Phasioormia papuana Nihei, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Nihei, Silvio S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tachinidae
Phasioormia
Phasioormia papuana

description: Phasioormia papuana sp. nov.
(Figs 25–32, 36–38, 39)
Type locality. Indonesia, Papua, Humboldt Bay District, Bewani Mts.
Distribution (Fig. 39). Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Diagnosis. P. papuana sp. nov. can be distinguished from P. b i c o r n i s by having the female ocellar triangle hardly recognizable as a narrow strip and with weak, sparse setulae (ocellar triangle broad and protuberant, with weak, dense setulae in P. b i c o r n i s), male ocellar triangle extremely constricted between eyes, not visible and bare (extremely constricted between eyes, but still visible, with a few minute setulae in P. bicornis). The abovementioned characters are shared with P. pallida, from which P. papuana sp. nov. can be differentiated by the abdomen entirely yellowish-brown to brown (while P. pallida has abdomen reddish-yellow on tergites 1+2, 3 and 4, and tergite 5 dark brown), notopleuron bare or at most with sparse setulae (densely setulose in P. pallida), female fronto-orbital plate narrower (2x the pedicel width at the lowermost level) than in P. pallida (2.5x the pedicel width at the lowermost level), and female fronto-orbital plate with sparse setulae (dense setulose in P. pallida). There are also distinguishing features in the male and female terminalia (Figs 33–38).
Description. Male. Body length: 8.1–9.2 mm (n=2) (holotype 9.2 mm), wing length: 8.4–9.1mm (n=2) (holotype 9.1 mm).
Coloration (Figs 25–32): Head brown with whitish pruinosity on face, parafacial, fronto-orbital plate, facial ridge and gena; lower margin of face and facial ridge yellowish to reddish-brown (Figs 29, 30). Scape and pedicel yellowish, postpedicel dark brown but base yellowish, arista light brown (Figs 29, 30). Palpus and proboscis yellowish (Figs 29, 30). Thorax reddish-brown but tending to reddish-yellow on postpronotal lobe, notopleuron and lateral areas (Figs 25, 27). Claws brown with black apex; pulvilli yellow. Abdomen entirely reddish-yellow, with whitish pruinosity apparent only on tergites (Figs 25, 27).
Head: Frons extremely narrow, on upper half eyes close to each other and only fronto-orbital plates visible as quite narrow strips, but frons broadening ventrally (Fig. 29). About 13 pairs of frontal setae on lower 2/3, shortening dorsally. Ocellar triangle extremely constricted and not recognizable, no ocelli (Fig. 29). Fronto-orbital plate as narrow as pedicel width at lowermost level, without setulae (Fig. 29). Ratio of frons width/head width 0.02 at vertex level; ratio of frons width/head width at level of lunula 0.16 (Fig. 29). Parafacial bare and as wide as fronto-orbital plate (Fig. 29). Facial ridge with about 2x pedicel width at vibrissal level, and with dense fine long setulae on lower portion (Fig. 29). Antenna short (Figs 29, 31); postpedicel about 1.2x pedicel length; arista elongate and slender, about 3.5x postpedicel length. Antenna inserted below mid height of head in frontal view, and below mid height of eye (Fig. 31). Antennal axis/head height ratio 0.63 (Fig. 31). Antennal axis/vibrissal axis ratio 1.28; antennal axis/oral (epistomal) axis ratio 1.36; vibrissal axis/oral axis ratio 1.14 (Fig. 31). Genal dilation not apparent, but gena densely covered with short black setulae. Genal height/head height ratio 0.14. Occiput strongly concave middorsally.
Thorax: Acrostichal setae 1+2, presutural pair anteriorly placed and not close to suture, prescutellar pair stronger. Dorsocentral setae 2+3. Notopleural setae 2, subequal and close to each other, notopleuron bare or with some sparse black setulae. Mesothoracic spiracle conspicuously exposed, with light brownish branched hairs on whole anterior and posterior edges, anterior hairs becoming longer towards upper second quarter, spiracle exposed dorsally and ventrally with just the middle somewhat covered; metathoracic spiracle not exposed, completely covered by anterior lappet of short light brown branched hairs and opercular posterior lappet of brown branched hairs.
Wing (Fig. 25): Rs node setulose dorsally and ventrally, with setulae extending at most on basal sixth of R4+5.
Legs: One male paratype with the forelegs only, and a second male paratype lacking all legs; based on the remnant legs, the male can be characterized as: fore tibia with 1 anterodorsal seta at apical third, 2 erect posterodorsal setae on apical half; claws about 2/3 length of last tarsomere; and pulvilli slightly shorter than claws. For other details, refer to the female, as other species of Phasioormia have not been observed to have sexually dimorphic features in the legs.
