Bengalia surcoufi Senior-White, 1923

Rognes, Knut, 2009, Revision of the Oriental species of the Bengalia peuhi speciesgroup (Diptera, Calliphoridae), Zootaxa 2251 (1), pp. 1-76 : 46-49

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2251.1.1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B74687E8-8516-0870-4396-FB69A2D05098
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Bengalia surcoufi Senior-White, 1923
status

Treatment

9. Bengalia surcoufi Senior-White, 1923 View in CoL

Figs. 119–129 View FIGURES 119–129 , 181 View FIGURES 173–186 , 194 View FIGURES 187–198 , 206 View FIGURES 199–210 .

Holotype male, India ( BMNH), by original designation. For details see Type material below.

Bengalia surcoufi Senior-White, 1923a: 302 View in CoL (key), 306 (main entry), Plate II (fig. 11, fore tibia; fig. 12, mid femur), Plate VIII (male genitalia). Holotype male, by original designation, India, West Bengal, Darjiling district, Mungpoo , 24.iii.1920 (BMNH). Examined.

Note. Mungpoo is spelled variously as Mangpu, Mangphu, Mugpu, and Mongpu on maps.

Bengalia surcoufi: Senior-White, 1923b: 37 View in CoL . India.

Note. Senior-White here records one female from Shillong [Meghalaya] and one female from Matheran [Maharashtra] which “are probably this species, but again I hesitate to distinguish definitely in the female sex between this species and my bezzii View in CoL , as separation rests only on colour”. Not seen .

Bengalia surcoufi: Senior-White, 1924: 106 View in CoL . Specimens from India ( Khasia Hills [Meghalaya] (1♂ 1♀, as “a pair”) and Charapani Tehsil [?]) (1♂). Not seen.

Note. Senior-White also lists “ two ♂ from Dehra Dun [Uttar Pradesh], xi.07, (Thomson); one of which is noted by Surcouf as ‘probably varicolor View in CoL F.’ …”. I have been able to examine a specimen which fits these data, although it lacks a Senior-White determination label to the effect that he identified it as surcoufi View in CoL . It is a specimen of bezzii Senior-White View in CoL (= varicolor Fabricius View in CoL ) exactly as Surcouf noted on the label. More details are given in the synonymy of Bengalia varicolor View in CoL , below.

Bengalia surcoufi: Senior-White, 1926: 139 View in CoL . India (Khasia Hills [Meghalaya] (cited as “Khasia Hills in Assam ”), and Matheran [Maharashtra] (cited as “ Western Ghats (Matheran)”).

Note. He also repeats the locality “Dehra Dun ” [Uttar Pradesh], but this record may be dubious (see previous entry).

Bengalia surcoufi: Senior-White et al., 1940: 101 View in CoL . India (“the Himalayas (foot-hills), Assam Hills, Western Ghats”).

Bengalia surcoufi: James, 1977: 530 View in CoL . Catalogue entry.

Afridigalia surcoufi: Lehrer, 2005: 69 . India (Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal).

Note. I have re-examined most of Lehrer’s material, except two males from Tamil Nadu (“S. India, Burliyar , 300 ft., Coonoor Ghaut …” and “S. India, Naraikkadu , 2500-3000 ft., Tinnevelly [= Tirunelveli] …”) .

Bengalia surcoufi: Verves, 2005: 240 View in CoL . Catalogue entry.

Diagnosis. Male. Length: 8–10mm (n=3). Frons at vertex / head width ratio: 0.317 –0.342 (mean 0.330, n=5). Lunula bare. Fronto-orbital plate without proclinate orbital setae. Anepimeron mostly clothed with yellow setulae, a small bundle of black setulae (3–15) on upper part just below lesser ampulla, numerous yellow ground setulae present in lower part, no black setulae reaching katepisternum. Fore tibia with two spine-like setae longer than the others, both a little shorter than tibial diameter ( Fig. 181 View FIGURES 173–186 ). Mid tibia without fringe of thin setae, all distal elongate setae shorter than tibial diameter ( Fig.194 View FIGURES 187–198 ). Hind tibia with a row of 3–5 long thin setae on av surface of apical half in addition to the strong av seta, but without typical fringe ( Fig. 206 View FIGURES 199–210 ).

