Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) curta, Tachi & Shima, 2023

Tachi, Takuji & Shima, Hiroshi, 2023, Systematic study of the subgenus Aphantorhaphopsis of the genus Siphona in East Asia and the Oriental Region (Diptera: Tachinidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 63 (1), pp. 213-247 : 231

Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) curta sp. nov.

( Figs 49–53 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: J ( SMNH), N.E. BURMA / Kambaiti 2000m / R. Malaise 9/6 1934 . PARATYPES: 8 JJ 3 ♀♀ ( SMNH), same data as holotype, R. Malaise.

Diagnosis. Labella rather elongate, approximately 0.8 times as long as prementum; gena 0.18–0.20 of eye height; 4 postsutural dorsocentral setae.

This species is similar to S. (A.) alticola in general appearance but differs from it in the male postabdomen: surstylus narrowed in apical 1/ 3 in lateral view; cerci strongly curved dorsally in middle in lateral view, apex strongly curved ventrally; epiphallus developed; distiphallus broadly sclerotized in lateral view.

Description. Body length 4.0– 4.3 mm. Male. Head. Vertex 0.35–0.38 of head width; parafacial subequal in width to width of 2nd aristomere at middle height; gena 0.18–0.20 of eye height; antenna with postpedicel suboval to subrectangular, 1.5–1.8 times as long as wide and 3.3–3.5 times as long as pedicel; labella rather elongate, approximately 0.8 times as long as prementum.

Thorax. Dorsum gray, with brownish pruinosity.

Male postabdomen. Surstylus strongly narrowed in apical 1/ 3 in lateral view, narrowed in apical half in dorsal view; cerci strongly curved dorsally in middle in lateral view and narrowed in apical half, apex strongly curved ventrally; pregonite narrowed in apical 1/ 3 in lateral view, with one weak dorsal seta; postgonite rounded apically; epiphallus present; distiphallus broadly sclerotized in lateral view with some tiny spinules ventrally.

Female. Similar to male, differing from it as follows: antenna with postpedicel slender, approximately 3 times as long as wide.

Female postabdomen. Tergites 6–7 tall and weakly sclerotized, tergite 7 shorter than tergite 6; sternite 7 with anterior apodeme; sternite 8 small with a few short setae; spiracle 6 present on tergite 6; spiracle 7 posterior to tergite 6.

Etymology. The species is named after the labella, which are shorter than in the closely related species, S. alticola ; an adjective.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Myanmar [ Burma].

Figures

Figs 49–53. Male and female postabdomen of Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) curta sp. nov. (paratypes, Myanmar, Kambaiti). 49 – epandrium, cerci and surstylus in lateral view; 50 – epandrium, cerci and surstylus in dorsal view (setae omitted on left side); 51 – hypandrium, pregonite, postgonite and phallus in lateral view; 52 – fifth abdominal sternite in ventral view (setae omitted on left side); 53 – female postabdomen in lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.