New species of <I>Hydrellia</I> (Diptera: Ephydridae) from the southern United States

Abstract

Five new species of Hydrellia Robineau-Desvoidy are described from localities in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. H. alabamae, n. sp. was first collected on water primrose in northern Alabama and later in northern Florida on Nuphar and Nymphoides At present, there is no indication about potential host-plant species. H. naiadis, n. sp. was reared from Najas guadalupensis (Spreng) Morong in northern Florida and later collected throughout the state and also in southeastern Texas H apalachee, n. sp., first collected in northern Florida and later in northern Alabama, is unique among described Hydrellia in having a bivittate mesonotum. Thus fur, no host-plant species is known for this species. H. limnobii, n sp. was first. reared from Limnobium spongia (Bosc) Richard (frogbit) in 1986 at the Florida Biological Control Laboratory and has since been collected throughout the state as well as in southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. The last species, H. pontederiae, n. sp., with males 4.00 mm and females 4.80 mm long, is the largest species in the genus as known by me; it has been reared from Pontederia cordata Linnaeus, but only one specimen (a female) has been collected in the field.