Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. A, 35(4), pp. 233–242, December 22, 2009

Description of a New Species of the Genus Setalunula Chao & Yang
(Diptera, Tachinidae) from Japan
Hiroshi Shima1 and Takuji Tachi2
1

Kyushu University Museum, Kyushu University, Hakozaki, Fukuoka, 812–8581 Japan
E-mail: shimarcb@kyudai.jp
2
Hokkaido University Museum, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060–0810 Japan
E-mail: tachi@museum.hokudai.ac.jp

Abstract A new species of the genus Setalunula Chao & Yang (Tachinidae, Exoristinae, Eryciini), S. japonica sp. nov., is described from Japan. This is the second species of the genus.
Setalunula blepharipoides Chao & Yang, the type species of the genus, is redescribed and new distribution data are added. Diagnostic features of the genus are briefly discussed.
Key words : Insecta, Diptera, Tachinidae, Setalunula, new species, Japan.

Introduction
The monotypic genus Setalunula was erectedby Chao and Yang (1990) for a new tachinid
species from China, S. blepharipoides Chao &Yang. This large (13–15 mm in body length)tachinid is characterized by a setose lunula andwide parafacial. At a glance it resembles thegenus Blepharipa Rondani (in the tribe Goniini)that is common in East Asia, but it differs inhaving two or three frontal setae and an
ovolarviparous reproductive habit (i.e. females laylarge and fully incubated eggs in contrast to females of the microovolarviparous Blepharipa,
which lay minute eggs no more than 0.2 mm inlength). This genus appears to belong to the tribe
Eryciini, as first suggested by Chao and Yang
(1990). We discovered a second species of Setalunula, this one from Japan, collected from theImperial Palace (central Tokyo) and Odamiyama(Shikoku). We describe this new species below.
Setalunula blepharipoides Chao & Yang was
originally recorded from southern and southwestern China (Chao and Yang, 1990). We add northern Thailand and Nepal to the distribution of thisspecies. It is commonly written that there is a
close faunal relationship between western Japanand northern fringe of the Oriental Region rang-

ing from southeastern slope of the Himalayas
through northern Thailand to southwestern
China. The finding of this Japanese species appears to represent an example of this faunal relationship.
It is interesting that this new species was foundin only a very restricted area of central Tokyoand Shikoku and that this large tachinid had notbeen collected before in Japan despite efforts tocollect Japanese tachinids over many years.
Materials and Methods
Material has been studied from the following
collections:
BLKU Biosystematics Laboratory, Graduate
School of Social & Cultural Studies,
Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
CNC
Canadian National Insect Collection,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Canada
CMU
Department of Biology, Chiangmai
University, Chiangmai, Thailand
IZCAS Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academyof Sciences, Beijing, China
KIZ
Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
NSMT National Museum of Nature and Sci-

234

Hiroshi Shima and Takuji Tachi

ence, Tokyo
Systematic Entomology, Hokkaido
University, Sapporo, Japan
Terminology used in descriptions follows
McAlpine (1981). In the male terminalia theterms pregonite and postgonite are adopted following Sinclair (2000) instead of the gonopod
and paramere of McAlpine (1981). Measurements were made in a similar manner to Shima(1996). Adults were examined with a Leica
MZ12 stereoscopic microscope and first instar
larvae were examined with a Nikon Optiphoto
microscope. Images of specimens and structure
were taken with a Canon EOS Kiss XII digital
camera. Eighteen to 20 images were taken of a
specimen or a structure at different focal planes,
then blended in Combine ZM software. Imagesof first instar larvae were taken with a Nicon
Coolpix P5100 digital camera attached to a
Nikon Optiphoto microscope.
SEHU

Description
Setalunula Chao & Yang, 1990
Setalunula Chao and Yang, 1990: 77. Type species: Setalunula blepharipoides Chao & Yang, 1990 (by original
designation).

