Physiphora longicornis ( Hendel, 1909 )

Chen, Xiao-Lin & Kameneva, Elena P., 2007, A review of Physiphora Fallén (Diptera: Ulidiidae) from China, Zootaxa 1398, pp. 15-28 : 25-27

Physiphora longicornis ( Hendel, 1909) ( Figs 32–36 )

Chrysomyza longicornis Hendel, 1909: 621 ; 1913a: 35. Physiphora longicornis: Steyskal, 1977: 167 .

Diagnosis. Similar to P. chalybea in head mainly black, scutum and scutellum with green to blue sheen, but differing by cell r4+5 nearly closed, fore leg with basitarsomere pale white yellow, frons with conspicuous swellings, and dorsal half of face gray microtrichose in antennal grooves and having three separate gray microtrichose marks (upper small and round, two lower dash­like).

Description. Head. Frons brown to black and subshiny, with conspicuous swellings; slightly wider than eye, 1.1 times as long as wide, almost parallel­sided. Ocellar triangle and vertical plates black and subshiny. Ventral half of median facial plate and clypeus dark­brown, dorsal half of face gray microtrichose in antennal grooves and having three separate gray microtrichose marks (upper small and round, two lower dash­like), median facial plate distinctly wider than antennal groove. Fronto­orbital microtrichose spots small, rounded. Parafacial, gena, occiput and mouthparts dark brown to black, gena about 1/3 as high as eye. Antenna blackbrown, 1st flagellomere rounded apically, 2.0–2.5 times as long as wide; arista bare ( Figs 32, 36 ).

Thorax. Scutum and scutellum dark brown to black, with green and blue sheen; scutellum convex, shining beneath. All setae and setulae dark­brown.

Wing. Completely hyaline, postero­apical extension of cell cup long, about 2.5 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2, cell r4+5 nearly closed ( Fig. 33 ).

Legs. Almost entirely black­brown, but fore leg with basitarsomere yellow brown, mid and hind leg with tarsomere yellow brown.

Abdomen. Both tergites black­brown, shining, with bluish and greenish sheen; tergite 2 with black setulae only. Male terminalia not examined. Female terminalia: aculeus 7.2 times as long as wide at base, with 1 pair of long basal setae and second pair of shorter subapical setae ( Fig.35 ); 3 spherical spermathecae ( Fig. 34 ). Measurements. Wing length: 4.0– 4.2 mm. Body length about 5.0– 6.5mm.

Material examined. Type: Syntypes: China: Taiwan: 1ɗ, 1Ψ: “ Formosa / Sauter”, “Takao / 1907. I.27 ”, “ Chrysomyza longicornis H. / det. F. Hendel”, “ Type ” [red paper] ( NHMW); 2ɗ: same label data ( DEI); Sri Lanka: 4 specimens: “ Ceylon / Periyakulam / 1–III.91 / Lt. Col. Yerbury /1892–92”, “ Chrysomyza \ longicornis H. / det. F. Hendel”, “ Syntype ” [blue­bordered circle] ( BMNH). Possible syntypes: China: Taiwan: 10ɗ, 10Ψ:“ Formosa / Sauter”, “Takao / 1907. I.27 ”, “ Type ”, “ Chrysomyza longicornis H. / det. Hendel” and “ Chrysomyza longicornis H. / det. Kertész” ( HMNH); 1Ψ: same label data, “…det. Kertész” ( USNM); 1ɗ: “S. Formosa /Takao 7.VII.1907 / H. Sauter S. V.”; 1Ψ: “… 9.VII.1907.”; 3ɗ, 2Ψ: “… 26.VII.1907 …” ( ZMHB); 1ɗ: “Koshun / Formosa / Sauter VIII.08 ”, “coll. Hendel”, “ paratype ” [yellow paper] 1Ψ: “Koshun / Formosa / Sauter IX.08 ”, “coll. Hendel”, “ paratype ” [yellow paper]; 1ɗ: “Koshun / Formosa / Sauter I.09 ”, “coll. Hendel”, “ paratype ” [yellow paper] ( NHMW); 8ɗ, 3Ψ: “Koshun / Formosa / Sauter VIII.08 ”, “… IX.08 ”, “… I.08 ” ( DEI); Non­type: 1ɗ, 1Ψ: “Kankau (Koshun)”, VII.1912 ( USNM); 1Ψ: “Kankau (Koshun)”, VII.1912, “ Chrysomyza \ longicornis H. / det. F. Hendel”; 3ɗ: “Kankau”, VII.1912 ( ZMHB); 105 specimens: “Kankau”, VI–VII.1912 (Sauter) ( DEI).

Biology. There are two specimens reared from a date palm in Punjab and tentatively identified as P. longicornis Hendel (BMNH), but the identification needs verification.

Distribution. China ( Taiwan); Ceylon.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 36. Physiphora longicornis Hendel; 32, head, dorsal view; 33, wing; 34, spermatheca (one of three); 35, apex of aculeus; 36, head, lateral view.