Rossimyiops exquisitus (Richter) Richter, 2009

Cerretti, Pierfilippo, Biase, Alessio De & Freidberg, Amnon, 2009, Systematic study of the genus Rossimyiops Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 1984, pp. 31-56 : 44

Rossimyiops exquisitus (Richter) comb. nov.

( Figs. 20–22 )

Persedea exquisita Richter, 2001: 28 . Type locality: Tehran ( Iran).

Mesnilomyia rufipes Zeegers 2007: 411 . Type locality: 12km NW of Manakhah ( Yemen). Syn. nov.

Type material examined. Holotype Ψ of Persedea exquisita Richter : Turkey [in error for Iran] / Teheran / iv.1979 / ex Embioptera / culture // Holotypus Persedea / exquisita / Richter [ BMNH]. Paratypes of Mesnilomyia rufipes Zeegers : 3 ΨΨ, YEMEN, 12km NW of Manakhah, 05.V-17.VI.2002, A. v. Harten, mal.trap [ SMNS, TZC].

Diagnosis. Female. Body length: 2.5–4.5 mm. Palpus, thorax (including scutellum) and femora yellow. Ventral facial margin not protruding and hardly visible in profile. Vertex 0.60–0.84 times as wide as compound eye in dorsal view. Parafacial at its narrowest point at most 0.5 times as wide as postpedicel (measured at mid length) (about 2 times as wide as maximum diameter of arista) ( Fig. 20 ). Scutellum with 3 pairs of marginal setae ( Figs. 21, 22 ). Ventral seta of mid tibia longer than maximum diameter of mid tibia. Wing membrane hyaline; cell r4+5 long-petiolate ( Fig. 20 ); base of R4+5 bare. Abdomen at least anteroventrally yellow (syntergite 1+2 and 3); tergites 4 and 5 usually black dorsally, rarely also ventrally. Male Unknown.

Description. Female: see original descriptions: Richter (2001); Zeegers (2007).

Hosts. Unidentified Embioptera ( Richter 2001) .

Distribution. Iran, Yemen ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks. Based on the original description and examination of the three paratypes of Mesnilomyia rufipes available to us, we have observed individual variation in body length, morphometric ratios of the head and in the colouring of the abdomen; the holotype of P. exquisita falls well within this range. We conclude that no sound morphological evidence exists to separate the two nominal species and thus, M. rufipes is considered a junior synonym of P. exquisita .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Known distribution of Rossimyiops spp.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Rossimyiops spp. 17 – 19. Rossimyiops djerbaensis sp. nov. (holotype female). 17. Head in anterolateral view, scale bar: 0.3 mm; a- width of parafacial at its narrowest point. 18. Scutellum, subscutellum and ventral calypter in right posterolateral view (a, l and b show base of apical, lateral and basal scutellar setae, respectively), scale bar: 0.3 mm. 19. Left wing in ventral view. 20 – 22. Rossimyiops exquisitus (Richter). 20. Head in anterolateral view (holotype female of Persedea exquisita Richter), scale bar: 0.5 mm; a- width of parafacial at its narrowest point. 21. Scutum, scutellum, ventral calypter and abdominal tergites 1 + 2 in dorsal view (same specimen as before), scale bar: 0.5 mm. 22. Scutellum and abdominal syntergite 1 + 2 in right dorsolateral view (paratype female of Mesnilomyia rufipes Zeegers), scale bar: 0.5 mm.