Terminalia (Figs 36–37): Cerci with posterior apexes conspicuously separated and divergent (Fig. 36); apex thumb-shaped in dorsal view (Fig. 36), and acuminate and curved in lateral view (Fig. 37). Cerci conspicuously longer than wide (about twice). Surstylus slightly arcuate inwardly (Fig. 36), elongate, with broad and rounded apex in both dorsal and lateral views (Figs 36 and 37), and with basomedial lobes bearing a few fine setulae hidden behind the cerci (Fig. 36). Pregonite broad and long.
Female. Body length: 9.4–9.6 mm (n=4), wing length: 9.6–10.0 mm (n=4).
Differs from male by the following: Head (Figs 30, 32). Dichoptic. Upper ommatidia not enlarged. Frons broad, subparallel sided from level of antennal insertion to vertex (Fig. 30), swollen on lower half (Fig. 32). About 16 pairs of frontal setae forming a linear row and not strongly developed (Fig. 30), with two pairs below level of antennal insertion. Frontal vitta narrowing towards vertex, about twice pedicel width at lowermost level and subequal to pedicel width at uppermost level (Fig. 30). Two pairs of proclinate fronto-orbital setae on upper half, and one reclinate pair before ocellar triangle (Figs 30, 32). Ocellar triangle hardly recognizable as narrow slightly protuberant strip, with some weak setulae, and bearing no ocelli (Fig. 30). Fronto-orbital plate broad, about 2.0x pedicel width at lowermost level (Fig. 30). Fronto-orbital plate with weak setulae on its entire length (but not dense as in P. pallida and P. bi cornis). Ratio of frons width/head width at vertex level 0.25; ratio of frons width/head width at level of lunula 0.34 (Fig. 30). Parafacial bare and narrower than fronto-orbital plate, about 2.0x pedicel width above and narrowing towards gena (Fig. 30). Face broad and developed (not oestriform like in Aulacephala and Therobia) (Fig. 30). Facial ridge rather broadened although not flattened (not oestriform like in Aulacephala and Therobia), more than 2x pedicel width at vibrissal level, and with dense fine long setulae on lower portion (Fig. 30). Antennal axis/head height ratio 0.57 (Fig. 32). Antennal axis/vibrissal axis ratio 1.16; antennal axis/oral (epistomal) axis ratio 1.28; vibrissal axis/oral axis ratio 1.10 (Fig. 32). In profile, anteroventral margin of head (bearing vibrissal, subvibrissal and subcranial setae/setulae) subparallel to anteroventral margin of eye (Fig. 32). Antenna inserted clearly above mid height of head in frontal view, and about mid height of eye (Fig. 32). Genal height/head height ratio 0.25. Genal dilation not apparent; gena covered with short black setulae. Legs: Fore tibia with 2–4 differentiated anterodorsal setae; 2 differentiated posterodorsal setae; one submedian posteroventral seta. Mid tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal setae on apical half, and 1–2 posterodorsal setae on apical half. Hind femur with dorsal row of setae, with longer setae at base, and anteroventral and posteroventral rows of weak setae. Hind tibia with 2 anterodorsal setae on median third, 2–3 posterodorsal setae on median third, and 1–2 anteroventral seta on apical third.
Terminalia (Fig. 38): Tergite 6 separated into hemitergites, with continuous row of spiniform straight setae on inner margin from median third until half of apical third, and with single spiracle on each side. Tergite 8 formed as a single narrow arc (fused medioventrally), but not fused with sternite 10. Sternite 10 (postgenital plate or hypoproct) covered with fine setulae, bearing 2 spiniform lateral setae and medial row of 3 spiniform setae decreasing inwards.
Type material examined. Holotype male, DUTCH NEW GUINEA [INDONESIAN PAPUA], Humboldt Bay Dist. [Yos Sudarso Bay], Bewani Mts., ix.1937, W. Stüber leg. (BMNH). Paratypes: same data as holotype, 5 females (BMNH); DUTCH NEW GUINEA [INDONESIAN PAPUA]: Cyclops Mts., Sabron, Camp 2, 1 female, vii.1936 (2000ft), L.E. Cheesman leg. (BMNH); Fak-Fak, 1 female, A.E. Pratt leg. (C.J. Wainwright coll.), B.M. 1948-488 (BMNH); PAPUA [INDONESIAN PAPUA], Kokoda, 1200ft, 1 female, viii.1933, L.E. Cheesman leg. (BMNH); [PAPUA] NEW GUINEA: Madang Dist., Damanti, Pinisterre Mts. (3550ft), 1 female, 2–11.x.1964, M.E. Bacchus leg. (BMNH); NE Wau, 1200m, 1 male, 9.iii.1962 (light trap), J. & M. Sedlacek leg. (BMNH). [The male from NE Wau and the female from Fak-Fak were dissected and examined.]
description: Published as part of Nihei, Silvio S., 2015, Systematic revision of the ormiine genera Aulacephala Macquart and Phasioormia Townsend (Diptera, Tachinidae), pp. 1-26 in Zootaxa 3931 (1) on pages 20-24, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3931.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/288102