Anthrax xanthomeros Marston 1970

Anthrax xanthomeros

FEMALE.—Body mostly black, femora, tibiae, apices of abdominal sterna, and lateral margins of terga orange; integument mostly brown and gray pruinose, margins of eyes and lower two-thirds of occiput silver pruinose. Front with black setae and lanceolate black scales; face with white setae extending almost to antennae. Setae on occiput black on upper third, white below; fringe of hairs on posterior margin black exteriorly and white interiorly on upper third, white below. First antennal segment about as long as apical width; second segment lenticular; base of third segment flattened mesolaterally, distinctly wider than second segment, tapering gradually to styliform part which is shorter than basal part and slightly longer than style.

Mesonotum with linear, rusty-brown scales laterally and anteriorly, extending inward from in front of base of wings, extending backward submedially from anterior margin, and extending forward in a triangle from posterior margin; scutellum with linear rusty-brown scales on posterior margin, some lanceolate yellow scales medially; remainder of mesonotum and scutellum with linear black scales. Sternopleuron with fine white setae and linear white and yellow scales; ventral and posterior parts of mesopleuron and anterior half of pteropleuron with fine white setae and linear gold scales, some coarse black setae above. Prosternum, propleuron, anterodorsal part of mesopleuron, and anterior margin of mesonotum with white pile; postalar tuft of pile mixed yellow and brown. Metapleuron with several white scales just above coxa; hypopleuron bare. Fore coxa with black and white setae and linear white scales; middle and hind coxae with black setae and mixed gold and white linear scales.

Wing (Plate 3g) light brown basally, hyaline apically; pigment filling most of cells C and Sc (apices subhyaline) and extending out to a line running from vein R1 just beyond base of cell R2+3 to base of cell Cu1 and thence basally, filling basal two-thirds of cell 1A and anterobasal fourth of cell 2A. Base of cell R4 angled, with rudiment of spur; r–m crossvein arising at basal two-sevenths of cell 1M2; vein R2+3 arising slightly basad of r–m crossvein; contact of cells 1M2 and Cu1 about one-fourth longer than width of base of cell Cu1; cell 2A broadly open. Stigmatic area broadly pigmented. Alula not narrowed, rounded posteriorly. Calypter lightly pigmented, fringe of hairs yellow and brown. Halter yellow, knob brown anterobasally, yellow elsewhere.

Scales on femora and fore and middle tibiae yellow, some black scales anteriorly at apex of fore and middle femora and apically on hind femur; hind tibia with black scales. Middle femur with five macrochaetae anteroventrally; hind femur with anteroventral row of macrochaetae incomplete basally; fore tibia with complete row of macrochaetae anterodorsally; hind tibia with single row of macrochaetae anterodorsally.

First abdominal tergum with yellowish-white pile laterally; posterior half of second tergum, and third and fourth terga with black pile laterally, anterior half of second tergum with linear rusty-brown scales. Posterior margin of first tergum with short, lanceolate white scales laterally and linear rusty-brown scales medially; discs of remaining terga mostly covered with linear black scales, posterior margins with linear rusty-brown scales. Venter with fine setae, yellow basally and black apically. First sternum, and anterior and lateral parts of second sternum with lanceolate white scales; middle of posterior margin of second sternum and remaining sterna with short, lanceolate-truncate, yellow scales.

DISTRIBUTION.—Anthrax xanthomeros is known from only the holotype, although it probably also occurs throughout northern Central America and into southern Mexico.

HOLOTYPE.—, Benque Viejo, British Honduras (Father Stanton) (MCZ). The type lacks one middle and one hind leg and the third segment of the left antenna. The head is covered with fungus.