Paramixogaster indica ( Doleschall, 1857 )

Reemer, Menno & Sankararaman, Hariharakrishnan, 2024, Revision of the Oriental species of the hoverfly genus Paramixogaster Brunetti, 1923 (Diptera, Syrphidae, Microdontinae), ZooKeys 1208, pp. 1-48 : 1-48

Paramixogaster indica ( Doleschall, 1857)

Figs 20 , 22 , 123–124 , 125–129 , 136

Ceratophya indica Doleschall, 1857: 404. Holotype: Indonesia, Ambon ( HNHM, lost) [not examined].

Microdon indicus ( Doleschall, 1857) – Thompson and Vockeroth 1989: 438.

Paramixogaster indicus ( Doleschall, 1857) – Reemer and Ståhls 2013 a: 145.

Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser, 1964: 84. Syn. nov. Holotype ♂: Indonesia, Maluku, Ambon ( NMB) [examined]; Knutson et al. 1975: 374; Thompson and Vockeroth 1989: 439; Reemer and Ståhls 2013 a: 145.

Studied type specimens.

Holotype of Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser. Indonesia • 1 ♂; label 1 (red): “ TYPUS ”; label 2 (pale green): “ INDONESIA // AMBON // 6. I. 61 // A. M. R. WEGNER ”; NMB.

Paratype of of Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser. Indonesia • 1 ♀; Ambon; 1 Jan. 1961; A. M. R. Wegner leg.; NMB .

Paratypes of of Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser. Indonesia • 5 ♂; Ambon; 5 different collection dates: 29 Oct. 1960, 23 Nov. 1960, 8 Dec. 1960, 12 Dec. 1960, 11 Jan. 1961; A. M. R. Wegner leg.; NMB .

Additional specimens.

Indonesia • 2 ♂ 2 ♀; Buru ; 7 Dec. 1921; L. J. Toxopeus leg.; RMNH ; 1 ♀; Buru ; 8 Dec. 1921; L. J. Toxopeus leg.; RMNH • 1 ♀; Ambon [no further data]; NHMUK • 1 ♀; West Papua, Fak-Fak ; A. E. Pratt leg.; NHMUK [ 013933418 ] .

Diagnosis.

Body length: males 7.5–9.5 mm (n = 8), females 9–11 mm (n = 6). This belongs to the group of species without lateral bulges on the frons. From P. luxor it differs by the postpedicel being longer than the scape (shorter in P. luxor ). From P. contracta and P. conveniens it differs by the incomplete transverse suture (complete in P. contracta and P. conveniens ). From P. sacki it differs by tergites 3 and 4 being black with yellow posterior margin (yellow with pattern of black vittae in P. sacki ). It differs from P. jubata Reemer , sp. nov. by the shorter tergite 2, of which the posterior margin is wider than the median length (longer in P. jubata Reemer , sp. nov.), the dark anterior margin of the scutellum (entirely yellow in P. jubata Reemer , sp. nov.) and the shorter setulae on the vertex.

Paramixogaster indica is most similar to P. vespiformis , from which it differs by the continuous yellow vitta between postpronotum and posterior callus (interrupted in P. vespiformis ), and the longer postpedicel in the male, which is 4.4–5.6 × as long as the scape (3.3–3.7 × as long in P. vespiformis ). Male: postpedicel 4.4–5.6 × as long as scape (n = 6). Female: postpedicel 2.4–2.9 × as long as scape (n = 5). The degree of infuscation of wing apex is very variable. Male genitalia as in Fig. 136 .

Notes.

No type specimen of Ceratophya indica Doleschall is known. However, the description and illustration of this species from Ambon by Doleschall (1857) correspond well to the studied type specimens of Paramixogaster wegneri by Keiser (1964), which was also described from Ambon. Keiser (1964) does not mention P. indica , so probably he was unaware of it. Based on the descriptions and illustrations, these taxa share the following characters: postpedicel 4–6 × longer than scape, face, and vertex partly yellow, mesoscutum black, wing with infuscate apex, tergite 2 narrowest at base and with two apically diverging yellow vittae, tergites 3 and 4 black with yellow hind margins. Based on these similarities and the shared type locality ( Ambon), P. wegneri Keiser syn. nov. is here considered to be a junior synonym of Ceratophya indica Doleschall.

This species is very closely related to P. vespiformis (de Meijere) . The differences between these taxa are small but consistent.

Distribution.

Known from eastern parts of Indonesia, east of the Wallace Line: the Maluku islands of Ambon and Buru, and West Papua. Specimens were collected between October and January.

Figures

Figures 19, 20. Tergites 3 and 4 dorsal: 19 Paramixogaster sacki male, Taiwan 20 P. indica male, Ambon.

Figures 21, 22. Mesoscutum dorsal: 21 largely yellow with two four black maculae (Paramixogaster sacki male, Taiwan) 22 largely black with yellow margins (P. indica male, Ambon).

Figures 123, 124. Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser male, holotype: 123 habitus, dorsal 124 head, frontal.

Figures 125–129. Paramixogaster wegneri Keiser, paratypes: 125 head, dorsal, male 126 head, dorsal, female 127 habitus, dorsal, female 128 habitus, lateral, male 129 habitus, lateral, female.

Figures 130–137. Male genitalia of Paramixogaster species: 130 P. contracta (paratype Microdon subpetiolatus Thompson) 131 P. halmaherensis Reemer, sp. nov. holotype 132 P. luxor holotype 133 P. sacki Taiwan, RMNH 134 P. sulawesiana Reemer, sp. nov. holotype 135 P. jubata Reemer, sp. nov. paratype Vietnam 136 P. indica (paratype P. wegneri Keiser syn. nov.) 137 P. vespiformis Sumatra, RMNH.