Tephritis conyzifoliae Merz, 1992

Korneyev, S. V., 2016, On The Taxonomic Revision Of The Genus Tephritis (Diptera, Tephritidae): New Synonymy, Vestnik Zoologii 50 (1), pp. 31-38 : 31-34

Tephritis conyzifoliae Merz, 1992 ( fig. 1–2 )

Tephritis conyzifoliae Merz, 1992: 230 ; 1994: 65; Norrbom et al., 1999: 216. Evstigneev, 2016.

Tephritis (Terbita) academica Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994: 84 ; Norrbom et al., 1999: 214, syn. n.

Tephritis (Terbita) nartshukovi Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994: 89 ; Norrbom et al., 1999: 218, syn. n.

Tephritis epicrepis Shcherbakov, 2001: 80 , syn. n.

Material. Type. Holotype ơ Tephritis conyzifoliae : Switzerland: Valais: Oberwald , 1450 m ( ETHZ) . Paratypes Tephritis conyzifoliae : Switzerland: GR , 2150 m, Ftan, coll. 18.08.1988, ex flower head Crepis conyzifolia , em. 25.08.1988, 1 ǫ; 28.08.1988, 1 ǫ; coll. 2.08.1990, ex fl. head Crepis conyzifolia , em. 7.08.1990, 1 ǫ; 10.08.1990, 1 ơ (Merz) ( SIZK) ; 14.08.1990, 1 ơ (Merz) ( MNKB) ; 12.08.1990, 1 ơ; 14.08.1990, 1 ơ; 16.08.1990, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( ZISP) ; GR, 1900 m, Susch-Fluella, coll. 1.08.1990, ex fl. head Cr. conyzifolia , em. 12.08.1990, 1 ơ (Merz) ( SIZK) ; 16.08.1990, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( RMNH) ; Valais: 1450 m, Oberwald, coll. 18.07.1991, ex fl. head Cr. conyzifolia , em . 31.07.1991, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( MNKB) ; Ticino: Locarno-Gardada, coll. 21.08.1991, ex fl. head Cr. conyzifolia , em . 27.08.1991, 1 ơ (Merz) ( SIZK) .

Holotype ơ T. academica : Russia: Novosibirsk, Akademgorodok, forest park, ex flower heads of Cicerbia spp., coll. 16.08.1990, em. 22.08.1990 ( Basov ) [«Россия, Новосибирск, Академгородок, лесопарк. Выведен из соцветий цицербиты (Cicerbia spp.). Сбор 16.VIII.1990, вылет имаго 22.VIII.1990 (Басов) (ЗИН РАН)»] (not located).

Holotype ơ T. nartshukovi : Russia: Tatarstan: Buinsk district, 3 km S of Buinsk, meadow, ex flower heads of Cirsium canum , coll. 27.07.1991, em. 10– 20.09.1990 (Basov & Tolstoguzova) («Россия, Буинский р-н Татарстана, в 3 км, южнее г. Буинск, заболоченный луг. Получен из соцветий бодяка серого [ Cirsium canum . L]. Сбор 27.VII.1991, вылет имаго 10–20.Х.1990 (Басов, Толстогузова) (ЗИН РАН)» (not located).

Holotype ơ T. epicrepis : Russia: Kemerovo Region: 115 km NE Novokuznetsk, Kuznetsk Alatau Mountain reserve, Niznyaya Ters River basin, Severnaya River, flood plain forest with Abies , from flowerhead of Crepis sibirica , 19.07.2000, emergence 4.08.2000 (M. Shcherbakov) ( ZISP) (examined).

Paratypes T. epicrepis : Russia: Kemerovo Region: same date and locality as for the holotype, 1 ơ, 1 ǫ; 80 km S Tisul, vicinity of Belogorsk, dark coniferous forest with Picea, Abies and herbs, ex flower head Crepis sibirica , 4.08.1995, em. 15.08.1995, 1 ǫ (M. Shcherbakov); 106 km NE Novokuznetsk, Pestraya Mt. [54°40ʹ N, 88̊14ʹE], N slope, Veselyi Akchelbak River, 870 m, tall-herbaceous flood plain meadow, ex flower heads Cr. sibirica , 22.07.1996, em. 4.08.1996, 1 ǫ (M. Shcherbakov); 113 km NE Novokuznetsk, Chemodan Mt. [54̊42ʹ N, 88̊24ʹ E], E slope, 800 m, upper stream of Kiya River, left bank, flood plain meadow, from flower heads of Cr. sibirica , 8.08.2000, 1ơ (M. Shcherbakov); 119 km NE Novokuznetsk, valley of Nizhnyaya Ters River, herb meadow, ex flower heads of Cr. sibirica , 17.07.1996, em. 29.07.1996, 1 ơ (M. Shcherbakov) ( ZISP) (examined).

