Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi)

Figs 2 c, 3c, 4b, 5c, 6c.

Pardalaspis cyanescens Bezzi, 1923: 529 .

Perilampsis bourbonica Munro, 1954: 546 . Junior synonym, by Hancock 1984 Pardalaspis cyanescens Bezzi, 1924: 102 [preoccupied Bezzi 1923]

Pardalaspis cyanescens: Munro 1953 [Madagascan fauna]

Trirhithromyia cyanescens: Hancock 1984 [Madagascan fauna]; White & Elson-Harris 1994 [economic significance]

Neoceratitis cyanescens: Quilici & Jeuffrault 2001 [Mascarenes, host plants]

Type material. Holotype Pardalaspis cyanescens: Ƥ, MADAGASCAR, Région de l’Androy, Ambovombe, 1901, J. Decorse (MNHNP).

Holotype Perilampsis bourbonica: ♂, REUNION, Abadie (SANC; not examined).

Other material examined. COMORO ISLANDS: 1Ƥ, Anjouan, Dzialaoutsounga, 25.VIII.2004, A. Barbet & M. Attie (RMCA); 1Ƥ, Mohéli, Fomboni Stat . INRAPE, 31.VIII.2004, s/tomate, A. Barbet & M. Attie (RMCA). MADAGASCAR: 63 7Ƥ, Amboasary 220m, Ambovombe, Madagascar Sud-Ouest, June 1957, A. Robinson (SANC); 13, Ambohitra, 800m Joffreville, 9–12.IV.1991, A. Freidberg & F. Kaplan (TAUI); 13 1Ƥ, 35km S Ambositra, Rt7, 27.IV.1991, A. Freidberg & F. Kaplan (TAUI); 2Ƥ, Ampefy, Chute d.I.Lily, 26.III.1958, F. Keiser (NHMB); 13, 20km E Antananarivo, 3.IV.1991, A. Freidberg & F. Kaplan (TAUI); 1Ƥ, Berenty, sisal factory, 24°50.8’S 46°17.5’E, 22.X.2007, A. Freidberg (TAUI); 13 1Ƥ, Fort Dauphin, R. Paulian (SANC); 10km W Fort Dauphin, 26°0.77’S 46°54.9’E, 20.X.2007, 23 2Ƥ L. Gahanama (TAUI); 13 1Ƥ, A. Freidberg (TAUI); 1Ƥ, 21.X.2007, L. Friedman (TAUI); 1Ƥ, Mailaka, January 1952, N.L. Krauss (SANC); 23 3Ƥ, Montagne d’Ambre, Les Roussettes, Madagascar Nord, 1100m, September–December 1958, Andria Robinson (SANC); 23, Moramanga, 20.XII.1957, F. Keiser (NHMB); 13, Sandrangato (SANC); 123 6Ƥ, Tananarive, Tsimbazaza, élev 12.XII.1958, éclos December 1958 - January 1959, ‘dans les fruits de Sevabe solanée’, R. Paulian (SANC); 13, Tsimbazaza, élévage 24.II.1949, éclos 5.IV.1949 ‘obtenu d’élévage des fruits de Solanum auriculatum’, A. Robinson (SANC); 1Ƥ, Tuléar city, SW Madagascar, 22.III.1982, Barkemeyer (NMSA). MAURITIUS: unknown locality, 33 3Ƥ, October 1958, ex tomato Richeterre (SANC); 23 3Ƥ, ‘Reunion’; July 1951, J.R. Williams, M1222 (= reared from fruits of tomato imported from Mauritius according to Munro’s notebooks), 1 specimen additional label ‘attacking tomatoes’ (SANC). REUNION, Bretagne, 103 8Ƥ 1unsexed [damaged], 13.VII.1951, on tomato, J.R. Williams (BMNH); 13, Hell-Bourg ‘nach Ilet à Vidot’, 21°47’S 55°30’46’’E, 920m, riverbank, 2.III.1999, Kassebeer & Hilger (MHNG); 23 1Ƥ, La Montagne, 24.X.1972, J. Etienne, ex S. auriculatum (SANC); 1Ƥ, Bassin Martin, St Pierre, 1.XI. 1991, 288m, (TAUI); 13 1Ƥ, St Denis, IX.1977, J. Etienne (MHNG); 1Ƥ, St Denis, Rivière St Denis, 5m, 20°52.38’S 55°26.42’E, Bachbett, 23.II.1999, Kassebeer & Hilger (MHNG); 1Ƥ, St Pierre, Bassin Plat Cirad-flohr, 21°19.22’S 55°29.26’E, 50m, 27.II.1999, Zitr., Kassebeer & Hilger (MHNG); 13, St Rose, Bois Blanc, 21°12’9’’S 55°49’1’’E, 150m, 8.III.1999, ‘Zitrus’, Kassebeer & Hilger (MHNG).

