Anthrax melanopogon (Bigot 1892)

Anthrax melanopogon (Bigot)

One reared specimen of this species has been examined (see table). It is pinned with a nest cell of Megachile gentilis Cresson (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). The specimen is in the collection of the author.

Integument of pupa yellowish hyaline with yellow setae and reddish brown black-tipped tubercles and spines. Medial cephalic tubercle (Plate 1G) formed slightly outside line between anterior and posterior ones, and distinctly closer to posterior one; anterior tubercle long and acuminate, with sharp mesal ridge curving ventrally at base and lateral ridge curving dorsally at base; medial tubercle triangular in cross section, acuminate, with sharp dorsolateral and dorsomesal ridges, and sharp ventrolateral ridge which extends basad laterally and does not join with dorsal ridge of posterior pair; posterior tubercle short, curved dorsally from base, acute, with sharp dorsal and mesal ridge and less distinct ventrolateral ridge. Facial sclerite about five and one half times longer than narrowest width, trunctate posteriorly; anterior facial tubercles short, tapering to acute apices, with mesal ridges meeting indistinctly on meson; posterior tubercle transverse, low, and indistinctly bifid.

Thoracic spiracle with about seven sections, the posterior ones reduced, with sharp flange around anterior half. Abdominal spiracles with six sections, the anteroventral ones reduced; sharp flange present around anterodorsal three-fourths, expanded as blunt lobe posterodorsally on anterior pairs.

Sixth and seventh terga without spines between setae. Eighth tergum without spines, with setae on line in front of dorsolateral tumidities. Ninth tergum with simple, transverse medial process. Anal tubercles (Plate 4D) short, broad, about four times longer than medial width of one lobe, separated mesally by about three-fifths of width of one lobe. Each lobe with strong dorsal and weak ventral denticles basally which are indistinctly connected by lateral ridge; bluntly rounded denticle present about halfway to apex as apical end of sharp ventromesal ridge; acute dorsal and blunt ventral denticles present mesally about three-fourths of distance to apex; tubercle tapering outward from preapical denticles to acuminate apex.

The pupae of A. atriplex and melanopogon differ little; probably the best character to separate them is the extension of the posteromesal ridge on the medial cephalic tubercle of atriplex to the posterior margin of the cephalic area. The ridge becomes indistinct near the bases of the tubercle in the one specimen of melanopogon examined. Differences in the numbers of setae and spines may be attributed to the small size of the specimen of melanopogon examined.

Both A. melanopogon and atriplex differ from cintalpa, peruvianus, and irroratus irroratus in that the flange on the anterior abdominal spiracles is lobed rather man evenly rounded posterodorsally.

Anthrax melanopogon (Bigot)

Argyramoeba melanopogon Bigot, 1892, p. 348 [Argyromoeba].—Coquillett, 1894, p. 95.—Kertész, 1909, p. 65.

Spongostylum melanopogon.—Aldrich, 1905, p. 223 [Spogostylum].

Anthrax melanopogon.—Painter and Painter, 1962, p. 77; 1965, p. 432.

Spongostylum stellans.—Cole and Lovett, 1921, p. 244 [part] [Spogostylum] [not Loew, 1869; misidentification].

Anthrax seriepunctatus.—Maughan, 1935, p. 33 [seriepunctata] [not Osten Sacken, 1886; misidentification].

MALE.—Scales on head black and white. Basal antennal segments black; second segment saucer shaped, apical margin produced as sharp flange.

Scales on mesonotum mostly black, some white and gold scales present, especially along margins. Scales on scutellum black and white. Pile on mesopleuron and pteropleuron black and white, few brown hairs present. Scales on pleura mostly white, black scales sometimes present. Pile on presternum, propleuron, and anterior margin of mesonotum mixed black and white, sometimes few brown hairs on last two; postalar tuft of pile mixed black and white, usually predominantly black. Scales on coxae white.

Cell C of wing (Plate 2m) usually entirely infuscated, sometimes hyaline along anterior margin beyond humeral crossvein. Base of wing infuscated out to bases of cells R, 2M, 1A and 2A; broad infuscated areas submedially on vein 2A, from base of cell Cu1 to base of cell R, and from vein R1 to vein M1+2 between bases of cells R2+3 and R4; medial portion of cell 2M sometimes partly infuscated; isolated spots at bases of cells R2+3 and R5, R4, M1, and 2M2, at medial angles of vein R4 and m crossvein, apically on veins R2+3, M2, Cu1, and sometimes Cu2, subapically on vein R2+3, and below tip of vein R1; basal third of cell 1M2 sometimes partially infuscated.

Femora dark red to black, apices sometimes lighter. Scales on fore and middle femora black anteriorly, white posteriorly; hind femur with black scales, sometimes with few white scales posteroventrally.

Pile on sides of first abdominal tergum mostly white, some black hairs posteriorly; posterior margin with white scales laterally and black scales medially; sides of terga two through five with black setae, pile, and erect linear and lanceolate scales, some white scales posteriorly on three and five; sides of sixth and seventh terga with white scales. Discs of terga two through five with black scales; patches of white scales submedially on two through five, and sublaterally on four and five; patches of larger white scales sublaterally on two and three; terga six and seven with small black scales anteriorly on six, and medially on six and seven, remainder with white scales. Venter with sparse, threadlike white scales, usually some black scales medially on sterna three through seven.

FEMALE. Wing (Plate 2n) usually more extensively infuscated, cell 2M and bases of cells 1A and 2A entirely infuscated; spots on remainder of wings larger and sometimes coalesced.

MALE GENITALIA (Figure 32).—Similar to pluto pluto. Distal segment of gonostylus longer.

FEMALE GENITALIA.—Similar to seriepunctatus. Tenth tergum with nine spines. Ducts of spermathecae with two convolutions before widening to bulb.

BODY LENGTH.—9.2 to 12.2 mm.

WING LENGTH.—8.1 to 10.4 mm.

DISTRIBUTION.—Anthrax melanopogon occurs in mountain forests from southern California north to British Columbia and south in the Rocky Mountains to southern Colorado, northern New Mexico, and northern and eastern Arizona (Map 10). The type-locality is “Washington.”

TYPES.—Painter and Painter (1962) designated as lectotype for this species a male specimen in the Bigot collection in the British Museum. They noted that the specimen was headless but otherwise in good condition and agreed well with Bigot's description.

Anthrax melanopogon adalah spesies lalat yang berasal dari genus Anthrax dan famili Bombyliidae. Lalat ini juga merupakan bagian dari ordo Diptera, kelas Insecta, filum Arthropoda, dan kingdom Animalia.

Lalat ini biasanya memakan nektar dan polen yang ada dalam bunga.