Estheria pallicornis (Loew, 1873)

(Figs 11, 23, 35, 47, 63, 72, 89, 102, 117)

Dinera pallicornis Loew, 1873: 237 . Type locality: Uzbekistan or Tajikistan, Zarafshon Valley [as “ Sarawschan-Thal ”]. Type (s), male (1 in ZMHB, J. Ziegler, pers. comm.), not examined. References: Kolomiets (1973: 98; key and description); Crosskey (1976: 180; Oriental catalog); Herting & Dely-Draskovits (1993: 364; Palearctic catalog); Cerretti & Tschorsnig (2012: 273, 284; species and key); Zhang et al. (2013: 139; checklist).

Dolichodexia rufipes Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889: 118 and 167 (key). Type locality: Turkey, Amasya.

Dolichodexia albipila Mesnil, 1963: 54 . Type locality: Tajikstan, Khorog. Reference: Kolomiets (1973: 97).

Diagnosis. Prementum short; antennae, palpi and legs reddish-yellow; pleura, postpronotal lobes, coxae and base of abdomen ventrally with dense pale hairs; veins M and R 4+5 merged to form a short petiole.

Redescription. Body length: 8.8–14.3 mm.

Male. Head covered with grayish-white pruinosity, frontal vitta dark brown, lunule and arista brown; antenna, palpus, prementum and labella reddish-yellow. Frons 0.1–0.12 of head width, widened anteriorly; frontal vitta narrower than fronto-orbital plate at middle, latter with some fine black hairs; parafacial bare, 3–3.5 times as wide as 1 st flagellomere; facial carina low and indistinct; gena as long as palpus or antenna, 0.42–0.57 of eye height; lower margin of face not protruding forward. Fronto-orbital plate with short pale and dark hairs, parafacial bare; inner vertical seta 0.3–0.4 of eye height, shorter than ocellar seta; outer vertical seta hair-like; 10–11 frontal setae; orbital seta absent; ocellar seta longer than upper frontal seta; vibrissa inserted above lower margin of face; a row of subvibrissa below vibrissa; upper occiput without black hairs behind postocular setae. Antenna falling short of lower margin of face by more than length of antenna, 1 st flagellomere 1.5–2 times as long as pedicel; arista, including plumosity, 3–4 times as wide as first flagellomere; palpus about as long as 1 st flagellomere; prementum short, about twice as long as wide or as long as palpus.

Thorax brown to dark brown, with yellowish-gray pruinosity; scutellum dark brown, with gray-white pruinosity; postprontal lobe dark brown; pleura with gray pruinosity; anterior and posterior spiracles reddishyellow. Dorsum with 4 longitudinal black vittae extending back to anterior half of postsutural scutum, narrower inner vitta 1/3–1/4 width of pruinose portion between inner and outer vittae; dorsum with black hairs except for pale white hairs on anterior and outer-lateral postprontal lobe; pleura with dense pale hairs, without black hairs. Prosternum bare, about 1.5 times as long as wide; proepisternum bare; postpronotal lobe with 4–5 setae, 3 of which nearly in a straight line; 2–3 presutural and 3 postsutural acrostichal setae; 3 presutural and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 3 postsutural intra-alar setae; prealar setae weak, 2 supra-alar setae [1 male from Pakistan with 3–5 supra-alar setae]; 3 katepisternal setae; katepimeron hairy; posterior lappet of posterior spiracle circular; 3 pairs of marginal scutellar setae and 1 pair of discal scutellar setae. Wing hyaline, brownish; tegula and basicosta dark brown; halter reddish-yellow. Calypters yellowish-white; lower calypter with short fringe on outer margin. Costal spine absent; second costal sector bare ventrally, relative length of 2nd, 3rd and 4th costal sectors approximately 1.2:2.5:1; bend of vein M distinctly more than right-angled [specimens from China] or nearly rightangled [specimens from Pakistan]; vein M from crossvein dM-Cu to bend about 3/4 times as long as distance between bend and wing margin, with an appendage longer than crossvein r-m; vein M merged with vein R 4+5 to form a short petiole. Legs with femora brown-yellow except for ventral apex with grayish-white pruinosity, tibiae reddish-yellow, tarsi dark brown, pulvilli yellowish; coxae and ventral surface of femora with pale yellowish hairs. Fore tibia with 3–5 very short anterodorsal setae on basal 1/2 and 2 median posterior setae; fore claws and pulvilli slightly longer than 5th tarsomere; mid tibia with 1 anteroventral, 1 anterodorsal and 2 posterodorsal setae; hind tibia with 2 anteroventral, 3–4 anterodorsal and 2–3 posterodorsal setae, 1 apical anteroventral and 2 apical dorsal setae.

