Paramixogaster luxor ( Curran, 1931 )

Reemer, Menno & Sankararaman, Hariharakrishnan, 2024, Revision of the Oriental species of the hoverfly genus Paramixogaster Brunetti, 1923 (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae), ZooKeys 1208, pp. 1-48 : 1-48

Paramixogaster luxor ( Curran, 1931)

Figs 13 , 88–90 , 91–94 , 132

Microdon luxor Curran, 1931: 306. Holotype ♂: Malaysia ( NHMUK) [examined]; Knutson et al. 1975: 371.

Paramixogaster luxor ( Curran, 1931) – Reemer and Ståhls 2013 a: 145.

Studied type specimens.

Holotype of Microdon luxor Curran. Malaysia • 1 ♂; Selangor, Bukit Kutu ; 20 Apr. 1926; H. M. Pendlebury leg.; NHMUK. Label 1 (small, round, red-bordered): “ Holo- / type ”; label 2 (red): “ Microdon / Type / luxor [male sign] / Curran / No. ”; label 3: “ Malay Penin: / Selangor, / Bukit Kutu / 3500 ft. / April 20 th 1926. / H. M. Pendlebury. ”; label 4: “ Pres. by / Fed. Malay States / Museum / B. M. 1934-74. ”.

Additional specimens.

Malaysia (identification uncertain, see notes) • 1 ♀; SE Sabah, nr. Danum Valley Field C ; Malaise trap 7; alt. 150 m.; 20–22 Nov. 1997; C. van Achterberg leg; RMNH (M. Reemer specimen code MR.

Thailand • 1 ♀; Songkhla, Nam Tok Ton Pliu ; 17 Feb. 2005; Yanega, D. leg.; UCRC .

Diagnosis.

This is the only known Oriental species of Paramixogaster in which the scutellum has a pair of apical calcars, and also the only one in which the postpedicel is shorter than the scape. Male genitalia as in Fig. 132 .

Redescription

(based on holotype). Adult male Body length: 7 mm.

Head. Face occupying ~ 1 / 4 of head width in frontal view, with sides slightly converging ventrad; black, entirely yellow setulose. Gena narrow, black, yellow setulose. Oral margin laterally slightly produced. Frons and vertex black, yellow setulose. Ocellar triangle not elevated. Occiput black, yellow setulose. Eye bare. Antennal fossa approximately as high as wide. Antenna blackish, except scape brown on basal 4 / 5; antennal ratio approximately as 4: 1: 3. Arista slender, slightly more than half the length of postpedicel.

Thorax. Mesoscutum black; short black setulose, except yellow setulose along posterior margin [probably also along transverse suture and possibly along anterior margin, but not visible in type specimen because of grease]. Postpronotum brown, bare. Postalar callus yellowish brown, yellow setulose. Scutellum black; black setulose; with two small apical calcars. Pleurae dark brown. Anepisternum without sulcus; entirely yellow setulose. Anepimeron entirely long yellow setulose. Katepisternum long yellow setulose dorsally; bare ventrally. Katatergite and anatergite short microtrichose. Calypter and halter yellow.

Wing: hyaline; microtrichose, except bare on cell bc, basal 1 / 3 of cell c, basally on cell r 1 along vein Rs, entirely on cell br (only with microtrichia along vena spuria), on basal 2 / 3 of cell bm, antero-basal 1 / 3 of cell cup.

Legs: [Front legs missing in holotype]. Mid leg with femur dark brown on basal 2 / 3, yellow on apical 1 / 3; tibia and tarsus yellow; dark setulose on dark parts, yellow setulose on yellow parts. Hind leg with femur dark brown, tibia yellow on basal 2 / 5 and dark brown on apical 3 / 5, tarsus yellow; entirely yellow setulose. Coxae and trochanters dark brown; yellow setulose.

Abdomen. Constricted, with narrowest point at anterior margin of tergite 2, widest point at posterior margin of tergite 3. Tergite 1 black; yellow setulose. Tergite 2 black with two large, yellow maculae on anterior 3 / 4; black setulose, except yellow setulose postero-laterally. Tergites 3 and 4 black [colour of setulae hard to assess in type specimen because of grease, but there seems to be oblique vittae of yellow setulae and a yellow setulose fascia along the posterior margin of tergite 4]. Sternite 1 black; bare. Sternite 2 yellow; yellow setulose. Sternites 3 and 4 black; black setulose. Genitalia as in Fig. 132 .

Notes.

The studied female from Sabah ( Malaysia) possibly belongs to a different species. Usually in Microdontinae , females are wider in body dimensions than males. In this specimen the face and tergite 2 are narrower than in the male holotype. This may indicate that it belongs to a different species. This matter is here left unresolved, because so few specimens are available.

Distribution.

Known from Peninsular Malaysia and possibly Sabah.

Figures

Figures 13, 14. Ratio of antennal segments: 13 postpedicel shorter than scape (Paramixogaster cf. luxor female, Sabah) 14 postpedicel longer than scape (P. vespiformis male, Sumatra).

Figures 88–90. Microdon luxor Curran male, holotype: 88 habitus, dorsal 89 habitus, lateral 90 head, frontal.

Figures 91–94. Paramixogaster cf. luxor (Curran) female, Sabah: 91 habitus, dorsal 92 habitus, lateral 93 head, dorsal 94 head, frontal.

Figures 130–137. Male genitalia of Paramixogaster species: 130 P. contracta (paratype Microdon subpetiolatus Thompson) 131 P. halmaherensis Reemer, sp. nov. holotype 132 P. luxor holotype 133 P. sacki Taiwan, RMNH 134 P. sulawesiana Reemer, sp. nov. holotype 135 P. jubata Reemer, sp. nov. paratype Vietnam 136 P. indica (paratype P. wegneri Keiser syn. nov.) 137 P. vespiformis Sumatra, RMNH.