Male and female. Large eryciine flies (13–15 mm body length); frons wide, vertex about 1/3of head width or more; parafacial wide, morethan 1.5 times as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; gena slightly narrower than profrons;
face flattened, without carina, lower margin notproduced forward; occiput flat; lunula with 1 pairof rather strong and 1–2 pairs of fine setulae;
inner vertical seta strong; outer vertical seta absent in male, at most weakly developed in female; ocellar seta present; 2–3 reclinate orbital
setae; 2 proclinate orbital setae in female, absent
in male; fronto-orbital plate with dense hairs;
parafacial bare; facial ridge with fine setae on at
most lower 1/3; vibrissa nearly level with lower
margin of face; occiput with 2–3 rows of fine
short black hairs; antenna falling short of lower
margin of face; 1st flagellomere 3–5 times aslong as pedicel; arista bare, basal 2 aristomeresvery short, 3rd aristomere thickened on at mostbasal 2/5; prementum short, about 1/4 as long as
eye height; labella large; palpus well clavate; eyebare. Prosternum with several fine hairs on eachside; proepisternum bare, proepisternal setastrong; 3–4 postpronotal setae, 3 basal setae set
nearly in a straight line; 3 pre- and 3 postsuturalacrostichal setae; 3 pre- and 4 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 1 pre- and 3 postsutural intra-alarsetae; 2 notopleural setae; 3 postsutural supraalar setae, anterior seta stronger than 1st postsutural intra-alar seta; 2–4 katepisternal setae;
anepimeral seta strong, almost reaching to posterior margin of upper calypter; katepimeron bare;
2–3 pairs of discal scutellar setae; 3 marginal
scutellar setae, namely basal, subapical and apical setae, apical setae strong and crossed horizontally, one fine seta present between basal andsubapical setae and between subapical and basal
setae. Wing with costa bare below beyond subcosta; basal node of vein M with 2–3 fine setulae;
bend of vein M nearly right-angled or obtuse-angled, closer to wing margin than to dm-cu
crossvein. Hind coxa bare on posterodorsal margin; hind tibi without preapical posterodorsal
seta. Abdomen with syntergum 1+2 excavated toposterior margin; discal setae absent on 3rd and4th terga; abdominen of male without sexually
modified hairing.
Male terminalia. 5th sternum with V-shaped
cleft, with dense long hairs on posterior lobe; 6th
tergum entire, constricted on anterior margin; 6thsternum asymmetrical, separated from syntergosternum 7+8 on left side and articulated withthe latter on right side; syntergosternum 78
short, at most slightly longer than 6th tergum;
cerci narrow and long, weakly excavated on dorsal surface, apical portion narrowly separated;surstylus shorter than cerci, apex curved ventrally
and pointed; pregonite long triangular in shape,with hairs on dorsal margin; postgonite roundedapically, with fine or strong hairs on outer surface; epiphallus narrow and rather long; distiphallus nearly long rectangular in lateral view,
dorsodistal portion membranous, distal margin
with minute spinules.

New Species of Setalunula from Japan

Female terminalia. Elongate, nearly 1/2 aslong as abdomen; 6th tergum longitudinally divided into 2 hemitergites; 6th and 7th spiracles
on ventral margin of 6th tergum; 6th sternum
narrowed posteriorly, rounded at apex, nearly as
long as 5th sternum; 7th tergum divided into 2
hemitergites; 7th sternum narrowed posteriorly,
apex rounded; 8th tergum of small hemitergites,
without hair; 8th sternum small, broadly excavat-

235

ed on anterior portion, without hair; epiproct welldeveloped, without hair.
Remarks. Setalunula species are ovolarviparousand apparently belong to the tribe Eryciini of thesubfamily Exoristinae. Among members of
Eryciini, however, it is not easy to place any ofthem close to Setalunula in morphological features. Setalunula is unique in having setulose
lunula, but is not very peculiar in other features

Figs. 1–5. Male terminalia of Setalunula japonica sp. nov. 1, Epandrium, cerci and surstylus in dorsal view, hairs
omitted; 2, same in lateral view, hairs on epandrium and cerci omitted; 3, hypandrium, pre- and postgonite
and aedeagus in lateral view; 4, pregonite and postgonite in lateral view; 5, 5th sternum in ventral view, hairs
on right side omitted. Scales, 0.2 mm for 1–3, 0.1 mm for 4, 0.15 mm for 5.

