Bengalia escheri Bezzi, 1913

Rognes, Knut, 2018, Revision of the Bengalia torosa Wiedemann, 1819 species-group (Diptera: Calliphoridae), with notes on the systematic position of B. robertsi Kurahashi, 1987 and B. subnitida James, 1964, Zootaxa 4391 (1), pp. 1-71 : 18-22

Bengalia escheri Bezzi, 1913

( Figs 47–76 )

Bengalia escheri Bezzi, 1913: 76 (as “ Escheri ”). Correct original spelling (as required by ICZN Article 32.5.2.5). Lectotype ♂ (ETHZ; for details see “ Type material examined”), here designated. Type locality: Taiwan [as “ Formosa ”], Tainan.

Bengalia escheri: Senior-White (1923b: 37) ( India; male from Garo Hills, Assam).

Bengalia escheri: Senior-White (1924: 105) ( India [doubtful (?) records of females from Khasia Hills], Taiwan).

Bengalia escheri: Senior-White et al. (1940: 97) ( India [“ Assam, Khasi and Garo Hills”], Taiwan [as “Formosa”]).

Bengalia (Ochromyia) escheri: Fan (1965: 194) ( China) .

Bengalia escheri: Fan (1992 : 534; 1997: 454), Feng et al. (1998: 1378) (China [Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang]).

Bengalia escheri: Kurahashi & Thapa (1994: 218) (first record from Nepal).

Bengalia escheri: Kurahashi et al. (1997: 41) ( Malaysia [ West Malaysia ]).

Bengalia escheri: Thinh (1988: 15) ( Vietnam) .

Bengalia escheri: Kurahashi & Chowanadisai (2001: 202) ( Vietnam [citing Thinh (1988)]).

Bezzigalia rivanella Lehrer, 2005: 109 . HoloType ♂ ( MSNM; for deTails see “ Type maTerial examined”), by original designation. Type locality: India, Darjeeling , Kalimpong. Syn. nov.

Gangelomyia escheri: Lehrer (2005: 112) ( Malaysia [N. Kedah, Changlun (as “Changloon”), West Malaysia ] , Taiwan) .

Bengalia escheri: Verves (2005: 239; catalogue entry).

Gangelomyia escheri: Lehrer (2006a: 10) ( India [Arunachal Pradesh (as “Birmanie”)] , Taiwan) .

Bengalia escheri: Rognes (2009a : 98; a few remarks on morphology).

Bengalia escheri: Kurahashi & Bunchu (2011: 263) ( Thailand) .

Bengalia escheri: Yang et al. (2014: 88) ( Taiwan; 5 males and 5 females examined in this study).

Diagnosis. Male. Length: 13.0– 13.5mm (n=3). Frons at vertex / head width ratio 0.30–0.35 (mean 0.33, n=3). Dark species. Head with dark spot on upper part of parafacial, often strikingly large and black. Thorax and abdomen usually very dark ( Figs 60–62 ); also pleuron dark ( Fig. 60 ). Abdomen with broad dark marginal bands, T5 black ( Fig. 62 ). Anepimeron with only black setulae or lower half with a few pale setulae ( Fig. 70 ). Femora dark in distal half ( Fig. 60 ). Fore femur with numerous densely set setulae on a and av side ( Fig. 63 ). Fore tibia with a row of several (4–6) slender, spinous setae ( Figs 59 , 63–64 , 73–74 ). Wing with pale area surrounding r-m crossvein ( Fig. 61 ). ST5 flap half circular ( Figs 51–52 , 65 , 68 ), and with a small, broad process on each side of the flap ( Fig. 52 ). Cercus evenly narrowing to a point in posterior view ( Fig. 47–48 , 71 ). Surstylus blunt in posterior view ( Figs 47– 48 , 71 ) but very wide in lateral view, with a pronounced nick in the distal ventral part ( Fig. 47–48 , 72, 76 ); except in one male (Kedah Changloo, NHMUK), where the nick is very small. [ Lehrer (2005: 114, fig. 49B) did not illustrate the nick in the surstylus]. Bacilliform sclerite process with a retrograde projection only ( Figs 49–50 , 75– 76 ). Its hind edge (i.e., edge opposite the retrograde projection) straight or almost straight ( Figs 49–50 , 75–76 ). Distiphallus as shown in Figs 53–57 . Distal lip process (dlp) bifurcate in apical view ( Fig. 57 ). Opening of ejaculatory duct surrounded by fine denticles ( Fig. 56 ), also visible in lateral view ( Fig. 54 ). Pre- and postgonite as in Fig. 58 .

