Phasia africana Sun, 2003

Sun, Xuekui & Marshall, Stephen A., 2003, Systematics of Phasia Latreille (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 276 (1), pp. 1-320 : 159-160

3.6.1 Phasia africana Sun , sp. nov.

(Figures I­2.1­4, II­7.4)

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♀, [ SOUTH AFRICA]. Willowmore, Capland, Dr. Brauna, [ex: A.L. Melander Collection 1961] (USNM); paratypes, 4♂, [ SOUTH AFRICA], Willowmore, Capland, 12.i.1917 and 20.x.1921, Dr. Brauns (NMSA); 1♀, [ SOUTH AFRICA], Natal, Willow Grange, 3.v.1914, B.C. Wroughton (BMNH); 1♀, [ SOUTH AFRICA], Namaqualand [?], Knersvlakte (BMNH).

DESCRIPTION

Body length: 8­9 mm.

FEMALE: HEAD. Head spherical or nearly so. Eyes touching. Fronto­orbital plate black with grey pruinosity; 2 rows of hairs laterally. Frontal vitta reddish brown, divergent. Frontal vitta at base of antennae 1.5­1.6 times as wide as fronto­orbital plate anteriorly. Ocellar setae present but fine; outer vertical setae present; inner vertical setae absent. Face brown and black with grey pruinosity. Parafacial brown and black with grey pruinosity, bare, as wide as first flagellomere. Lower margin of face perpendicular, not projecting, brown, grey pruinose. Vibrissa well differentiated; intervibrissal distance 1.4 times distance between vibrissa and eye on same side; facial ridge with bristles on lower 1/6. Gena black with grey pruinosity; hairs white; height 0.1 times eye height. Lunule normal; sublunular bulla indistinct. Antenna black; first flagellomere 1.2 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 0.25. Length of oral opening 1.4 times its width. Occiput flattened, white pruinose; hairs white. Palpus brown.

THORAX. Mesoscutum thinly pruinose, without distinct black longitudinal vitta, with fine black hairs. Acrostichal setae 0+1; 1 postpronotal seta; presutural supra­alar seta absent; 1 postsutural intra­alar seta; 2 notopleural setae; 1 supra­alar seta; 2 postalar setae. Pleuron thinly grey pruinose; hairs black and brown. Anepimeral setae medium size, black; 2 katepisternal setae; 7­9 meral setae. Scutellum black; thinly grey pruinose, with two pairs of marginal setae; apical setae present and distinct; discal setae randomly arranged, not in rows. Subscutellum not very prominent. WING. Lower calypter hyaline white. Wing base without scale­like setae. Tegula black. Basicosta yellow. Wing hyaline, narrow; petiole of apical cell 0.3 times as long as preceding section of R 4+5; M meeting R 4+5 almost at right angle. Halter brown. LEGS. Fore femur brown to black; hairs black. Fore tibia brown to black, with 0­1 pv, apically with 1 pv and 1 d. Fore tarus normal; brown to black. Fore claws brown, apex black; 0.9 times as long as fifth tarsomere. Pulvilli brown. Mid femur brown to black; hairs black. Mid tibia brown to black, with 1 ad, 1 p and 1 v, apically with 1 av, 1 pv, 1 v and 1 d. Hind femur brown to black; hairs black. Hind tibia black, with 2­3 ad and one row of pd. Anterior spine­like setae of hind tibia present.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal tergites black; pruinosity thinly silvery; longitudinal vitta absent. Relative length of abdominal tergites I+II:III:IV:V = 1.3:1:1:1; relative width I+II:III:IV:V = 0.5:1:1:0.9. Hair spots indistinct. TERMINALIA. Sternite VII (sheath) longer than sternite VI, broad apically, bent, apex directed ventrally, sternite VII with linear wrinkles ventrally. Ovipositor bent upward.

MALE: Unknown.

HOST

Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

The specific name refers to the African distribution of Phasia africana .