Siphunculina funicola (de Meijere, 1905)

Liu, Xiao-Yan, Nartshuk, Emilia P. & Yang, Ding, 2017, Three new species and one new record of the genus Siphunculina from China (Diptera, Chloropidae), ZooKeys 687, pp. 73-88 : 80-81

Siphunculina funicola (de Meijere, 1905) Figs 19-20, 21-24

Siphonella funicola de Meijere, 1905: 160. Type locatity: Indonesia (Java).

Microneurum funicolum Becker, 1911: 141.

Liomicroneurum funicolum Duda, 1934: 112.

Siphunculina funicola (de Meijere): Becker et de Meijere, 1913: 303; de Meijere, 1918: 340; Sabrosky, 1977: 300; Cherian, 1977: 364; Kanmiya, 1989: 68.

Diagnosis.

Frons black with gray microtomentum. Ocellar triangle entirely shiny black with a broad median groove, reaching anterior margin of frons, with slightly pointed apex. Gena broad, 0.5 times as wide as first flagellomere. Antenna yellow except for dorsal margin of first flagellomere brown; arista with short pubescence. Thorax black with gray microtomentum. Scutellum with 4 pairs of scutellar setae on small tubercles. Cephalic and thoracic setae and setulae black; notopleurals 1+2. Legs black except for fore tibia, both ends of mid and hind tibiae and all tarsi yellow. Male genitalia (Figs 21-24): Surstylus shorter than epandrium in lateral view. Cercus 2 times as long as wide, deeply incised medially. Gonite long finger-like, basal 1/4 distinctly incised.

Specimens examined.

2 ♂♂, China: Hainan: Baisha, Hongmao, 19. V. 2007, leg. Ding Yang, 1 ♂, Hainan: Baisha, 22. V. 2007, leg. Kuiyan Zhang, 1 ♂, Hainan: Baisha, Yacha orchard, 19. IV. 2009, leg. Shan Huo (photographed and genitalia prepared).

Distribution.

China (Hainan); Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal.

Remarks.

This species has been called the Oriental eye-fly, predominantly inhabiting in the East and South Asian countries. The flies mass around men and cattle and cause considerable annoyance, and are responsible for spreading eye diseases. It is somewhat similar to S. ceylonica Kanmiya, but can be separated from the latter by the following features: ocellar triangle reaching anterior margin of frons, notopleurals 1+2, apical scutellar seta as long as scutellum, cercus twice as long as wide, deeply incised medially; in S. ceylonica , ocellar triangle reaching anterior 4/5 of frons, notopleurals 1+1, apical scutellar seta much shorter than scutellum, cercus short, widely incised medially ( Kanmiya 1989).