Female. Length: 12.5–14.5mm (n=2). Frons at vertex / head width ratio 0.33, n=1). External characters agree with those of the male.

Discussion. Usually a very dark species. Bezzigalia rivanella Lehrer is based on a pale, not fully sclerotized specimen. Lehrer’s illustration of its distiphallus ( Lehrer 2005: 110, fig. 48C) is based on artifacts, i.e., a destroyed apical part.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China, India *, Malaysia (West Malaysia *), Nepal, Taiwan *, Vietnam *, Thailand *. Type material examined. Bengalia escheri Bezzi, 1913 . LECTOTYPE ♂ (ETHZ), here designated, labelled ( Fig. 66 ) (1) TYPUS [black print on red label]; (2) Bengalia / escheri / ♂ Bezzi / Type [handwritten by J. Escher- Kündig on paper with pale blue crossed lines]; (3) 13228 [handwritten by Escher-Kündig on same type of paper as label 2]; (4) Bengalia / Escheri / Bezzi / Typen ♂ ♀ [handwritten by Bezzi on pale brown paper]; (5) LECTOTYPE (m) / Bengalia escheri / Bezzi, 1913: 76 / Esch.-Künd. no. 13228 / des. K. Rognes 2016. PARALECTOTYPE ♀ (ETHZ), here designated, labelled (1) TYPUS [black print on red label]; (2) Bengalia / escheri / ♀ Bezzi / Type [handwritten by J. Escher-Kündig on paper with pale blue crossed lines]; (3) 13229 [handwritten by Escher-Kündig on same type of paper as label 2]; (4) PARALECTOTYPE (f) / Bengalia escheri / Bezzi, 1913: 76 / Esch.-Künd. no. 13229 / des. K. Rognes 2016. [The lectotype and paralectotype labels were affixed to the specimens by Rod Eastwood and Michael Greeff (ETHZ), 28 June 2016, more than seven years after I had studied the specimens.]

Additional remarks. Bezzi (1913) described Bengalia escheri on the basis of one male and one female in “der Sammlung des Herrn Dr. J. Escher-Kündig aus Zürich, welcher die Liebenswürdigkeit hatte, mir die Art für die Beschreibung zu überlassen, und zu dessen Ehren benannt ist. [the collection of Dr. J. Escher-Kündig in Zürich, who had the kindness to leave the description of the species to me and in whose honour it is named.]”. The number “13228” on the third label of the lectotype ( Fig. 66 ) refers to a handwritten entry in the ETHZ catalogue of the Escher-Kündig collection, which reads [slashes represent a line shift in the catalogue]: “13228 Bengalia ♂ escheri Bezzi Type ♂ / von Bezzi beschrieben und nach mir / benannt / Tainan ( Formosa) gekauft von Rolle”. The handwriting in the catalogue is obviously Escher-Kündig’s and is the same as on labels 2 and 3. The entry in the catalogue for the number “13229” on the paralectotype female reads: “ Bengalia ♀ escheri Bezzi Type ♀ / Tainan ( Formosa) gekauft von Rolle”.

Bezzigalia rivanella Lehrer, 2005 . HOLOTYPE ♂ (MSNM), labelled (1) Ind.Mus. / Kalimpong, / Darjiling dist. / E. Himalayas, / 600-4500 ft. / 24.IV-10 V 15. / F.H.Gravely [vertically near left hand margin of label] [printed, there is a horizontal line printed below first line]; (2) lateralis [printed]; (3) HOLOTYPUS [black printed on white label glued to bigger red label]; (4) Bengalia ♂ / rivanella Lehrer sp.n. / Det. Dr. A.Z. LEHRER / XII.2004 [printed, pin hole at middle]; (5) Bengalia ♂ / rivanella Lehrer sp.n. / Det. Dr. A.Z. LEHRER / XII.2004 [printed, pin hole near right hand margin] ( Fig. 69 ) [Dissected by Lehrer; terminalia in glycerol in big plastic vial and transferred by me to glass microvial; the holotype is rather teneral, as shown by its pale colouration compared to that of fully developed B. escheri specimens and the wrinkled and folded abdominal tergites ( Fig. 67 ) and (some) legs; left hind leg missing].

