Phasia subnitida Sun, 2003

Sun, Xuekui & Marshall, Stephen A., 2003, Systematics of Phasia Latreille (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 276 (1), pp. 1-320 : 188-189

3.6.17 Phasia subnitida Sun , sp. nov.

(Figures I­60, II­7.4)

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♂, [ SOUTH AFRICA], Kaapmuiden [25°33"S, 31°20"E], 3.5.20, H.K. Munro (AMNH).

DESCRIPTION

Body length: 11.5 mm.

MALE: HEAD. Head compressed anteriorly. Eyes separated by a distance 0.5 times as wide as ocellar triangle. Fronto­orbital plate black with grey pruinosity, 2­3 rows of white hairs laterally. Frontal vitta reddish brown, divergent. Frontal vitta at base of antennae 1.4 times as wide as fronto­orbital plate anteriorly. Ocellar setae present but fine; outer and inner vertical setae absent. Face brown, grey pruinose. Parafacial brown, grey pruinose, bare, 1.8 times as wide as first flagellomere. Lower margin of face projecting, visible in profile, orange yellow, greyish yellow pruinose. Vibrissa well differentiated; intervibrissal distance 1.1 times distance between vibrissa and eye on same side; facial ridge with bristles on lower 1/4. Gena brown, grey pruinose; hairs white; height 0.14 times eye height. Lunule normal; sublunular bulla indistinct. Antenna pedicel yellow or brown, first flagellomere black; first flagellomere 1.1 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 0.1. Length of oral opening 1.4 times its width. Occiput flattened, white pruinose; hairs white. Palpus brown.

THORAX. Mesoscutum strongly grey pruinose, with 4 distinct black longitudinal vittae and yellow and black hairs. 0+1 acrostichal seta; 0+1 dorsocentral setae; 1 postpronotal seta; presutural supra­alar seta present, but fine; 1 postsutural intra­alar seta; 2 notopleural setae; 1 supra­alar seta; 2 postalar setae. Pleuron thinly grey pruinose; hairs black, white and yellow, without scale­like setae. Anepimeral setae medium size; yellow and black. 2 katepisternal setae. 5­8 meral setae. Scutellum brown, 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 brown. Basicosta brown. Wing pictured; broad; petiole of apical cell 0.36­0.40 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 and black; ventrally and laterally with whitish yellow hairs, dorsal surface with black hairs. Fore tibia brown and black, without bristles, apically with 1 pv and 1 d. Fore tarus black. Fore claws brown, apex black; 1.5 times as long as fifth tarsomere. Pulvilli black. Mid femur brown and black; hairs black. Mid tibia brown and black, with 1 v, apically with 1 ad, 1 a, 1 av, 1 pv, 1 p, 1 pd, 1 v and 1 d. Hind femur brown and black; hairs black; scale­like setae absent. Hind tibia black, with 7­8 ad and 4 pd.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal tergites reddish yellow, with black longitudinal and transversal vittae; pruinosity present, but thin; tergites densely golden yellow hairs ventrally. Relative length of abdominal tergites I+II:III:IV:V = 1.3:1:0.9:1.1; relative width I+II:III:IV:V = 0.45:1:1:1. Hair spots indistinct. TERMINALIA. Syncercus broad and short, inner side with a pair of teeth; shallowly notched posteriorly. Surstylus extremely long; apex black, strongly bent dorsally. Ejaculatory apodeme slender. Hypandrium broad, as long as phallapodeme. Epiphallus indistinct. Pregonite reduced. Postgonite well developed, haired ventrally. Phallus long and broad; haired dorsally on basal 1/4. Distiphallus swollen, membranous.

FEMALE: Unknown.

HOST

Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

Phasia subnitida is named for the thin abdominal pruinosity.