Abdomen long-ovate, black, covered with yellowish-gray pruinosity, dark brown on posterior margin around setae, with pale long hairs on ventral surface at base; syntergite 1+2 medially excavated to posterior margin, with 1 lateral marginal seta, without median marginal setae; tergite 3 with 2 median marginal setae, 1–2 lateral marginal setae, and 2 median discal setae; tergite 4 with a row of marginal setae and 2 median discal setae; tergite 5 with a row of marginal setae and many discal setae. Sternites with erect pale white hairs. Male terminalia (Figs. 11, 23, 35, 47). Posterior lobe of sternite 5 wide and bluntly rounded, V-shaped median cleft deep and wide. Surstylus short, bluntly round at apex; cerci separated, long, narrow and pointed apically; basiphallus about as long as postgonite; distiphallus long and slender, membranous apical part about 1/3 as long as sclerotized basal part; ejaculatory apodeme small.

Female. As male, except as follows: postprontal lobe reddish brown, scutellum brown, with grayish-white pruinosity; legs yellow including coxae and tarsi; pulvilli yellowish, claws reddish-yellow on basal half and brown to dark in apical half; abdomen with grayish-white pruinosity, tergites 3 to 5 black along posterior margin. Frons 0.38–0.39 of head width; frontal vitta about as wide as fronto-orbital plate; parafacial about 4 times as wide as 1st flagellomere; gena 0.42–0.57 of eye height; inner vertical seta stronger than ocellar setae; outer vertical seta about 3/5 as long as inner vertical seta; 7 inclinate frontal setae, about as long as ocellar setae; 2 strong proclinate orbital setae and 1 lateroclinate prevertical seta. Fore claws and pulvilli shorter than 5th tarsomere; mid tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal setae; hind tibia with 2–4 anterodorsal setae. Abdomen ovate, without median discal setae on tergites 3 to 5.

