Phasia australiensis Sun, 2003

Sun, Xuekui & Marshall, Stephen A., 2003, Systematics of Phasia Latreille (Diptera: Tachinidae), Zootaxa 276 (1), pp. 1-320 : 162-164

3.6.3 Phasia australiensis Sun , sp. nov.

(Figures I­9, II­8.2)

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype ♀, [ AUSTRALIA], WA, Newmanns Rocks, 50km W Balladonia Motel, 19.i.1986, G. and A. Daniel (MV); paratypes, 1♀, [ AUSTRALIA], [Tasmania], Risdon, 27.2.116, C. Cole (MV); 1♀, [ AUSTRALIA], Queensland, Stanthorpe, 15.x.1925 (UQIC); 1♀, [ AUSTRALIA], SA [South Australia], Great Vict., Dersert, Vehicle net bet, 158 ­ 183km S Vokes Hill Corner, Dunes+Interdunes, 29.viii.1980, J. Forrest (SAMA).

DESCRIPTION

Body length: 6.5­7.5 mm.

FEMALE: HEAD. Head spherical or nearly so. Eyes separated by a distance as wide as single ocellus. Fronto­orbital plate black, greyish yellow pruinose, 1­2 rows of hairs laterally. Frontal vitta triangular, brown. Frontal vitta at base of antennae 2.5 times as wide as fronto­orbital plate anteriorly. Ocellar setae present but fine; outer vertical setae absent; inner vertical setae absent. Face black; greyish yellow pruinose. Parafacial black, greyish yellow pruinose, bare, as wide as first flagellomere. Lower margin of face projecting, visible in profile, orange yellow, greyish yellow pruinose. Vibrissa not differentiated; intervibrissal distance 1.1 times distance between vibrissa and eye on same side; facial ridge with bristles on lower 1/3. Gena brown, greyish yellow pruinose; hairs white; height 0.12 times eye height. Lunule black and shining; sublunular bulla indistinct. Antenna black; first flagellomere 1.2 times as long as pedicel; arista thickened on basal 0.66. Length of oral opening 2.7­2.8 times its width. Occiput flattened, white pruinose; hairs white. Palpus brown.

THORAX. Mesoscutum thinly grey pruinose, without black longitudinal vitta, with fine black hairs. 0+1(2) acrostichal seta; 1+1 dorsocentral setae; 2 postpronotal setae; presutural supra­alar seta present, strong; 1 postsutural intra­alar seta; 2 notopleural setae; 1 supra­alar seta; 2 postalar setae. Pleuron thinly grey pruinose; hairs and white black. Anepimeral setae hair­like, black; 2 katepisternal setae; 6­7 meral setae. Scutellum black, thinly grey pruinose, with two pairs of marginal setae; apical setae present and distinct; discal setae randomly arranged, not in rows. Subscutellum not very prominent. WING. Lower calypter hyaline white. Wing base without scale­like setae. Tegula black. Basicosta brown. Wing hyaline, narrow; petiole of apical cell 0.23 times as long as preceding section of R 4+5; M meeting R 4+5 at acute angle. Halter brown. LEGS. Fore femur black; hairs black. Fore tibia black, without bristles, apically with 1 d. Fore tarus black. Fore claws black; 0.9 times as long as fifth tarsomere. Pulvilli brown. Mid femur black; hairs black. Mid tibia black, with 1 ad and 1 v, apically with 1 ad, 1 av, 1 pv, 1 p, 1 pd, 1 v and 1 d. Hind femur black; hairs black. Hind tibia black, with 4 pd and one row of ad. Anterior spine­like setae of hind tibia well developed.

ABDOMEN. Pruinosity grey present, but very thin; longitudinal vitta absent. Relative length of abdominal tergites I+II:III:IV:V = 1.2:1:1:0.9; relative width I+II:III:IV:V = 0.5:1:1:0.8. Hair spots of tergites IV and V indistinct. Sternite VII (sheath) longer than sternite VI, apex flattened laterally, narrow apically, not bent, apex straight. Ovipositor bent upward.

MALE: Unknown.

HOST

Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

This specific name refers to the Australian distribution of Phasia australiensis .