236

Hiroshi Shima and Takuji Tachi

among members of this tribe. This genus rather
resembles Blepharipa or Euhygia in general appearance, but they are members of the microovolarviparous Goniini.
The male terminalia of Setalunula are characteristic in having short fine or long strong setulaeon the median portion of the outer surface of the
postgonite (Figs. 4, 8). This feature is not usuallyfound in Exoristinae, and only some species ofParatryphera (tribe Ethillini of Exoristinae) havestrong peg-like setulae on the basal and median
portion of the outer surface of the postgonite(e.g., Tschorsnig, 1985). The female terminalia
are not much different from generalized form ofovolarviparous Eryciini, though the epiproct appears to be larger than in the others.
Setalunula japonica sp. nov.
(Figs. 1–7, 13–14, 16–17)
Setalunula sp.: Yamamoto, 2000: 979.
Setalunula sp.: Shima, 2006: 283.

Body length. 13.5–14.2 mm.
Male. Head black in ground color, pale
brownish on lower parafacial and gena below
eye, velvety brown on frontal vitta and darkbrownish on lunula; fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, face, gena, postorbit and occiput with dense
whitish pruinosity, fronto-orbital plate appearing
grayish with direction of light; antenna black;
palpus reddish yellow. Vertex about 1/3 of headwidth; frontal vitta weakly widened anteriorly,
subequal in width to fronto-orbital plate at middle; parafacial wide, about 2.5 times as wide as
1st flagellomere at middle height; gena about 1/4
of eye height, genal dilation occupying lower 1/2
of gena. Inner vertical seta about 2/5 as long as
eye height; ocellar seta rather fine, slightly morethan 1/2 length of inner vertical seta; 2 subequally long reclinate orbital setae, about as long as
ocellar seta, posterior seta shifted outside; 11–13
frontal setae, lowest seta nearly level with base ofarista; a row of strong hairs and 2–3 rows of fine
short hairs outside row of frontal setae, not descending below lowest frontal seta; parafacialbare; facial ridge with several strong hairs onlower 1/4; gena with dense fine short hairs on
genal dilation; postocular setae short and dense.
Antenna falling short of lower margin of face by
about 1/2 length of 1st flagellomere; pedicel witha long seta about 1.5 times as long as its own
length; 1st flagellomere about 3.5 times as longas wide, 3 times as long as pedicel. Palpus subequal in length to 1st flagellomere.
Thorax black in ground color, scutellum weakly reddish brown on apical portion, with rather
dense grayish white pruinosity, the pruinosity
somewhat bluish gray-white on dorsum; dorsum
with 5 narrow longitudinal vittae, median vitta
absent on presutural area and diffusing marginally on postsutural scutum. Katepisternum with
2–3 setae, if 3, then lower seta very fine; scutellum with 3 discal setae; basal scutellar seta about
1.5 times as long as scutellum and slightly longer
than subapical seta, the latter slightly longer thanapical seta; distance between bases of two subapical scutellar setae about twice that between
basal and subapical setae of corresponding side.
Wing hyaline, very slightly tinged with pale
brown on anterior portion; costa between veins
R1 and R23 slightly more than 3/4 length of thatbetween R23 and R45; bend of vein M obtuseangled, about 1.5 times closer to wing margin
than to dm-cu crossvein; last section of vein
CuA1 about 1/2 as long as dm-cu crossvein, thelatter sinuate.
Legs black, pulvilli brownish. Fore tibia with 2
posterior setae; mid tibia with 1 anterodorsal, 2posterodorsal and 1 ventral setae; hind tibia witha closely set row of anterodorsal setae, middle
seta stronger than others, and 3–4 ventral setae.
Claws and pulvilli longer than 5th tarsomere.
Abdomen black in ground color, dorsum withrather dense whitish pruinosity on anterior 1/2 of
3rd tergum and 1/4 of 4th, the pruinosity diffusing posteriorly on 3rd tergum, black on posterior
3/4 of 4th tergum and entire 5th, mid-dorsal longitudinal vitta weakly developed; venter with thin
whitish pruinosity on anterior 1/2 of 3rd and 2/3
of 4th terga. Hairs on abdominal dorsum dense
short fine and recumbent; syntergum 12 andNew Species of Setalunula from Japan