Non-type. Kazakhstan: East Kazakhstan Region: “Malokrasnoyarsk” [Katon Karagay District, vic. Ulken Narym ], 23.07.1926, 1 ǫ ( V. Vereshchagin) ; Almaty Region: “Zubenko’s Apiary, Bolshaya Almatinka River, Semirechye” [S vic. of Almaty Ulkhen Almaty River], 24.08.1928, 1 ơ (Shnitnikov) ( ZISP) ; Almaty, near Medeo , Crepis sp. 19.09.1986, 2 ơ, 3 ǫ ( V. Korneyev & Kameneva); Talgar , Almaty Nature Reserve , ex Crepis sp. , coll. 24.09.1986, em. 11.10.1986, 4 ơ, 2 ǫ (Korneyev) ( SIZK) ; Kyrgyzstan: Chaar-Tash Mt., Ferghana Ridge [40.28̊ N 73.17̊ E], 16.08.1928, 1 ơ, 1 ǫ ( V. Kuznetsov ); Tien-Shan Mts. , Karakol River , Przewalsk , 29.06.1986, 4 ơ ( V. Korneyev ); Alai , 45 km S of Kyzyl-Kiya, Kichik-Alai ridge, Isfairam-Sai basin, h = 2800–2850 m, 13.07.1999, 1 ơ ( V. Korneyev & Kameneva) ( SIZK) ; Russia: Krasnoyarsk Territory: Biryusa vill., “50 verst SW of Krasnoyarsk ”, 7.06.1903, 1 ǫ; Sukhoy Buzim vill., “45 verst NE of Krasnoyarsk ”, 18.06.1903 1 ǫ ( Salstrem ); Jurty- Kansk , near Enisey , 9.06.1912, 1 ǫ (Mishyn Verhov.) ( ZISP) ; Leningrad Region: Agalatovo , 1.10.1961, 1 ǫ (Stackelberg) ( ZISP) ; Switzerland: Valais: Simplon-Gabi , 1400 m, 30.06.1990, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( ZSSM) ; Graubünden: Ardez , 1600 m, Z 191, ex flower heads Crepis conyzifolia , coll. 2.08.1990 ep. 16.08.1990, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( ZISP) ; Samedan , 1800 m, ex fl. heads Cr. conyzifolia , coll. 16.08.1991, em. 27.08.1991, 1 ơ, 1 ǫ (Merz) ( ZSSM) ; Lenzerheide , 1700 m, 6.08.1992, 1 ơ, 3 ǫ (B. Merz) ( RMNH) .

D i s c u s s i o n. Tephritis conyzifoliae was recognized as superficially very similar to T. crepidis Hendel, 1927 , with the main difference in the unique for the genus Tephritis microscopic spines on basiphallus. This structure is present in T. conyzifoliae ( fig. 2 , 10), but entirely lacking in T. crepidis . According to Merz (1994), the two species use different host plants: larvae of T. crepidis feed in flower heads of Crepis biennis L., Cr. pyrenaria (L.) Greuter and T. conyzifoliae was hitherto known to infest only Cr. conyzifolia (Gouan) A. Kern.

