Bactrocera (Bactrocera) furcata David and Hancock

David, K. J., Hancock, D. L., Singh, Shakti Kumar, Ramani, S., Behere, G. T. & Salini, S., 2017, New species, new records and updated subgeneric key of Bactrocera Macquart (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae: Dacini) from India, Zootaxa 4272 (3), pp. 386-400 : 389-391

Bactrocera (Bactrocera) furcata David and Hancock , sp. nov.

( Figures 1a–g )

Description. Large sized, black species (8.7 mm). Frons fulvous with two frontal setae and single orbital seta, ocellar triangle black, ocellus fuscous, outer vertical seta and medial vertical seta present; occiput fuscous with a row of thin, black postocular setae; face fulvous with elongate, black spot in each antennal furrow and a medial longitudinal black band, gena fulvous with subocular spot and seta. Scape, pedicel fuscous, first flagellomere dark fuscous, combined length of pedicel and first flagellomere as long as the vertical length of face. Scutum black with narrow, yellow lateral postsutural vitta ending just before intra-alar seta. Yellow markings as follows: postpronotal lobe, notopleural lobe, narrow anepisternal stripe, as broad as notopleural lobe, continued as a small spot on katepisternum, 0.6 of katatergite; 0.9 of anatergite. Scutellum yellow with narrow, black basal band, mediotergite and subscutellum black. Chaetotaxy: 2 scapular setae, 1 anterior notopleural seta, 1 notopleural seta, 1 anepisternal seta, 1 postsutural supra-alar seta, 1 post-alar seta, 1 intra-alar seta, 1 prescutellar acrostichal seta, 1 scutellar seta. Legs: all femora with fuscous markings, 0.7 of fore and midfemur, 0.25 of hindfemur, tibia fuscous, tarsal segments fulvous. Wing (7.4 mm) predominantly hyaline with narrow costal band from cell sc to wing apex confluent with vein R2+3, extension of cell bcu longer than bcu, anal streak present. Abdomen oval, predominantly red-brown to dark brown except fulvous band on tergites I+II posteriorly and a black T-shaped marking on tergites III-V.

Female genitalia: Oviscape black (1.9 mm); eversible membrane (1.7 mm) with spicules of eversible membrane having single pointed projection, aculeus (1.4 mm) with apex forked and four pairs of preapical setae.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, INDIA, Karnataka, Sirsi, Navanegere , 14.iii. 2006, David, K. J. ( UASB).

Etymology. The species name is an adjective based on the forked appearance of the aculeus tip (forked= furcata ).

Remarks. Bactrocera furcata is similar to B. caryeae in having a predominantly black scutum, a similarly patterned abdomen, narrow costal band confluent with vein R2+3 and extensive femoral markings, but can be differentiated by the forked aculeus tip, spicules of eversible membrane and larger size ( B. caryeae measures less than 6 mm). Bactrocera holtmanni (Hardy) , which is also a member of the B. dorsalis complex, also possesses a bifid aculues but can be differentiated by the costal band overlapping vein R2+3. Because of the extensively dark femora and face, B. furcata keys to couplet 7 in the nigrotibialis complex in the key of Drew and Romig (2016), differing from both B. nigrotibialis (Perkins) and B. bellisi Drew & Romig in the shape of the postsutural vittae and costal band, paler abdomen, fulvous basal third of the fore and mid femora and, at least from B. nigrotibialis , in the bifid aculeus. Males (and lure records) are needed in order to establish the proper assignment of this species to a complex.

Figures

FIGURE 1 a – g. Bactrocera (Bactrocera) furcata sp. nov. a, head (profile view); b, scutum (dorsal view); c, thorax (lateral view) and legs; d, abdomen (female); e, wing; f, aculeus tip; g, spicules at distal end of eversible membrane.