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Title: A revision of the Neotropical genera Molynocoelia Giglio-Tos, Pseudophorellia Lima, and Alujamyia, n. gen. (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Author
item Norrbom, Allen

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2004
Publication Date: 8/31/2006
Citation: Norrbom, A.L. 2006. A revision of the Neotropical genera Molynocoelia Giglio-Tos, Pseudophorellia Lima, and Alujamyia, n. gen. (Diptera: Tephritidae). Book Chapter. 35:35-134.

Interpretive Summary: Fruit flies include some of the most important pests of fruits and vegetables, causing billions of dollars in losses worldwide. The majority of the pest species are exotic to the U.S., but their introduction threatens U.S. agriculture. They also severely limit the international markets for the fruit products of many U.S. trading parnters. To prevent the introduction of the Mexican fruit fly, the papaya fruit fly, the apple maggot, and other pest species, taxonomic tools are needed to identify them and related flies that might be mistaken for them. This paper provides such tools (keys, illustrations, descriptions) for three genera closely related to the aforementioned pests. It will be useful to APHIS-PPQ and other regulatory agencies responsible for quarantines to prevent the spread of pest fruit flies and for detecting new pest introductions into the U.S.

Technical Abstract: The genera Molynocoelia Giglio-Tos and Pseudophorellia Lima are revised, and the new genus Alujamyia is described. These three genera are here recognized as the Molynocoelia group. All three genera are restricted to the Neotropical Region. Alujamyia includes four species from the Greater Antilles and northern Mesoamerica: A. bella, n. sp. (Mexico); A. farri, n. sp. (Cuba, Jamaica); A. isolata, n. sp. (Hispaniola, Puerto Rico); and A. sexvittata, n. sp. (Guatemala, Mexico). Molynocoelia includes four species from Mesoamerica and Brazil: M. grossa, n. sp. (Costa Rica); M. lutea Giglio-Tos (Mexico to Costa Rica); M. separata, n. sp. (Costa Rica); and M. plumosa, n. sp. (Brazil). Pseudophorellia includes 25 species from Hispaniola and Mexico to Bolivia: P. acrostichalis, n. sp. (Bolivia); P. antica, n. sp. (Costa Rica); P. anypsilon, n. sp. (Colombia, Costa Rica, Panamá); P. bipunctata, n. sp. (Ecuador); P. brevilobata, n. sp. (Peru); P. confluens, n. sp. (Venezuela); P. decora, n. sp. (Costa Rica); P. diffusa, n. sp. (Costa Rica); P. distincta, n. sp. (Colombia); P. enkerlini, n. sp. (southern Mexico, Costa Rica); P. fenestrata, n. sp. (Panamá); P. flavicauda, n. sp. (Colombia); P. flavida, n. sp. (Dominican Republic); P. fuscoapicata, n. sp. (Panamá); P. hansoni, n. sp. (Costa Rica); P. maculata Lima (Brazil); P. marginata, n. sp. (Ecuador); P. quadricincta, n. sp. (Costa Rica, Panamá); P. reducta, n. sp. (Brazil); P. semilunata, n. sp. (Panamá); P. setosa, n. sp. (Costa Rica); P. stonei Lima (Panamá); P. tica, n. sp. (Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Panamá); P. tristeza, n. sp. (Surinam); and P. vespiformis, n. sp. (Venezuela). Keys to the species of each genus are provided, as are illustrations of pertinent diagnostic characters for all species. Phylogenetic relationships of the Molynocoelia group are analyzed. The group may be most closely related to the Paleotropical genera Callistomyia and Alincocallistomyia, and this larger clade is possibly related to the Toxotrypanini or Adramini. A cladistic analysis supports the Molynocoelia group, Alujamyia, Molynocoelia, and Pseudophorellia as monophyletic taxa, and tests hypotheses of relationships among the species within each genus.