Miltogramma (Pseudomiltogramma) tibitum Chao & Zhang, 1988a : 278

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 : 466-468

Miltogramma (Pseudomiltogramma) tibitum Chao & Zhang, 1988a: 278 . China, Xizang, Markam, Zhubalong.

Originally included specimens: Described from four males.

Name-bearing type: Holotype ♂: Xizang, Markam, Zhubalong/ 2500m / Chinese Academy of Sciences [white label in Chinese, in black print except “Markam, Zhubalong/ 2500m ” handwritten in black ink]// 1982. VIII.13 / Collected by X.Z. Zhang [“1982. VIII.13 ” handwritten in black ink, remaining in black print, in Chinese]// HOLOTYPE [red label, in black print]// IOZ(E)216066 [blue label, in black print]// ♂ [white label, in black print]// Miltogramma / (Pseudomiltogramma) / tibitum / Zhao & Zhang [white label, in black print]// Miltogramma / (Pseudomiltogramma)/ tibitum 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 terminalia extracted.

Current identity: Miltogramma taeniata Meigen, 1824 , as treated by Povolný & Verves (1997, as “ Miltogrammatidium taeniata ”) and here proposed as a senior synonym of Miltogramma tibita Chao & Zhang, 1988 , syn. n.

Additional type specimens: Paratypes 3♂♂: Xizang, Markam, alt. 2500m, 13.VIII.1982, Coll. by X.Z. Zhang. All specimens in NZMC.

Remarks: Pape (1996) argued for considering Miltogramma as of feminine gender, and this is followed here. Chao & Zhang (1988a) did not provide an explicit etymology for the name “ tibitum ”, but judging from the vernacular name given (“miltogrammine flesh fly from Tibet”), we consider the name as a Latin adjectival form relating to the type locality Xizang (= Tibet) and meaning ‘Tibetan’ or ‘of Tibet’. We have accordingly made the associated change in the gender ending of the specific epithet to “ tibita ”. Following the key of Rohdendorf (1930), M. tibita belongs to the subgenus Miltogrammidium Rohdendorf because of the narrow frons with parallel frontal vitta, a rounded head profile and the abdominal pattern. We consider M. tibita and M. taeniata to be conspecific due to the shared yellowish pollinosity of the head, dark antennal segments, striped pattern of thorax and banded pattern of abdomen, and in particular the setal configuration of the male fore tarsus with each of tarsomeres 2–4 of fore tarsus with a pair of long, straight, dorsal bristles of decreasing length distally (compare Rohdendorf 1935, fig. 52 with Chao & Zhang 1988a, fig. 7b). M. taeniata is herewith reported from China for the first time.

Redescription of Male: Body length 7.0–8.0 mm ( Fig. 9 A). Head: Eye bare, deep red. Fronto-orbital plate and parafacial yellow with golden pollinosity, postocular strip black with silvery pollinosity; parafacial bare, 1.4× as broad as fronto-orbital plate. Frontal vitta yellow, 1.9× as broad as fronto-orbital plate at the narrowest point; frons at vertex 0.25× head width ( Fig. 9 C); frontal row of 16 bristles; three or four proclinate orbital and two upper orbital bristles, outer vertical bristle differentiated from postocular bristles. Gena ground color yellow, with sparse and short yellow bristles, height 0.05× eye height in lateral view ( Fig. 9 E). Antenna black, not reaching the level of vibrissal insertion, first flagellomere 1.5× as long as pedicel ( Fig. 9 C); arista bare, basal half swollen ( Fig. 9 E), postocular bristles in one row, without vibrissa ( Fig. 9 C, D, E). Palpus yellow, expanded in distal part ( Fig. 9 D).

Thorax ground color black; scutum pollinosity gray with three black dorsal vittae. Chaetotaxy: acrostichals 0+1, dorsocentrals 1+2(3), intra-alars 0+1, supra-alars 1, postalars 2, postpronotals 3, notopleurals 2, scutellum with 1 apical, 1 subapical, 1 discal and 1 marginal bristles. Pleuron with meropleurals 6, katepisternal bristles 1(2): 2(1), prosternum, metasternum, proepisternum and postalar wall bare.

Wing hyaline ( Fig. 9 A); subcostal sclerite and basicosta yellow, bare; tegula yellowish brown, with fine black bristles; costal spine not differentiated; vein R1 bare, three bristles dorsally from junction of R2+3 halfway to crossvein r-m, lower calypter yellow.

Legs yellowish brown; fore femur with one row of dorsal bristles (about 9), one row of anterodorsal bristles (about 11), one row of posteroventral bristles (about 12), and four anterior bristles, fore tibia with one apical dorsal bristle, fore tarsus with each of tarsomeres 2–4 dorsally with slender bristles and of decreasing length distally ( Fig. 9 G); mid femur with two median anterior bristles, mid tibia with one median anterior and one median ventral bristles; hind femur with one row of dense bristles on the anterodorsal margin, and one row of ventral bristles (about 10), hind tibia with one row of dense and short anterodorsal bristles (about 10), one row of posterodorsal bristles (about 6), and four ventral bristles.

Abdomen long oval, ground color black; tergites 1+2 completely black in dorsal view, tergites 3 and 4 yellow in the lateral part, tergites 4 and 5 both with complete row of marginal bristles ( Fig. 9 F), sternites 1 and 2 both with sparse bristles, and with yellow margin. Terminalia: cercus short, yellow, slightly expanded in basal part ( Fig. 9 B).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Miltogramma (Pseudomiltogramma) tibitum Chao & Zhang, 1988 [= Miltogramma taeniata Meigen, 1824], male, holotype. A. Body, lateral view. B. Terminalia, lateral view. C. Head, anterior view. D. Head, anterolateral view. E. Head, lateral view. F. Abdomen, dorsal view. G. Left fore tarsus, anteroventral view. H. Labels. Scales: A = 2.00 mm, B & G = 0.50 mm, C – F = 1.00 mm.