Tephritis (Terbita)academica Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994 and T.(Terbita) nartshukovi Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994 were described from Western Siberia and Tatarstan ( Russia) without any comparison with T. conyzifoliae , or mention of the paper by Merz (1992). Types of both species were said to be in ZISP collection. While identifying and rearranging all the Tephritis material at the Zoological Institute, Saint Petersburg in September 2013, I have not found any traces of the T. academica and T. nartshukovi types. I suppose that they actually have never been deposited there and were left in private Basov’s collection until his death in 2008, possibly still existing in Elets State University ( Russia), but remaining unavailable. Comparison of the original figures and photographs ( fig. 1 , 3 ; 1 , 4 ) with the paratypes of T. conyzifoliae shows no morphological differences to recognize these nominal species them from each other. Both nominal species were said to be reared, from Cicerbita ( T. academica ) and Cirsium ( T. nartshukovi ), which are believed to be resulted either from misidentification of the host plant in the first case or mislabeling in the second case. I therefore consider the type specimens of the three nominal species to be conspecific and establish synonymy of the three names.

Tephritis epicrepis Scherbakov, 2001 was described based on specimens from Southern Siberia mostly reared from Crepis sibirica L. In the description, T. epicrepis was compared with T. conyzifoliae and said to differ from it in the structure of distiphallus (wider lateral membranous lobes in basal part) and length of oviscape (said to be as long as tergites 5 and 6 combined in T. epicrepis and as long as tergites 4–6 combined in T. conyzifoliae ). In 2013 I examined the specimens of T. epicrepis deposited in ZISP collection. The shape of phallus ( fig. 2 , 5; 2, 10) and aculeus were found to be the same: aculeus length of T. epicrepis = 1.1 mm ( fig. 2 , 1 ; 2 , 3 ), aculeus length of T. conyzifoliae = 1.05 mm ( fig. 2 , 6; 2, 8), spermathecae ( fig. 2 , 4 ; 2 , 9) without significant differences. Also, the relative length of oviscape (compared to the last two or three abdominal tergites clearly overlap in both series). So, compare the type series of T. conyzifoliae in several Western European museums ( fig. 1, 1; 1 , 2 ) and type series of T. epicrepis in Zoological institute of Saint Petersburg ( fig. 1 , 5; 1, 6) show no significant difference between specimens, so were made a decision to synonymise these two names.

Evstigneev (2016) recently reared T. conyzifoliae from Crepis pannonica (Jacq.) K. Koch. and Cr. sibirica in Samara and Uljanovsk Regions ( Russia); this also widens the host plant and distribution range of this species. Further studies of Eastern European Crepis are needed to fill the narrow, but still existing gap between its European and Siberian localities.

The subgenus Terbita Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994 (type species Tephritis (Terbita) academica Bassov & Tolstoguzova, 1994 ) established for Tephritis species with spinulose preglans of males is restricted now to a single species sharing many essential characters with the group of species associated with other Asteraceae Cichorieae , and rooted within that group forming no separate lineage in Tephritis . Currently I do not consider any subgeneric division of Tephritis at all (Korneyev, in prep.).

D i s t r i b u t i o n. Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Russia (Central, East; West Siberia, incl. Altai), Kazakhstan (first record), Kyrgyzstan (first record).

H o s t p l a n t s. Crepis conyzifolia (Gouan) A.Kern. ( Merz, 1992) ; Cr. sibirica L. ( Shcherbakov, 2001); Cr. pannonica (Jacq.) K. Koch. ( Evstigneev, 2016) .

Figures

Fig. 1. Tephritis conyzifoliae: paratype ơ (1–2), holotype ơ of T. academica (3), holotype ơ of T. nartshukovi (4) and paratypes ơ, ǫ of T. epicrepis (5–6): 1 — habitus and labels; 2 — abdomen (dorsal view); 3–4 — wing (after Basov & Tolstoguzova, 1994, with changes); 5 — ơ, habitus; 6 — ǫ abdomen (dorsal view, and labels).

Fig. 2. Paratypes of Tephritis epicrepis (1–5) and T. conyzifoliae (6–10), genitalic structures: 1, 6 — aculeus, ventral; 2, 7 — eversible membrane, ventral; 3, 8 — aculeus tip, ventral; 4, 9 — spermathecae; 5, 10 — phallus.

Fig. 3. Tephritis angustipennis, lectotype ơ (1–3) and T. ptarmicae, lectotype ǫ (4–5): 1 — habitus; 2 — wing; 3 — labels; 4 — habitus; 5 — labels.

Fig. 4. Trupanea kukunoria, lectotype ǫ: 1 — habitus; 2 — scutellum; 3 — wing; 4 — labels.