Terellia freidbergi Korneyev, 2013

Evstigneev, D. A. & Boyko, N. S., 2024, New data on the morphology, distribution and host plants of three species of the Terellia virens group (Diptera: Tephritidae), Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 33 (1), pp. 106-115 : 107-109

Terellia freidbergi Korneyev, 2013

( Figs 1–13, 15, 38)

Material examined. Armenia: Vayots Dzor Prov.: Jermuk Town , 3 females and 3 males reared on 25–29. VII.2018 and 8–20.IV.2019 from capitula of Centaurea (Chartolepis) sp. collected on 7.VIII.2018; nr. Mozrov Vill. , mountain steppe, 7 females and 5 males reared on 19–27.VII.2018 from capitula of Centaurea kotschyi subsp. persica collected on 18.VII.2018; same locality and habitat, 6 females and 12 males reared on 15–20. VII.2022 from capitula of Centaurea daralagoezica collected on 10.VII.2022; nr. Martiros Vill. , mountain steppe, 6 females and 6 males reared on 24.VII.2022 from capitula of Centaurea (Tomanthea) sp. collect- ed on 23.VII.2022; Ararat Prov.: nr. Urtsalanj Vill. , 7.VIII.2018 , mountain steppe, 2 males swept from Centaurea behen ; Urts Range, nr. Lanjar , mountain steppe, 3 males reared on 3–8.VIII.2021 from capitula of Centaurea polypodiifolia collected on 25.VII.2021; Aragatsotn Prov., slope of Aragats Mt. above Antarut Vill. , mountain steppe, 5 females and 2 males reared on 29.VII.2022 from capitula of Centaurea spectabilis collected on 16.VII.2022.

Comments. Korneyev (1988) examined three specimens of this species from Armenia, with the following label data: Ararat Province, near Vedi Village, 3.VI.1982, 1 female (Ermolenko coll.); near Vedi Village, Khosrov Natural Reserve, 27.VI.1982, 2 females (Ermolenko coll.). Korneyev (1988) recognised these specimens as a new species in the Terellia virens group, but since all specimens were females, the description was postponed until the males were found. As a result, the description of T. freidbergi was published in the article revising the T. virens group ( Korneyev et al., 2013).

The Armenian specimens mentioned above, collected by Ermolenko and examined by Korneyev, were designated as paratypes of the species.

It is important to supplement information that can be used to separate T. freidbergi from T. ivannikovi . The identification characters such as shape, position and colour of the elements of the scutal pattern are listed below.

In 2013, one host plant of T. freidbergi was known, Centaurea behen L. It is now known that larvae of this species develop in capitula of various species of the genus Centaurea : C. kotschyi subsp. persica (Boiss.) Greuter (syn. Cheirolepis persica Boiss. ), C. ( Chartolepis ) sp., C. polypodiifolia Boiss , C. daralagoezica (Fomin) Greuter (syn. Tomanthea daralaghezica (Fomin) Takhtajan ) and C. spectabilis (Fisch. et C.A. Mey) Schultz Bipontinus (syn. T. spectabilis (Fisch. et C.A. Mey) Takhtajan ). Host plants are illustrated in Figs 43–48 (see Addenda).

Redescription. Body coloration from greenish yellow to yellowish golden. Body length: 5.9–7.0 mm in female (including oviscape), 4.3–5.6 mm in male. Thorax length 1.7–2.2 mm. Ratios of head length to its height and width as 1.0: 1.2: 1.7 and 1.0: 1.3: 1.7. Wing entirely hyaline, with yellow pterostigma. Wing 2.5–2.6 times as long as wide. Distal portion of vein M twice as long as penultimate section. Male abdomen length 1.7– 2.3 mm. Oviscape 2.9–3.5 times as long as tergite 6. All abdominal tergites combined 1.1–1.3 times as long as oviscape. All elements of scutal pattern orange (ochreous). Two medial transsutural stripes separate ( Figs 3, 15). Shape of male sternites as in Fig. 8. Rounding of aculeus apex variable: extremes of shape as in Figs 12 and 13. Aculeus length 1.8–2.3 mm.

Distribution. Armenia, Iran, Turkey ( Korneyev et al., 2013).