Rhochmopterum venustum
Creators: name: Hatwar, Nikhil Khemrajji
name: David, Karamankodu Jacob
name: Hancock, David Lawrence
name: Raghuraman, Mahadevan
name: Gracy, Ramasamy Gandhi
name: Srinivasa, Narayana
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tephritidae
Rhochmopterum
Rhochmopterum venustum

description: Taxonomic notes on Rhochmopterum venustum (de Meijere)
(Figures 24−38)
Diagnosis: Small sized fly (1.70−2.13 mm), with well-developed chaetotaxy, reticulate wing pattern with 5–6 radiating rays from the centre, cells dm with prominent bulla without prominent hyaline spot. David et al. (2022) provided taxonomic notes on Rhochmopterum venustum (de Meijere), with illustrations of postabdominal and larval structures. During this study, we have collected specimens of R. venustum from different regions of Northeast and Northern plains of India that exhibit similarities to R. malaviyai but show significant differences in the wing pattern and postabdominal structures. Examination of series of collected specimens during the study and specimens deposited at NIM, revealed variations in wing pattern with respect to presence or absence of hyaline spot in bulla of cell dm (Figs 24, 25, 36, 38) and colour of last abdominal tergite ranging from fully fuscous to fulvous with variable dark fuscous markings in both sexes (Figs 35, 37) but dissection and examination of aculeus tip revealed it to be R. venustum. Epandrium (length 0.22 mm, height 0.11 mm) yellow to brown with sclerotization at base of lateral surstyli in lateral view, oval shaped, broad at middle, sclerotization not reaching to subepandrial sclerite (posterior view), medial surstyli with blunt stubby prensisetae. Proctiger (0.06 mm) round (Figs 26, 27), phallus short (0.97 mm) with elongate glans (0.28 mm), without sclerotization; trumpetiform in shape, with narrow opening (Figs 28, 28a). Oviscape (0.77 mm) anteriorly dark brown, posteriorly fulvous with diffused fuscous marking at distal end (Figs 29, 37), eversible membrane (0.52 mm) with conical spicules with round apex at proximal end, elongate conical spicules with acute apex in the middle and broad, dome shaped spicules at distal end (Figs 32, 33, 34); aculeus (0.47 mm) tip blunt with notch, prominent constriction before apical quarter at both side (Figs 30, 30a). Two spermathecae (0.07 mm), round, dark brown, papillose on surface with bulbous base (Fig. 31).
Specimens studied and illustrated by Hardy and Drew (1996) from Australia may not be R. venustum as the male genitalia is distinctly different from Oriental fauna with respect to epandrial characters.
Host plant: Collected and reared from Vernonia cinerea (Asteraceae).
Material examined: 2♂♂, 2♀♀, INDIA:A & N Islands, Sippighat, 5.iii.2012, David, K. J., 2♂♂, INDIA: A & N Islands, Neil Island, Lakshmanpur, 6.iii.2012, David, K. J., 1♀, INDIA: Tamil Nadu, Dindigul, 1.iv.2012, David, K. J., 1♀, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Hebbal, 6.xii.2012, David, K. J., 1♀, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur Farm, 24.xii.2012, David, K. J., 2♂♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Hebbal, 7.iii.2013, David, K. J., 3♂♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur Farm, 8.iv.2013, David, K. J., 1♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur Farm, 22. vii. 2013, David, K. J., 1♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Tumkur, Kunigal, 5.iv.2013, David, K. J., 1♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur Farm, 2. ix. 2013, David, K. J., 1♂, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur Farm, 30.ix.2013, David, K. J., 1♀, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Hebbal, 18.xii.2013, David, K. J., 2♂♂, INDIA: A & N Islands, Neil Island, Lakshmanpur, 6.iii.2019, David, K. J., 1♀, INDIA: Karnataka, Bangalore, Attur farm, 1.i.2022, Maruthi, K. V., 1♀, INDIA: Kerala, Idukki, Santhanpara, Kallipara, ViewPoint, 2.iii.2023, Abhishek, V., 3♂♂, 1♀, INDIA: Haryana, Sirsa, CIRCOT, 6.xi.2023, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: New Delhi, Pusa, IARI, 13.xi.2023, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: New Delhi, Pusa, IARI, 19.xi.2023, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, BHU, 12.ii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: Tripura, Jangalia, 21.ii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: Tripura, Lembucherra, 22.ii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: West Bengal, Sriniketan, VB, 6.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: West Bengal, BCKV, 8.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, 1♀, INDIA: West Bengal, Surul, 7.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: West Bengal, Sriniketan, VB, 7.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, 6♀♀, INDIA: West Bengal, BCKV, 08.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 3♂♂, 2♀♀, INDIA: Odisha, Bhubaneswar, OUAT, 10.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 2♂♂, INDIA: Jharkhand, BAU, Ranchi, 12. iii. 2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, 2♀♀, INDIA: Jharkhand, Garhwa, Bishunpur, 14.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: Jharkhand, Barhauna, 16.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: Jharkhand, KVK, Godda, 16.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: Jharkhand, Punsiya, 17.iii.2024. Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: Bihar, Purnea, BAU, 18.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: Delhi, KVK, Delhi, 28. xi.2023, Hatwar, N. K., 1♀, INDIA: West Bengal, BCKV, 20.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K., 1♂, INDIA: West Bengal, Sriniketan, VB, 20.iii.2024, Hatwar, N. K. (NIM).
Distribution: India (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam), Indonesia (Java) (de Meijere, 1914), Japan (Ito, 1984), Philippines (Hardy, 1970).
description: Published as part of Hatwar, Nikhil Khemrajji, David, Karamankodu Jacob, Hancock, David Lawrence, Raghuraman, Mahadevan, Gracy, Ramasamy Gandhi & Srinivasa, Narayana, 2025, A new species of Rhochmopterum Speiser (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephritinae: Schistopterini) from India, pp. 147-160 in Zootaxa 5588 (1) on pages 154-158, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5588.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/14896171