Estheria cristata
Creators: name: Zhang, Chun-Tian
name: Shima, Hiroshi
name: Liang, Hou-Can
name: Li, He-Nan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tachinidae
Estheria
Estheria cristata

description: Estheria cristata (Meigen, 1826)
(Figs 6, 18, 30, 42, 58, 69, 84, 97, 112)
Dexia cristata Meigen, 1826: 41. Type locality: Germany (Stolberg). Lectotype ♂ and one female paralectotype (MNHN) not examined. References: Herting & Dely-Draskovits (1993: 363; Palearctic catalog); Cerretti & Tschorsnig (2012: 272, 284; species, key); Zhang et al. (2013: 139; checklist).
Estheria imperatoriae Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 306. Type locality: St.-Sauveur (France).
Estheria floralis Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: 306. Type locality: St.-Sauveur (France).
Sarcophaga edax Walker, 1849: 832. Type locality: France.
Diagnosis. Frons of male about 1/7 of head width; facial carina indistinct; prementum 5–6 times as long as wide. Three strongest postpronotal setae arranged in a straight line; 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae; wing cell r 4+5 with a petiole at most 0.20 times as long as postangular section of M; costal spine about as long as crossvein r-m.
Redescription. Body length: 9.0– 10.5 mm.
Male. Head covered with yellowish-white pruinosity (fronto-orbital plate, parafacial, face gena and occiput); frontal vitta dark brown; lunule reddish-brown; 1 st flagellomere, pedicel and palpus reddish-yellow. Frons about 1/ 7 of head width; parafacial about 3 times as wide as 1 st flagellomere; genal height 0.6–0.7 of eye height; facial carina indistinct or weakly developed; occiput usually with two rows of black setulae below postocellar seta row. First flagellomere about 2.2 times as long as pedicel; arista plumose, aristal hairs about as long as width of 1 st flagellomere; prementum 5–6 times as long as wide.
Thorax black, covered with yellowish gray-white pruinosity, with 5 longitudinal dark vittae on presutural scutum and 4 vittae on anterior half of postsutural scutum; scutellum reddish-brown at least apically; 5–6 postpronotal setae, the strongest three arranged in a straight line; 2 presutural and 2 postsutural acrostichal setae; 3 presutural and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae; 3 postsutural intra-alar setae; 3 supra-alar setae, the first one short; 3 katepisternal setae; scutellum with 3 pairs of marginal setae and a pair of discal setae. Wing hyaline, brownish; calypter milk-white, margin yellowish, lower calypter with short fringes on outer margin. Costal spine about as long as crossvein r-m, relative lengths of 2nd, 3rd and 4th costal sections approximately 1.1:2.3:1, radial node with 2–3 setulae dorsally and ventrally; cell r 4+5 closed near apex, with a petiole slightly shorter than crossvein r-m. Legs dark except for middle part of tibiae reddish-yellow. Fore tibia with 4 anterodorsal and 2 posterior setae; Fore claws and pulvilli longer than 5th tarsomere; mid femur with 4 strong anterior setae, mid tibia with 3 anterodorsal (upper two shorter), 2 posterior and 1 ventral setae; hind tibia with 1 upper (short) and 2 lower (long) anterodorsal setae, 1 upper (short) and 2 lower (long) posterior setae and 1 ventral seta, 2 apical dorsal setae, 1 long apical anteroventral and 1 short apical posteroventral setae.
Abdomen long-ovate, black, covered with dense and entirely grayish-white pruinosity on tergites; syntergite 1+2 medially excavated to posterior margin, without median marginal setae, with 1 lateral marginal seta and 2 lateral discal setae; tergite 3 with 2 median marginal setae, 1 lateral marginal seta and 2 median discal setae; tergite 4 with 2 median discal setae and a row of marginal setae, tergite 5 with rows of marginal and discal setae. Sternite 1 with black hairs. Male terminalia as in Figs 6, 18, 30, 42.
Female. As male, except as follows: head covered with grayish-yellow pruinosity. Frons narrowed posteriorly, about 3/5 of head width at narrowest point; parafacial about 4 times as wide as 1 st flagellomere; gena about 3/4 of eye height; three proclinate outer orbital setae, 1 prevertical seta; ocellar seta strong, about as long as upper frontal setae; inner vertical seta about twice as long as outer vertical seta; occiput with 2 black setae below postocellar setae; 1 st flagellomere about twice as long as pedicel. Fore claws pulvilli and shorter than 5th tarsomere. Abdomen ovate, tergite 5 with a pair of discal setae and 1–2 weak lateral discal setae.
Material examined. China, Inner Mongolia: 1 ♀, Dong Ujimqin Qi, Wulagai, 22.VIII.1971, Y.-S. Shi leg. (IZCAS). Xinjiang: 1 ♂, Jitai, Shuiding, 460–480 m, 12.VII.1957, C.-P. Hong leg. (IZCAS). Xizang (= Tibet): 1 ♂, Milin, Songlinkou, 3760 m, 6.VIII.2015, H.-B. Liang leg. (IZCAS). Germany: 1 ♂, Bayer, Wald au Teisnach, 22.VII.1954, [no collector], (ZMHB; det. J. Ziegler); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Baden-Württemberg, Willingen, 7.VII.1997, H.-P. Tschorsnig leg. (SMNS; det. H.-P. Tschorsnig).
Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Xizang), Europe (northwards to England and Germany, Transcaucasus).
Hosts. Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae (Phyllopertha horticola) (Ziegler & Tschorsnig 2016: 346).
Remarks. We have examined identified specimens from Europe and confirm that our specimens are conspecific with these. This species appears to be similar to E. acuta (Portschinsky), but differs in having longer prementum, 3 presutural and 3 postsutural dorsocentral setae, wing cell r 4+5 closed, with a petiole, wing not brownclouded around crossveins r-m and dM-Cu.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Chun-Tian, Shima, Hiroshi, Liang, Hou-Can & Li, He-Nan, 2019, Four new species of Estheria Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae) from China and Nepal, with a review of the East Palearctic and Oriental species, pp. 1-38 in Zootaxa 4603 (1) on pages 13-14, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4603.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2841928