Pristaciura Hendel 1928
Creators: name: Singh, Maneesh Pal
name: Prabhakar, Chandra Shekhar
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tephritidae
Pristaciura

description: Genus Pristaciura Hendel, 1928
Pristaciura is characterized by white setulae on front, one orbital seta, lack of outer vertical seta, 1 pair scutellar setae, two triangular hyaline indentations in cells r 1 andr 2+3, cells r 4+5 and dm with large oval hyaline spots, 3–4 posterior hyaline indentations, cell bcu weakly angled apically, two setae at Sc break and tergite VI of females shiny black and as long as other tergites. Pristaciura is a close ally of the Sulawesi–New Guinea genus Curticella Hardy, which differs in having two pairs of orbital setae instead of one, a slightly longer third antennal segment and wing cell bcu acute but without a distinct apical extension (Hardy, 1987; Hancock, 2010).
Key to species of genus Pristaciura Hendel (couplet added to key of Hancock, 2012)
1. Wing with four posterior hyaline indentations, including one at middle of cell m [head with the six postocellar, paravertical and uppermost postocular setae thickened and yellow-white; hyaline indentation at middle of cell cu 1 transverse and directed towards that at base of cell r 1 and that at base of cell m not broadly expanded posteriorly; anal lobe pale brown with base and apex hyaline; oviscape shorter than abdomen; Taiwan and Japan (Iriomote, Ishigaki and Okinawa Islands................................................................................................... P. formosae (Hendel)
- Wing with three posterior hyaline indentations, lacking one at middle of cell m.................................... 2
2. All head setae, including the six postocellar, paravertical and uppermost postocular setae thin and black [hyaline indentation at middle of cell cu 1 oblique, directed towards apex of cell c and that at base of cell m broadly expanded posteriorly; oviscape as long as abdomen (northern India and Nepal)]......................................... P. monochaeta (Bezzi, 1913)
- Head with at least the six postocellar, paravertical and uppermost postocular setae thickened and yellow-white........... 3
3. Head with entire row of postocular setae yellow-white; hyaline indentation in cell c broad and quadrate [hyaline indentation at middle of cell cu 1 oblique, directed towards apex of cell c and that at base of cell m broadly expanded posteriorly; oviscape shorter than abdomen; Sri Lanka, southern India, southern Thailand, Vietnam, SE China (Hainan) and Indonesia (Java)]...................................................................................... P. incisa Hendel, 1928
- Head with all postocular setae except the uppermost thin and black; hyaline indentation in cell c narrow and often vestigial or absent.............................................................................................. 4
4. Hyaline indentation at middle of cell cu 1 oblique, directed towards cell c, that incell m narrow, not broadly expanded posteriorly, apically reaching junction of dm-cu crossveinand vein M, anal lobe hyaline [male unknown; northern India and southern Burma; records from elsewhere are of P. incisa]...................................... P. xanthotricha (Bezzi, 1913)
- Hyaline indentation at middle of cell cu 1 transverse, directed towards cell sc, that incell m broadly expanded posteriorly, apically not reaching junction of dm-cu cross vein and vein M, anal lobe dark at least in male......................... 5
5. Inner anterior triangular hyaline indentation posteriorly confluent with vein R 4+5, both indentations in cell cu 1 confluent with vein Cu 1 anteriorly, anal lobe dark in male and hyaline in female, oviscape at least as long as abdomen [southern China (Yunnan, Hong Kong)]..................................................................... P. brunnea Hancock, 2012
- Inner anterior triangular hyaline indentation posteriorly not confluent with vein R 4 +5, both indentations in cell cu 1 not confluent with vein Cu 1 anteriorly, anal lobe dark in both sexes, oviscape shorter than abdomen [northern India (Solan, Himachal Pradesh)].......................................................... P. hancocki Maneesh & Prabhakar, sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Singh, Maneesh Pal & Prabhakar, Chandra Shekhar, 2025, A new species of Pristaciura Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephritinae: Tephrellini) and new distribution record of Procecidochares utilis Stone from Himalayas, pp. 588-594 in Zootaxa 5604 (4) on pages 589-593, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5604.4.10, http://zenodo.org/record/15213953