Hybobathus arx (Fluke, 1936)

Mengual, Ximo, Miranda, Gil Felipe G. & Thompson, F. Christian, 2018, Unraveling Ocyptamus and the Baccha legacy (Diptera: Syrphidae): redefinition of groups and new species descriptions, Zootaxa 4461 (1), pp. 1-44 : 9

Hybobathus arx species group

Fig. 82 .

Aulacibaccha Hull, 1949a: 96 , as a subgenus of Baccha . Type species Baccha titan Hull, 1947a (original designation; jun. syn. of Baccha arx Fluke, 1936 ).

Baccha (Aulacibaccha) obsoleta species group. Hull (1949a).

Ocyptamus (Aulacibaccha) . Mengual et al. (2012).

Ocyptamus arx species group. Miranda et al. (2016).

Hybobathus arx species group. Miranda (2017).

Diagnosis. The Hybobathus arx species group belongs to the genus Hybobathus stat. rev. (see above). Species of the H. arx group have three vittae of golden microtrichia that are joined together by a circular microtrichose area posteriorly. They are larger (11–18 mm) and have a distinctly petiolate abdomen, with a narrow 2nd abdominal segment and distinctly widened 3rd and 4th segments ( Miranda et al. 2016; Miranda 2017). The H. arx species group might be confused with the Pelecinobaccha summa species group (see below) due to some superficial similarities between the scutum and abdominal markings, but they can be distinguished, among other characters, by the single row of pile on the dorsal occiput of the H. arx group (the P. summa species group has two rows of pile) ( Miranda 2017).

Biology. Hybobathus arx ( Fluke, 1936) has been reared as predators of Antianthe expansa Germar ( Hemiptera : Membracidae ) ( Montoya & Pérez 2009). Hybobathus luciane Miranda, 2017 was recorded preying on Membracis foliata (Linnaeus) ( Hemiptera : Membracidae ), H. phaeopterus ( Schiner, 1868) on Guayaquila xiphias (Fabricius) ( Hemiptera : Membracidae ), and H. persimilis (Curran, 1930) on Tuthillia cognata Hodkinson, Brown & Burckhardt ( Hemiptera : Psyllidae ) ( Pérez & Iannacone 2009; Miranda 2017).

Comments. See comments above under Hybobathus .

Species list (7): H. arx ( Fluke, 1936) , H. avittatus Miranda, 2017 , H. bivittatus ( Curran, 1941) , H. luciane Miranda, 2017 , H. obsoletus ( Curran, 1941) , H. persimilis ( Curran, 1930a) , H. phaeopterus ( Schiner, 1868) .

Figures

FIGURES 78–84. 78: Hybobathus norina (Curran) [female, CNC, JSS25237], head, dorsal view. 79: Ocyptamus sp., O. lepidus species group [male, INPA-DIP0000247], head, dorsal view. 80: Pelecinobaccha alia Miranda [female paratype, USNMENT 00036075], head dorsal view. Scale = 1 mm. 81: Hybobathus norina [female, CNC, JSS25237], thorax, dorsal view. 82: Hybobathus arx (Fluke), female, habitus, dorsal view, photo previously published in Miranda (2017). 83: Hermesomyia wulpiana (Lynch Arribálzaga) [male, USNM], habitus, dorsal view. 84: Ocyptamus titania (Hull) [female, CNC], abdomen, dorsal view.