Phasia frontata Sun, 2003

Sun, Xuekui & Marshall, Stephen A., 2003, Systematics of Phasia Latreille (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 276 (1), pp. 1-320 : 52-53

3.3.3 Phasia frontata Sun , sp. nov.

(Figures I­20, II­7.1)

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♀, [ AUSTRALIA], N.S.W., 21­ 7 km SE Tness Ways, Coachwood Gully, (32°49', 150°26'), 31.xii.1977, G. Daniels (AM).

DESCRIPTION

Body length: 3 mm.

FEMALE: HEAD. Head spherical or nearly so. Eyes touching. Fronto­orbital plate black, greyish brown pruinose, swollen; 1­2 rows of hairs laterally. Frontal vitta black, triangular. Frontal vitta at base of antennae 3 times as wide as fronto­orbital plate anteriorly. Ocellar setae strong; outer vertical setae present; inner vertical setae absent. Face black with grey pruinosity. Parafacial black with grey pruinosity, bare, 0.15 times as wide as first flagellomere. Lower margin of face projecting, visible in profile, black with grey pruinosity. Vibrissa well differentiated; intervibrissal distance 4.5 times distance between vibrissa and eye on same side; facial ridge with bristles on lower 1/4. Gena black with grey pruinosity; hairs black; height 0.1 times eye height. Lunule black and shining; sublunular bulla indistinct. Antenna black; first flagellomere 1.6 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 0.66. Length of oral opening 1.4 times its width. Occiput flattened; greyish yellow pruinose; hairs black. Palpus black.

THORAX. Mesoscutum thinly greyish brown pruinose, with fine black hairs. 0+1 acrostichal seta; 1+2 dorsocentral setae; 2 postpronotal setae; presutural supra­alar seta present, strong; 1 postsutural intra­alar seta; 2 notopleural setae; 1 supra­alar seta; 2 postalar setae. Pleuron thinly grey pruinose; hairs black; scale­like hair absent. Anepimeral setae strongly; black; 2 katepisternal setae; 3­4 meral setae. Scutellum black, shining, without pruinosity, with two pairs of marginal setae; apical setae present and distinct; discal setae randomly arranged, not in rows. Subscutellum very prominent. WING. Lower calypter white with light brown infuscation. Wing base without scale­like setae. Tegula black. Basicosta black. Wing hyaline, narrow; petiole of apical cell 0.45 times as long as preceding section of R 4+5; M meeting R 4+5 almost at right angle. Halter yellow. LEGS. Fore femur black; hairs black. Fore tibia black, without bristles, apically with 1 pv, 1 p and 1 d. Fore tarus black. Fore claws black; 0.8 times as long as fifth tarsomere. Pulvilli brown. Mid femur black; hairs black. Mid tibia black, with 1 ad, apically with 1 a, 1 v and 1 d. Hind femur black; hairs black; scale­like setae absent. Hind tibia black, with one row of ad and 3 pd. Anterior spine­like setae of hind tibia well developed.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal tergites black; pruinosity absent (shining); longitudinal vitta absent; lateral margin with several long setae. Relative length of abdominal tergites I+II:III: IV:V = 1.2:1:1:0.8; relative width I+II:III:IV:V = 0.5:1:1:0.9. Hair spots indistinct. Sternite VII (sheath) longer than sternite VI; tapered; narrow apically; not bent, apex straight. Ovipositor bent upward.

MALE: Unknown.

HOST

Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

Phasia frontata is named for the extremely wide frontal vitta.