ST5 flap broad, with concave lateral edges ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 119–129 ) and a distal excavation.

Cerci almost straight in profile view, curved near tip. Surstyli with swollen tip ( Fig. 126 View FIGURES 119–129 ), bare below.

Distiphallus with horizontal dorsolateral wings. Antlers simple, with small basal tooth. Upper lip projecting beyond base of antlers, its anterior edge convex in dorsal view. Vertical sclerotised sheet prominent, with a straight unserrated anterior edge, and a short thick lateral finger ( Fig. 129 View FIGURES 119–129 ). External hypophallic lobe not folded distally, terminating below in a weakly projecting almost rounded ventral finger. Internal hypophallic lobes parallel. Parastomal sclerite a narrow and horizontal sclerite projecting forwards lateral to the ejaculatory opening ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 119–129 ), in dorsal view curved ( Figs. 120, 122 View FIGURES 119–129 ), distally strongly sclerotised.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. India (Himachal Pradesh,? Maharashtra [a female specimen only], Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal), Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam.

Material examined. Type material. Bengalia surcoufi Senior-White, 1923a . All the 3 original syntypes are staged and the pins are heavily corroded. The collector is G. E. Shaw according to Senior-White (1923a: 307), but this is not stated on any labels. All are in BMNH. Holotype male, labelled (1) “3” [handwriting on stage card]; (2) “TYPE.” [red handwriting]; (3) “Holo- / type” [printed on circular white label with broad red margin]; (4) “ INDIA: / Sikkim. / Mungpoo. / 3800 ft. / 24. iii.1920 ” [handwritten, except first line which is printed]; (5) “ Bengalia / surcoufi, S.-W. / det. R. Senior White.” [handwritten, except last line which is printed]; (6) “Purchd. from / R. Senior White / B.M.1938-460” [printed]; (7) “ Afridigalia ♂ / surcoufi (S.W.) / Det. Dr. A.Z.LEHRER / 2004” [printed]; (8) “ Afridigalia ♂ / surcoufi (S.W.) / Det. Dr. A.Z.LEHRER / 2004” [printed]. The last abdominal segments have been removed. Genital slide in BMNH labelled “ Bengalia / surcoufi / S.-W. / ♂ genitalia. / Type. / 3.V.22.” [handwritten]. Paratypes. 1 male labelled: (1) “1.” [handwriting on stage card]; (2) “Para- / type” [printed on circular white label with broad yellow margin]; (3) “COTYPE” [red handwriting]; (4) “ INDIA: / Sikkim. / Mungpoo. / 1700 ft. / 14.vi.1920 ” [handwritten, except first line which is printed]; (5) “Purchd. from / R.Senior White / B.M.1938-460” [printed]; (6) “ Bengalia / surcoufi, S.-W. / det. R.Senior White.” [handwritten, except last line which is printed]. Right hind, left mid and left fore legs lost. Right fore tibia lost. Not dissected. The ST5 flap is visible, although the abdominal tip is rather mouldy. 1 male labelled: (1) “2” [handwriting on stage card]; (2) “Para- / type” [printed on circular white label with broad yellow margin]; (3) “COTYPE” [red handwriting]; (4) “ INDIA: / Sikkim. / 3800 ' / Mungpoo. / 6.iv.1920.” [handwritten, except first line which is printed]; (5) “Purchd. from / R. Senior White / B.M.1938-460” [printed]; (6) “ Bengalia / surcoufi, S.-W. / det. R.Senior White.” [handwritten, except last line which is printed]. Left fore leg lost. Not dissected. The ST5 flap is visible.

