Brachicoma nigra Chao & Zhang, 1988a : 275

Zhang, Dong, Zhang, Ming, Li, Zijuan & Pape, Thomas, 2015, The Sarcophagidae (Insecta: Diptera) described by Chien-ming Chao and Xue-zhong Zhang, Zootaxa 3946 (4), pp. 451-509 : 481-484

Brachicoma nigra Chao & Zhang, 1988a: 275 . China, Sichuan, Xiangcheng, Rewu.

Originally included specimens: Described from twelve males and one female.

Name-bearing type: Holotype ♂: Sichuan, Xiangcheng, Rewu/ 3800m / Chinese Academy of Sciences [white label in Chinese, in black print except “Xiangcheng, Rewu/ 3800m ” in handwritten in black ink]// 1982. VII.2 / Collected by X.Z. Zhang [“1982. VII.2 ” handwritten in black ink, remaining in black print, in Chinese]// HOLOTYPE [red label, in black print]// IOZ(E)216027 [blue label, in black print]// ♂ [white label, in black print] // Brachycoma / nigra / Zhao & Zhang [white label, in black print]// Brachycoma / nigra Chao et Zhang / Identified by C.M. Chao [“Identified by C.M. Chao” in black print, in Chinese, remaining handwritten in blue-black ink].

Holotype in good condition except left hind tarsus missing.

Additional type specimens: Allotype ♀: Sichuan, Luding, Moxi, alt. 2050–2400m, 18.IX.1982, Coll. by X.Z. Zhang. Paratypes 10♂♂: Sichuan, Xiangcheng, Rewu, alt. 3800m, 2.VII.1982; 1♂: Sichuan, Hongyuan, alt. 3500m, 28.VIII.1983, Coll. by X.Z. Zhang. All specimens in NZMC.

Current identity: Brachicoma nigra Chao & Zhang, 1988 , as correctly listed by Pape (1996) and as treated by Xue & Chao (1998).

Remarks: The location name of “Rewu [½¾]” was incorrectly spelled as “Reniao [½⅓]” in Chinese handwriting on the labels of the type series. This species resembles B. devia (Fallén) in general appearance, but can be distinguished from it by the more blackish appearance, thinner grayish white pollinosity posteriorly on tergites 3 and 4 without any demarcated stripe or spots, male cercus longer and more slender, surstylus curved posteriorly, pregonite gradually tapering, and phallus longer and apically straight. Chao & Zhang (1988a) used the spelling Brachycoma , which is an incorrect subsequent spelling of Brachicoma ( Pape, 1996; O’Hara et al., 2011).

Redescription of Male: Body length 8.0–10.0 mm ( Fig. 17 A). Eye bare, deep red. Fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and postocular strip black with silvery pollinosity; fronto-orbital with one row of fine bristles, parafacial with two rows of bristles, 2.0× as broad as fronto-orbital plate. Frontal vitta brown, 2.0× as broad as fronto-orbital plate in the median part; frons at vertex about 0.35× head width ( Fig. 17 C); frontal row of 9 bristles; outer vertical bristle not differentiated from postocular bristles. Ocellar bristles developed. Gena ground color black, with sparse and short black bristles and silvery gray pollinosity, height 0.4× eye height in lateral view ( Fig. 17 E); postocular bristles in seven rows. First antennal flagellomere brown, not reaching the level of vibrissal insertion, 1.30× as long as pedicel ( Fig. 17 D); arista short plumose, swollen in basal half; vibrissa developed. Palpus yellowish brown, slightly expanded in distal part.

Thorax ground color black; scutum pollinosity gray with three black dorsal vittae. Chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0+1, dorsocentrals 3+3, intra-alars 0+3, supra-alars 2, postalars 2, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 2, scutellum with 1 apical, 1 subapical, 1 basal, 1 marginal and 1 discal bristles. Pleuron with meropleurals 7, katepisternal bristles 2: 1, prosternum, metasternum and proepisternum all bare.

Wing hyaline ( Fig. 17 A); subcostal sclerite and basicosta yellow, bare; tegula yellowish brown; costal spine differentiated; vein R1 bare, three ventral bristles at node of R2+3-R4+5, vein R4+5 setose dorsally from junction of R2+3 halfway to crossvein r-m, lower calypter white.

Legs black, claw and pulvillus yellowish brown. Fore femur with one row of dorsal bristles (about 8), one row of posteroventral bristles (about 16) and one row of posterodorsal bristles (about 15), fore tibia with one submedian posterior and four anterodorsal bristles; mid femur with one apical dorsal, one apical posterior and three apical posterodorsal bristles, and with one row of anterior bristles (about 6, in basal half) and one row of ventral bristles (about 7), mid tibia with four or five anterodorsal, one sub-median posterior and one median posterodorsal bristles; hind femur with one row of anterodorsal bristles (more than 12) and one row of anterior bristles (more than 10), two apical dorsal bristles, hind tibia with one row of anterodorsal bristles (about 7), one sub-median anteroventral, and three posterodorsal bristles.

Abdomen long oval with silvery white pollinosity, tergite 3–6 and syntergosternite 7+8 with complete row of marginal bristles, epandrium black ( Fig. 17 B, F), sternites 1–4 with dense bristles. Terminalia see Fig. 17 B.

Redescription of Female: Body length 7.7 mm ( Fig. 18 A). Parafacial with one row of strong bristles, 1.1× as broad as fronto-orbital plate; frontal 1.1× as broad as fronto-orbital plate at the narrowest point ( Fig. 18 C). Genal height 0.3× eye height in lateral view ( Fig. 18 B). Fore tibia with three posterodorsal bristles; mid tibia with three anterodorsal, one median ventral, two posterior and three posterodorsal bristles; hind femur without anteroventral bristle row.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Brachicoma nigra Chao & Zhang, 1988, males. A. Body, lateral view, holotype. B. Terminalia, lateral view, paratype. C. Head, anterior view, holotype. D. Head, anterolateral view, holotype. E. Head, lateral view, holotype. F. Abdomen, dorsal view, holotype. G. Labels, holotype. H. Labels, paratype. Scales: A = 3.00 mm, B = 0.50 mm, C – F = 2.00 mm.

FIGURE 18. Brachicoma nigra Chao & Zhang, 1988, female, allotype. A. Body, lateral view. B. Head, right lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, right anterolateral view. E. Abdomen, dorsal view. F. Labels. Scale: A = 3.00 mm, B – D = 1.00 mm, E = 2.00 mm.