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Anastrepha avispa Norrbom

Recognition
Anastrepha avispa 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 the female eversible membrane dorsobasally with a single, medially interrupted row of very stout scales.  Anastrepha avispa 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. aquila, and zucchii differ from A. bicolor and macrura in having the costal band broadly extended in cell br to vein M and this section of br microtrichose. Anastrepha avispa and A. aquila are intermediate in abdominal pattern between the stripe or T-shaped mark found in A. macrura and zucchii and the banded pattern of A. bicolor. Anastrepha avispa differs from A. aquila by the following characters: oviscape length (< 5 mm, and < 1.5 times mesonotum length, vs. > 7 mm. and 1.7 times mesonotum length in aquila); scutum with broad medial nonmicrotrichose area extended to expanded posterior part of medial pale stripe and sublateral stripes; scutellum with basal seta at margin of brown area or within yellow area; and frons with orbital seta at margin or anterior to dorsal brown band (vs. at margin or within dorsal brown band in aquila). See the description of A. zucchii for characters to distinguish A. avispa from that species.

Description
Body predominantly dark brown.

Head: Mostly yellow. Frons with brown transverse dorsal band, usually more or less rectangular, narrow to moderately broad, orbital seta at margin or anterior to band. Gena with large brown spot below eye. Occiput entirely yellow or with lateral brown spots or stripes on median occipital sclerite. Posterior orbital seta absent (rarely present).

Thorax: Medial pale stripe strongly bilobed posteriorly, lobes extended to dorsocentral seta, moderately slender but broader than in aquila and with more distinct anterolateral corner. Presutural dorsocentral pale stripe broadly connected anteriorly to pale area on postpronotal lobe, and connected or narrowly separated from pale sublateral stripe. Presutural lateral pale stripe well differentiated, complete, including posterior part of notopleuron. Pleuron brown except ventral half or more of katepisternum orange, and following yellow areas: all of propleuron; anteroventral corner and posterodorsal half of anepisternum; dorsal band, often narrowed or interrupted medially, on katepisternum; katepimeron; anterior 1/4 of meron; anterior 2/3 of katatergite; and most of anatergite. Scutellum with brown area relatively narrow, basal scutellar seta at margin of brown area or usually within yellow area. Subscutellum and mediotergite entirely dark brown. Scutum without microtrichia medially, microtrichose only on and narrowly bordering presutural lateral stripe, on and lateral to sublateral stripe, and posteriorly from level of expanded posterior part of medial stripe; notopleuron microtrichose; scutellum microtrichose except small basal area on side.

Wing: C- and S-bands completely fused along costa to form broad, uninterrupted, moderate to 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 usually faintly and diffusely (fainter than in aquila) 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 1.50-1.92. Cell br mostly to entirely microtrichose. Cell bcu mostly to entirely microtrichose, posteroapical lobe entirely microtrichose.

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 usually continuous (separated in 2 of 21 specimens), brown areas on tergite 4 usually separated; tergites 2-5 with distinct lateral yellow margins.

Female terminalia: Oviscape length 3.91-4.75 mm, 1.17-1.34 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, no more than 0.05 mm wide, except at base, length 3.54-3.99 mm; tip needlelike, nearly circular in cross-section, with several minute apical serrations, length 0.17, width 0.04-0.05 mm.

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