Platensina Enderlein, 1911

Singh, Maneesh Pal & Hancock, David Lawrence, 2025, Five new species of subfamily Tephritinae (Tephritidae: Diptera) from Himalayas and description of postabdominal structures in Chaetostomella completa (Kapoor, Malla & Ghosh), Pliomelaena spathuliniforma (Dirlbek & Dirlbek) and P. zonogastra (Bezzi), Zootaxa 5689 (2), pp. 299-332 : 304-307

Genus Platensina Enderlein, 1911

Platensina Enderlein, 1911: 453 . Type species: P. sumbana Enderlein.

Seven species of Platensina were known previously from India ( Agarwal & Sueyoshi 2005; David et al. 2022a; Singh et al. 2025). It is characterized by front almost as wide as long, flagellum shorter than face, apically pubescent, arista moderately plumose, scape and pedicel dorsally covered with black setulae, 3 frontal and 2 orbital setae, postocellar and postocular setae stubby white, wings predominantly black with hyaline indentations, cell r 1 with at least one long, broad hyaline indentation, wing usually broader at apex and angled either side of vein Cu 1. Scutum greyish, covered with short, yellowish setulae, scutellum with 1 or 2 pairs of setae (apical pair shorter) and abdomen usually polished black and setulose but fulvous around lateral margins of tergites I–III. The only recorded host plant is Ludwigia sp. ( Onagraceae : Hancock 2012).

Key to Indian species of Platensina Enderlein

Modified from David et al. (2022a).

1. Apex of wing hyaline from middle of cell r 2+3 to cell cu 1 ( cf. David et al. 2022a fig. 6); posterior wing margin not distinctly angled near apex of cell cu 1 ...................................................... .. P. rabbanii David & Hancock

- Wing with a hyaline spot restricted to apex of cell r 4+5; posterior wing margin distinctly angled near apex of cell cu 1.........2

2. Wing with discal spots small and often indistinct or subhyaline; cell r 1 with 0–2 small hyaline indentations from costa in basal portion beyond stigma, often not crossing cell; cell cu 1 with 3 small, isolated hyaline marginal spots and with or without additional small, isolated discal spots ( cf. Hering 1939 fig. 14)...................................... P. tetrica Hering

- Wing with distinct hyaline discal spots; hyaline indentations in basal portion of cell r 1 with at least the basal one broad and crossing into cell r 2+3; cell cu 1 with 2–3 hyaline marginal indentations, the basal pair usually elongate but often divided medially into 2 separate spots................................................................................... 3

3. Wing with pterostigma entirely dark brown to black, 2 elongate marginal hyaline indentations in cell r 1, both crossing vein R 2+3 into cell r 2+3, no marginal preapical hyaline spots in cell r 2+3, large hyaline spots near base of cell r 4+5 and near base and apex of cell dm, 1 marginal spot in cell m near apex of vein CuA, 2 indentations in cell cu 1 and 1 or 2 spots along margin of anal lobe....................................................................................................4

- Wing markings not as above; pterostigma usually with a subhyaline or fulvous basal patch or spot, marginal preapical hyaline spot in cell r 2+3 usually present and cell m usually with 2 or 3 hyaline marginal spots................................ 5

4. Face black in male, yellow in female; wing with basal spot in cell dm not distinctly larger than apical spot and not crossing or almost crossing cell; hyaline indentations in cell cu 1 of approximately equal length, almost crossing cell but basal spot sometimes narrowly divided medially................................................. P. acrostacta (Wiedemann)

- Face yellow in both sexes; wing with basal spot in cell dm distinctly larger than apical spot and crossing or almost crossing cell; basal hyaline indentation in cell cu 1 much smaller than second indentation or broadly divided medially into 2 small spots ( cf. Hering 1941 fig. 4)..................................................................... P. fulvifacies Hering

5. Wing with base and pterostigma largely fulvous to pale brown, contrasting with rest of wing; cell m without an isolated anterobasal hyaline spot ( cf. David et al. 2022a fig. 16)............................... P. flavistigma David & Hancock

- Wing with pattern variable but uniformly dark brown with hyaline spots and markings; cell m with 1 or 2 isolated anterobasal or marginal hyaline spots............................................................................... 6

6. Scutellum with only basal setae...................................................... P. zodiacalis ( Bezzi, 1913)

- Scutellum with apical and basal setae..................................................................... 7

7. Wing cell r 4+5 with apical spot small and narrower than basal spot, oviscape more than half length of abdomen.............................................................................. P. bradyseta Maneesh & Hancock , sp. nov.

- Wing cell r 4+5 with apical spot large and broader than basal spot, oviscape less than half length of abdomen.............................................................................................. P. platyptera Hendel, 1915