Synopsis of the Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) from Honduras

Sinopsis de los Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) de Honduras

Abstract:

Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) is a family of medium size (7–17 mm) neotropical flies. The taxonomic status of the group has been debated but at present it is treated as a family with 53 extant species. Currently, 19 species are recorded in Central America and Mexico with, until now, only two species known from Honduras: Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius, 1805) and Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich, 1922). For this study, material from the Insect Collection at the Pan-American Agricultural School, Zamorano (EAPZ), was examined. Six species distributed in three genera were found to occur in Honduras. The genus Laneella and the species: Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019, Laneella perisi (Mariluis, 1987), Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019, and Mesembrinella socors (Walker, 1861), are recorded for the country for the first time. All species are illustrated, and a map with the known distribution in Honduras is provided.

Keywords:
Central America; diversity; Neotropics; new records; flies; taxonomy

Resumen:

Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) es una familia de moscas neotropicales de tamaño mediano (7–17 mm). El estatus taxonómico del grupo ha sido objeto de debate, pero actualmente se considera como una familia con 53 especies. Hasta el momento, se han registrado 19 especies en Centroamérica y México con solo dos especies conocidas en Honduras: Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius, 1805) y Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich, 1922). En este estudio, se examinó el material de la Colección de Insectos de la Escuela Agrícola Panamericana, Zamorano (EAPZ). Se encontraron seis especies distribuidas en tres géneros en Honduras. Se registra por primera vez para el país el género Laneella y las especies Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019, Laneella perisi (Mariluis, 1987), Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019, y Mesembrinella socors (Walker, 1861). Se ilustran todas las especies y se proporciona un mapa de distribución para las especies en Honduras.

Palabras clave:
Centroamérica; diversidad; moscas; Neotrópico; nuevos registros; taxonomía

Introduction

Mesembrinellidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) is a group composed of 53 extant (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019) and one extinct species (Cerretti et al. 2017). Mesembrinellids are medium size flies ranging from 7–17 mm currently distributed into three subfamilies: Laneellinae, Mesembrinellinae, and Souzalopesiellinae (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019). The group is restricted to the neotropical region and is distributed from southern Mexico to northern Argentina (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019, Dufek & Mulieri 2023). Moll (2014) hypothesized that Mesembrinellidae originated in an area in central South America and dispersed to adjacent areas and Central America.

Very little is known about the biology of the species. Of the 53 species known only 15 have their immature stages described. Mello (1967) described the immatures of Mesembrinella apollinaris Séguy, 1925, M. batesiAldrich, 1922, M. bellardianaAldrich, 1922, M. bicolor (Fabricius 1805), M. peregrinaAldrich, 1922, M. quadrilineata (Fabricius 1805), M. semihyalinaMello, 1967, and Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich 1922). Ten years later Guimarães (1977) described the larvae of Laneella nigripesGuimarães, 1977, M. aeneiventris (Wiedemann 1830), M. benoisti (Séguy 1925), M. latifrons (Mello 1967), M. peregrinaAldrich, 1922, M. purpurataAldrich, 1922, and M. randa (Walker 1849).

Adult Mesembrinellidae are mainly attracted to animal carrion and are considered of use in forensic entomology (Oliveira et al. 2016). Adults have also been attracted to bananas and human feces (Façanha et al. 2020, Souza et al. 2021). Specimens are most commonly collected in bait-based traps like Van Someren-Rydon traps (Barbosa et al. 2014, Dufek & Mulieri 2023) and variations of Ferreira (1978) but Malaise traps can also be used (Souza et al. 2021).

The first species of Mesembrinellidae from Central America were described by Aldrich (1922, 1925) and Hall (1948). Nineteen species have been recorded in Central America and southern Mexico, with the highest diversity being found in Costa Rica (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019). For Honduras Mesembrinella bicolor and Souzalopesiella facialis, were recorded by Guimarães (1977); no further species have been recorded in the country since.

Insect diversity in Honduras is understudied for most groups. Factors such as the lack of taxonomists and collections make it very hard for local scientists to advance in their knowledge of the country’s diversity. The objectives of this work were: to explore the diversity and distribution of the Mesembrinellidae from Honduras, and to illustrate all the recorded species with the purpose of aiding future workers in their identification.

Materials and Methods

Material was examined from the Insect Collection at the Pan-American Agricultural School, Zamorano (EAPZ). Male and female genitalia were dissected, when necessary, by gently separating the abdomen from the thorax. The abdomen was later introduced into a 10% KOH solution for 24 hours and cleaned afterwards with distilled water. The genitalia and sternites were separated with entomological pins and studied under a stereoscope at 70x. Microcentrifuge 0.6 mL tubes with glycerin were used to store the genitalia and sternites under each insect while the tergites were reattached to the specimen. The material was identified by using the key by Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas (2019).