Additional remarks. The following items were present in Lehrer’s vial: (1) parts of ST5, including the ST5 flap, and (2) the epandrial complex, which included the epandrium, cerci, surstyli, and the left bacilliform sclerite.

The phallus, pre- and postgonites and hypandrium were absent. The ST5 parts were joined to the ventral surface of the epandrial complex by a greyish stiff substance, apparently Canada balsam. I did not try to separate the two pieces from each other at first but later succeeded in removing the ST5 parts from the epandrium. One of the surstyli is displaced, and both have a conspicuous nick in the lower distal margin ( Fig. 72 ), inadequately figured by Lehrer (2005: 110, fig. 48B). The shape of the bacilliform sclerite process, with its single projection pointing towards the inside of the base of the cercus ( Fig. 75 ), together with the shape of the ST5 flap ( Fig. 68 ), show that the species is B. escheri . The chaetotaxy of the fore tibia ( Figs 73–74 ) (not illustrated by Lehrer) and the vestiture of the anepimeron ( Fig. 70 ) confirm this. Lehrer’s figure of the distiphallus is very strange ( Lehrer 2005: 110, fig. 48C): most of the semidomes appear to have been destroyed, like most of the hypandrial complex, which is possibly the reason for the absence of the phallus from the vial.

Other material examined. BPBM. Taiwan: 1 ♂, labelled (1) TAIWAN: Wulai / nr. Taipei, 300- / 500m, 12.IV.1960 [printed]; (2) T. C. Maa / Collector / BISHOP [printed]; (3) Bengalia / escheri ♂ / Bezzi / Det. H. Kurahashi, [handwritten; last line printed, black line above last line of text] (4) Sweeping [printed]; (5) Gangelomyia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z.LEHRER / 2005 [printed; pin hole in middle]; (6) Gangelomyia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z.LEHRER / 2005 [printed; pin hole near right hand margin] [Left mid leg and right fore and mid legs lost; abdomen very dark; dissected by Lehrer; terminalia in big plastic vial with glycerol, moved to glass microvial by me; phallus movable against the postgonites, but all dissected parts are infiltrated by Canada balsam; anepimeron predominantly with black setulae, with a few pale setulae in lower half; there is a prominent nick in the surstylus and the bacilliform sclerite process is as in other escheri , with tip directed inwards]. CMNH. Taiwan: 1 ♀, labelled (1) TAIWAN: Kaohsiung / Ten chih. 1550 m / 23-04-03 N 120-45- / 13E, 23 Aug 1996 / Chen Wen Young; (2) Bengalia ♀ / escheri / Bezzi, 1913 / Det. H.Kurahashi [both printed labels]; • 1 ♀, labelled (1) TAIWAN: Kaohsiung / Shanping. 640 m. / 21–30 April 1988 / C.Young, R.Davidson / J.Rawlins; (2) Bengalia ♀ / escheri / Bezzi, 1913 / Det. H.Kurahashi [both printed labels]. CNC. Taiwan: 1 ♂, labelled (1) 1395 [printed on pale blue label]; (2) Sun Moon Lake / TAIWAN 13.VII.68 / J.W.Boyes [printed]; (3) Boyes Cytolog. / Coll. # 1395 / To remain / in CNC [printed on yellow-brown label; number handwritten]; (4) Bengalia / escheri / Bezzi / Det. Shewell. 1971 [handwritten label, except last line] [Terminalia extruded; I removed abdominal tip behind segment 4 for KOH treatment and dissection; terminalia in glycerol in glass microvial on same pin as specimen; specimen rather teneral, judging from the irregular depressions and bumps in the abdomen that give an impression of softness to the sclerites, and the thin epandrial complex sclerites and very short hypandrial plate; fore tibia with 4 not very long but regular v setae, preceded by 4 shorter and finer setae above them]. MNHN. Vietnam: 1 ♀, labelled (1) Ban Nam Coun / H: Tonkin / 28 - 3 - 17 [handwritten] [The specimen stood in the MNHN collection under “ Bengalia lateralis ”]. NHMD. Thailand: 1 ♀, labelled (1) THAILAND; Chiang Mai Province / Doi Suthep N. P. Konthathan / 6-700 m 26.ix.1981 / Zool. Museum Copenhagen leg. [printed]; (2) Bengalia ♀ / escheri / Bezzi, 1913 / Det. H. Kurahashi. [printed]; •1 ♀, labelled (1) Thailand, Doi Suthep-Pui / natn. Park Konthathan / waterfall area, 600 m / 20.–27.x.1979 / Zool. Mus. Copenhagen Exped. [printed]; (2) Bengalia ♀ / escheri / Bezzi, 1913 / Det. H. Kurahashi. [printed]. [Both are very dark specimens.] NHMUK. India: 1 ♂, labelled (1) BURMA: / Mishmi Hills. / Lohit River. [this is actually in India (Arunachal Pradesh)] / 1.iv.1935. / M. Steele.; (2) Brit. Mus. / 135-312.; (3) Gangelomyia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z.LEHRER / 2005 [printed; pin hole in middle]; (4) Gangelomyia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z.LEHRER / 2005 [printed; pin hole near right hand margin] [Dissected by Lehrer; left postgonite broken; terminalia in glycerol, transferred to glass microvial by me]; Malaysia (West Malaysia): 1 ♂, labelled (1) N. Kedah. U.F.M.S / Changloon [= Changlun]. / 2.iv.-2.vii. / A.S. Slatter. / B.M.1938–744. [handwritten in black ink]; (2) escheri [handwritten]; (3) Bengalia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z. LEHRER / 2004 [printed; pin hole in middle]; (4) Bengalia ♂ / escheri (Bezzi) / Det. Dr.A.Z. LEHRER / 2004 [printed; pin hole near right hand margin] [Dissected by Lehrer; terminalia in glycerol in big plastic vial, transferred to glass microvial by me]. [Both NHMUK specimens have pale setulae in lower half of anepimeron.] NMW. Indonesia (?): 2 ♀, labelled (1) Ost. Indien / Alte Sammlung [upper line handwritten, lower printed] [Pleuron dark; anepimeron with black setulae dorsally and posteroventrally, and with a few pale setulae anteroventrally; mid and hind femora with darkened distal third; a very pronounced dark spot in upper half of parafacial; clypeus projecting below lower facial margin; placed in collection under “ Bengalia lateralis ”]. ZMHB. Taiwan: 1 ♂, labelled (1) Formosa / Taiwan [handwritten]; (2) Zool. Mus. / Berlin [printed] [The specimen was placed under B. fuscipennis ; very dark, dark distal parts of femora; ST5 flap as in typical B. escheri ].