Material examined. China, Beijing: 2 ♂♂, Mt. Baihua, 1170–1520 m, 24.VIII.1963, S.-Y. Wang leg. (IZCAS) ; 2 ♂♂, Wofosi, 5.X.1971, J.-M. Chao leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, Badaling, 3.IX.1980, E.-Y. Liang leg. (IZCAS) ; 12 ♂♂, 32 ♀♀, Xiatougou, 6–12.X.1982, Z.-C. Su leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Mentougou, 4–6.IX.1976, F.-S. Li leg. (CAU) ; 1 ♀, Mentougou, 8.VIII.2008, T. Wang leg. (CAU) . Hebei: 2 ♂♂, Xiaowutai Mountains, Beitai-Tatou, 1200–2400 m, 14–22.VIII.1964, C. Wang & Y.-H. Han leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, same data as previous except VIII.1980 (IZCAS); 1 ♂, same data as previous except 26.VI.2009, C. Fu leg. (SYNU) . Inner Mongolia: 1 ♂, Jining, Slope, Hardwood, 1.VIII.1971, Y.-S. Shi leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, Xi Ujimqin Qi, Grassland, 6.VIII.1971, Y.-S. Shi leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♀, Tumuertai, 12.VIII.1979, Y.-S. Shi leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♀, Zhungeer, 18.VIII.2008, F.-Y. Yang leg. (IZCAS) ; 4 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Alashanzuo Qi, Helan Mountains, Halawu, 2200–2800 m, 25.VII–6.VIII.2010, S.-D. Wang & Z. Zhao leg. (SYNU) ; 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Helanshan, Xiangchizi, 2000–2500 m, 6–7.VIII.2011, H. Lin & C. Tan leg. (SYNU) ; 7 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Baotou, Shala Qi, Goumen, 17.VIII.2015 and 2.?.2015, A.-P. Liu leg. (IGRCAAS) ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Hohhot, Wuchuan, Daqingshan, Shierdeng Village, 16–21.?.2017, D.-H. Wang leg. (IMAU) . Shanxi: 4 ♀♀, Pinglu, Xiashuitou, 2.IX.1979, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) ; 11 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Guangling, Shangbaiyang, 9.VIII.1980, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) ; 8 ♂♂, Shanyin, Xialakou, 11.VII.1982, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) ; 11 ♂♂, Yangquan, Shanyin, Shangqiu, 12.VII.1982, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) ; 1 ♂, Guangling, Xianglutai, 19.VII.1985, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) ; 1 ♂, Zuoquan, 12.VI.1999, M.-F. Wang leg. (SYNU) . Ningxia: 1 ♂, Jingyuan, Helan Mountains, Xixia Forestry Center, 2000 m, 11.VII.2008, Z.-Y. Yao leg. (SYNU) . Xinjiang: 1 ♂, Zhaosu, 1630 m, 11.VIII.1957, H. Wang leg. (IZCAS) ; 2 ♂♂, same data as previous except 15.VI.1959, S.-Y. Wang leg. (IZCAS); 1 ♀, Burjin, 480 m, 18.VII.1960, S.-Y. Wang leg. (IZCAS) ; 2 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, Manasi, 400–900 m, 9.VI.1963, S.-Y. Wang leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♀, Manasi, 9.VII.1967, C.-P. Hong leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, Zhaosu, Xiata, 1950 m, 18.VII.1978, X.-Z. Zhang leg. (IZCAS) ; 1 ♂, Hanasi Lake, 15.VII.1980, X.-W. Liu leg. (SEMCAS) ; 24 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Shule, 1280 m, 10–22.V.2007, M.-L. Sheng leg. (GSFPM) ; 1 ♀, Nalati, 6.VIII.2007, S. Huo leg. (GSFPM) . Nepal: 1 ♀, Phulchouki, 2500 m, 1.XI.1992, M. Iwasa leg. (BLKU) . Pakistan: 1 ♂, Swat Ushu, 2000 m, 10 km N of Kalam, 10.VIII.1987, H. Kurahashi leg. (BLKU) ; 1 ♀, Kalan, 90 km N of Mingola, 10.VIII.1987, K. Kanmiya leg. (BLKU) ; 1 ♀, 6 km N of Gilgit, 27.VII.1987, K. Kanmiya leg. (BLKU) ; 1 ♀, Ultar gracier, Hunza, 2500 m, 31.VII.1987, S. Shinonaga leg. (BLKU) ; 1 ♀, Punjab, Fort Munro, 3.IX.1988, M. Iwasa leg. (BLKU) ; 2 ♀♀, Baluchistan, Ziarat, 17.IX.1988, M. Iwasa leg. (BLKU) ; 2 ♀♀, NWF Prov., Hopel nr Gakuch, 1900 m, 6.VII.1989, H. Kurahashi leg. (BLKU) .

Distribution. Afghanistan, China (Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shanxi, Xinjiang), Greece, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal *, Pakistan, Russia (W and E Siberia), Tajikstan, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Uzbekstan.

Hosts. Scarabaeidae: Amphimallon solstitiale (Linnaeus), Brahmina agnella (Faldermann), Lasiopsis henningi (Fischer), Melolontha hippocastani Fabricius and Mimela holosericea (Fabricius) (Tschorsnig 2017: 342) .

Remarks. This species is easily distinguished from other species of this genus in having prementum short, antenna, palpi and legs reddish-yellow, long and dense pale hairs on pleura, postpronotal lobe, coxae and ventral base of abdomen.