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Rhagoletotrypeta parallela Norrbom

Recognition
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Rhagoletotrypeta parallela differs from all other species of Rhagoletotrypeta in having the posterior 1/3 of the notopleuron white, the katepisternum with a dorsal white spot, and the discal and subapical bands parallel. These two wing bands are almost parallel in R. argentinensis, but both are slender (width no greater than length of R-M) and strongly curved or oblique, whereas they are broader than the length of R-M and almost perpendicular to the anterior wing margin in R. parallela. Other useful diagnostic characters include: Scutum with white mark on transverse suture, extended to intra-alar seta as postsutural lateral stripe; basal scutellar seta within white area; accessory costal band absent; aculeus tip, in ventral view, deeply trilobed; 3 spermathecae.

Description
Head: Entirely yellow. 3 frontal setae. 2 orbital setae close together. Ocellar seta strong, larger than anterior orbital seta. Antennal first flagellomere yellow, 1.75-2.00 times as long as wide (lateral view), tapered and rounded apically. Thorax: Dorsally dark brown except orange anteromedial area of scutum and following white areas: postpronotal lobe; band from medial end of transverse suture to lateral margin of scutum across posterior third of notopleuron (including posterior notopleural seta and connected to anepisternal white area); presutural stripe from postpronotal lobe to transverse suture including presutural supra-alar seta; postsutural stripe from transverse suture to intra-alar seta; medial stripe from level of presutural supra-alar seta to or almost to posterior margin; scutellum except disc and sides basal to basal seta. Pleuron orange or yellow except dorsal margin of anepisternum and dorsal spot on katepisternum white, and most of katatergite and large medial areas of anepisternum, katepisternum, anepimeron, dark brown. Mediotergite and subscutellum dark brown. Scutum with paired submedial stripe of very dense microtrichia from anterior margin almost to level of postsutural supra-alar seta. Dorsocentral seta aligned with postsutural supra-alar seta. Wing: Length of vein M from BM-Cu to R-M/ length from BM-Cu to DM-Cu 0.50-0.53. Wingbands yellow brown. Subbasal band extended to basal third of vein A₁+Cu₂. Discal and subapical bands parallel, separate or narrowly fused at posterior margin; each broader than length of R-M. Accessory costal band absent. Abdomen: Tergites yellow or orange with 1-2 pairs of dark brown spots on tergites 4-6. Female terminalia: Aculeus 1.02 mm long, with subapical, lateral barb; tip 0.28 mm long, deeply trilobed. Three spermathecae subspherical, with short base.

Classification and Evolutionary Relationships
Order: Diptera. Family: Tephritidae. Subfamily: Trypetinae. Genus: Rhagoletotrypeta. Species: parallela. Author: Norrbom.
Relationships among the species of Rhagoletotrypeta were analyzed by Norrbom (1994). Click here for more detailed discussion of Rhagoletotrypeta phylogeny. Rhagoletotrypeta parallela belongs to the xanthogastra species group, which also includes R. pastranai and R. xanthogastra.

Names Used for this Species
Rhagoletotrypeta parallela Norrbom 1994: 56.
Click here to link to fly names database

Type Data
Holotype - Female (MACN), ARGENTINA: Salta: Cuel. Moldes, de frutos de tala (Celtis sp.), Jan 1953, M.A. Rosillo.

Distribution
Rhagoletotrypeta parallela is known only from Argentina (Salta).
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Specimen data
ARGENTINA: Salta: Cuel. Moldes, de frutos de tala (Celtis sp.), Jan 1953, M.A. Rosillo, 1f holotype (MACN).
ARGENTINA: Salta: Cuel. Moldes, de frutos de tala (Celtis sp.), Jan 1953, M.A. Rosillo, 2f paratypes (MACN, USNM).

Biology
The biology of Rhagoletotrypeta parallela is poorly known. The type specimens were reared from fruit of "tala", a common name in Argentina for several species of Celtis (Ulmaceae).

Economic Significance
Rhagoletotrypeta parallela is not considered economically important.

Comments
The name of this species is an adjective that refers to its parallel discal and subapical bands.

References
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Norrbom, A. L. 1994. New species and phylogenetic analysis of Cryptodacus, Haywardina, and Rhagoletotrypeta (Diptera: Tephritidae). Insecta Mundi 8: 37-65. [p. 56, description, phylogenetic relationships]
Norrbom, A. L., L. E. Carroll, F. C. Thompson, I. M. White & A. Freidberg. 1999. Systematic database of names, pp. 65-251. In F. C. Thompson (ed.), Fruit Fly Expert Identification System and Systematic Information Database. Myia (1998) 9, vii + 524 pp. & Diptera Data Dissemination Disk (CD-ROM) (1998) 1. [p.   , in catalog]

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