Asiobaccha praefica ( Bezzi, 1928 ) Mengual, Ximo, 2016

Mengual, Ximo, 2016, A taxonomic revision of the genus Asiobaccha Violovitsh (Diptera: Syrphidae), Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 2585-2645 : 2619-2622

Asiobaccha praefica ( Bezzi, 1928) comb. nov.

( Figure 8c, d, f )

Baccha praefica Bezzi, 1928: 76 . Lectotype: ♀, BMNH, here designated. Type locality: Fiji: Ovalau Island. Hull 1937: 83.

Episyrphus (Asiobaccha) praefica of Thompson and Vockeroth 1989: 443; Evenhuis 2011.

Differential diagnosis

Species with the face, the scutellum and the abdomen dark ( Figure 8c ), with bluish shine, and with a broad alula ( Figure 8d, f ). It is very similar to A. samoaensis , both with the metatarsi dark brown or black ( Figure 8d ), but they can be distinguished by the microtrichosity of the basal cells: A. praefica has the cell BM bare basally (also cell CuP sometimes), and A. samoaensis has the wing entirely microtrichose. Usually specimens of A. praefica show a pollinose abdominal pattern (black pollinose maculae on terga 2 – 4), that most specimens of A. samaoensis lack; but the pollinose pattern is variable and some A. praefica may not clearly show it.

Variation. Specimens from Fiji at CNC show a more microtrichose wing, but cell BM has a bare area basally. Nevertheless, this bare area is smaller (about 1/4) than the bare area in other specimens (about 1/2 basal cell BM).

Length (N = 5). Body, 10.5 – 13.0 (11.4) mm; wing, 9.0 – 10.7 (9.6) mm.

Geographical distribution

Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Vanuatu.

Type locality

Fiji: Eastern Division, Lomaiviti Province, Ovalau island , 17°41 ’ S, 178°49 ʹ E.

Material examined

Type material. Lectotype, female, deposited in The Natural History Museum, formerly British Museum (Natural History) (London, United Kingdom) and labelled as indicated below. Paralectotype: ‘ Fiji Is. // Levuka // may/21 607 // H. W. Simmonds’, ‘ Para- // type ’ [round, yellow margin] ‘ Fiji Is. // Pres. by // Imp. Bur. Ent. // Brit. Mus. // 1929 – 1. ’ ‘ PARALECTOTYPE // Asiobaccha // praefica // det. X. Mengual 20 14’ [yellow, second and third lines handwritten] [1♀, BMNH].

