Anthrax funebris Macquart 1840

Anthrax funebris Macquart

Anthrax funebris Macquart, 1840, p. 344.—Osten Sacken, 1858, p. 40.—Aldrich, 1905, p. 231.—Kertész, 1909, p. 38.—Painter and Painter, 1962, p. 75.

FEMALE.—Integument generally black, pleura and legs sometimes reddish brown; integument grayish to brownish pruinose. Front with black setae and lanceolate black scales. Face with black setae extending almost to antennae, a few white scales below. Occiput with short black setae and linear black scales; fringe of hairs on posterior margin black. First antennal segment about as long as apical width; second segment globular, about as wide as base of third segment in lateral view; base of third segment slightly compressed laterally, narrowing abruptly to styliform part which is one-half longer than base and about twice as long as style (Figure 115).

Discs of mesonotum and scutellum with fine black setae and linear scales, some longer, semierect scales and coarse setae laterally on mesonotum. Stemopleuron, mesopleuron, and anterior half of pteropleuron with fine black setae and linear scales, some black hairs and coarse setae dorsally on mesopleuron and pteropleuron. Pile on presternum, propleuron, and anterior margin of mesonotum black, white hairs sometimes on propleuron and anterior margin of mesonotum; postalar tuft of pile black. Coxae with black setae and linear black scales. Hypopleuron and metapleuron bare.

Wing (Plate 4k) pigmented with dark brown, hyaline areas subapically in cell R2+3, apically in cells R4, Cu1, and 1M2; a narrow hyaline area sometimes along posterior border connecting hyaline areas in cells R4 and Cu1, and sometimes connected to hyaline area in cell 1M2 across m crossvein. Base of cell R4 edged by subhyaline. Base of vein R4, evenly rounded; r–m crossvein located at basal two-fifths of cell 1M2; contact of cells 1M2 and Cu1 equal to or slightly greater than base of cell Cu1; cell 1A punctiform apically. Alula well developed, posterior margin rounded. Stigmatic area lightly pigmented, sometimes only partially. Calypter lightly pigmented; fringe of pile white. Halter dark brown, tip of knob yellow.

Femora and tibiae with lanceolate and cuneate black scales. Middle femur with one or two macrochaetae anteroventrally; hind femur with three or four macrochaetae anteroventrally; fore tibia with incomplete row of macrochaetae anterodorsally; hind tibia with single row of macrochaetae anterodorsally.

First abdominal tergum with white, pile laterally; terga two through four with black pile and setae laterally; terga five through seven with black setae laterally. Posterior margin of first tergum and discs of posterior terga with fine, black setae and linear, black scales; a few white scales sometimes laterally on four and five. Abdominal sterna with fine, black setae and linear, black scales.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Figure 92).—Tenth tergum with one or no spine on each side. Ventral arm of ninth tergum straight, slightly wider medially than at acute apex. Dorsomedial corner of sclerite on each side of gonopore produced dorsally as a short, sharply angled lobe; lateral arm narrow and curved upward apically; ventral arm narrow, twisted and slightly recurved mesally below. Each spermathecal duct about twice as long as bulb; first section very short; second section about as long as third, which is abruptly broadened apically to junction with bulb; bulb symmetrical, globoid, somewhat longer than maximum width and darker than duct.

DISTRIBUTION.—Specimens of A. funebris have been studied from Haiti, Dominican Republic, and South Caicos Island in the Bahamas. It may occur also throughout the Greater Antilles and Bahamas, and possibly in the Lesser Antilles (Map 24).

NEW MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Bahama Islands: Turks and Caicos Islands, , South Caicos Island, II–11–1953 (E. B. Hayden and G. B. Rabb).

Dominican Republic: , “St. Dom., 51.1.”

Haiti: , Bois Caradeux, VIII–10–1934 (E. M. Ducasse); , Pivert, IV–1–1922, about 250 feet, “F. 4657” (C. H. Curran, Ace. 31144); , St. Marc, III–30–IV–2–1922, “F. 4655.”

TYPE.—Painter and Painter (1962) stated that the type of Anthrax funebris Macquart was in the Paris Museum. Only part of the thorax and most of one wing remained. It carried the museum labels “A. funebris Macqt. St. Domingue, 1607,” and the pin labels “No. 907, Anthrax funebris” and “A. in St. Domingue.” The distinctive wing pattern left little doubt as to the identity of the species.