Exorista (Spixomyia) doddi (Curran)

Tachi, Takuji, 2011, Three new species of Exorista Meigen (Diptera: Tachinidae), with a discussion of the evolutionary pattern of host use in the genus, Journal of Natural History 45 (19 - 20), pp. 1165-1197 : 1175-1178

Exorista (Spixomyia) doddi (Curran)

( Figure 3 A–D, 8A) Zenillia doddi Curran, 1938: 201 . Holotype male ( DEI), Herberton, Dodd, XII.1910.

Diagnosis

Eye haired; three presutural and four postsutural dorsocentral setae; two katepisternal setae; vertex approximately 0.25 of head width; gena 0.18–0.2 of eye height; parafacial approximately 1.3–1.5 times as wide as first flagellomere; first flagellomere 3–3.5 times as long as wide and 2.5–3 times as long as pedicel. Male postabdomen: surstylus narrowed on apical half in lateral view, slightly curved outwards in dorsal view; cerci slender in lateral view, basal three-quarters widened in dorsal view.

Redescription – male

Head. Face, lower part of parafacial and gena with silvery white pruinosity; frontoorbital plate and upper part of parafacial with thin golden pruinosity; frontal vitta, scape, pedicel, and first flagellomere black or dark brown; palpus reddish yellow or dark orange. Vertex approximately 0.25 of head width; frontal vitta subequal in width to fronto-orbital plate at middle; parafacial 1.3–1.5 times as wide as width of first flagellomere at middle height; lower facial margin not produced; gena 0.18–0.2 of eye height; eye haired; anterior reclinate orbital seta situated posterior to middle of frontoorbital plate; antenna with first flagellomere 3–3.5 times as long as wide and 2.5–3 times as long as pedicel; second aristomere approximately twice as long as wide; third aristomere thickened on basal one-third to two-fifths.

Thorax. Dorsum and pleura black or pale brown in ground colour, with silvery white pruinosity; scutellum reddish orange on apical three-fifths and entirely covered with silvery white pruinosity. Three presutural and four postsutural dorsocentral setae; two katepisternal setae.

Wing. Relative lengths of costal sectors second, third and fourth approximately as 3: 6: 3.5; vein M between cross-veins dm-cu and r-m approximately twice as long as that from cross-vein dm-cu to its bend; ultimate section of vein CuA 1 approximately 0.3 times as long as penultimate section and 0.75 times as long as cross-vein dm-cu.

Legs. Fore tibia with four to six anterodorsal and two posterior setae; mid tibia with four anterodorsal, two posterodorsal and one ventral setae; hind tibia with five to six anterodorsal and four to six posterodorsal setae of unequal length and three ventral setae.

Abdomen. Black, reddish yellow on posterolateral portion of syntergum 1+2 and sides of third tergum; third to fifth terga with dense greyish yellow pruinosity on anterior half. Syntergum 1+2 with a pair of short median marginal setae; third tergum with a pair of median marginal setae; third and fourth terga without median discal setae; fourth tergum with a row of strong and erect marginal setae; fifth tergum with rows of discal and marginal erect setae.

Male postabdomen. Surstylus wide on basal half, narrowed on apical half in lateral view, slightly curved outwards on apical half in dorsal view; cerci rather slender with long setae on basal three-quarters in lateral view, basal three-quarters wide and spatulate in dorsal view; hypandrial arms separated dorsally; pregonite slightly curved ventrally in lateral view, with a few fine setae on apical and basal portions on dorsal margin; postgonite rather broad, curved ventrally on apical half; epiphallus very short; central and ventrodistal parts of distiphallus membranous.

Body length. 10–12.5 mm.

Redescription – female

Vertex wider, 0.27–0.29 of head width; gena narrower, 0.15–0.17 of eye height. Female postabdomen. Sixth and seventh sterna nearly fan-shaped in lateral view, with some setae; seventh sternum lacking anterior apodeme.

Specimens examined

[ China] 4 males ( BLKU, IZAS), Xishuang-banna , Mengla, 700–1000 m, Yunnan, 3–5 August 1990; [ Indonesia] 2 males, 3 females ( MZB, BLKU), Cibinong , West Java, Indonesia , 20 July 2005, 7 June 2007; [ Papua New Guinea] 5 males, Kieta (0–500 m), Bougainville Island, 17, 20 January 1978 ( BLKU) .

Distribution

China (Yunnan); Indonesia (Java); Papua New Guinea (Bougainville Island); Australia.

Host

Unknown.

Remarks

This species was identified based on the description and illustrations of the type specimens examined by Shima (personal communication). Cantrell (1985) showed the detailed male postabdominal characters (e.g. pregonite and distiphallus) of this species. This species is very similar to E. bisetosa , but is distinguished from it in having broad cerci in dorsal view and slightly narrower male vertex.

Figures

Figure 3. Male postabdomen of Exorista (Spixomyia) doddi (Curran). (A) Epandrium, cerci and surstylus in lateral view; (B) same in dorsal view (setae omitted on left side); (C) hypandrium, pregonite, postgonite and aedeagus in lateral view; (D) abdominal fifth sternum in dorsal view (setae omitted on left side). Scale bars 0.2 mm. cerc, cerci; distph, distiphallus; epand, epandrium; epiph, epiphallus; hypd, hypandrium; pgt, postgonite; prgt, pregonite; sur, surstylus.