Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin, 2021

David, K. J., Hancock, D. L., Sachin, K. & Mahendiran, G., 2021, A new species, new postabdominal descriptions and a new synonymy in Euphranta Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae: Trypetinae: Adramini), Zootaxa 5057 (1), pp. 87-98 : 89-91

Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:001B70E4-4656-4E66-A59C-AB6C3CC1DB3F

Description: Female: length of body, 4.29 mm ( Fig. 1 ).

Head: Frons fulvous with three frontal setae,1 orbital seta, 1 medial vertical and 1 lateral vertical seta present; occiput fulvous ( Fig. 2 ); ocellar triangle black, without ocellar seta, postocellar seta present, postocular setae thin and black. Face fulvous without any markings, antenna fuscous, as long as face and with plumose arista, gena narrow with seta present.

Thorax: Elongate (2.10 mm) and predominantly fulvous without any fuscous markings ( Fig. 3 ). Chaetotaxy; 2 scapular setae, 1 postpronotal, 1 postsutural supra-alar, 1 intra-alar, 1 postalar, 1 dorsocentral, and 1 prescutellar acrostichal seta present.Scutellum yellow with 2pairs of scutellar setae, anepisternum, katepisternum and anepimeron fulvous with 3 anepisternal setae (1 medial and 2 posterior) and single katepisternal and anepimeral setae, anatergite fulvous with fine erect hairs, katatergite and subscutellum fulvous, haltere yellow ( Fig. 1 ).

Legs: Fore coxa fuscous, mid and hind coxae fulvous, all femora fulvous without any fuscous markings, forefemur with 3 ventral setae and 2–3 dorsal setae; all tibiae and tarsi fulvous. ( Fig. 1 ).

Wing: 3.81 mm long, hyaline basally and dark fuscous apically with hyaline indentations and spots ( Fig. 5 ); pterostigma fuscous, subcostal band faint with a prominent dark fuscous spot on vein R 1 just below pterostigma; hyaline indentation in cell r 1 ends at vein R 4+5; hyaline indentation in cell cu 1 ends in cell dm; apex of cell r 4+5 hyaline; crossvein r-m placed beyond the middle of cell dm.

Abdomen: 1.57 mm long, elongate oval, tergites 1–3 predominantly fulvous with small black markings on lateral margins of tergite 3; tergites 4–6 glossy black ( Figs 1 , 4 ).

Postabdomen: Oviscape 1.35 mm long, conical, black, about as long as tergites 3–6 ( Figs 1 , 4 ); eversible membrane (0.83 mm long) with dentate spicules on distal end ( Fig. 9 ), aculeus (0.63 mm long) pointed, with single preapical indentation and devoid of preapical setae ( Fig. 8 ); 3 spermathecae, elongate-tubular (0.29 mm), wrinkled and translucent ( Fig. 10 ).

Type material: Holotype ♀, INDIA, Tamil Nadu, Dharmapuri, Vathalmalai , 13.x.2020, Mahendiran G. ( NIM). The holotype is deposited in the National Insect Museum ( ICAR- NBAIR), Bangalore, India.

Etymology: The species name is derived from “flavus” (Latin “yellow”) and “thorax” denoting its fully yellowish thorax.

Remarks: This species belongs in the zeylanica group, characterised by the presence of three anepisternal setae, 1 anterior to the phragma and 2 posterior to it ( Hancock and Drew, 2004). It is similar to E. laosica Hardy in the wing pattern and abdominal markings, but can be differentiated by the pale scutum and yellow scutellum, the hyaline indentation in cell r 1 reaching vein R 4+5, the oviscape shorter than abdomen and the aculeus with a preapical indentation. In E. laosica ( Figs 10–13 ) the scutum is fuscous posteriorly and the scutellum fuscous, the hyaline indentation in cell r 1 not reaching vein R 4+5, the oviscape 2–3 times longer than abdomen and the aculeus tip pointed without preapical indentation.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin, sp. n., habitus (lateral view).

FIGURES 2–5. Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin, sp.n. 2, head; 3, thorax (dorsal view); 4, abdomen; 5, wing.

FIGURES 6–9. Euphranta flavothoracica David, Hancock & Sachin, sp.n. 6, ovipositor; 7, spicules on eversible membrane; 7a, close-up view of spicules; 8, aculeus tip; 9, spermatheca.

FIGURES 10–13. Euphranta laosica Hardy, holotype female. 10, habitus (dorsal); 11, habitus (lateral); 12; ovipositor; 13, aculeus tip. Pictures courtesy: Dr J.H. Boone, BPBM, Hawaii, USA.