Male. Body length: 4.18 (3.20−4.80) mm; wing length: 4.15 (3.00−4.70) mm.

Head. Antenna yellow, first flagellomere about three times as long as wide; arista pubescent with hairs at most equal to basal width. Frons yellow, between dorsal frontal seta and ventral orbital seta usually with pair of darker spots; dorsal half with golden microtrichia; setae black. Face yellow-white, ventral eye margin with darker yellow to brown spot; occiput dorsal third yellowish to yellow-brown, ventral half yellow-white.

Thorax. Postpronotal lobe whitish, at most anterior margin slightly brownish. Scutum ratio 0.90−0.99; scutum shining black-brown, silver microtrichia in typical pattern (cf Fig. 1 c) except more extensive than in other species; dark pilosity except where silver microtrichia with silvery setulae. Pleura brown, anepisternum with white band occupying posterodorsal part, extending to postpronotal lobe, its ventral margin extending to posteroventral fourth of anepisternum; katatergite and anatergite whitish, posteroventral third to half of katatergite and posteroventral fourth of anatergite brown; one black anepisternal seta. Scutellum (Fig. 2 c) swollen with straight margin near basal seta, white, basal margin and apical half black-brown.

Legs. Yellow, fore femur at least with yellow-brown streak posterodorsally, sometime more extensively darkened; mid and hind femora largely yellow-brown except apically yellow.

Wing. With discal, subapical, anterior apical and posterior apical brown bands (Fig. 3 c), all well developed. Basal brownish part partially confluent with subbasal brown spots and streaks. Subapical band isolated. R-M ratio 0.73−0.75.

Abdomen. Shining yellow to reddish, occasionally more brownish. Tergite 2 along posterior 1/2 and tergite 4 along posterior ½ to ¾ with transverse band of silvery microtrichia, anterior half with brownish microtrichia. Male terminalia (Fig. 4 b) with lateral surstylus elongated.

Female. Body length: 4.65 (3.90−5.00) mm; wing length: 4.59 (4.00−5.00) mm.

As male except for the following characters: arista pubescence slightly longer, up to almost twice the width of the arista. Femora more yellowish, usually at most with irregular yellow-brown streaks, rarely as darkened as in male. Oviscape half as long as abdominal tergites 1-5 jointly, shining yellow to reddish. Aculeus (Fig. 5 c) brown; six times as long as wide; apically evenly tapered; apex (Fig. 6 c) with subapical steps.

Distribution. Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion. The BMNH collection holds a series (33 7Ƥ) labelled ‘ Cambodia and Vietnam’. No exact locality or localities are given. The specimen labels further indicate ‘ 1967-1968, L. Canesche’. The origin of this series is unknown (I.M. White & N. Wyatt, personal communication) but it probably concerns mislabeling or an interception. There is no other indication that this species actually occurs in this region.

Hosts. Reared from fruits of Solanum mauritianum Scop. (as S. auriculatum Aiton., and ‘Sevabe solanée. See Material examined), and Lycopersicum esculentum L. ( Solanaceae). Also reported from Capsicum annuum L., C. frutescens L., Cyphomandra betacea (Cav.) Sendtner, S. macrocarpon L., S. melongena L., S. nigrum L. and S. torvum Sw. (Solanaceae) (see White & Elson-Harris 1994 and Quilici & Jeuffrault 2001). In addition, it was reported to pierce fruits of Solanum macranthum M. Martens & Galeotti in Réunion but no larval development was observed (Quilici & Jeuffrault 2001).

Comments. Neoceratitis cyanescens is the only species within this genus that is considered of economic significance. It attacks a wide variety of commercially grown Solanaceae . Its wild host or hosts are not known. It is also the only species of Neoceratitis for which host associations are known that has not been associated with Lycium .