Adults were photographed using a Canon EOS Rebel T5i mounted on a Leica EZ4 stereoscope at 32x–50x. Stacks from different body regions composed of around 20 photos each were merged to produce an individual image. Composite images were obtained by using PICOLAY (http://www.picolay.de). Individual images were later merged and edited with Adobe Photoshop^® CS5 v. 22.1.1. SimpleMappr (https://www.simplemappr.net/) was used to build the species distribution map and Microsoft Powerpoint^® v. 2401 to edit the resulting map.

Results

A total of 62 specimens were examined. Three genera and six species are now known from Honduras (Table 1). The genus Laneella and four species are recorded for the first time in Honduras: Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019, L. perisi (Mariluis 1987), Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019, and M. socors (Walker 1861).

Table 1.
Diversity of Mesembrinellidae in Honduras and their known distribution.

Taxon	Distribution
LANEELLINAE
Laneella fuscosquamata Whitworth, 2019	Guatemala, Mexico (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), and Honduras (new record).
Laneella perisi (Mariluis 1987)	Brazil, Ecuador (Bonatto 2001), Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), and Honduras (new record).
MESEMBRINELLINAE
Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius 1805)	Argentina (Dufek & Mulieri 2023), Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella nigrocoerulea Whitworth, 2019	Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), and Honduras (new record).
Mesembrinella socors (Walker 1861)	Nicaragua (Hall 1948), Brazil (Bonatto 2001), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), and Honduras (new record).
SOUZALOPESIELLINAE
Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich 1922)	Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), Guatemala, Honduras (Guimarães 1977), and Trinidad (Bonatto 2001).

Mesembrinellidae

Laneellinae

Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019. Figure 1A.

Material examined (n = 14): HONDURAS – Cortés • 1 ♀; Cofradía 5 km O Buenos Aires, Parque Nacional Cusuco; 22 Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg. – Francisco Morazán • 1 ♀; Tegucigalpa, Parque Nacional La Tigra; 12–23 Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg. • 5 ♀♀; same location; 3 Jan. 1995; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♀; same location; 19 Jan. 1995; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♀; same location; 29 May 1995; R. Cordero leg. • 5 ♂♂; same location; 29 May 1995; R. Cordero leg.

Figure 1
Mesembrinellidae from Honduras in lateral view. A. Laneella fuscosquamataWhitworth, 2019 female. B. Laneella perisi (Mariluis 1987) male. C. Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius 1805) female. D. Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019 male. E. Mesembrinella socors (Walker 1861) female. F. Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich 1922) male. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Laneella perisi (Mariluis 1987). Figure 1B.

Material examined (n = 6): HONDURAS – Atlántida • 1 ♂; Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, estación CURLA; 4 Feb. 2001; 15°42’N, 86°51’W, 175 m; F. Martínez leg.; 57.492EAPZ – Comayagua • 5 ♀♀; PANACAM; 25 Jun. 2023; Estudiante EAPZ leg.; nocturnal fruit trap.

Mesembrinellinae

Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius 1805). Figure 1C.

Material examined (n = 29): HONDURAS – Atlántida • 3 ♀♀; Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, estación CURLA; 15°42’N, 86°51’W, 175 m; 31 Jan. 2001; F. Martínez leg.; 57.488EAPZ • 2 ♀♀; same location; 4 Feb. 2001; F. Martínez leg.; 57.489EAPZ • 1 ♀; same location; 25 Mar. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 83.883EAPZ • 1 ♀; same location; 30 Jun. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 86.016EAPZ – Comayagua • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; PANACAM; 23 Jun. 2023; Estudiante EAPZ leg.; fruit trap – Cortés • 1 ♀; Cofradía, 5 km W Buenos Aires, Parque Nacional Cusuco; 22 Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♀; same location; 5 Jan. 1995; R Cordero leg.; malaise trap • 1 ♀; Parque Nacional Cusuco; 15°29’N, 85°13’W; 30 May 1995; R. Cordero leg; malaise trap • 1 ♂; Cofradía, Buenos Aires; 5 Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg. – Francisco Morazán • 1 ♂; Zamorano 30 km E Tegucigalpa; 9 Apr. 1971; E. Nova, A. Suazo leg.; mango crops • 1 ♂; same location; 7 May 1981; Cosenza-R. Cruz leg.; citrus foliage, 9:00 am, Horticultura • 1 ♂; same location; 17 Jun. 1984; Arroyo-Flaquez leg. • 1 ♀; El Zamorano; 14°01’N, 84°00’W, 850 m; 26 Jan. 2001; G. Andino V. Cáceres; 58.914 EAPZ • 1 ♂; same location; 1 Apr. 2001; K. Molina Leg; 58.960EAPZ • 1 ♂; Parque Nacional La Tigra; 11 Jun. 2016; J. Orozco leg.; pig dung pitfall • 1 ♀; San Antonio de Oriente, Jicarito; 29 Jan. 2024; M. Michel leg.; inside a house – Olancho • 3 ♀♀; La Unión, Parque Nacional La Muralla; 14 Sep. 1994; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♀; Parque Nacional La Muralla, Zona Núcleo; 1460 m; Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg.; FIT trap. • 1 ♀; same location; Dec. 1994; R. Cordero leg • 4 ♀♀; Parque Nacional La Muralla; Apr. 1995; 1460 m; R. Cordero leg.

