Lonchaea retalionis
SL oncbaea retalionis is most closely related to L . fumosa. but is
easily distinguished from the latter by the absence of long hairs at the fold of the
calyptrae . The species is unusually noteworthy because it bridges perfectly the
evolutionary gap between fumosn and certain nearctic members of the peregrina
group of species .
MALE. Large; length about 5.0 mm. Dullish blue-black with yellowish wings and
calyptrae, and entirely black tarsi. Head slightly broader than high. Compound eye with
rather dense, short pubescence; hairs slightly longer than diameter of an ommatidium. Frons
distinctly narrower anteriorly; width at anterior ocellus 1.3 times that at lunule (6.0:4.5),
heavily brownish-grey pollinose from below; silky black from above; hairs moderately long;
orbital plates dulled by brownish pollen; and with several strong hairs above orbital bristle.
Vertex with a pair of proclinate bristles immediately behind and between posterior ocelli;
these bristles intermediate in size between ocellar and postvertical briztles. Lunule, face and
parafacials rather intensely brownish grey pollinose. Lunule with 2 strong setulae on each
side. Parafacials moderately broad. Cheek about as broad as third antennal segment; oral
margin with about 8 oral setulae in a single row. Antennae moderately long; first and second
zegments black; third segment twice as long as wide (6.0:3.0); narrowly reddish at inner base.
Arista black.
Mesonotum uniformly thinly dusted. Hairs dense. modcrarely Iong and ercct; 7 or R
bristly hairs preceding 2 strong dorsocentral bristles clearly distinguishable from other mcsonotal
hairs; several hairs in prescutellar area, I>ut none in notoploural depression. Scutellum
velvety brown pollinose; with 3 lateral and 2 apical sctulae in addition ro usual bristles. With
a single stigmata1 bristle. Mesopleuron with 5 posterinr and 3 or 4 anterodorsal bristles.
Sternopleuron with 2 bristles, anterior one slightly ~ e a l i e rth an posterinr one; no hairs behind
posterior bristle. Pteropleuron without hairs. All pleural sclerites entirely brownish polllnose . Wings brownish-yellow hyaline; more strongly yellowish at base . Stigma1 section of'
costa short. i.e., two-thirds as long as greatest width of costal cell (3.0:4.5). Calyptrae
yellowish-white; margins and fringes bright yellow; fold of calyptrae with a few hairs slightly
longer than others. the difference in length not or scarcely noticeable . Legs and tarsi entirely
brownish-black .
Abdomen wholly brownish pollinose; bluish reflections feeble . First sternum copiously
haired . Genitalia small for so large a species . Cerci short and perpendicular as in fumosa
Egger (= fEmi&ennis of authors). but relatively smaller . Epandrium in lateral view much
as in fumosn. but posterovenual corner more broadly rounded; surstylus broadly projecting
beyond epandrium as a simple rounded lobe; inner posteroventral apex with 5 tiny. peg-like
teeth in a single row . Aedeagus a simple nonsegmented tube as in furnosa. but much stouter
than in that species. especially on apical half .
FEMALE Unknown .