Blepharella nigra Mesnil, 1967

Shima, Hiroshi & Tachi, Takuji, 2019, The genus Blepharella Macquart (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Japan, with notes on the Oriental species B. lateralis Macquart, Zootaxa 4615 (1), pp. 131-144 : 138-139

Blepharella nigra Mesnil, 1967

( Figs 15–20 , 33–34, 39–40 )

Blepharella nigra Mesnil, 1967: 41 . Holotype male (CNC; examined). Type locality: Nukabira , Hokkaido, Japan.

Blepharella nigra: Shima & Hara (2016: 17) .

Blepharella sp. 1: Shima & Hara (2016: 17; misidentification).

This species was described from Obihiro , Hokkaido by Mesnil (1967: 41) and is redescribed here after examination of the holotype and additional specimens from Honshu and Shikoku .

Diagnosis. Medium-sized black fly, with palpus orange-yellow and scutellum black except narrowly reddishbrown apex; male vertex 0.23–0.24 of head width, female 0.26–0.28; 1st flagellomere of antenna about 4.5 times as long as pedicel in male, 3.8–4.0 times as long as pedicel in female; prosternum haired; male cerci strongly curved dorsally at apex in lateral view.

Redescription. Body length: 7.2–10.8 mm.

Male. Head with dense whitish pruinosity on face, yellow to golden-yellow pruinosity on fronto-orbital plate, parafacial and grayish-white pruinosity on occiput and genal dilation; antenna dark brown; palpus orange-yellow, with narrow dark portion at base. Vertex 0.23–0.24 of head width; frontal vitta subequal in width to fronto-orbital plate at middle; parafacial slightly narrower than 1st flagellomere at mid height in profile (subequal to 1st flagellomere when measured in horizontal position); gena 0.18–0.22 of eye height in profile (0.28–0.3 when measured in horizontal position); lower margin of face weakly produced forward, not extending beyond vibrissal base. Inner vertical seta slightly less than 5/8 of eye height; fronto-orbital plate with rather dense and fine short hairs, not descending below lowest frontal seta; anterior reclinate orbital seta slightly longer than posterior seta and about 2/3 as long as inner vertical seta; 8–9 frontal setae, lowest seta nearly level with base of arista; facial ridge with short and rather strong setae at most on lower 1/3–2/5; occiput without black setulae on upper 1/2. Antenna falling short of lower margin of face by about 1/2 length of pedicel; 1st flagellomere about 4.5 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 2/5, 2nd aristomere as long as wide. Palpus shorter than 1st flagellomere (ratio 3:3.5).

Thorax shiny black in ground color, posterior margin of scutellum narrowly and weakly reddish-brown; postpronotal lobe, presutural portion of scutum and lateral portion of postsutural scutum with thin grayish-white pruinosity and 5 rather narrow longitudinal vittae on presutural area of scutum; median vitta narrow and diffusing marginally, outer vittae traceable on postsutural scutum. Prosternum haired; distance between bases of subapical scutellar setae about 2/3 that between basal and subapical setae of corresponding side; apical scutellar setae about 3/4 as long as scutellum, crossed and suberect. Wing with lower calypter pale yellowish-white, sometimes margined with pale brown; 2nd costal sector about 3/4 as long as 4th; length of vein M from dm-cu crossvein to bend about 2 times as long as distance between bend and wing margin. Legs black, pulvilli pale brownish; mid tibia with 3 anterodorsal setae; hind tibia with row of rather sparsely-set anterodorsal setae and with a strong submedian seta; claws and pulvilli slightly longer than 5th tarsomere.

Abdomen shiny black in ground color, narrowly reddish-brown on sides of 3rd tergite; dorsum with thin whitish or pale yellowish-white pruinosity on anterolateral 1/2 of 3rd tergite, anterior 1/2–2/5 of 4th tergite and anterolateral portion of 5th tergite, venter with thin whitish pruinosity on anterior 1/2 of 3rd tergite, anterior margin of 4th tergite and almost entire 5th tergite. Syntergite 1+2 with a pair of fine median marginal setae about 1/2 as long as 3rd tergite; 3rd tergite with a pair of strong median marginal setae about 4/5 as long as 4th tergite; 5th tergite with many strong erect setae, not forming distinct rows; venter of 4th tergite with rather dense, fine, short hairs not forming a distinct sexual hair patch. Terminalia: cerci in dorsal view long triangular, apical 1/3 of mid-dorsal portion excavated, apical 1/6 very narrowly separated, apex well curved dorsally; broad in lateral view, apical 1/3 of mid-ventral portion forming a keel, with long hairs, apex strongly curved dorsally; surstylus broad in lateral view, narrowed apically in apical 1/3, with many long hairs.

