Phasia minima Sun, 2003

Sun, Xuekui & Marshall, Stephen A., 2003, Systematics of Phasia Latreille (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 276 (1), pp. 1-320 : 197-198

3.7.4 Phasia minima Sun , sp. nov.

(Figures I­36, II­3.2)

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♂, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, NE Wau, Morobe Distr., 1,200m, 8.vii.1961, J. Sedlacek [malaise trap] (BPBM); allotype ♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Wau, 1,230m, 11.vi.1965, J.and M. Sedlacek [malaise trap] (BPBM); paratypes, 1♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, NE Wau, Big Wau Ck., 1,300m, xi.1963, P. Shanahan (BPBM); 1♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Morobe Distr., NE Wau, Kunai Ck., 1,250m, 26.viii.1963 (BPBM); 1♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, New Britain, Gazelle Pen., Upper Warangoi, Illugi, 220m, 15.xii.1962, J. Sedlacek [malaise trap] (BPBM).

DESCRIPTION

Body length: 3.5­4 mm.

MALE: HEAD. Head spherical or nearly so. Eyes separated by a distance as wide as ocellar triangle. Fronto­orbital plate black with grey pruinosity. Frontal vitta almost parallel, black. Frontal vitta at base of antennae 4 times as wide as fronto­orbital plate anteriorly. Ocellar setae present but fine; outer vertical setae present; inner vertical setae absent. Face black with grey pruinosity. Parafacial black with grey pruinosity, bare, 0.3 times as wide as first flagellomere. Lower margin of face projecting, visible in profile, black with grey pruinosity. Vibrissa well differentiated; intervibrissal distance 3 times distance between vibrissa and eye on same side; facial ridge with bristles on lower 1/5. Gena brown and black with grey pruinosity; hairs black; height 0.1 times eye height. Lunule black and shining; sublunular bulla indistinct. Antenna black; first flagellomere 1.8 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 1/5. Length of oral opening 1.2 times its width. Occiput slightly convex, greyish yellow pruinose; hairs black. Palpus brown to black.

THORAX. Mesoscutum thinly pruinose; even, with fine black hairs. 0+1 acrostichal seta; 1+2 dorsocentral setae; 2 postpronotal setae; presutural supra­alar seta present, strong; 1 postsutural intra­alar seta; 2 notopleural setae; 1 supra­alar seta; 2 postalar setae. Pleuron thinly grey pruinose; hairs black. Anepimeral setae medium size, black. 2­5 katepisternal setae; 5­6 meral setae; Scutellum black, shining, without pruinosity, with two pairs of marginal setae; apical setae present and distinct; discal setae randomly arranged, not in rows. Subscutellum not very prominent. WING. Lower calypter white with light brown infuscation. Wing base without scale­like setae. Tegula black. Basicosta black. Wing light brown hyaline, narrow; petiole of apical cell 0.35 times as long as preceding section of R 4+5; M meeting R 4+5 almost at right angle. Halter brown. LEGS. Fore femur brown; hairs black. Fore tibia brown, without bristles, apically with 1 p and 1 d. Fore tarus normal; brown. Fore claws brown, apex black; 1.1 times as long as fifth tarsomere. Pulvilli brown. Mid femur brown; hairs black. Mid tibia brown, apically with 1 av, 1 pv, 1 p, 1 v and 1 d. Hind femur brown; hairs black. Hind tibia brown, with 2­4 ad and 2­4 pd.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal tergites black, with dark yellow spot or area; pruinosity absent; longitudinal vitta distinctly present; tergites I+II, III and lateral margin of tergite IV dark yellow. Relative length of abdominal tergites I+II:III:IV:V = 1.1:1:1:1; relative width I+II:III:IV:V = 0.5:1:1:0.7. Hair spots indistinct. TERMINALIA. Syncercus slender, with a shallow notch posteriorly; apex extremely bent downward. Surstylus flattened, slightly arched dorsally, almost as long as cercus. Hypandrium broad, slightly shorter than phallapodeme. Ejaculatory apodeme small, knob­like. Pregonite extremely long, apex spherical, with sparse hairs dorsally. Postgonite triangular, shorter than pregonite. Phallus broad, short, almost as short as phallapodeme, not haired. Distiphallus membranous, branched.

FEMALE. Usually smaller than male. Wing hyaline. Eyes separated by a distance as wide as single ocellus. Anterior spine­like setae of hind tibia absent. Sternite VII (sheath) almost as long as sternite VI, broad apically, bent, apex directed ventrally, sternite VII with linear wrinkles ventrally. Ovipositor bent upward.

HOST

Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

The specific name minima refers to the small body size of this species.