holoptic (M. longipes) or dichoptic (M. ferruginea). Arista plumose; prosternum bare; prealar absent; dorsocentrals 2+3; scutellum with cilia on margins; anepimeron with 1-3 short fine hairs on upper margin; suprasquamal ridge with fine cilia close to base; katepisternals 1+2, posterior spiracle triangular and with a few black hairs on center, meron with fine discal setulae; hind coxa haired on posterior surface; calcar absent; vein M 1+2 slightly curved at the apex to R 4+5 in M. ferruginea and straight in M. longipes and M. secunda, R 4+5 with few short ventra...

New distribution records for Muscidae (Insecta: Diptera) in Latin America

“…The group is relatively well studied, as compared to other Diptera. Several taxonomic studies, including reviews of genera (Couri and Fernandes 2014) and tribe (Nihei and Carvalho 2007a) have been conducted, as well as phylogenetic studies, with molecular and morphological data (e.g., Haseyama and Carvalho 2012a;Haseyama et al 2015). This previous knowledge makes the group an interesting subject for biogeographical studies, which have also been carried out extensively (Nihei and Carvalho 2007b;Löwenberg-Neto et al 2009.…”