Female. Differs from male as follows: vertex 0.26–0.28 of head width; parafacial about 4/5 of 1st flagellomere at mid height in profile (subequal in width when measured in horizontal position); gena 0.18–0.20 of head height in profile (0.22–0.25 when measured in horizontal position); inner vertical seta slightly shorter than 1/4 of eye height; outer vertical seta fine, at most 1/3 as long as inner seta; ocellar setae fine but distinct, slightly finer and shorter than outer vertical seta; anterior reclinate orbital seta about 1.5 times as long as posterior seta and about 2/3 as long as inner vertical seta; 2 subequally long proclinate orbital setae, subequal in length to anterior reclinate orbital seta; fronto-orbital plate with rather sparse short hairs; facial ridge with rather strong and short setae on lower 1/3; occiput with a few black hairs in upper 1/3 and 2–3 rows of fine black hairs in lower portion; antenna with 1st flagellomere 3.8–4.0 times as long as pedicel; palpus shorter than 1st flagellomere (ratio 3:3.5). Thoracic dorsum with slightly denser pruinosity; 2nd costal sector of wing about 2/3 as long as 3rd; length of vein M from dm-cu crossvein to bend about 1.5 times distance from bend to wing margin. Mid tibia with 3 strong anterodorsal setae; hind tibia with sparser row of anterodorsal setae, 2 strong setae present among them; claws and pulvilli shorter than 5th tarsomere. Venter of 4th abdominal tergite with normal hairing as on the preceding tergite, and without sexual hair patches. Terminalia: 6th tergite broadly separated mid-dorsally into quadrate hemitergites, with a row of long and strong setae at posterior margin; 6th sternite only slightly longer than 7th sternite; 7th tergite divided into posteriorly-rounded quadrate hemitergites, with strong setae on posterior 1/4; 7th sternite narrowed posteriorly in posterior 1/ 3 in ventral view, apex weakly pointed; 8th tergite divided into small and anteriorly-curved hemitergites.

Egg. Length ca. 0.2 mm. Dark brown; in lateral view well raised posteriorly; chorion with large, strongly ridged polygonal cells; aeropylar structure strongly raised, well visible in lateral view.

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE ♂: Nukabira / Hokkaido / 24.vii.1964, S. Takano (367) ( CNC); 1 ♀ paratype: Nukabira / Hokkaido / 27.viii.1963 / S. Takano (368) ( CNC).

Additional material examined: 1 ♂, Honshu, Saitama Pref., Kamikawa, Kanasana Shrine , 15.vi.1986, K. Hara leg. ( BLKU) ; 1 ♂, Honshu, Saitama Pref., Ryokami, Hinata-ôya , 22.viii.1987, K. Hara leg. ( KUM) ; 1 ♀, Honshu, Saitama Pref., Yorii, Sakurazawa , 10.x.2003, K. Hara leg. ( KUM) ; 1 ♀, Shikoku, Ehime Pref., Kumakogen, Yurano , 20.vii.2007, Malaise trap, E. Yamamoto leg. ( KUM) .

Distribution. Palearctic Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku*).

Figures

FIGURES 15–26. Male and female terminalia of Blepharella spp. 15–20. Blepharella nigra Mesnil (Saitama, Japan, KUM). 21–26. Blepharella lateralis Macquart (♂ from Sandakan, Malaysia; ♀ from Yunnan, China; both KUM). 15. Male 5th sternite in ventral view (hairs omitted on left side). 16. Epandrium, surstylus and cerci in lateral view (hairs omitted on epandrium). 17. Same in dorsal view (hairs omitted). 18. Hypandrium, pre- and postgonite and phallus in lateral view. 19. Female terminalia in lateral view. 20. Same in ventral view (hairs omitted). 21. Male 5th sternite in ventral view (hairs omitted on left side). 22. Epandrium, surstylus and cerci in lateral view (hairs omitted on epandrium). 23 Same in dorsal view (hairs omitted). 24. Hypandrium, pre- and postgonite and phallus in lateral view. 25. Female terminalia in lateral view. 26. Same in ventral view (hairs omitted). Scale bars: 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 27–42. Blepharella spp. 27–36. Adult habitus. 37–42. Eggs in dorsal (37, 39, 41) and lateral (38, 40, 42) view; scale bars: 0.1 mm. 27–28. Blepharella bomolocha sp. nov. male (paratype, Fukuoka, Japan, KUM), lateral (27) and dorsal (28) view. 29–30. Blepharella grisescens sp. nov., male (paratype, Fukushima, Japan, KUM), lateral (29) and dorsal (30) view. 31–32. Blepharella yaeyamana sp. nov., male (paratype, Ishigaki Is., Japan, KUM), lateral (31) and (32) dorsal view. 33–34. Blepharella nigra Mesnil, male (Saitama, Japan, KUM), lateral (33) and dorsal (34) view. 35–36. Blepharella lateralis Macquart, male (Yunnan, China, KUM), lateral (35) and dorsal (36) view. 37–38. Blepharella bomolocha sp. nov. (paratype, Fukuoka, Japan, KUM). 39–40. Blepharella nigra Mesnil (Saitama, Japan, KUM). 41–42. Blepharella lateralis Macquart (Orissa [Odisha], India, KUM).