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Anastrepha aquila Norrbom

Recognition
Anastrepha aquila belongs to the daciformis species group, which differs from other species of Anastrepha in having the basal third of the scutellum brown, the male phallus extremely short (less than 0.30 mm long) and with the glans absent (as in the dentata group), and with the female eversible membrane dorsobasally with a single, medially interrupted row of very stout scales.  Anastrepha aquila is one of several species with a vespidlike wing pattern comprising only a broad, uninterrupted, costal band covering all of cell r2+3, and a cubital streak.  It, A. avispa, and A. zucchii differ from A. bicolor and A. macrura in having the costal band broadly extended in cell br to vein M and this section of br microtrichose. Anastrepha aquila and A. avispa are intermediate in abdominal pattern between the stripe or T-shaped mark found in A. macrura and A. zucchii and the banded pattern of A. bicolor. It differs from A. avispa by the following characters: oviscape length (> 7 mm, and > 1.7 times mesonotum length, vs.< 5 mm. and < 1.5 times mesonotum length in A. avispa); scutum microtrichose except for medial presutural bare area and very narrow dorsocentral stripe; scutellum with basal seta within brown area; and frons with orbital seta at margin or within dorsal brown band (vs. at margin or anterior to dorsal brown band in A. avispa). See the description of A. zucchii for characters to distinguish A. aquila from that species.

Description
Body predominantly dark brown.

Head: Mostly yellow. Frons with brown transverse dorsal band, usually more or less rectangular or rounded anteriorly, broad, orbital seta at margin or within band. Gena with large brown spot below eye. Occiput yellow with brown stripes on or near sutures of median occipital sclerite. Posterior orbital seta absent.

Thorax: Medial pale stripe strongly bilobed posteriorly, lobes very slender, extended to or almost to dorsocentral seta, rarely with distinct anterolateral corner. Presutural dorsocentral pale stripe broadly connected anteriorly to pale area on postpronotal lobe, and connected to or narrowly separated from pale sublateral stripe. Presutural lateral pale stripe well differentiated, complete or rarely narrowly interrupted on scutum, but present on posterior part of notopleuron. Pleuron brown except following yellow areas: all of propleuron (except 1f with small dorsal brown spot); anteroventral corner and posterodorsal half of anepisternum; dorsal band, often narrowed medially, rarely interrupted, on katepisternum; katepimeron; anterior 1/4 of meron; anterior 2/3 of katatergite; and most of anatergite. Subscutellum and mediotergite entirely dark brown. Scutum microtrichose except very narrow paired stripe from medial end of transverse suture to dorsocentral seta, and presutural area on, between and usually slightly lateral to dorsocentral pale stripes, at most extended to transverse suture medially; notopleuron microtrichose; scutellum microtrichose except small basal area on side.

Wing: C- and S-bands completely fused along costa to form broad, uninterrupted, dark orange-brown marginal band; in cell br extended to vein M along cell bm; covering all of cells r1 and r2+3 and anterior margin of cell r4+5; well separated from apex of vein M. S-band incomplete, middle part between veins R4+5 and Cu1 absent; basal part paler than C-band; extended over base of cell cu1 and faintly and diffusely along both sides of vein Cu1 to fuse with V-band. V-band pale and diffuse; extended anteriorly only slightly into cell r4+5; distal arm absent. Vein M strongly curved apically; M ratio 1.64-1.89. Cell br mostly to entirely microtrichose. Cell bcu mostly to entirely microtrichose, posteroapical lobe entirely microtrichose.

Anastrepha aquila, wing, photo (54803 bytes)
Wing.

Abdomen: Syntergite 1+2 with base yellow and uninterrupted medial brown band. Tergites 3-5 with posteromedial yellow areas triangular; brown area on tergite 3 continuous, brown areas on tergite 4 usually separated; tergites 2-5 with distinct lateral yellow margins.

Female terminalia: Oviscape length 7.32-7.78 mm, 1.83-2.0 times as long as mesonotum. Eversible membrane, on expanded basal part, with most dorsal scales weakly sclerotized, but with one, medially interrupted row of large, strongly sclerotized, hooklike scales. Aculeus slender, less than 0.05 mm wide, except at base, length 6.41 mm; tip needlelike, nearly circular in cross-section, nonserrate, length 0.17-0.18 mm, width 0.040-0.045 mm.

Male terminalia: Lateral surstylus very short, barely extended beyond prensisetae. Phallus extremely short, less than 0.30 mm long; glans absent.


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Content by Allen L. Norrbom. Last Updated: February 1, 2003.