Neoceratitis asiatica (Becker)

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

Ceratitis asiatica Becker, 1908: 291 .

Neoceratitis asiatica: Hendel 1927 [new combination; redescription]; Woo et al. 1963 [life history]; Korneyev 1994 [Turkmenistan]; Hancock & Drew 1994 [recognition].

Type material. Syntype, 13, ‘Mitt. Asien’ = CHINA (according to Norrbom et al. 1999): Kurlyk, Baingol East Tsaidam’, 31.V. [18]95, Rob Kozlov, Becker’s ref number 51915 (MNHU); (female syntype not studied).

Other material. CHINA: Xinjang Province, Hami, 13, presented by X.J. Wang (BMNH); 27.VI.1955, 13 (MHNG); 13 1Ƥ, Ma Shijun, Xia Kailin & Chen Yonglin (IZAS). KAZAKHSTAN: 13, Charyn Valley W Chundza, 43°37’N 79°21’E, 29–31.V. 2001, 650m, M. Hauser (MHNG). KYRGIZIA: 1Ƥ, Int [=Interior] Tien Shan, Saz, nr [=near] Dzhaman-Davan riv., 1700m, 29.VIII.1998, Milko (MHNG).

Male. Body length: 3.39 (2.80−3.80) mm; wing length: 3.57 (3.00−3.90) mm.

Head. Antenna yellow, first flagellomere about twice as long as wide; arista short pubescent with hairs shorter than basal width. Frons yellow, dorsal half with golden microtrichia; setae black. Face yellow-white, occiput dorsal third yellowish, ventral half yellow-white.

Thorax. Postpronotal lobe black-brown, posteriorly with whitish crescent; crescent not extending to postpronotal seta. Scutum ratio 0.90−0.98; shining black-brown, silver microtrichia in typical pattern (cf Fig. 1 c); dark pilosity except where silver microthrichosity with silvery setulae. Pleura dark brown, anatergite usually with whitish spot confined to dorsal half, rarely missing; one black anepisternal seta. Scutellum (Fig. 2 b) swollen with straight margin near basal seta; black-brown, with white medial spot on disc, white spot neither extending to setae nor to basal margin of scutellum.

Legs. Yellow.

Wing. With discal, subapical, anterior and posterior apical brown bands (Fig. 3 b), all well developed. Basal brownish part largely confluent with subbasal brown spots and streaks. Subapical band isolated or narrowly touching discal band, not touching anterior apical band. R-M ratio 0.60−0.66.

Abdomen. Shining black-brown. Tergite 2 along posterior 2/5 and tergite 4 along posterior 1/3 with transverse band of silvery microtrichia; anterior part of these tergites with brown microtrichia, laterally reduced. Male terminalia (Fig. 4 a) with surstyli short.

Female. Body length: 3.80 mm; wing length: 3.85 (3.80−3.90) mm.

As male except following characters: near antennal implant rarely with darker brown spots; femora brown. Oviscape about half as long as abdominal tergites 1–5 jointly, shining black-brown. Aculeus (Fig. 5 b) five times as long as wide; apically (Fig. 6 b) tapered, simply pointed.

Distribution. China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgizia. Also reported from Turkmenistan (Korneyev 1994).

Hosts. Woo et al. (1963) record the berries of Lycium turcomanicum Turcz. ex Miers. as a host in Tibet.