Pales marae, Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2005

Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2005, Revision of the West Palaearctic species of the genus Pales Robineau­Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 885, pp. 1-36 : 17-20

Pales marae sp. nov. ( Figs 2, 6 , 17–19 , 30 )

Type material. Holotype ɗ: ITALY, Sardinia, Cagliari prov. / Iglesias M.ti Marganai / Tintillonis 480 m / N39.20452 E08.33746 / 02.IX.2003 / P. Cerretti leg. [ MZUR].

Paratypes: 1 ɗ, ITALY, Sardinia, Cagliari prov.: Iglesias M.ti Marganai / Tintillonis 480 m / N39.20452 E08.33746 / 02.IX.2003 / P. Cerretti leg. [ PCCR]; 1 ɗ, [ditto] 540 m, 04.IX.2003, [ditto] [ SMNS]; 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Iglesias, M.ti Marganai / Tintillonis 480 m / N39.20452 E08.33746 / 06.VI.2004 / P. Cerretti, D. Birtele, G. Nardi, M. Tisato, D. Whitmore leg. [ PCCR]; 1 Ψ, [ditto] 07.VI.2004 [ditto] [ SMNS]; 2 ɗɗ, 3 ΨΨ, [ditto] 09.VI.2004 [ditto] [ CNC, PCCR]; 2 ɗɗ, Iglesias, M.ti Marganai / near Case Marganai 650 m / N39.21514 E08.33908 / 05.VI.2004 / P. Cerretti, D. Birtele, G. Nardi, M. Tisato, D. Whitmore leg. [ PCCR]; 1 Ψ, [ditto] 06.VI.2004, [ditto] [ PCCR]; 1 ɗ, Iglesiente, Domusnovas / Valle d’Oridda 643 m / N39.24825 E08.35884 / 07.VI.2004 / P. Cerretti, D. Birtele, G. Nardi, M. Tisato, D. Whitmore leg. [ MHNG]; 1 Ψ, [ditto] 10.VI.2004 [ditto] [ PCCR]; 1 Ψ, Domusnovas, M.ti Marganai / near Grotta S. Giovanni / 11.VI.2004 / P. Cerretti, D. Birtele, G. Nardi, M. Tisato, D. Whitmore leg. [ PCCR]; 1 ɗ, ditto, 12.VI.2004, ditto ( PCCR); 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Iglesiente Domusnovas / near Agriturismo Perda / Niedda 350 m / N39.22819 E08.36502 / 08.VI.2004 / P. Cerretti, D. Birtele, G. Nardi, M. Tisato, D. Whitmore leg. [ PCCR]. 1 ɗ, [Sardinia], SS [Sassari prov.] / Tempio Pausania / 22.IX.1949 / O. Castellani leg. [ MZUR].

Etymology. Dedicated to my wife Mara.

Diagnosis. Abdomen ( Fig. 30 ) black (except for a small area on sides of tergite 3, which is dark red) without any trace of blue or green reflections; tergites 3 and 4 with a transverse band of dense grey microtrichosity on anterior 1/2–4/5, dorsally showing a clear black posterior band; tergite 5 microtrichose on anterior 1/2–5/6. The transverse bands of microtrichosity on abdominal tergites 3, 4 and 5 are interrupted medially, showing a narrow longitudinal black stripe. Parafacial (in lateral view) at its narrowest point 0.65–1.30 times as wide as postpedicel. Frons 1.0–1.35 (ɗΨ) times as wide as an eye in dorsal view. Arista thickened on its basal 1/2 or slightly more. About 20% of specimens with 2 upper orbital setae. ɗ: fore claws and pulvilli short, 0.7–0.9 times as long as tarsomere 5.

Description. Length: 6.3–9.1 mm. Male (measurements in square brackets refer to the holotype). Colour ( Fig. 2 ). Head, except gena and frontal vitta, black with grey microtrichosity; gena dark red; frontal vitta dark brown; antenna black; palpus black. Thorax (except scutellum) and legs black; posterior 1/3–1/2 of scutellum reddish; scutum microtrichose; presutural area with four longitudinal dark vittae (the lateral pair sub­triangular); posterior surface of fore femur weakly microtrichose. Lower calypter slightly yellowish; upper calypter white. Wing hyaline; tegula and basicosta black. Abdomen ( Fig. 2 ) black; tergites 3 and 4 with a transverse band of dense grey microtrichosity on anterior 1/2–4/5; tergite 5 microtrichose on anterior 1/2–5/6. The transverse bands of microtrichosity on abdominal tergites 3, 4 and 5 are interrupted medially, showing a narrow longitudinal black stripe (not always clear). Terminalia dark brown or black.