3rd tergum with 1 lateral marginal seta, without
median marginal and discal setae; 4th tergum
with a row of short marginal setae; 5th tergum
with rows of short discal and marginal setae
mixed with strong bristle-like hairs; venter with
dense short fine recumbent hairs.
Terminalia. 5th sternum quadrate, with deep
V-shaped posteromedian cleft; cerci in dorsal
view weakly constricted on basal 1/3, widened tomedian portion and narrowed to apex, in lateralview nearly straight and weakly curved at apex;
surstylus in lateral view long triangular in shape,
apical portion curved ventrally, with rather dense
hairs; pregonite long triangular in shape, with arow of hairs on dorsal margin; postgonite with arow of minute hairs on median portion of outer237

surface; epiphallus rather broad at base and narrow on apical 2/3.
Female. Differing from male as follows: Vertex about 3/8 of head width; frontal vitta slightly
narrower than fronto-orbital plate at middle;
parafacial about 2 times as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; gena about 2/9 of eyeheight; inner vertical seta about 1/2 as long as
eye height; outer vertical seta about 2/5 as longas inner seta; ocellar seta fine, slightly longer
than outer vertical seta; 2–3 subequally long reclinate orbital setae, about 1/2 as long as innervertical seta; 2 strong proclinate orbital setae,
subequal in length to inner vertical seta; antenna
falling short of lower margin of face by about
length of pedicel; 1st flagellomere about 2.5

Figs. 6–8. Female terminalia. 6, Setalunula japonica sp. nov., lateral view; 7, same, dorsal view; 8, S. blepharipoides Chao & Yang, lateral view. Scale, 0.3 mm.

238

Hiroshi Shima and Takuji Tachitimes as long as wide, about 3.5 times as long as
pedicel; palpus darkened on basal 1/2, morestrongly clavate; 3–4 katepisternal setae; claws
and pulvilli short, distinctly shorter than 5th tarsomere; 3rd abdominal tergum with whitish pruinosity on anterior 2/3; syntergum 12 and 3rd
tergum each with 2 short median marginal setae.
Terminalia: 6th tergum divided into two longquadrate hemitergites, with rather fine hairs on
posterior 1/2; 6th sternum narrowed posteriorly,
with fine hairs on posterior 1/3, posterior marginrounded; 7th spiracle on mid-ventral portion of
6th tergum; 7th tergum divided into long-triangular hemitergites, fused with 7th sternum on anteroventral portion, with several hairs on posterior 1/3; 7th sternum narrowed posteriorly, anteroventral portion narrowly incised, posterior
margin rounded, with fine hairs on posterior 1/3;
epiproct rather large, sagittate in form.
First instar larva. Thoracic segments and 1st
to 8th abdominal segments each bearing 6–8
rows of minute spinules on anterior margin, several strong spinules mixed on anteroventral margin of thoracic segments and 1st and 2nd abdominal segments, the spinules sparse on mid lateral
portion of each segment and on 8th abdominal
segment; cephalopharyngial skeleton evenly narrowed anteriorly and shaply pointed at anterior
apex, lateral plate well developed.
Holotype. Male, Imperial Palace, Tokyo,
24.x.2005, S. Shinonaga (NSMT).
Paratypes. 1 female, same locality as holotype, 17.vii.2001, S. Shinonaga (BLKU); 1 female, Oda-cho, Ehime, 25.viii.1996, E. Yamamoto (BLKU).
Etymology. The specific name is taken fromthe country of origin of this species.
Distribution. Japan (Honshu, Shikoku).
Remarks. This species closely resembles S.
blepharipoides, but differs from it in its shorter
antenna and narrower gena. The male terminalia
differ from those of S. blepharipoides in having
shorter and wider cerci and only short fine hairson the postgonite.

