Paramixogaster kodaiana Sankararaman & Reemer, 2024

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 kodaiana Sankararaman & Reemer sp. nov.

Figs 81–87

Type material.

Holotype. India • 1 ♀; Vattakanal , Kodaikanal; 2070 m a. s. l.; 10 ° 12 ' 54.03 " N, 77 ° 29 ' 07.15 " E; 4 January 2022; H. Sankararaman leg.; NBAIR.

Label 1: “ India: Vattakanal, Kodaikanal, 10 ° 12 ' 54.03 " N, 77 ° 29 ' 07.15 " E // Sankararaman. H leg. 04. i. 2022 "; label 2 (red): “ Paramixogaster kodaiana sp. nov. // det. Sankararaman & Reemer ”.

Paratype. India • 1 ♀; Kodaikanal , Pulney Hills, S. India; 1980 m asl [6500 ft.]; April – May 1953; P. S. Nathan leg.; USNM [unique specimen identifier USNMENT 01541882 ] .

Diagnosis.

Only female known. Body length: 11 mm. Paramixogaster kodaiana Sankararaman & Reemer , sp. nov. belongs to the group of species with lateral bulges on the frons. From P. fujianensis it differs by terigte 2 being less than twice as long as wide (more than twice as long as wide in P. fujianensis ). From P. icariiformis it differs by the presence of fasciae of golden setulae along the posterior margins of tergites 3 and 4 (absent in P. icariiformis ). From P. huoi Reemer , nom. nov. and P. sulawesiana Reemer , sp. nov. it differs by the medially interrupted fascia of golden setulae along the transverse suture of the scutum (continuous in P. huoi Reemer , nom. nov. and P. sulawesiana Reemer , sp. nov.).

Description

(based on holotype). Adult female. Body length: 11 mm.

Head. Face occupying less than 1 / 3 of head width in frontal view, with sides slightly converging ventrally; dark brown; golden setulose. Gena brown; golden setulose. Oral margin slightly produced laterally. Frons brown; golden setulose. Vertex brown; golden setulose. Ocellar triangle slightly elevated. Occiput wide dorso-laterally, narrowing down ventrally; brown; golden yellow setulose dorsally adjacent to vertical triangle, long silvery white setulose ventrally. Eye bare. Antennal fossa approximately as high as wide. Antenna mostly brown, scape and pedicel orange-brown, postpedicel black; ratio of lengths of scape, pedicel and postpedicel approximately as 1: 0.4: 4.4. Scape ~ 2.4 × the length of pedicel, postpedicel 4.4 × the length of scape. Arista orange-brown, slender, arising close to base of postpedicel and ~ 0.4 × (2 / 5) of length of postpedicel.

Thorax. Mesoscutum dark brown to black, golden setulose. Postpronotum black, bare, but with sparsely scattered long golden setulae, posteriorly. Mesonotum black with fine punctures; with fascia of dense golden setulae along the transverse suture (medially interrupted) and along posterior margin, including postalar calli. Scutellum without calcars; black; dense golden setulose. Pleura brown to black, with short white microtrichia. Anepisternum and katepisternum with golden setulae along posterior margin as extension of golden fascia along mesonotal transverse suture. Anepimeron short white setulose, other pleurites short brown to black microtrichia. Katepisternum blackish brown; long golden yellow setulose dorsally; bare ventrally. Katatergite brown to black; white microtrichose. Metanotum dark brown. Calypter yellow. Halter yellow.

Wing: microtrichose, except for bare regions in basal 1 / 5 of cells c, bc, br, almost entire bm, basal 2 / 3 of cup and medially on alula. Blackish antero-apically with distinct dark cloud (apical part of r 1, entire r 2 + 3, anterior part of r 4 + 5) and brownish on basal 1 / 2, otherwise subhyaline. Stigmal crossvein present. Alula ~ 2 × as long as wide.

Legs: brown to reddish brown, with silvery white setulae. Coxae and trochanters dark brown to black with pale setulae, hind coxa with golden setulae. Hind femur dark brown to black basally. Tibiae and tarsi reddish brown.

Abdomen. Segment 2 constricted and segments 3 and 4 widened; narrowest point at posterior tergite 1, widest at posterior margin of tergite 3. Tergites dark brown to black with fine punctures as in mesonotum. Tergite 1 dark brown, with long, scattered, silvery white setulae. Tergite 2 black, constricted and dorsoventrally flattened, with widely separated yellow vittae, anteriorly wide and oblique, posteriorly narrowed down and parallel not reaching the golden setulae along the posterior margin of tergite 2. Dense golden setulae on tergite 2, 3, and 4 posteriorly, scattered golden microtrichia on tergites 3, 4 and 5 dorso-laterally. Sternite 2 pale brown, short yellow setulose. Other sternites brown.

Male. Unknown.

Notes.

This species is likely to mimic wasps belonging to the genus Ropalidia Guérin-Méneville, 1831 ( Hymenoptera : Vespidae : Polistinae) by having similar colouration on wing and abdomen. The resting behavior was also very similar: the fly was perching on the underside of a leaf holding its abdomen upright with wings kept flat, as various species Ropalidia also do.

Habitat.

The holotype was collected in montane evergreen shola forests, in proximity to human settlement. The dense vegetation included several perennial trees, ferns, and grass. The fly was found perching on the leaves of guava ( Psidium L.).

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Tamil Nadu, southern India.

Etymology.

This species is named after the type locality, Kodaikanal (nicknames ‘ Princess of hill stations’), which is located in upper Palani hills of Tamil Nadu. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Figures

Figures 81–87. Paramixogaster kodaiana Sankararaman & Reemer, sp. nov. female, holotype: 81 habitus, dorsal 82 habitus, lateral 83 head, frontal 84 head, dorsal 85 tergite 2, dorsal 86 thorax, dorsal 87 wing.