Asiobaccha virtuosa ( Curran, 1928 ) Mengual, Ximo, 2016

Mengual, Ximo, 2016, A taxonomic revision of the genus Asiobaccha Violovitsh (Diptera: Syrphidae), Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 2585-2645 : 2634-2638

Asiobaccha virtuosa ( Curran, 1928) comb. nov.

( Figures 12a, b, d , 14b )

Baccha virtuosa Curran, 1928: 246 . Lectotype: ♂, BMNH, here designated. Type locality: Malaysia, Rhododendron Hill. Curran 1931a: 322; Curran 1942: 6; Curran 1947: 5.

Baccha gigas Curran, 1931b: 356 . Syn. nov. Curran 1931a: 322; Curran 1947: 5.

Baccha (Baccha) virtuosa of Knutson et al. 1975: 323.

Baccha (Allobaccha) gigas of Knutson et al. 1975: 322.

Asiobaccha virtuosa of Mengual 2015: 398 (DNA voucher ZFMK_XM224).

Differential diagnosis

This species has the face entirely yellow and the abdomen with yellow markings ( Figure 12a, d ), the alula partly microtrichose, the wing with partly bare basal cells ( Figure 14b ), and a well-defined mesonotal collar. It is similar to A. nubilipennis , but A. virtuosa has the cell R completely microtrichose and tergum 4 with two subrectangular yellow maculae ( Figures 12a, b , 14b ).

Length (N = 3). Body, 11.0 – 14.7 (13.2) mm; wing, 10.5 – 13.0 (11.9) mm.

Geographical distribution

Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.

Genetics

The GenBank accession numbers for this species are: 28S gene ( KM 270824 , specimen ZFMK_ XM224 ), 18S gene ( KM 270772 , specimen ZFMK_ XM224 ), COI gene ( KM 270855 , specimen ZFMK_ XM224 ).

Type locality

Malaysia: Pahang, Cameron ’ s Highlands, Rhododendron Hill , 04°29 ʹ N, 101°22 ʹ E.

Material examined

Type material. Lectotype, male, deposited in The Natural History Museum , formerly British Museum (Natural History) (London, United Kingdom), and labelled as indicated below (specimen photographed).

Type material of Baccha gigas Curran, 1931 . Holotype, female, deposited in The Natural History Museum , formerly British Museum (Natural History) (London, United Kingdom), and labelled: ‘ Holo- // type ’ [round, red margin] ‘ Baccha // TYPE // gigas ♀ // Curran . // No. ’ [red] ‘ B.N. BORNEO. // Mt. Kinabalu , // Marei Parei , // 5,000 ft. // 30; 4; 1929. ’ [pink] ‘ H.M. Pendlebury // coll. // F.M.S. Museums. ’ [on the reverse of previous label, italics] ‘ Baccha // gigas // Curran . // Det. // C.H. Curran ’ ‘ Pres . by // Fed.Malay States // Museum . // B.M. 1934 – 74. ’.

Nontype material. MALAYSIA: Pahang, Brinchang , 24 November – 2 December 1977, B. Bendell [1♂, CNC]; Pahang, Cameron ’ s Highlands, G. Perdah , 5100 ft., 30 April 1941, J.A. Reid [1♂, BMNH]; Pahang, Cameron ’ s Highlands, G. Terbalvar , 4481 ft., 19 July 1928, H.M. Pendlebury [1♀, BMNH]; Pahang, Cameron ’ s Highlands, 4000 – 4500 ft., 15 June 1935, H.M. Pendlebury [1 sp., BMNH]; Pahang, Fraser ’ s Hill, 4200 ft., 22 July 1936, H.M. Pendlebury [1♂ 1♀, BMNH];..., 15 July 1936,... [1♀, BMNH];..., 4000 ft., 5 June 1941,... [1 sp., BMNH];..., 2 July 1931,... [1♂, AMNH];..., 4000 ft., 31 May 1932,... [1♂, AMNH]; Perak, Larut Hills, 4500 ft., 22 February 1932, H.M. Pendlebury [1 ♂, USNM, USNM ENT 00890806 ];..., 3700 – 4500 ft., 14 – 15 February 1932,... [1♂, AMNH]; Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu, 5000 ft., 1 – 5 May 1973, K.M. Guichard [1♀, BMNH];]; Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu, Marei Parei , 5000 ft., 29 April 1929, H.M. Pendlebury [1♀, CNC]; Sabah, Penampang District, Crocker Range , Gunung Alab , 1660 m, 05°48 ʹ 47 ʹ ’ N, 116°20 ʹ 16 ʹ ’ E, 16 October 2011, M. Hauser and S. Gaimari [1♀, CSCA; 1♀, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011954 ; DNA voucher ZFMK _ XM224 ];..., Long Gong Kugan , 1630 m, 05°49 ʹ 44 ʹ ’ N, 116°19 ʹ 37 ʹ ’ E, 22 October 2011, M. Hauser and S. Gaimari [1♀, ZFMK, ZFMKDIP 00011951 ]; Long Pa Sia to Long Semado , kerangas, 1485 m, 3 – 5 December 1987, C.v. Achterberg, Malaise [1♀, RMNH]. INDONESIA: south Sumatra, SW Lampong district , Mt. Tanggamoes, 600 – 700 m, December 1939, M.A. Lieftinck [1♀, RMNH] .

Remarks

Curran (1928) described A. virtuosa from two males collected the same day by H. M. Pendlebury. In BMNH, there is a pinned male labelled: ‘ Fed. Malay States // Pahang, ‘ Cameron ’ s // Highlands ’ Rhododendron // Hill. 5200 ft. 19.VI.1923. // H. M. Pendlebury ’ ‘ Syn- // type ’ [round, blue margin] ‘Holo TYPE ♂ // Baccha // virtuosa // No Curran’ [red] ‘ Brit. Mus. // 1926 – 56. ’ ‘ LECTOTYPE // Asiobaccha // virtuosa // de s. X. Mengual 20 14’ [red; second and third lines handwritten]. This specimen is here designated as lectotype to fix and ensure the universal and consistent interpretation of the name.

The holotype of A. virtuosa has no alula on the right wing and only the basal portion of the alula remains in the left wing.

The holotype female of Baccha gigas is in poor condition, missing the left wing and most of the abdomen (only terga 1 and 2 remain). The name Baccha gigas was introduced in the identification key from Curran (1931a, p. 322), and the only difference from Asiobaccha virtuosa stated by the same author is the colouration of the wing: virtuosa has wings wholly brown, darker in front, while gigas has wings dark only in front. The holotype of Baccha gigas Curran was studied and was found to be the same species as Asiobaccha virtuosa Curran.

Specimens from the collection at RMNH have a manuscript name given by P.H. van Doesburg, Baccha flavitarsis , never published; thus, it is not available.

Figures

Figure 12. Asiobaccha virtuosa (Curran). a–b, d, lectotype ♂. (a) Dorsal view; (b) lateral view; (d) frontal view. Asiobaccha maculosa Mengual & Thompson sp. nov., paratype ♀. (c) Dorsal view. Asiobaccha nubilipennis (Austen), ♀. (e) Frontal view. Asiobaccha tinctiventris (Meijere), ♂. (f) Frontal view. Scale bars: a–c = 2 mm; d–f = 1 mm.

Figure 14. Asiobaccha nubilipennis (Austen). (a) Wing. Asiobaccha virtuosa (Curran). (b) Wing. Asiobaccha bicolor (Austen). (c) Wing. Asiobaccha tripartita (Walker). (d) Wing. Images with the microtrichia pattern for each species; the infuscation of the wing membrane is not illustrated.