Billaea atkinsoni Baranov 1934
Creators: name: Zhang, Chun-Tian
name: Shima, Hiroshi
name: Wang, Qiang
name: Tschorsnig, Hans-Peter
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Tachinidae
Billaea
Billaea atkinsoni

description: Billaea atkinsoni (Baranov, 1934)
Figs. 1–4, 64, 73, 89
Gymnodexia atkinsoni Baranov, 1934: 49.
Billaea atkinsoni (Baranov): Crosskey 1976: 177 (as comb. n.).— Crosskey 1977: 601 (catalog).— Zhang et al. 2004: 127 (checklist).— O’Hara et al. 2009: 27 (catalog).
Diagnosis. Antenna reddish yellow except apical 1/2 of flagellomere 1 darkened, ocellar seta usually weak and short, vibrissa usually strong, equal to or longer than antenna, fore tibia usually with 1 posterior seta; male claws and pulvilli short; abdomen with a pair of triangular black markings on tergites 3 to 5 and median marginal setae absent on tergite 3.
Redescription. Body length 7.7–9.8 mm.
Male. Head (Figs. 64, 73) densely whitish pruinose, upper fronto-orbital plate somewhat grayish; antenna reddish yellow, apical 1/2 of flagellomere 1 slightly darkened; palpus yellow. Vertex 0.16–0.22 of head width; frontal vitta strongly widened anteriorly, about 1.5 times as wide as fronto-orbital plate at middle; parafacial nearly parallel-sided, 2.5–3 times as wide as flagellomere 1; face rather well concave, facial carina very weak and short, only visible at basal 1/2 of antenna; lower margin of face rather weakly protruding forward; genal height 0.3–0.39 of eye height in profile; occiput flattened. Inner vertical seta slightly longer than 1/2 of eye height; ocellar seta at as long as antenna; 12–14 pairs of inclinate frontal setae, lowest frontal seta nearly level with base of antenna; vibrissa usually strong, longer than antenna, inserted at or slightly above level of lower margin of face. Flagellomere 1 about 3 times as long as pedicel; arista long plumose, total width including plumosity slightly more than twice as wide as flagellomere 1. Palpus slightly longer than pedicel and flagellomere 1 combined. Prementum short, 2.5–3 times as long as wide.
Thorax. Black in ground color with dense grayish white pruinosity; dorsum with 2 broad outer, 2 narrow inner longitudinal vittae and 1 narrow median vitta on presutural area of scutum, inner vitta extending to anterior 2/5 of postsutural scutum, and 3 broad longitudinal vittae on postsutural scutum; scutellum black in ground color, with whitish gray pruinosity on apical 2/3. Postpronotal lobe with 4 setae, 3 basal setae standing in a straight line; usually 2 presutural and 3 postsutural acrostichal setae; 3 presutural and 4 postsutural dorsocentral setae, 2 postsutural intra-alar setae; 3–4 supra-alar setae; 2 katepisternal setae; 1–2 pairs of short discal scutellar setae. Wing. Hyaline, slightly tinged with pale brown; tegula and basicosta dark brown; lower calypter whitish; halter yellow. Relative lengths of 2nd, 3rd and 4th costal sectors approximately as 1.1:2:1; bend of vein M nearly rightangled, distinctly closer to wing margin than to dm-cu crossvein (2–2.5:1), with a short appendage which is shorter than 1/2 length of r-m crossvein or without it. Legs. Black, pulvilli pale yellowish. Fore tibia with a row of short anterodorsal setae on upper 2/3 and usually 1 (seldom 2) posterior seta; mid tibia with 2–3 anterodorsal, 2–4 posterodorsal and 1 ventral setae; hind tibia with 3–5 posterodorsal and usually 1–3 ventral setae. Fore tarsi subequal in length to head height; claws and pulvilli slightly shorter than 5th tarsomere.
Abdomen (Fig. 89). Ovate. Brown to black in ground color, densely covered with pale yellowish white pruinosity; tergites 3 to 5 each with a pair of large triangular black markings on posterior 2/3–4/5; tergite 5 brown to black on posterior 1/4. Abdominal syntergite 1+2 and tergite 3 each with a pair of lateral marginal setae, without median marginal seta, sometimes with 2 weak median marginal setae on tergite 3; dense fine and recumbent hairs on tergite 5, sparser on venter. Male terminalia (Figs. 1–4). Cerci and surstyli long and narrowed, and pointed apically in caudal view, and their apices bluntly bent posteriorly in lateral view; postgonite about as long as basiphallus; distiphallus long, membranous apical part about as long as sclerotized basal part.
Female. Vertex about 0.32 of head width; frontal vitta slightly narrower than fronto-orbital plate; outer vertical seta developed, about 1/2 as long as inner vertical seta and subequal to ocellar seta; 1 fine prevertical seta; 2 proclinate orbital setae; antenna falling short of lower margin of face by about length of pedicel; flagellomere 1 about 3.5 times as long as pedicel; palpus slightly clavate; abdominal tergite 3 with fine median marginal setae.