Setalunula blepharipoides Chao & Yang
(Figs. 8–12, 15, 18–19)
Setalunula blepharipoides Chao and Yang, 1990: 78.

This species was described in detail by Chao
and Yang (1990). Added here are some measurements, features and the structure of the terminalia.
Male. Vertex about 1/3 of head width, orslightly more; gena about 2/9 of eye height;
parafacial about 2 times as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; gena about 2/7 of eyeheight; 2–3 reclinate orbital setae; ocellar seta
finer than, but usually as long as, reclinate orbital
seta; 1st flagellomere about 4 times as long as
wide and 3–3.2 times as long as pedicel; palpus
subequal in length to 1st flagellomere. Katepisternum usually with 2 setae, rarely 3, anterior
seta shorter; scutellum with 2 pairs of discal
setae; basal scutellar seta subequal in length tosubapical seta and about 1.5 times as long as
scutellum; apical scutellar seta only slightly
shorter than subapical seta. Bend of vein M nearly right-angled, or weakly rounded. Abdominal
syntergum 12 with 2 fine median marginal
setae; 3rd tergum with 2 rather strong medianmarginal setae. Terminalia: Cerci in dorsal view
weakly constricted on basal 1/3, median longitudinal portion shallowly excavated on posterior
1/2, in lateral view nearly straight, weakly curved
ventrally on apical portion; surstylus in lateralview narrowed posteriorly, apex curved andpointed; pregonite triangular in form, with 4–5
strong marginal hairs; postgonite with 2–3 longand strong hairs on outer median portion;
epiphallus narrow and long, weakly inclined posteriorly; distiphallus long quadrate in shape inlateral view, with minute spinules on distal margin, dorsodistal portion membranous.
Female. Gena narrower than in male, about
1/4 of eye height; outer vertical seta absent as in
male; ocellar seta very fine or absent; 2 strong
proclinate orbital setae; 1st flagellomere about 4times as long as pedicel; palpus more strongly
clavate than in male, as long as 1st flagellomere.

New Species of Setalunula from Japan

Katepisternum with 2–3 setae. Median marginal
setae on abdominal syntergum 12 and 3rd tergum stronger than in male. Terminalia: 6th tergum divided into two narrow long quadrate
hemitergites, with a row of short hairs on upper
margin; 7th tergum narrow and long triangular inshape, not fused with 7th sternum.

239

First instar larva. Almost same as in S.
japonica: Anterior portion of cephalopharyngeal
skeleton slightly shorter and broader than in S.
japonica.
Type material examined. Holotype male of
Setalunula blepharipoides, Longsheng, Guangxi,
740 m., 26.vi.1963, Y. Shi (IZCAS).

Figs. 9–12. Male terminalia of Setalunula blepharipoides Chao & Yang. 9, Epandrium, cerci and surstylus in dorsal view, hairs omitted; 10, same in lateral view, hairs on epandrium and cerci omitted; 11, hypandrium, preand postgonite and aedeagus in lateral view; 12, pregonite and postgonite in lateral view. Scales, 0.2 mm for
9–11, 0.1 mm for 12.

240

Hiroshi Shima and Takuji Tachi

New Species of Setalunula from Japan241

Figs. 16–19. First instar larvae. 16–17, Setalunula japonica sp. nov.; 18–19, S. blepharipoides Chao & Yang.
Scale, 0.1 mm.

