Ornidia obesa ( Fabricius, 1775 )

Ramage, Thibault, Charlat, Sylvain & Mengual, Ximo, 2018, Flower flies (Diptera, Syrphidae) of French Polynesia, with the description of two new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 448, pp. 1-37 : 18-19

Ornidia obesa ( Fabricius, 1775)

Fig. 4B, E

Syrphus obesus Fabricius, 1775: 763 (lectotype: ♂, UZMC, designated by Thompson (1981: 195); type locality: St. Croix, Virgin Islands, as “America”).

Volucella obesoides Giglio-Tos, 1892: 4 .

Musca nero Curtiss, 1938: 157 .

Musca obesa – Gmelin 1790: 2868 (subsequent combination).

Differential diagnosis

Among the flower flies present in French Polynesia, O. obesa is the only species with a metallic coloration, three facial tubercles and a plumose arista ( Fig. 4B, E ).

Material examined

FRENCH POLYNESIA: Austral Islands: 1♀, 3♂♂,Rapa Iti,Ahurei Village, inside house, 27°37′14.7″S, 144°20′08.4″ W, 26 Mar. 2017, F. Jacq leg. (2 ♂♂: CTR; 1 ♀, 1 ♂: ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00027860, ZFMK- DIP-00027861). – Gambier Islands: 6 ♂♂, Mangareva, Rikitea, restaurant, 2 Apr. 1966, P. Cochereau leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Mangareva, Rikitea, on flowers, 4 Apr. 1966, P. Cochereau leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♂, Mangareva, Rikitea, hand net, 22 Apr. 1966, P. Cochereau leg. ( MNHN). – Marquesas Islands: 1 ♂, Tahuata, Hanateio Valley, 180 m a.s.l., 25 Jul. 1930, Le Bronnec and H. Tauraa leg. ( NBCN). – Society Islands: 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Bora Bora, Col Vaipapa, 4 Nov. 2012, F. Jacq leg. (1 ♀: CTR; 1 ♂: ZFMK: ZFMK DIP-00019747); 2 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂, Moorea, Jan. 1986, J. David leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Moorea, Feb. 1986, J. David leg. ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Moorea, Gump Station, 17°29′25″ S, 149°49′35″ W, Aug. 2006, A. Duplouy leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_01030); 1 ♀, Moorea, Maharepa, 17°28′59″ S, 149°48′37″ W, Nov. 2006, T. Sogado leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_00899); 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Moorea, Gump Station, 17°29′25″ S, 149°49′35″ W, 17 Jan. 2007, A. Duplouy leg. ( SCL); 1 ♂, Moorea, Opunohu, Trois Cocotiers Trail, 17°31′40″ S, 149°50′06″ W, 300 m a.s.l., 6 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_04748); 1 ♂, Moorea, 17°32′48.8″ S, 149°50′25.2″ W, 340 m a.s.l., 6 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL); 1 ♀, Raiatea, Faaora Bay, 16°49′00.5″ S, 151°23′58.5″ W, 300 m a.s.l., 26 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_05168); 2 ♂♂, Raiatea, Te Mehani Rahi, 16°45′56″ S, 151°27′59.9″ W, 390 m a.s.l., 29 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_05477, symbiocode_05478); 1 ♂, Raiatea, Te Mehani Rahi, 21 Mar. 2010, T. Ramage leg. ( CTR); 1 ♂, Raiatea, Faaroa, 2015, F. Jacq leg. ( CTR); 2 ♂♂, Tahiti ( MNHN); 1 ♀, Tahiti, Faa’a, Jun. 1959, J. Rageau leg. ( MNHN); 2 ♀♀, Tahiti, Punaauia, Jun. 1959, J. Rageau leg. ( MNHN); 4 ♀♀, 1 ♂, Tahiti, municipal discharge of Papeete, 29 Apr. 1992, H. Labrousse leg. ( MNHN); 2 ♂♂, Tahiti, Mount Mauru, 17°37′34.4″ S, 149°19′17.4″ W, 400 m a.s.l., 13 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_02694, symbiocode_02695); 1 ♀, Tahiti, 17°37′52.3″ S, 149°21′05.6″ W, 800 m a.s.l., 13 Jun. 2007, S. Charlat leg. ( SCL: symbiocode_02945); 1 ♂, Tahiti, Vallée de la Fautaua, 17°34′58.76″ S, 149°31′51.35″ W, 205 m a.s.l., 19 Sep. 2012, T. Ramage leg. ( CTR); 1 ♂, Tahiti, Tahiti Iti, Mount Te Atara Trail, 17°46′53.67″ S, 149°15′3.90″ W, 680 m a.s.l., 20 Sep. 2012, T. Ramage leg. ( ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00019726); 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂, Tahiti, Arue, 17°32′8.26″ S, 149°31′6.74″ W, 200 m a.s.l., 16 Sep. 2012, T. Ramage leg. (1 ♀: CTR; 1 ♀, 1 ♂: ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00019727, ZFMK-DIP-00019728); 1 specimen, Tahiti, Papeete, Sainte-Amélie, Dec. 2014, F. Jacq leg. ( CTR); 1 ♂, Tahiti, Mont Marau, 1400 m a.s.l., 27 Aug. 2017, T. Ramage and F. Jacq leg. ( ZFMK: ZFMK-DIP-00026901).

