Austrosolieria Cerretti & O'Hara

O'Hara, James E. & Cerretti, Pierfilippo, 2016, Annotated catalogue of the Tachinidae (Insecta, Diptera) of the Afrotropical Region, with the description of seven new genera, ZooKeys 575, pp. 1-344 : 276

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Tachinidae

Austrosolieria Cerretti & O'Hara gen. n. Figs 17, 18

Type species.

Austrosolieria londti Cerretti & O’Hara, sp. n., by present designation.

Etymology.

Austrosolieria is a composite word formed from the prefix of the Latin adjective austrīnus, meaning southern, and the generic name Solieria Robineau-Desvoidy, which is morphologically similar.

Diagnosis.

Compound eye bare. Ocellar setae well developed, proclinate. Frons 1.2-1.6 times as wide as compound eye in dorsal view. Parafacial bare, convex, at its narrowest point 1.1-1.3 times as wide as width of postpedicel. Facial ridge convex (slightly concave just above vibrissa), with 2-3 fine setulae on lower 1/6. Lower facial margin not warped forward and not visible in lateral view. Postpedicel sub-rectangular (more or less sharply pointed at apex in male), about 1.4-1.6 times as long as pedicel. Arista apparently bare; thickened on approximately basal 1/4. First aristomere shorter than wide; second aristomere about as long as wide. Genal dilation well developed, with several strong setae on anterior 1/2. Gena in profile 0.4-0.6 times as high as compound eye. Lower occiput and postgena covered with mostly pale hair-like setulae. Upper occiput with at least a few black occipital setulae. Vibrissa well developed, arising at level of lower facial margin. Prementum short and relatively narrow, palpus clubbed, well developed. Prosternum and proepisternal depression bare. Proepisternal seta present, well developed. Postpronotum with 2-5 setae. Katepimeron bare. Three katepisternal setae (2+1). Presutural intra-alar seta absent. Two or 3 postsutural intra-alar setae (if 2, then setae separated by a distance less than that between first seta and transverse suture). First postsutural supra-alar seta shorter than notopleural setae and first postsutural dorsocentral seta. Two or 3 presutural and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae. Zero to 2 presutural acrostichal setae. Scutellum with 2 pairs of strong, slightly diverging marginal setae subequal in size: basal and subapical. Costal spine strong, 1.5-3.5 times as long as crossvein r-m (Fig. 18 g–h). Second costal section setulose ventrally. Veins R1 and M1 bare. Base of vein R4+5 with 2-3 strong setulae or a tuft of setulae. Wing cell r4+5 closed at wing margin or nearly so. Bend of vein M1 obtuse. Fore tibia with 2 posterior setae. Preapical anterodorsal seta of fore tibia longer than preapical dorsal seta. Mid tibia with 2-4 anterodorsal setae and a strong submedian ventral seta. Preapical posteroventral seta of hind tibia at most 1/2 as long as preapical anteroventral seta. Hind coxa bare posterodorsally. Mid-dorsal depression of abdominal syntergite 1+2 reaching posterior margin of syntergite. Syntergite 1+2 and tergite 3 with 1 pair of median marginal setae. Tergites 4 and 5 with a complete row of marginal setae. Tergites 3-5 without median discal setae.

Remarks.

To our knowledge, species of Austrosolieria are not easily confused with those of any other Afrotropical genus. However, the habitus of Austrosolieria species and the combination of a wide frons, bare prosternum, three postsutural dorsocentral setae, two strong marginal scutellar setae (subapical and basal), hind tibia with short and weak preapical posteroventral seta, and costal spine well developed, are reminiscent of the Palaearctic genera Solieria , Bithia Robineau-Desvoidy, and, in part, Clausicella Rondani. Austrosolieria differs from these by having the lower facial margin not protruding and not visible in lateral view, fore tibia with preapical anteroventral seta distinctly longer than preapical dorsal seta, and postpedicel more or less sharply pointed at apex in male. We have determined that the two new species described below do not fit within the limits of an existing tachinid genus and propose for them the new genus Austrosolieria .