Anthrax austrinus Marston, 1970

Cunha, André Mallemont & Lamas, Carlos José Einicker, 2004, Description of five Anthrax Scopoli puparia (Diptera, Bombyliidae, Anthracinae, Anthracini), Zootaxa 741, pp. 1-14 : 2-4

Anthrax austrinus Marston, 1970

( Figs. 1–6 )

Anthrax austrinus Marston, 1970: 41 , 42, 80–81; Painter, Painter & Hall, 1978: 30; Evenhuis & Greathead, 1999: 293.

Female: Length: 16.3­17.9 mm. Head width: 2.5–2.6 mm. Thorax width: 3.2–3.4 mm. Abdominal width 3.9–4.4 tapering to 1.0– 1.8 mm on anal segment. Coloration: light brown; cephalic and anal tubercles and abdominal chitinous rods dark brown, darker apically; setae yellowish.

Head. Cephalic tubercles armed with three pairs of spines fused basally. First pair same length as second pair, directed downwards; third pair 2/3 length of others, and placed laterally ( Figs. 2 and 3 ). Central pair of spines with two pairs of setae, first pair on dorsal surface, near its base, second placed laterally on the basal half of the spine ( Fig. 3 ). In ventral view, anterior facial tubercle half length of central pair, with a pair of setae placed laterally, additional pair on posterior margin; posterior facial tubercle missing ( Fig. 4 ).

Thorax. With four pairs of setae, two pairs on dorsal surface placed close together, two pairs on lateral surface; prothoracic spiracle heavily sclerotized, dark brown, raised above surface and located immediately behind head ( Fig. 1 ).

Abdomen. Segment I with transverse row of long setae interrupted in center; segments II–V with transverse row of chitinous rods, gradually shorter beyond lateral margins, intercalated with long, thin setae, row of setae interrupted medially; segments VI–VII with reduced chitinous rods, resembling small spines, intercalated with thin setae; segment VIII only with row of reduced chitinous rods; pleura and sternites with row of strong and long setae, sternites with a complete transverse row located in middle of the segments ( Fig. 1 ); anal tubercle with three pairs of spines, central pair completely fused, except at apex; the second and third pairs tiny and located on the base of the first pair, on dorsal and ventral surfaces respectively; additional single spine on dorsal base of the tubercle ( Figs. 5 and 6 ); abdominal spiracles slightly darker and more sclerotized than surrounding area, raised above surface and placed laterally on segments I–VII.

Male: unknown.

Hosts: Hymenoptera (Sphecidae) .

Distribution: Neotropical: Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina).

Examined material: BRAZIL, Rio Grande do Sul: Montenegro (Arroio Bom Jardim), 23,30­ X­1979, 2 females (Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Brazil ­ MNRJ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Anthrax austrinus pupae: 1. General lateral view; 2. Cephalic tubercle, dorsal view; 3. Cephalic tubercle, lateral view; 4. Head, ventral view; 5. Anal tubercle, dorsal view; 6. Anal tubercle, lateral view.