Ptilocera quadridentata Fabricius 1805
Creators: name: Mason, Franco
name: Rozkošný, Rudolf
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Diptera
Stratiomyidae
Ptilocera
Ptilocera quadridentata

description: Ptilocera quadridentata Fabricius, 1805
(Figs 2 b, 3–4, 13, 17–20, 22–23, 38–41, 46–50, 55–56, 66–67, 115–127)
Stratiomys 4dentata Fabricius 1805: 86.
Type material. Two female syntypes in ZMUC, København. The lectotype, herewith designated, is labelled: "/ P:4dentata, Sumatra, Daldorff/ Ptilocera 4dentata Wied./ LECTOTYPUS Ptilocera quadridentata Fabricius 1805: 86, Ƥ, Mason & Rozkošný des. 2008”. The second syntype is labeled the same except “/ PARALECTOTYPUS Ptilocera quadridentata Fabricius 1805: 86, Ƥ, Mason & Rozkošný des., 2008". Condition: Lectotype: tarsi of middle right and hind legs missing. Paralectotype: tarsi of all right legs missing, posterior margin of wing membrane partly broken.
Diagnosis. A species characterised by dense golden presutural area of scutum, only broad medial band in middle contrastingly black. Antenna entirely dark in male but distal half of apical flagellomere pale in female. Male wing with relatively narrow, irregular transverse streak in middle, microtrichia on female wing reduced only in narrow longitudinal stripe in middle of posterior cubital cell in addition to some other small areas. Female calypter with conspicuously white marginal fringe.
Description. Male (Figs 19, 23, 55–56, 66, 115–119): Length (mm): body 6.2–9.8, wing 5.2–8.7 (n = 41). Head. Frontal spot relatively small, rounded, finely divided in middle (Fig. 19). Antenna (Fig. 116) completely brown, basal flagellomere slightly longer than broad, apical flagellomere 4.0–5.0 times as long as preceding flagellomere. Face covered by tiny erect silvery pile except medial tubercle.
Thorax (Fig. 115) black, densely and finely punctate, with presutural area of scutum covered by dense velvety golden pile and greenish iridescent scales. Golden area divided medially by a broad, mainly black, longitudinal stripe that is widened toward suture. Scales relatively sparse on scutellum, four scutellar spines brown, yellowish apically, about half as long as scutellum at middle (Fig. 115). Postpronotal callus black, brownish at top; postalar callus black. Wing (Fig. 66) brown infuscated with transverse, well defined yellowish stripe from stigma to basal half of anterior arm of cubital vein. Microtrichia reduced only at base of wing. Halter with brownish to yellowish stem and darkened knob. Legs and coxae brown, tarsi brown, usually with golden pile.
Abdomen (Fig. 115) black, almost without reflections, finely punctate, with fine micropile. Paired hair patches on tergite 4 in form of convergent, slightly sinuate stripes, tergite 5 with two extensive hair patches resembling those of P. continua. Sternites black, covered by tiny silverish and appressed pile. Male terminalia (Figs 55–56, 117–119): epandrium quadrate, cerci barely reaching beyond apex of proctiger (119), medial process of genital capsule bilobed, moderately concave at middle (Fig. 117), gonocoxal apodemes relatively long, aedeagal complex with short posterolateral papillae provided with dense basal row of hyaline and flat spines (Fig. 118).
Female (Figs 2 b, 13, 17–20, 22, 26, 38–41, 48–50, 55–56, 67, 120–127). Length (mm): body 6.6–11.7 (n = 88), wing 6.1–10.9 (n = 88). Head (Fig. 17, 20), ocellar triangle (Fig. 18). Lower frons black, with two large triangular patches of appressed silverish pilosity at eye margins (Fig. 22). Frontal index: 0.8–1.5 (avg = 1.1, n = 79). Antenna (Figs 13, 122) dark brown, only distal quarter of apical flagellomere snow white. Basal flagellomere subquadrate, apical flagellomere about 4.5 times longer than preceding flagellomere. Basal segment of palpus dark, with mixed whitish and brown pile, apical segment velvety brown (Fig. 26), Thorax (Figs 120, 123) black as in male, presutural area of scutum covered by medially divided golden area as in male, scales in presututal area of scutum elongate oval with apical tip (Fig. 35), in anterior part mixed with slightly dilated setulae inserted in globular basal structures (Fig. 39). Pile on postsutural area consisting mainly of long and more dilated setulae (Fig. 40). Scutellum (Fig. 120) with scattered silverish scales and four rather short yellowish to brown spines, medial spines barely reaching 1/3 of scutellar length at middle. Anterior spiracle oblong (Fig. 47), prealar prominence as in other species (cf. Figs 30–34). Wing (Fig. 67) uniformly brown infuscated, without yellowish transverse streak that is present in male. Bare areas limited, confined to basal cells, alula, very narrow longuitudinal stripe along middle of posterior cubital cell and at most small patch at base of anterior cubital cell. Calypter brown with long white marginal hairs (Fig. 46), halter as in Fig. 48 and its surface sensillae in Fig. 49. Legs black, tarsi covered with brownish pile (apical tarsomeres of fore tarsus in Fig. 50). Abdomen mainly black, with bluish reflections, finely punctate. Short appressed pile on abdominal tergites consisting of slender setulae inserted in globular structures (Fig. 41). Hair patches (Figs 120–121) represented by oblique stripes on tergites 3–4 and oval, ring-shaped spots on tergite 5. Female terminalia (Figs 124–127): Apical segment of cercus relatively short (Fig. 124), subgenital plate long and tapered distally as in other species (Fig. 127), genital furca (Figs 125–126) with large median aperture, differently concave posterior margin of frame and distinct prominences at inner base of posterolateral projections.