Mesembrinella nigrocoeruleaWhitworth, 2019.Figure 1D.

Material examined (n = 4): HONDURAS – Cortés • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; 5 km W Buenos Aires, Parque Nacional Cusuco; 22 Nov. 1994; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♂; same location; 9 Dec. 1994; R. Cordero leg. • 1 ♂; same location; 25 Jan. 1995; R. Cordero leg.; malaise trap.

Mesembrinella socors (Walker 1861). Figure 1E.

Material examined (n = 1): HONDURAS – Comayagua • 1 ♀; PANACAM; 23 Jun. 2023; Estudiante EAPZ leg.; fruit trap.

Souzalopesiellinae

Souzalopesiella facialis (Aldrich 1922). (Figure 1F).

Material examined (n = 8): HONDURAS – Atlántida • 1 ♀; Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, estación CURLA; 15°42’N, 86°51’W, 175 m; 25 Mar. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 83.882EAPZ • 1 ♀; same location; 20 Apr. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 83.221EAPZ • 1 ♀; same location; 28 Jun. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 86.014EAPZ • 1 ♂; same location; 25 Mar. 2002; F. Martínez leg.; 83.881EAPZ • 1 ♂; same location; 15°41’35”N, 86°55’58”W; 19 Dec. 2000; F. Martínez; 57.322EAPZ – Comayagua • 2 ♀♀; PANACAM; 25 Jun. 2023; Estudiante EAPZ leg.; night air trap fruit – Yoro • 1 ♂; Parque Nacional Pico Bonito, El Portillo; 15°26’27”N, 87°08’09”W, 640 m; 26 May. 2000; R. Reyes leg.; 51.247EAPZ.

Discussion

Honduras with six recorded species is now placed third in known diversity of Mesembrinellidae in Central America. The highest diversity in the region is found in Costa Rica with 16 species, followed by Panama (7), Guatemala (3), Nicaragua (2), and El Salvador (1) (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).

Mesembrinella bicolor (Fabricius 1805) was the most abundant species in the collection. In Honduras, this species has been found attracted to pig dung and fermented banana in protected, semirural, and agricultural areas. In Brazil, M. bicolor has been found primarily attracted to rotten meat and less frequently to fruits and tree sap in well preserved forests and forest fragments near urbanized areas (Boff et al. 2008).

Both Laneella perisi (Mariluis 1987) and M. socors (Walker 1861) were found on fruit traps baited with fermented bananas.

Only six out of Honduras’ 18 departments, or administrative regions, were represented in the examined material (Figure 2). Five of the six species were recorded only in protected areas probably due to collecting bias. Based on their distribution in neighboring countries, eleven additional species are expected to occur in Honduras (Table 2).

Figure 2
Distribution of Honduran Mesembrinellidae.

Table 2
Species of Mesembrinellidae expected to occur in Honduras and their currently known distribution.

Taxon	Distribution
LANEELLINAE
Laneella fusconitida Whitworth, 2019	Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Venezuela (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Laneella purpurea Whitworth, 2019	Costa Rica (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
MESEMBRINELLINAE
Mesembrinella aeneiventris (Wiedemann 1830)	Brazil (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru (Guimarães 1977).
Mesembrinella flavicrura Aldrich, 1925	Costa Rica and Panama (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella pictipennis Aldrich, 1922	Bolivia, Ecuador (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), Colombia, and Costa Rica (Marinho et al. 2017).
Mesembrinella semiflava Aldrich, 1925	Costa Rica and Ecuador (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella spicata Aldrich, 1925	Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella umbrosa Aldrich, 1922	Costa Rica, Ecuador (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019), Colombia, and Panama (Marinho et al. 2017)
Mesembrinella uniseta Aldrich, 1925	Costa Rica (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella violacea Whitworth, 2019	Costa Rica (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).
Mesembrinella zurquiensis Whitworth, 2019	Costa Rica (Whitworth & Yusseff-Vanegas 2019).

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Pan-American Agricultural School, Zamorano (Honduras). We are grateful to Terry Whitworth for helping confirm the identifications. The comments of two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of the manuscript.

Data Availability

Data compiled from the published literature are appropriately cited in the references. The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available at: https://doi.org/10.48331/scielodata.TWHD5L

References

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Edited by

Associate Editor

José Mermudes

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  30 Aug 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  25 Mar 2023
• Accepted
  18 July 2024