Additional material examined. CHINA: 2
males 1 female, Nanping, 1500 m., Simao, Yunnan, 31.viii.1990, H. Shima (BLKU); 1 male 1
female, Dazhai, Simao, Yunnan, 31.viii.1990, X.
Lin (KIZ); NEPAL: 1 male 1 female, Godavari,
5000 ft., Kathmandu, 23.vii.1967, Can. Nepal
Exp. ’67 (CNC); 1 male, Kuinibisona, Nepal,
6.vii.1968, T. Kumata (SEHU); 1 female, Kahre,

29.vii.1990, K. Kanmiya (BLKU); THAILAND:
1 male, Chiangmai University Campus, Chiangmai, 2.viii.1974 (CMU).
Distribution. China (Guangxi, Jiangxi, Yunnan), Nepal, Thailand. Newly recorded from
Nepal and Thailand.

Key to Species
1. Antenna with 1st flagellomere about 4 times as long as pedicel in both sexes; gena wide, about
2/7 as wide as eye height in male, 1/4 in female; wing vein M nearly right-angled at bend                                                          S. blepharipoides Chao & Yang
– 1st flagellomere about 3 times as long as pedicel in male, 3.5 times in female; gena narrower,
about 1/4 as wide as eye height in male, 2/9 in female; bend of vein M obtuse-angled                                                                       S. japonica sp. nov.

Figs. 13–15. 13, Habitus of Setalunula japonica sp. nov. in lateral view; 14, head in profile of S. japonica sp. nov.;
15, head in profile of S. blepharipoides Chao & Yang.

242

Hiroshi Shima and Takuji Tachi

Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr S. Shinonaga, Tokyo
Medical and Dental University, and Mr E. Yamamoto, Ehime Prefecture, for giving us opportunities to examine interesting material. We also
thank the late Dr C.-m. Chao, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, Dr P.
Lecsawasdi, Chiangmai University, Chiangmai,
Dr X.-z. Liang, Kunmin Institute of Zoology,
Kunming, Dr J. E. O'Hara, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Ottawa, and Dr M. Suwa, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, for their help with material. Dr J. E. O'Hara, Invertebrate Biodiversity,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa,kindly reviewed early draft of this paper. We
thank very much for his help.
References
Chao, C.-m. and L.-l. Yang, 1990. Notes on a new genus
and species of Tachinidae from China. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 15: 77–82. (In Chinese with English
summary.)
McAlpine, J. F., 1981. Morphology and terminology—

adults. In: McAlpine, J. F., B. V. Peterson, G. E.
Shewell, H. J. Teskey, J. R. Vockeroth and D. M. Wood(eds.), Manual of Nearctic Diptera, Volume 1. Agriculture Canada Monograph, 28: 9–63.
Shima, H. 1996. A systematic study of the tribe
Winthemiini from Japan (Diptera, Tachinidae).
Beiträge zur Entomologie, 46: 169–234.
Shima, H. 2006. Tachinidae (Insecta, Diptera) of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo (addenda and corrigenda). Memoirs of National Science Museum, Tokyo, (43):279–289. (In Japanese with English summary.)
Sinclair, B. J. 2000. Morphology and terminology ofDiptera male genitalia. In: Papp, L. and B. Darvas(eds.), Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic
Diptera (with Special Reference to Flies of Economic
Importance), Volume 1, General and Applied Dipterology, pp. 53–74. Science Herald, Budapest.
Tschorsnig, H.-P. 1985. Taxonomie forstlich wichtiger
Parasiten: Untersuchungen zur Struktur des männlichen
Postabdomens der Raupenfliegen (Diptera, Tachinidae).
Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A (Biologie), (383): 1–137.
Yamamoto, E. 2000. Tachinidae (Diptera) of Odamiyama
and its adjacent area. In: Yamamoto Institute of Forest
Biology and Editorial Committee of Nature of Odamiyama (eds.), “Nature of Odamiyama,” Volume 2, pp.
975–988. Oda-machi, Ehime. (In Japanese.)