Variation. Some variation was noted in females: a reddish brown spot above the antennae may be more or less distinct, the basal flagellomere may be reddish brown to dark brown and the posterior cubital cell may be rarely completely covered with microtrichia.
Remarks. The characteristic pattern of the thorax and abdomen may be sometimes less distinct in older specimens. But then the males may be distinguished by the characteristric terminalia with species-specific aedeagal complex and the females by the conspicuously white marginal fringe of calypter in combination with the characteristically coloured last antennal flagellum.
Material examined. 129 3, 218 Ƥ (including female lectotype and paralectotype). Oceania: Fidji (introd.). Oriental Region: Cambodia: Siem Reap: Angkor Thom. Indonesia: Java: Baros; Batavia [=Jakarta]; Batoerraden; Bibidjilan, Banten; Bogor [=Buitenzorg]; Depok; Djampang Mts.; Gunung Banter; Gunung Gedeh; Gunung Slamat; Jampang Tengah; Malang; Oengaran [=Ungaran]; Padang; Pelaboean Ratoe [=Pelabuhan Ratu]; Preanger [=Priangan]; Radjamandala; Semarang; Soekaboemi [=Sukabumi]; Tjiangsana; Tjibarangbang; Tjibodas, Tjiogreg; Tjimerang; Wynkoopsbay. Kalimantan: Barabei. Sumatra: Fort de Kock [=Bukitinggi]; Kambang; Medan; Padang Tarap; Tandjung; Tapanoeli. Sumbawa: Sepanjang. Laos: Bolikhamxai: Ban Nape. Malaysia: Pahang: Kuala Tembeling; Lata Lembik, Raub; Penang. Sabah: Danum Valley; Ranau; Poring. Sarawak: Mount Dulit [3°20´N, 114°09´E]; Selangor: Hulu Langat. Sembilan Islands: Lukut, Negri. Philippines: Palawan: Brooke´s Point, Tigoplan River; Porto Princessa; Tarumpitao. Singapore. Thailand: Chiang Mai: Don Inthanon; Khun Klang; Samoeng. Mae Hong Son: Ban Nam Rin, Nakhon Ratchasima: Khao Yai National Park. Trang: Khao Chong trail, near Forest Research Station. Vietnam: Nam Ha, Pulo Condore [=Con Dao]. Palaearctic Region: Japan (introd.). Data: from 24.i. to 31.xii. Examined specimens deposited in BMNH, BPBM, CAS, CNC, FSMU, IRSNB, MHC, MSNM, MMB, RMNH, SMF, USNM, ZMAN, ZMHB.
We also examined 3 puparial exuviae (without cephalic capsule) pinned with emerged adults, labelled Batavia [=Jakarta, Java], April 1908, in ZMAN (cf. Figs 3–4).
A female (Fig. 2 b) was photographed by N. Messina at Poring, Ranau District in Malaysian Sabah, in an ecotonal area of a lowland forest of Dipterocarpaceae, basking in sun on a leaf of Musa paradisiaca, June 10, 2008 at 8 a. m. (N. Messina, pers. comm., 2010).
Distribution. This species was recorded in the Oriental Region from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumbawa); it is apparently missing in western part of the Oriental Region (including India, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka) but its incidence in southern China is highly possible. The published records include localities from the Philippines (Walker 1856a), Java and Sumatra (Fabricius 1805, Walker 1849, Gerstaecker 1857, Wulp 1881, de Meijere 1904, 1911, 1916b, 1918, Enderlein 1914, Edwards 1915, Frey 1934, Lindner 1937), Kalimantan (de Meijere 1907), Sulawesi (Walker 1861c), West Malaysia (Brunetti 1927), Sarawak (Walker 1856b), Singapore (Walker 1858) and Thailand (Brunetti 1923). We can document the occurrence of this species in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam for the first time.
In BMNH we found a female from Japan (Yokohama, 25.v.1906, presented by Brunetti, B.M, 1927 –184, identified by D. Hollis). It was probably introduced to Japan from the Oriental Region with some wood material (the larva was found under the bark of trees, see the Introduction). Likewise the occurrence of 3 specimens from Fiji (4. ii.1954 2 Ƥ, 18.iv. 1954 1 3, H. W. Simmonds, in BMNH) indicates an introduction from the Oriental Region.
Records from the Australasian Region published by Walker (1858, 1860, 1861a, 1861b, 1861c, 1866) and van der Wulp (1898) belong actually to P. violacea (see Distribution of this species).
description: Published as part of Mason, Franco & Rozkošný, Rudolf, 2011, A review of the Oriental and Australasian Ptilocera species (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), pp. 1-49 in Zootaxa 3007 on pages 14-15, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.278481