Austrophasiopsis Townsend, 1932

Shima, Hiroshi & Tachi, Takuji, 2022, A new species of Austrophasiopsis Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Nepal with systematic notes on the genus, Zootaxa 5190 (4), pp. 555-564 : 556-557

Genus Austrophasiopsis Townsend

Austrophasiopsis Townsend, 1933: 448 .

Type species: Austrophasiopsis formosensis Townsend, 1933 , by original designation.

Kosempomyiella Baranov, 1934: 165 .

Type species: Kosempomyiella rufiventris Baranov, 1934 , by original designation.

Austrophasiopsis: Crosskey, 1967: 7 (Oriento-Australasian tachinid genera).

Kosempomyiella: Crosskey, 1967: 16 (as a junior synonym of Austrophasiopsis, Oriento-Australasian tachinid genera).

Diagnosis

Male and female. Head almost holoptic, frons strongly narrowed above in male, dichoptic in female; eye bare or sparsely haired; parafacial bare or haired; face weakly excavated, lower margin not extending beyond vibrissal base; occiput with black hairs on upper portion and pale-yellowish white hairs on median and lower portions; antenna not reaching lower margin of face, postpedicel at most 2 times as long as pedicel, arista bare, thickened at most basal 1/3, 2nd aristomere slightly shorter than wide; proboscis short; palpus strongly reduced, at most 2 times as long as wide. Thorax black with thin grayish pruinosity; prosternum bare; proepisternum bare; anepimeral setae at most extending to posterior margin of upper calypter; katepimeron at most with a fine hair on anterior portion; anatergite bare; postmetacoxal area membranous; in some cases thoracic setae very fine and indistinguishable among normal hairs, if setae distinct, then as follows: 2 postpronotal setae; 1–2 presutural and 2 postsutural acrostichal setae; 2–3 presutural and 3–4 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 1 presutural and 2 intra-alar setae; 2 supra-alar setae; 2 katepisternal setae; scutellum at most with 3 pairs of marginal setae, lateral seta very fine or absent, apical seta very fine or absent; wing with cell r 4+5 long petiolate; fore tibia with 2 preapical dorsal and 1–2 posterior setae; mid tibia without ventral seta; hind tibia with 2 preapical dorsal setae; claws and pulvilli at most as long as 5th tarsomere. Abdomen ovate, with rather fine short hairs, syntergite 1+2 excavated to at most posterior 1/2; 3rd and 4th abdominal tergites without discal setae; 2nd to 4th sternites each with a pair of rather strong setae on posterior portion together with many short hairs. Male terminalia: Sixth tergite entire, fused with syntergosternite 7+8; 6th abdominal spiracle on membrane anterior to ventral margin of 6th tergite; 7th spiracle on anteroventral margin of syntergosternite 7+8; 6th sternite nearly symmetrical, right margin narrowly fused with ventral portion of syntergosternite 7+8; cerci fused together, without median longitudinal suture, flat or with weak ventral keel in lateral view, evenly narrowed from base to apex in dorsal view; surstylus fused with epandrium on basal portion; basilliform sclerite narrow and long board-like; basiphallus elongate, tube-like, without epiphallus; distiphallus short, broadly membranous; pregonite fused with hypandrium basally and strongly curved ventrally, without hair; postgonite articulated with pregonite basally, small; ejaculatory apodeme at least 2/3 as long as phallapodeme; dorsal arms of hypandrium fused dorsally, encircling base of basiphallus. Female terminalia: Short; 6th and 7th tergites entire; 6th abdominal spiracle on ventral portion of 6th tergite; 8th tergite absent; epiproct absent.

Remarks. Austrophasiopsis was previously known from well separated areas in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and the Philippines, also probably from Xizang (Tibet), where these species were found from high altitude areas. The new species described below is known from Nepal, a locality also at high elevation in the northern position of the Indian subcontinent. This maybe suggests that Austrophasiopsis lineage is a remnant of a tachinine group that has adapted to higher elevation places in the Oriental Region.

Key to species of Austrophasiopsis

1. Legs reddish yellow, fore femora and apical portions of tarsi more or less darkened; head setae mainly whitish; vibrissal area with many long whitish hairs, vibrissa indistinct; parafacial with whitish hairs; thoracic pleura and basal area of abdominal venter with whitish hairs; wing distinctly tinged with orange yellow............................. A. luteipennis Mesnil

- Legs brown including fore femora and apical portions of tarsi, or mid and hind femora reddish yellow; head setae black, vibrissa developed; parafacial bare or with black hairs; all body hairs black; wing hyaline, at most weakly and evenly tinged with pale brown.............................................................................................. 2

2. Abdomen dark brown, with at most very thin grayish pruinosity, hairs rather sparse and fine; fronto-orbital plate and parafacial with shining-black stripe along inner margin of frontal vitta and along facial ridge; parafacial haired; legs reddish brownblack............................................................................. A. caliginosa sp. nov.

- Abdomen reddish yellow, without distinct pruinosity, with dense fine short hairs; fronto-orbital plate and parafacial with grayish pruinosity, without shining-black stripe; parafacial bare; legs brown-black, with hind femora yellowish on basal 1/2....................................................................................... A. formosensis Townsend