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Carpomya tica Norrbom

Recognition
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Carpomya tica differs from all other species of Carpomya and most other species of the subtribe Carpomyina in the distal location of crossvein R-M, which is at the apical 3/4 of cell dm versus near the middle of that cell in other Carpomyina except Cryptodacus spp. and Haywardina cuculi (Hendel), which differ from Carpomya in having a white medial scutal stripe or spot. C. tica also differs from other species of Carpomyina, including most of the other species of Carpomya, by the strongly swollen shape of its scutellum. Only C. schineri and C. vesuviana approach C. tica in scutellum shape, but neither has this structure as stout as in C. tica, and they further differ in the shape of the pale area of their scutellar color patterns, which is somewhat m-shaped, with a medial pale mark (see Freidberg & Kugler 1989, Fig. 188), rather than U-shaped as in C. tica (Fig. 1; the yellow areas are continuous on the extreme apex of the scutellum, visible in posterior view). In the key to Neotropical genera of Tephritidae in Foote (1980), C. tica will key to Cecidochares, which is not closely related (it belongs to the subfamily Tephritinae). Species of the latter genus differ as follows: body mostly dark brown, including all of the scutum and scutellum; at least some scutal setulae swollen; and lateral and medial surstyli short.

Classification and Evolutionary Relationships
Order: Diptera. Family: Tephritidae. Subfamily: Trypetinae. Tribe: Carpomyini. Genus: Carpomya. Species: tica. Author: Norrbom.
Relationships among the species of Carpomya were analyzed by Norrbom (1997), who considered C. tica to be the sister group to a clade including all of the other species of Carpomya. Click here for more detailed discussion of Carpomya phylogeny.

Names Used for this Species
Carpomya tica Norrbom 1997: 341.
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Type Data
Holotype - Male (INBio), COSTA RICA: San José: Zurquí de Moravia, 10°03'N 84°01'W, 1600 m, Malaise trap, May 1992, P. Hanson.

Distribution
Carpomya tica is known only from Costa Rica. It is the only American species of Carpomya.
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Biology
The biology of Carpomya tica is unknown. The larvae probably develop in fruit, but the host plants are unknown.

Economic Significance
Carpomya tica is not known to be of economic significance.

Comments
Carpomya tica is so far known only from the male holotype.

References
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Foote, R.H. 1980. Fruit fly genera south of the United States (Diptera: Tephritidae). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Technical Bulletin No. 1600, 79 p.
Freidberg, A. & J. Kugler. 1989. Fauna Palaestina. Insecta IV. Diptera: Tephritidae. Israel Academy of Sciences & Humanities, Jerusalem, 212 p.
Norrbom 1997 [description, phylogenetic relationships]

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