Phortica (Phortica) alpha Chen & Toda 2007, new species
Creators: name: Chen, Hong-Wei
name: Toda, Masanori J.
name: Lakim, Maklarin B.
name: Mohamed, Maryati B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Drosophilidae
Phortica
Phortica alpha

description: Phortica (Phortica) alpha Chen & Toda, new species   
(Figs. 1–5)  
  Diagnosis.  – Paramere basally broadened and with 1 acute projection, distally deeply bifurcated: apical process with 1–2 sensilla and 3 small teeth; lateral process with 2 acute projections (Fig. 5).   
  Material examined. –  Holotype male (terminalia dissected), MALAYSIA: Park Headquarters, Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, coll. M. J. Toda, 7 Mar.2000 (KPSP). Paratypes: MALAYSIA: 1 male, same data as holotype except for 1 Oct.1999 (KPSP); Mahua, Crocker Range, Sabah, 1 male, coll. M. J. Toda, 16 Oct.1999 (SEHU); Poring, Sabah, 3 males, coll. M. J. Toda, 3 Oct.1999 (1 male FRIM, 1 male ITBC, 1 male SCAU).   
 Description. – Head: Frons brownish black on upper half, brown on lower half.   
Thorax: Scutellum with triangular black patch.  
Wing: Slightly smoky, dark on anterior margin.  
Legs: Fore- and midleg femora dark brown. Midleg tibia subapically lacking longer setae on anterior surface.  
Abdomen: First to fourth tergites yellow; second tergite with black patches submedially and laterally; third and fourth tergites each with broad, medially slightly protruded, black band on posterior margin and 1 pair of yellow patches anterolaterally; fifth and sixth tergites nearly entirely black; sixth tergite broadened on posterior corners of lateral margins, broader than 1.2 times of dorsomedian section (Fig. 1).  
Male terminalia: Epandrium lacking pubescence anteroventrally, with 6 setae on dorsal to posterolateral portion per side (Fig. 2). Surstylus lacking pubescence, with 1 verly long, stout spine (2 spines, probably as an aberration, in the male from Mahua, Crocker Range, Sabah) (Fig. 3). Posterolateral lobe of hypandrium pubescent (Fig. 5). Paramere lacking pubescence (Fig. 5). Vertical process of gonopods curved at anteroventral corners (Fig. 5). Aedeagus with 1 pair of bridges basally.  
Female: Unknown.  
Measurements: BL = 3.62 mm in holotype (range in 4 male paratypes: 3.40-4.18); ThL = 1.85 mm (1.64-1.88); WL = 3.11 mm (2.64-3.20); WW = 1.26 mm (1.20-1.36).  
Indices: arb = 4-5/0, adf = 1.46 (1.30-1.80), flw = 1.50 (1.50- 1.60), FW/HW = 0.45 (0.40-0.45), ch/o = 0.06 (0.06), prorb = 1.10 (1.00-1.15), rcorb = 0.50 (0.40-0.50), vb = 0.35 (0.30- 0.35), dcl = 0.50 (0.50-0.60), presctl = 0.65 (0.55-0.65), sctl = 1.10 (1.10-1.20), sterno = 0.90 (0.90-0.95), orbito = 1.45 (1.40-1.50), dcp = 0.25 (0.24-0.25), sctlp = 1.00 (0.95-1.00), C = 2.00 (2.10-2.25), 4c = 1.50 (1.50-2.10), 4v = 2.73 (2.73- 3.46), 5x = 0.81 (0.67-0.89), ac = 4.00 (3.60-4.20), M = 0.58 (0.58-0.73), C3F = 0.75 (0.67-0.76).  
  Etymology. –  In reference to the branch of basal bridge of aedeagus looking like Greek letter ‘alpha’ in lateral view.   
  Distribution. –  Malaysia (Sabah).   
  Remarks. –  This species is easily distinguished from the other members of the magna species-complex by the diagnostic characters, but somewhat resembles P. (P.) foliata (Chen & Toda, 1997) from southern China in the morphology of aedeagus and gonopods.
description: Published as part of Chen, Hong-Wei, Toda, Masanori J., Lakim, Maklarin B. & Mohamed, Maryati B., 2007, The Phortica Sensu Stricto (Insecta: Diptera: Drosophilidae) From Malaysia, pp. 23-41 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55 (1) on pages 25-27, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5333042