Head ( Fig. 2 ). Arista thickened on its basal 1/2. Postpedicel 3.1–3.8 times as long as pedicel. Frons at its narrowest point [1.05]–1.35 times as wide as an eye in dorsal view. Lateral vertical setae well differentiated from the postocular setulae. Usually 1 upper reclinate orbital seta (4 specimens with 2). Eight to 11 frontal setae descending below level of the base of the arista. Fronto­orbital plate with one row of strong medioclinate setulae about 1/2 as long as the frontal setae and one or two rows of shorter setulae erect or medioclinate lateral to the row of frontal setae. Parafacial (in lateral view) at its narrowest point 0.85–[1.30] times as wide as the postpedicel. Gena in profile about 2/5–1/2 of the vertical height of eye (height measured in the same vertical plane as height of head). Postocular setulae dorso­laterally fine, long and slightly bent forwards, alternated with other shorter, robust and straight setulae. Occiput flat, with white hair­like setulae, with one or two rows of black setulae behind the postocular row. Prementum about 2.0–2.5 times as long as wide. Legs. Fore claws 0.70–0.90 times as long as tarsomere 5 ( Figs 2, 6 ). Hind tibia with an irregular row of anterodorsal setae, with two setae about 1.5 times as long as the others (as in Fig. 11 ). Abdomen ( Fig. 2 , 30 ). Syntergite 1+2 with 1 pair of long median marginal setae. Tergite 3 with 1 pair of median marginal setae about as long as (or slightly shorter than) the tergite; 1–2 pairs of median discal setae about 0.6–0.7 times as long as the median marginal setae; 1–3 pairs of lateral marginal setae. Tergite 4 with a row of 12–17 marginal setae about as long as the length of the tergite; 1 pair of median discal setae about 0.8 times as long as the median marginal setae. Male terminalia ( Figs 17–19 ). Surstylus shorter than cerci, with several short setulae laterally and latero­apically.

Female differs from male as follows: postpedicel 2.1–2.7 times as long as pedicel. Two proclinate orbital setae.

Distribution. Sardinia ( Italy).

Hosts. Unknown.

Ecology. Collected in the ecotonal belt between xerothermic steppe of anthropogenic origin and Mediterranean holm oak tall maquis, belonging to the Viburnum­Quercetum ilicis­suberetosum; usually observed when feeding on flowers of yellow umbellifers ( Ferula communis , Foeniculum vulgare ). During early morning many individuals were observed basking on leaves exposed to the sun, on shrubs situated on the forest’s edge.

Comparative notes. P. m a r a e appears morphologically close to P. pumicata , with which it shares the following features: wide frons (without sexual dimorphism), legs entirely black, hind tibia with an irregular row of anterodorsal setae and male with surstylus shorter than cerci in lateral view. About 20% of examined specimens of P. m a r a e are characterized by having 2 reclinate upper orbital setae; this has been found also in P. m a c ­ rocephala ( Mesnil, 1951) (one of two examined specimens), P. p u m i c a t a (see below) and occasionally in P. pavida (2 specimens examined, see below). The males of P. m a r a e are easily distinguished from those of all the other species in possessing anterior claws that are shorter than the 5th tarsomere and very similar to those of the females. In the other species the claws of the males are visibly elongate and thin, whereas in the females they are short and stout, clearly showing sexual dimorphism.

The basal bands of abdominal microtrichosity in P. m a r a e are very unusual within Palaearctic Pales and therefore of high diagnostic value; in the other Palaearctic species of the genus the abdomen is usually weakly microtrichose or evenly covered with dense microtrichosity (e.g. P. m u r i n a and some P. pumicata ). An abdominal microtrichosity very similar to that of P. m a r a e can be found, however, in the Afrotropical species P. m a c ro ­ cephala and P. sarcophagaeformis (Jaennicke, 1867) from which it is easily distinguished by the presence of median discal setae and the absence of setae on the postero­dorsal margin of the hind coxa (cf. Mesnil 1951).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Pales spp. 1. Pales abdita sp. nov. paratype ɗ (Cyprus), habitus. 2. Pales marae sp. nov.

FIGURES 17 – 19. Male terminalia of Pales marae sp. nov. paratype ♂ (Italy, Sardinia, Sassari prov.), scale bar 0.5 mm. 17. Terminalia in right lateral view; a: hook­like structure on hypandrium. 18. Epandrial complex in posterior view. 19. Sternite 5 in ventral view.

FIGURES 27 – 30. Abdomen of Pales spp. in dorsal view. 27. Pales latifrons Kugler Ψ (Israel). 28. Pales murina Mesnil ♂ (Iran). 29. Pales cyanea (Macquart) ♂ (Spain, Canary Isalands). 30. Pales marae sp. nov. paratype ♂ (Italy, Sardinia, Cagliari prov.).

FIGURES 10 – 16. Pales spp. 10. Pales pavida (Meigen) ♂ (Germany, Baden­Württemberg), left hind tibia in dorsal view. 11. Pales pumicata (Meigen) ♂ (Italy, Latium), left hind tibia in dorsal view, scale bar 1 mm (for Figs 1011). 12 – 14. Male terminalia of Pales abdita sp. nov. paratype ♂ (Spain, Salamanca prov.). 12. Sternite 5 in ventral view, scale bar 0.5 mm. 13. Epandrial complex in posterior view. 14. Epandrial complex in right lateral view. 15 – 16. Male terminalia of Pales abdita sp. nov. paratype ♂ (Italy, Verona prov.). 15. Cerci and right surstylus in posterior view. 16. Epandrial complex in right lateral view. Scale bar 0.5 mm (for Figs 13 – 16).