Other material. MSNM: 1 male labelled (1) “ Kasanli [Himachal Pradesh] / India / Cragg ” [handwritten, Fig. 123 View FIGURES 119–129 ]; (2) “ … coufi” [white printed museum label similar to others from MSNM, but posterior half only, anterior half lost]; (3) “ Bengalia ♂ / surcoufi Senior-White / Det. Dr. A. Z. LEHRER / XII.2004 ” [printed on white label]; (4) My determination label ( surcoufi Senior-White ). The specimen is in good condition with all legs intact. The genital capsule has been removed from the abdomen. The ST 5 flap and the T6 are in place and sclerotised sheet, with lateral finger. Scale = 0.25mm ( Figures 119, 120, 122 View FIGURES 119–129 ). Abbreviations: ej. o. = ejaculatory opening; l. f. = lateral finger; pst. scl. = parastomal sclerite; v. f. = ventral finger .

unharmed. Below the specimen there is present on the pin a white card label with three transverse black stripes at base near the pin. At the tip of this card there are some shining remains of glue, and the distiphallus is still sticking to the glue by its right antler. Judging from the extent of the glue there must once have been more genital parts attached to it. In a large plastic vial were some dry genital remains: an intact genital capsule with epandrium, cerci and surstyli, incl. bacilliform sclerites, but no aedeagal parts. In addition there was some unidentifiable debris in the vial: a few fibres and some flat pieces of unknown nature, and part of an insect leg (black) which does not belong to the specimen on the pin. Everything has now been placed in glycerol in a glass vial. This specimen appears to have been used by Lehrer (2005) for the illustration in his fig. 30B of the cerci and surstyli in profile view. Lehrer (2005: 71) miscites the label locality as “Kasanki”. 1 male labelled (1) “Ind. Mus. / [long black printed line] / Kalimpong [West Bengal], / Darjiling dist / E. Himalayas, / 600–4500 ft. / 24.IV – 10.V.15 / F. H. Gravely [transverse text along the left margin of label]” [yellowish label with black print]; (2) “surcoufi” [white museum label with black print]; (3) “ Bengalia ♂ / surcoufi Senior-White / Det. Dr. A. Z. LEHRER / XII.2004 ” [printed on white label, pinned at middle]; (4) “ Bengalia ♂ / surcoufi Senior-White / Det. Dr. A. Z. LEHRER / XII.2004 ” [printed on white label, pinned near right hand edge]; (5) My determination label ( surcoufi Senior-White ). The specimen was mostly destroyed in the mail at reception. The large Lehrer type plastic vial had come loose in transit. On the pin is only the thorax and head, both in good shape. Both fore legs are in situ and in good shape, except that the right fore leg lacks the tarsus. Both mid legs have broken off. The right hind leg is in good shape and in situ, but lacks the three distal-most tarsomeres. Loose in the box were two wings, the abdomen [which had the genital capsule and the whole ST5 removed], the left hind leg [lacking the distal-most four tarsomeres], right mid leg [tarsus lost], left mid femur, left mid tibia. These parts have now been glued onto a piece of stiff paper. In the large plastic vial were the following already dissected genital parts in glycerol: ST5 + ST5 flap [a small part of ST5 broken off and present as a separate piece]; hypandrium + pre- and postgonites on both sides + phallapodeme + aedeagus [tip of right antler and its basal tooth broken off] in one piece; epandrium + two cerci + basal parts of both surstyli + bacilliform sclerites [both pieces on one side, lowermost piece lost on the other]; one loose distal surstylar piece, the other distal surstylar piece lost. The ejaculatory sclerite is absent. All the genital parts have now been placed in glycerol in a smaller glass microvial. This specimen appears to have been used by Lehrer (2005) for the illustrations in his fig. 30A, C–E.

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Class	Insecta
Order	Diptera
Family	Calliphoridae
Genus	Bengalia