Anastrepha littoralis (Blanchard)

Anastrepha littoralis (Blanchard) View in CoL

( Figs. 5 G–H View FIGURE 5 )

Toxotrypana littoralis Blanchard 1959 View in CoL (1960): 36 (original description)

Holotype female ( MACN) [3 labels]: Argentina, Corrientes, I-1939; Toxotrypana curvicauda Gers. [det. E.E. Blanchard]; Toxotrypana littoralis Blnchd. il. [EE Blanchard]. [examined in USNM].

During a visit to the USNM in 1992 VHO examined the type specimen. This species does not occur in Mexico, but we have included it here to distinguish it from other closely related species such as A. magnifica n. sp. In the original description, Blanchard stated: “It is a female collected in Corrientes [ Argentina] and reared from a C. papaya fruit. Formerly it was identified as T. curvicauda , however differs from it by the mesonotal submedial stripes extending to scutellar base and by the intense wing coloration”.

Notes on the holotype. Small female specimen. Head: mostly yellow; frontal black spot present on inferior margin of upper lunule; vertex with blackish stripe joining ocular margins; antennal grooves with longitudinal black stripe reaching oral margin; gena black spot below eye; frontal and orbital setae indistinct; ocellar seta weakly present; medial and lateral vertical setae absent, but insertion sockets evident.

Thorax ( Fig. 5I View FIGURE 5 ): Mesonotum 2.59 mm long, 1.47 mm wide (Ms-ratio= 1. 8x); scutum yellow, with submedial dark striae extending to posterior margin, fused separately with dark mark of scuto-scutellar suture; presutural lateral striae partially divided, fused in two parts with notopleural mark; postsutural lateral striae narrowly separated anteriad of submedial striae, fused laterally at posterior margin with scuto-scutellar mark; scutellum yellow with dark brown marginal striae, weak on apical border; mediotergite with lateral dark spots. Pleuron yellow; anepisternal stripe broad, extending from behind spiracle to upper margin of katepisternum; anepimeral stripe from below wing base to margin of katepisternum; katepisternum two-spotted, one large upper and one lower just above basal midcoxa; anatergite stripe weakly visible in holotype.

Wing: Elongate 9.53 mm long, 4.28 mm wide (W-ratio= 2.2x); pattern like other species of the curvicauda group ( Fig. 5G View FIGURE 5 ). Abdomen: Length 4.28 mm; all tergites yellow with black stripes on posterior apical margin.

Female terminalia: Oviscape curved ventrally about 45°, length 12.8 mm; aculeus tip gradually tapering to apex, 0.39 mm long with few minute denticles (only visible at high magnification), barely covering 0.05 mm of apical end (≈13.1% of tip length) ( Fig. 5H View FIGURE 5 ).

Distribution: It was first described from Argentina. Norrbom et al. (1998) later reported a continent-wide distribution from Guatemala to Venezuela, following the Andes to Argentina. It is likely that the populations distributed along the Americas represent several species, which needs further investigation.