Figures

FIGURES 47–59. Bengalia escheri Bezzi (47–49, 51, 53–56, 58–59: male from Mishmi Hills, India [as “Burma”], NHMUK; 50, 52, 57: male from N. Kedah, Changloon, India, NHMUK). 47. Epandrial complex, posterior view (under stereomicroscope). 48. Epandrial complex, posterior view (under compound microscope, for better resolution). 49. Epandrial complex, left lateral view. 50. Epandrial complex, left lateral view. 51. ST5 flap. 52. ST5 flap. 53. Distiphallus, dorsal view. 54. Distiphallus, left lateral view. 55. Distiphallus, ventral view. 56. Distiphallus, apical view. 57. Distiphallus, apical view. 58. Pre- and postgonites. 59. Right fore leg, inside view. Scale bars: 0.5mm (Fig. 48); 0.25mm (Figs 51–56, 58). Abbreviations: bsp = bacilliform sclerite process; dlp = distal lip process; lf = lateral finger; pog = postgonite; prg = pregonite; sd = semidomes.

FIGURES 60–66. Bengalia escheri Bezzi (lectotype, ETHZ). 60. Anterior part of body, left lateral view. 61. Posterior part of body, left lateral view. Arrow points to r-m crossvein. 62. Abdomen, posterodorsal view. 63. Left fore leg, inside view. 64. Right fore leg, outside view. 65. ST5 in situ at tip of abdomen, oblique antero-ventrolateral view. 66. Labels.

FIGURES 67–76. Bengalia escheri Bezzi (67–75: holotype of Bezzigalia rivanella Lehrer, MSNM; 76: dissected male from Taiwan, CNC). 67. Hind part of body, dorsal view. Arrow points to r-m crossvein. 68. ST5 flap. 69. Labels. 70. Left anepimeron, lateral view. 71. Epandrial complex, posterior view. 72. Distal surstylus, broadest aspect view. Arrow points to nick in distal surstylus 73. Left fore tibia and femur, outside view. 74. Right fore tibia, inside view. 75. Left bacilliform sclerite process and distal surstylus, lateral view. 76. Right bacilliform sclerite process and distal surstylus, lateral view. Arrow points to nick in latter. Abbreviations: bsp = bacilliform sclerite process; dsur = distal surstylus.