Platensina zodiacalis (Bezzi)

Tephritis zodiacalis Bezzi, 1913: 163. Type locality Calcutta [Kolkata], India.

Platensina zodiacalis: Hering 1956: 69. Lapsus calami.

Platensina zodiacalis: Hendel 1915: 461.

Material examined.

India: 1♂, Karnataka, Madikeri, Chettalli, 05.xi.2012, David K.J. “leg”; 1♀, Assam, Dibrugarh, 07.xi.2014, Ramesh Kumar A. “leg”; 1♂, Karnataka, Kidu, CPCRI, 19.ii. 2015, David K.J. “leg”; 1♂, Karnataka, Chettalli, C.H.E.S, 03.ii.2021, David K.J. “leg”; 1♂, Assam, Barpeta, K.V.K, 09.iii.2021, Sachin K. “leg”; 1♂, Assam, Barpeta, K.V.K, 10.iii.2021, David. K.J. “leg”; 1♀, Assam, Chirang, K.V.K, 13.iii.2021, Sachin K. “leg”; 1♂, Assam, Golpara, 14.iii.2021, Rabbani M.K. “leg” (NIM) .

Diagnosis.

This species was adequately described by Bezzi (1913) except for the postabdominal structures. It is almost inseparable from P. platyptera except for the presence of only basal scutellar setae instead of both apical and basal setae as in P. platyptera (Figs 42, 43).

Male genitalia.

Epandrium (Fig. 44) brown, sclerotised, with no demarcation from lateral surstylus (in profile view); epandrium and surstyli oval in posterior view, with well-developed prensisetae (Fig. 45). Phallus 1.39 mm long including glans; glans stout, with broad sclerotised rod (Fig. 46).

Female genitalia.

Oviscape 0.92 mm long, dark brown, conical, dorsoventrally flattened (Fig. 47); eversible membrane 0.72 mm long, shorter than oviscape, with conical spicules along entire length except for a few rows of flattened ones distally (Fig. 48); taeniae short, dark brown, 0.25 length of eversible membrane. Aculeus shorter than eversible membrane, 0.63 mm long, dorsoventrally flattened; apex of aculeus rounded (Figs 50, 51). Spermatheca brown, club-shaped, with numerous papillae (Fig. 49).

Distribution.

This species is widespread from India (Karnataka, Assam) and Sri Lanka to southern China and Australia (Hancock 2012).