Author
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Gagne, Raymond |
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ETIENNE, JEAN - STA. DE ZOOL., GUADELOUPE |
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Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/19/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) are pests of many native North American plants. The identity of some of these insects is sometimes difficult to determine because they have been misclassified or were too poorly known to fit into the framework necessary to identify them. One such species feeding on mangroves was long ago described from its damage and classified in an artificial category. All stages of this species are now redescribed and the species is placed in its proper genus. This will allow correct identification in the future, which should especially benefit scientists studying circum-Caribbean tidal ecology and conservation. Technical Abstract: The male, female, pupa, and larva of Meunieriella avicenniae Cook, n. comb., are described for the first time. This species was previously known only as "Cecidomyia" avicenniae from its galls on mangroves of the New World. This species is remarkable because it shows the most primitive state of the male postabdomen in the genus. It is now possible to confirm that Meunieriella belongs to the tribe Alycaulini because it shares with all other members of that tribe the smooth, asetulose area on the dorsum of the female's ninth abdominal segment, a character unique to the tribe |
