Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock

David, K. J., Hancock, D. L. & Ramani, S., 2014, Two new species of Acroceratitis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) and an updated key for the species from India, Zootaxa 3895 (3), pp. 411-418 : 412-415

Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–12 )

Description. Female ( Fig. 1 ). Length of body including oviscape, 6.85 mm; wing length, 5.7 mm.

Head ( Fig. 2 ): Length: height: width ratio, 1: 1.6: 1.9. Frons fulvous with 3 pairs of frontal setae and 2 pairs of orbital setae, 1 ocellar, 1 postocellar, 1 medial and lateral vertical seta well developed. Occiput fulvous with row of black postocular setae. Gena, parafacial fulvous, genal seta well developed. Antenna light fuscous, first flagellomere pointed dorsoapically, arista long plumose.

Thorax ( Figs 3 & 5 ): Scutum predominantly black with two dark brown vittae (turning fulvous when preserved) from scapular seta to dorsocentral seta. Yellow postsutural lateral vitta tapered before postalar seta and expanded to yellow spot at level of intra-alar seta. Base of scutum with U-shaped xanthine, arms of which braces pits of dorsocentral seta. Postpronotal lobe black with yellow margin, notopleuron yellow with anterior and posterior black margins. Chaetotaxy: 2 scapular, 1 postpronotal, 1 anterior notopleural, 1 posterior notopleural, 1 presutural supra-alar, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 intra-alar, 1 dorsocentral aligned with postsutural supra-alar, 1 postalar, and 1 prescutellar acrostichal seta. Three-fourths of scutellum black with yellow basal margin and two pairs of scutellar setae. Pleura almost entirely fulvous except for black longitudinal black band in anepisternum just before phragma; 2 anepisternal, 1 each of anepimeral and katepisternal seta, anatergite with black spot near apex. Haltere fulvous.

Legs fulvous with five stout ventral spines on fore femur ( Fig 1 & 5 ).

Wing ( Fig. 6 ): Length, 5.7 mm; hyaline with three yellow transverse bands and costal band. Costal band extends from cell sc to wing apex, confluent with vein R4+5 with two hyaline indentations; one next to level of crossvein r-m and second one next to level of crossvein dm-cu. Discal and subapical band fused with costal band; posterior apical band not fused with costal band. Crossvein r-m placed before middle of cell dm.

Abdomen ( Fig. 4 ): Tergites fulvous except third tergum dark brown to black. Length of oviscape, eversible membrane and aculeus are 2. 2 mm, 2. 52 mm and 2. 43 mm respectively Oviscape brown basally and black apically. Aculeus tip pointed as in Fig. 7 with 4–5 preapical setae, of which two proximal setae three to four times longer than the basal ones. Spicules on eversible membrane with 9–11 short conical projections ( Fig. 8 ).

Male ( Figures 9–12 ): Similar to female except for smaller size (4. 89 mm). Male genitalia possesses well developed epandrium, surstyli and prominent proctiger ( Fig. 10 ). Proctiger larger than epandrium. Lateral surstylus broad with anterior and posterior lobes of same size and well developed prensiseta ( Fig. 10 & 11 ). Glans of phallus sclerotised with basal lobe and vesica ( Fig. 12 ).

Material examined. Holotype ♀, INDIA, Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur farm, 12.x.2012. Coll. N. Bhaktavatsalam. Paratypes ♀, same data as holotype; ♀, same data as holotype except date 0 4. ii. 2014 and collector, David K. J.; ♂, INDIA, Karnataka, Bangalore, Hessaraghatta, 0 8. iii. 2014, Veena Kumari, K. ( NBAIR).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived based on its resemblance to Acroceratitis striata (Froggatt) . Comments: Resembling A. striata (Froggatt) in having a large black spot on postpronotum, similar scutellar markings and a relatively long oviscape, but can be differentiated by black 3rd abdominal tergum, wing with subapical band fusing with costal band and shorter oviscvape. Also resembling A. tenmalaica Hancock & Drew by possessing black 3rd abdominal tergum, but that species can be easily separated by yellow postpronotal lobe, wing pattern and brown to black oviscape.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus (dorsal) of Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock, sp. nov..

FIGURES 2 – 6. Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock, sp. nov.. 2, head; 3, thorax (dorsal view); 4, abdomen; 5, thorax (lateral view); 6, wing.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Post abdominal structures of female of Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock, sp. nov.. 7, aculeus tip; 8, spicules of eversible membrane.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Male of Acroceratitis parastriata David and Hancock, sp. nov.. 9, habitus (lateral); 10, epandrium, proctiger and surstyli (lateral view); 11, epandrium and surstyli (posterior view); 12, glans of phallus.