Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) crassulata ( Mesnil, 1953 )

Tachi, Takuji & Shima, Hiroshi, 2023, Systematic study of the subgenus Aphantorhaphopsis of the genus Siphona in East Asia and the Oriental Region (Diptera: Tachinidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 63 (1), pp. 213-247 : 231

Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) crassulata ( Mesnil, 1953)

( Figs 44–48 , 95)

Crocuta (Siphona) crassulata Mesnil,1953:112 . Type locality: Myanmar

[ Burma], Kambaiti.

Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) crassulata : O’HARA (1989: 96), O’HARA et al. (2020: 798).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: J ( ZMU), N.E. Burma / Kambaiti , 2000 m / 4.6.1934, R. Malaise.

Additional material examined. 15 JJ 4 ♀♀ ( SMNH), same locality as holotype, 9,23,28.iv., 11–12.v., 23.vi.1934, R. Malaise.

Diagnosis. Labella rather elongate, slightly shorter than prementum and eye height; gena approximately 0.2 of eye height; 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae.

This species is very similar to S. (A.) curta sp. nov., but is distinguished from it by having elongate labella and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae (whereas the latter species has labella distinctly shorter than prementum and 4 postsutural dorsocentral setae).

Redescription. Body length 4.0– 4.5 mm. Male. Head whitish in ground color; fronto-orbital plate light gray, with whitish pruinosity; frontal vitta orange; antenna with scape and pedicel orange; postpedicel blackish; arista brown; palpus light yellow. Vertex 0.38–0.40 of head width; parafacial subequal in width to width of 2nd aristomere at middle height; gena approximately 0.2 of eye height; fronto-orbital plate with some fine setae; anterior reclinate orbital seta situated posterior to middle of fronto-orbital plate, approximately 2.5 times as long as posterior seta; antenna with postpedicel subrectangular, approximately twice as long as wide, and 3.8–4 times as long as pedicel; 2nd aristomere subequal in length to width; 3rd aristomere thickened in basal 1/3; palpus clavate; prementum 7–8 times as long as wide and slightly shorter than eye height; labella slightly shorter than prementum.

Thorax. Dorsum light gray, with yellowish pruinosity; 3 presutural and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae.

Wing. Tegula blackish; basicosta light yellow. Relative lengths of costal sectors two, three, and four approximately 1: 5.5: 2.5; ultimate section of M 4 approximately 0.45 times as long as penultimate section, and approximately 1.3 times as long as crossvein dm-m; R 1

bare.

Legs yellowish in ground color; tarsi blackish. Fore tibia with 3 anterodorsal, 1–2 posteroventral, and 1 posterior setae; hind tibia with 3–5 anterodorsal, 3–4 posterodorsal, and 3–5 ventral setae.

Abdomen brownish to blackish in ground color; anterior half of tergites 3–5 with whitish pruinosity. Syntergite 1+2 with pair of lateral marginal setae; tergite 3 with pair of lateral and median marginal setae; sternite 5 with pair of rounded median lobes on inner edge.

Male postabdomen. Surstylus tapered to apex in lateral view and slightly curved dorsally at apex; cerci curved dorsally in middle in lateral view, strongly narrowed in apical half in dorsal view; pregonite narrowed in apical half in lateral view, with one weak dorsal seta; postgonite slightly curved ventrally, apex rounded; epiphallus present; distiphallus broadly sclerotized in lateral view with some tiny spinules ventrally.

Female. Differing from male as follows: gena approximately 0.17 of eye height; antenna with postpedicel slender,

approximately 2.3 times as long as wide.

Female postabdomen. Tergites 6–7 absent; sternite 7 with anterior apodeme; sternite 8 small with some setae.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Myanmar [ Burma] ( MESNIL 1953, O’HARA et al. 2020).

Figures

Figs 44–48. Male and female postabdomen of Siphona (Aphantorhaphopsis) crassulata (Mesnil, 1953). (Myanmar, Kambaiti).44 – epandrium, cerci and surstylus in lateral view; 45 – epandrium, cerci and surstylus in dorsal view (setae omitted on left side); 46 – hypandrium, pregonite, postgonite and phallus in lateral view; 47 – fifth abdominal sternite in ventral view (setae omitted on left side); 48 – female postabdomen in lateral view. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.