Dacus (Mellesis) crabroniformis (Bezzi) (Figures 66‒75)

Monacrostichus crabroniformis Bezzi, 1914: 153 . Type locality Yercaud, Tamil Nadu.

Mellesis crabroniformis — Bezzi, 1916: 117.

Callantra crabroniformis — Hardy, 1977: 45.

Dacus (Callantra) crabroniformis — Kapoor, 1993: 83; Drew et al., 1998: 584; Norrbom et al., 1999: 130; David and Ramani, 2011: 4.

Dacus (Mellesis) crabroniformis — Hancock and Drew, 2006: 173; Drew and Romig, 2013: 379.

Material examined: 1♂, INDIA, Karnataka, Tumkur, Madhugiri, 13.655 oN 77.219 oE, Abhishek, V. 2♂, INDIA, Karnataka, Bangalore, GKVK, 13.086 oN 77.566 oE, 19.xii.2023, Abhishek, V. 2♂, INDIA, Karnataka, Shivamogga, Navile, 13.957 oN 75.585 oE, 19.xii.2023, Abhishek, V. (NIM) .

Diagnosis: Dacus (Mellesis) crabroniformis was adequately redescribed by Drew et al. (1998); David and Ramani (2019) provided illustrations of epandrium and phallus. Epandrium (0.24 mm), heavily sclerotized, longer than lateral surstylus (0. 16 mm) in profile; apex posterior lobe of surstylus blunt, four times longer than anterior lobe; proctiger membraneous, triangular, and smaller than epandrium. In posterior view, epandrium and surstyli bulbous with well-developed prensisetae; medial surstylus longer than lateral surstylus. Phallus short, 1.5 mm in length (excluding glans, 0. 34 mm); 0. 75 sclerotized with patterned acrophallus.

Remarks: Although it shares a general appearance with D. ramanii, D. crabroniformis can be distinguished by the presence of a narrow anepisternal stripe that is as broad as the notopleuron and the absence of a radial-medial band on the wing.

Attractant: Zingerone.

Host plant: Not known.