Type material examined. Lectotype ♂ of Gymnodexia atkinsoni Baranov, MYANMAR, Maymyo, Mandalay District, 13.vi.1930, D.J. Atkinson (by designation of Sabrosky and Crosskey 1969: 45) (BMNH). Paralectotypes. 8♂♂, 17♀♀, same locality as lectotype, vi.1930 (BMNH).
Other material examined. CHINA. Fujian: 1♂, Chongan, Tongmu, 790–1155 m, 1.vi.1960, G.-T. Jin (SEMC). Guangxi: 1♀, Dayaoshan Mountain (110°19′E, 24°01′N), 850–1300 m, Jinxiu, 17.v.2011, Q. Wang. Shaanxi: 5♂♂, Taibai Mountain, 9–16.vi.1989, M.-F. Wang. Shanxi: 1♀, Manghe, Yangcheng, 6.vi.1991, M.-F. Wang. 1♂, Ningwu, Luya Mountain, 8.vi.1989, M.-F. Wang (SYNU). Sichuan: 3♂♂, 1♀, Qingcheng Mountain, 1000–1200 m, Dujiangyan, Chengdu, 11.viii.2009, C. Fu, Y.-Y. Zhou, Z. Zhao; 1♂, Hongkou, 1000–1150 m, Dujiangyan, Chengdu, 12.viii.2009, Y.-Y. Zhou. Yunnan: 1♀, Wuliang Mountain, 2800 m, Jingdong, 9.vi.2010, Y.- Y. Zhou (SYNU); 1♂, Wenchuan, Yingxiu, 900 m, 3.viii.1983, X.-Z. Zhang (IZCAS); 1♀, Labahe, 1300 m, Tianquan, H. Shima (KUM). Taiwan: 1♀, Nanzan-kei, 30.iv.1965, T. Shirozu (KUM). JAPAN, Okinawa: 11♂♂, 1♀, Gajanokobanta, 21.x.1973, R. Kano, 1♂, Nago, 3.vi.1962, R. Kano, 1♂, Mt. Ban-na, Ishigaki Is., 2.vi.1971, S. Shinonaga (KUM), 4♂♂, Ishigakijima, Omoto dake, 2♂♂, Nakamagawa, rindo, Irimotejima, 1 male, Yonagunjima Kubura dake, 1♂, Omoto dake, Iskakijima, 9–13.iv.1996, T. Tachi (BLKU). LAOS: 1♂, Muong Sing NW of Luang Prabang, 650 m, 6–10.vi.1960, S. Quate & L. Quate; 1♀, Vientiane Prov. Ban Van Eue, 15.iii.1966, Malaise trap (BPBM). MALAYSIA: 1♂, Malay Peninsula, Pahang, F.M.S., Fraser’s Hill, 4200 ft., 14.vii.1934. 1♂, Sakaerat Expt. Sta. 300–600 m, Nkn. Ratcha Prov., Nakhon Ratchasima 60 km S, 24.iii.1971, P. & P. Spengler (USNM). PAKISTAN: 2♂♂, Nalter Gilgit, 28.vii.1987, K. Kanmiya; 1 male, Ushu, 2800 m, 10 km N. Kalam, 10.viii.1987, K. Kanmiya; 1♂, Ziarat, Baluchistan, 18.ix.1988, M. Iwasa (KUM). THAILAND: 1♂, Basantapur, 2300 m, 27.iv.1972, H. Shima. Sai Yok, 500 m, Kanchana Buri, 2♀♀, 9–13.vii.1975, H. Shima, 1♀, 9.ix.1975, R. Kano; 2♀♀, Doi Suthep Chiang Mai, 20–21.xii.1975, H. Shima (KUM).
Hosts. Glena spilota Thomson (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) (India, Crosskey 1976); unidentified sp. (Coleoptera,? Curculionidae) (Myanmar, Crosskey 1976).
Distribution. China (Fujian, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan), India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand (new records for Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand).
Remarks. Billaea atkinsoni is similar to B. chinensis sp. nov. in its antenna reddish yellow except apical 1/2–3/4 of flagellomere darkened, arista plumose, 1 posterior seta on fore tibia. This species differs from B. chinensis in having strong vibrissae, weak ocellar setae, abdomen laterally dark brown to brown.
description: Published as part of Zhang, Chun-Tian, Shima, Hiroshi, Wang, Qiang & Tschorsnig, Hans-Peter, 2015, A review of Billaea Robineau-Desvoidy of the eastern Palearctic and Oriental regions (Diptera: Tachinidae), pp. 1-40 in Zootaxa 3949 (1) on pages 4-6, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3949.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/288389