Nontype material. FIJI: Kadavu Prov., Kadavu island, Vunisea Village , Korosalusalu Mt., trail above Microwave Towers , 200 m,19°03 ʹ 14 ʹ ’ S, 178°09 ʹ 51 ʹ ’ E, 23 January 2006, J. Skevington, hilltopping [1♂, CNC, CNC DIPTERA #2377 , BOLD: CNCDB2457-11] ;..., Tavuki district, SW Namalata Village, Moanakaka Bird Sanctuary , 135 m, coastal limestone forest, 19°04 ʹ 09 ʹ ‘ S, 178°07 ʹ 38 ʹ ’ E, 21 January 2006, J. Skevington, hilltopping [1♀, CNC, CNC DIPTERA #2361 , BOLD: CNCDB2456-11]; Rewa Prov ., Viti Levu island, Lami , February 1951, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, BPBM]; Lau Prov ., Oneata Island , 19 August 1924, E.H. Bryan Jr. [1♂, BPBM]; Lomaiviti Prov ., Wakaya island , 17 October 1924, E.H. Bryan Jr. [1♀, BPBM; 1♀, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011927 ] . NEW CALEDONIA: Grande Terre island, South Prov ., Nouméa , 10 September 1940, FXW [1♂, BPBM] ;..., 17 September 1940, FXW [1♂, BPBM] ;..., 23 September 1940, FXW [1♂, BPBM] ;..., 24 September 1940, FXW [1♂, BPBM; 2♂, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011926 , 00011931 ] ;..., hills behind Nouméa, 12 September 1940, FXW [1♂, BPBM]; Nouméa , February 1957, J. Rageau [6♀, RMNH] ;..., Riviere Bleue Prov. Pk., trail to Vallée de Pourina , 19 November 1992, 700 m, D.W. Webb, Malaise trap across forest path, [1♂, INHS] ;..., Thi River Valley , 1 November 1940, FXW [1♀, BPBM] ;..., in mountains up Boulari River , 3 – 4 November 1958, C.R. Joyce [1♂, BPBM; 1♂, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011929 ] ( ZFMK specimen photographed);..., Anse Vata , 25 October 1958, C.R. Joyce [1♀, BPBM] ;..., Plane Des Lacs , 30 October 1958, C.R. Joyce [1♂, BPBM] ;..., Mt. Koghi , 19 February 1963, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, BPBM] ;..., Mt. Khogi, 17 km NNE Nouméa , 500 m, 5 – 15 November 1992, D.W. Webb, Malaise trap in tropical forest [1♀, INHS] ;..., Mt. Koghi , 500 m, 15 February 1963, C.M. Yoshimoto [1♀, BPBM] ;..., Col de Pirogue , 23 January 1962, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, BPBM] ;..., Col d ’ Amieu , 750 m, 3 March 1960, J.L. Gressitt [1♀, BPBM] ;..., Sarraméa , 100 – 200 m, 2 March 1960, J.L. Gressitt [1♂, BPBM]; North Prov ., Hienghène , 10 – 150 m, 14 – 17 August 1979, G .M. Nishida [1♀, BPBM]; Loyalty Islands Prov ., Lifou island , 16 – 18 February 1963, C.M. Yoshimoto [1♀, BPBM] . TONGA: Tongatapu island, Nukualofa , 0 – 50 m, February 1972, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, BPBM]; ʻ Eua, Hafu , 100 – 200 m, February 1972, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011928 ] . VANUATU: Malampa Prov., NE Malakula island , June 1930, L.E. Cheesman [1♀, CNC]; Tafea Prov., Aneityum island , November 1930, L.E. Cheesman [2♂, BMNH]; Tafea Prov., Erromango island , 8 km W of Ipota, 100 – 200 m, March 1970, N.L.H. Krauss [1♀, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011916 ] .

Remarks

Bezzi (1928) based his new species on several female specimens from Ovalau (May 1922) and Levuka (May 1921), collected by H.W. Simmonds; and from Cuvu (November 1921) collected by R. Veitch. The two female syntype specimens collected by H.W. Simmonds were available for this study. Among the syntypes, there is a pinned female labelled: ‘Ovalau /may/22 // 604 // H. W. Simmonds Fiji. ’ ‘ Baccha // praefica // typ. ♀ n. sp. ’ [in red writing] ‘ Holo- // type ’ [round, red margin] ‘ Fiji Is. // Pres. by // Imp. Bur. Ent. // Brit. Mus. // 1929 – 1. ’ ‘ LECTOTYPE // Asiobaccha // praefica // (Bezzi) // de s. X. Mengual 2014 ’ [red; second and third lines handwritten]. This specimen is here designated as lectotype to fix and ensure the universal and consistent interpretation of the name. The other female syntype has been labelled as paralectotype.

The three specimens collected in Vanuatu by L.E. Cheesman have a manuscript name provided by Frank M. Hull, Baccha praefica subsp. opacea . This name has been never published; thus, it is not available.

Figures

Figure 8. Asiobaccha nubilipennis (Austen). a–b, e, lectotype ♂. (a) Dorsal view; (b) lateral view; (e) frontal view. Asiobaccha praefica (Bezzi). c–d, f, ♂. (c) Dorsal view; (d) lateral view; (f) frontal view. Scale bars: a–d = 2 mm; e, f = 1 mm.