Paravibrissina argentifera, Shima, Hiroshi & Tachi, Takuji, 2008

Shima, Hiroshi & Tachi, Takuji, 2008, New species of the genus Paravibrissina Shima (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Southeast Asia and South Pacific, Zootaxa 1870, pp. 43-60 : 47-49

Paravibrissina argentifera sp. nov.

Figs. 4–8 , 26 , 29 .

Recognition. This is a very characteristic species due to its black and silvery white color pattern of the body, and at a glance resembles some Oriental species of Meigenia Robineau-Desvoidy. The male terminalia resemble those of P. adiscalis . Eggs are small and bear weak reticulation on the surface of the chorion.

Description. Male. Head black in ground color, dark brownish on parafacial next for facial ridge and gena below eye, with dense grayish white pollinosity on lower 2/3 of fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, gena and face, upper 1/3 of fronto-orbital plate shining black; interfrontal area velvety dark brown; occiput dark brown; antenna dark brown; palpus dark reddish brown. Vertex about 1/4 of head width; interfrontal area weakly widened anteriorly, slightly wider than fronto-orbital plate at middle; parafacial well narrowed below, about 1/2 as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; gena about 1/5 of eye height, with occipital dilation on lower 1/3; facial ridge rather bulged. Inner vertical seta about 3/5 as long as eye height; outer vertical seta very fine, about 1/3 as long as inner seta; 2 reclinate orbital setae, anterior seta slightly longer than posterior one and about 3/4 as long as inner vertical seta; 7–8 frontal setae, lowest seta nearly level with lower margin of pedicel; facial ridge with strong downcurved setae on lower 2/3 and with a row of fine setulae outside row of strong setae; gena with several fine setae; postorbital setae short and closely set; occiput with 2–3 rows of fine short black hairs. Antenna falling only slightly short of lower margin of face; 1st flagellomere about 3.5 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 1/4. Palpus about 5/7 as long as 1st flagellomere, weakly swollen near middle and weakly flattened, with dense short setulae on its entire length. Eye with long and rather sparse hairs.

Thorax shining black in ground color, with grayish white pollinosity on posterodorsal portion of postpronotal lobe and notopleural area and with brownish pollinosity on posterior portion of postsutural scutum. Three postsutural dorsocentral setae; 3 katepisternal setae, lower seta very fine; distance between bases of 2 subapical scutellar setae about 1/2 of that between bases of subapical and basal setae of corresponding side.

Wing pale brownish hyaline, more brownish basally; tegula and basicosta black; lower calypter pale brown. Second costal sector about 2/3 as long as 3rd and subequal to 4th; bend of vein M about 2 times closer to wing margin than to r-m crossvein.

Legs black; pulvilli pale brownish. Fore tibia with 2 posterior setae; mid tibia with 1 anterodorsal, 2 posterodorsal and 1 ventral setae; hind tibia with 3 preapical dorsal setae, posterodorsal seta fine and about 1/2 as long as dorsal seta; claws and pulvilli shorter than 5th tarsomeres.

Abdomen broadly reddish brown in ground color, black on syntergum 1+2, mid-dorsal longitudinal area of 3rd and 4th terga, entire 5th tergum and median longitudinal portion of venter, with dense pale yellowish white pollinosity on dorsum of 3rd to 5th terga, the pollinosity appearing silvery when seen from front. Hairs on dorsum rather long strong sparse and erect, on venter finer and denser; syntergum 1+2 with 2 median marginal setae; 3rd tergum with 4 irregularly set median discal and 2 strong median marginal setae; 4th tergum with 3 irregularly set discal and a row of strong marginal setae; 5th tergum with regular rows of strong discal and rather weak marginal setae; venter of 4th and 5th terga with hair patches of very dense short and fine hairs on roundish area of posterior 3/4 of each tergum. Male terminalia: 5th sternum with median cleft smoothly Vshaped, posterior lobe only slightly less than 1/2 of its whole length; 6th tergum absent; cerci in dorsal view separated on apical 1/3, inner wall of separated portion weakly serrated, in lateral view nearly straight; surstylus in lateral view rounded marginally, only slightly longer than wide, with sparse fine hairs; pregonite with a few hairs.

Female. Resembling male, but differing as follows: Vertex slightly narrower, slightly less than 1/5 of head width; 2 strong proclinate orbital setae, subequal in length to each other and to inner vertical seta; palpus clavate with shorter setulae; lower katepisternal seta strong, closer to upper line between anterior and posterior setae; claws and pulvilli still shorter; abdomen more broadly reddish brown in ground color, 5th tergum reddish; abdominal hairs recumbent, 3rd and 4th terga each with 2 median discal setae; venter of 4th and 5th terga without hair patches. Female terminalia: 6th tergum divided into two hemitergites, with several strong hairs; 6th tergum of small hemitergites, with strong hairs on posterior portion; 8th tergum of small roundish hemitergites, without hair; 8th sternum small, without hair; epiproct absent.

Body length: 6–6.8mm.

Distribution. Malaysia (Sabah).

Holotype. Male, MALAYSIA: Mahua, 1000 m, Crocker Range, Sabah, 2.ii. 2004, T. Tachi (ITBC).

Paratype. MALAYSIA: 1 female, East Trail, 150m, Danum Valley, Sabah, 22.ii.2005, T. Tachi (BLKU).

Etymology. Specific name is taken from the characteristic feature of the silvery white abdomen.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 8. Paravibrissina argentifera sp. nov. 4. Epandrium, cerci and surstylus in dorsal view (hairs omitted). 5. Same in lateral view (hairs on epandrium and cerci omitted). 6. Hypandrium, pregonite, postgonite and aedeagus in lateral view. 7. Male 5 th sternum in ventral view (hairs omitted on left side). 8. Female terminalia in lateral view. Scale bars for Figs. 4 – 6 and 7 = 0.1 mm, for Fig. 8 = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 25 – 28. Eggs and 1 st instar larva. 25. Paravibrissina adiscalis Shima (left below, anterior portion of 1 st instar larva; right below, part of marginal ring). 26. P. argentifera sp. nov. (chorion somewhat deformed and marginal ring removed with treatment of KOH solution). 27. P. aurigera sp. nov. 28. P. leucogaster sp. nov.

FIGURES 29 – 34. 29. Paravibrissina argentifera sp. nov., male, dorsal view. 30. P. leucogaster sp. nov., male, dorsal view. 31. P. aurigera sp. nov., female, dorsal view. 32. Same, lateral view of head. 33. P. pacifica sp. nov., male, dorsal view. 34. Same, lateral view of head.