Genea major ( Townsend, 1927 )

Nunez, Enio & Couri, Márcia S., 2011, Revision Of Neotropical Genea Rondani (Diptera, Tachinidae, Tachininae, Leskiini), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 51 (31), pp. 481-497 : 489

Genea major ( Townsend, 1927)

(Figures 17-21)

Geneopsis major Townsend, 1927: 212 (original designation); Townsend, 1939: 221 (redescription).

Genea major ; James, 1947: 110-111 (comb. nov.; redescription of male and female); Guimarães, 1971: 116 (catalogue).

Diagnosis: 10-13 pairs of frontal setae on males and 7-9 pairs of frontals on females, 1-2 pairs below the level of the antennal insertion; inner and outer verticals present; palpus clavate exceptionally long with almost twice the length of the flagellomere.

Male: Body length, 8.0-10.0 mm; wing, 6.5-8.5 mm.

Head: White; parafrontal with golden pruinosity; 10-13 pairs of frontal setae, 1-2 pairs below the level of the antennal insertion; frons with 0.15 of head width at the level of the anterior ocellus; inner verticals crossed, outer verticals present; antenna yellow, flagellomere brown, yellow on base; arista slightly plumose; proboscis long, mentum 1.3 times the head height (Fig. 17); long vibrissa; 3-5 pairs of subvibrissal setulae; 1-2 pairs of setulae above the vibrissa; palpus clavate exceptionally long with almost twice the length of the flagellomere.

Thorax: Brown in ground colour with dense golden pruinosity; dorsocentrals 2+3 or 3+3; post-pronotals 1+2 or 1+3; scutellum yellow with one pair of discal setae near the apex and with 1 pair of basal setae; 1 pair of subapical setae and 1 pair of discal setae near the apex; pleura yellowish on anterior half otherwise brown with dense white pruinosity and long yellow setulae. Wing and calypter slightly infuscated; vein R 1 entirely setulose and vein R 4+5 setulose from base to crossvein r-m. Legs with coxa, trochanter and femur yellow, tarsus brown; fore tibia with 1-2 long posterior setae on middle third; 1 dorsal subapical seta; 1 ventral and 1 posteroventral apical seta each; claws and pulvilli well developed; mid femur with 1 anterior seta on middle third; 3-6 sparse posteroventral setae on basal half; 2-3 posterodorsal setae on apical third; mid tibia with 1 strong anterodorsal and 1 strong ventral seta on the middle third; 2-3 posterior setae on middle third; 1 anterodorsal subapical seta; 1 anteroventral, 1 ventral and 1 posteroventral apical seta each; hind femur with 2 posterodorsal setae on apical third; 4-6 anteroventral setae on basal third and 1 seta on apical third; 4-8 sparse posteroventral setae on basal half; hind tibia with 3-4 ventral setae on middle third, the apicad one the largest; 1 anterodorsal and 1 posteroventral subapical seta each; 1 ventral apical seta.

Abdomen: Yellow; T 1+2 not excavate to its margin; median apical brown spots dorsally on T 1+2, T 3 and T 4, almost always fused with lateral brown spots on T 3 and always fused with them on T 4; usually with 1 pair of median marginal setae on T 1+2 and always with 1 pair of median marginal setae on T 3.

Male terminalia (Figs. 18-21): Sternite 5 as in Fig. 18; cerci large and not fused; surstylus shorter than cercus with setulae turned upwards on the apical half; distiphallus with lateral arms short; postgonite narrow in lateral view and pregonite triangular in lateral view.

Female: Differs from male as follows: 2 pairs of proclinate orbital setae and 1 pair of reclinate orbital setae; frons with 0.40 of the head width at the level of the anterior ocellus; claws and pulvilli short.

Type material: Lectotype female (n57294). BRAZIL. São Paulo: Itaquaquecetuba , xi.1920 ( USNM).

Other material examined: BRAZIL. São Paulo: Itaquaquecetuba , 1 female, v.1925, ( Geneopsis major ) ( USNM) ; Salesópolis, Est. Biol. Boracélia , 1 female, iii.1969, Papavero, N. col.( MZSP) ; Barueri , 1 male, 26.vi.1966, Lenko, K. col. ( MZSP) ; Peruíbe , 1 male, xii.1946, Carrera, M. col. ( MZSP) .

Geographic distribution: Brazil and Paraguay.

Comments: It is easily recognized by the large brown transverse band on T 4 (sometimes also on T 3) formed by the fusion of the median apical brown spot dorsally with the lateral brown spots. It may or may not present median marginals on T 1+2.