Geographical distribution

Pantropical: from southern USA south to Argentina, including the West Indies, introduced in the Afrotropical (including Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Seychelles), Oriental and Australasian Regions, and Oceania.

Status in French Polynesia

Introduced; recorded from Marquesas Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands and Society Islands.

Flowers visited

Ornidia obesa has been observed visiting two plant species, belonging to two families: Citharexylum spinosum L. ( Verbenaceae ) and Rauvolfia sachetiae Fosberg (Apocynaceae) , the latter being endemic to French Polynesia.

Genetics

The BOLD Process IDs for the DNA barcodes (5′– COI) for this species are: SYC881-14 (= KX054267 , specimen symbiocode_00899), SYC 1010-14 (= KX054269 , specimen symbiocode_01030), SYC2616-14 (= KX054271 , specimen symbiocode_02694), SYC2617-14 (= KX054270 , specimen symbiocode_02695), SYC2866-14 (= KX054268 , specimen symbiocode_02945), SYC4668-14 (= KX054274 , specimen symbiocode_04748), SYC5085-14 (= KX054272 , specimen symbiocode_ 05168), SYC5392-14 (= KX054266 , specimen symbiocode_05477) and SYC5393-14 (= KX054273 , specimen symbiocode_05478).The Barcode Index Number( BIN)for these specimens is BOLD:AAZ6930 (https://doi.org/10.5883/BOLD:AAZ6930).

References

Bezzi 1928: 77 (records); Curtiss 1938: 157 (description, Tahiti); Hull 1937: 83 (catalogue); Aubertin & Cheesman 1929: 173 (records); Thompson 1989: 16 (cit.); Thompson & Vockeroth 1989: 447 (catalogue).

Remarks

Thompson (2013) listed Musca vespasianus Curtiss, 1938 as a synonym of O. obesa . From the original publication, there is no doubt that the synonym of O. obesa is Musca nero and not M. vespasianus , which is smaller, has spotless wings and black and white legs. This is merely an error in Thompson (2013).

Figures

Fig. 4. A, C–D. Melanostoma polynesiotes Mengual & Ramage sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (ZFMK- DIP-00019707). A. Lateral view. C. Lateral view. D. Head, lateral view. B, E. Ornidia obesa (Fabricius, 1775), ♂ (ZFMK-DIP-00019747). B. Dorsal view. E. Frontal view. F. Syritta aenigmatopatria Hardy, 1964, ♀ (ZFMK-DIP-00019739), frontal view. G. Palpada vinetorum (Fabricius, 1798), ♀ (ZFMK- DIP-00019738), frontal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.