Melastrongygaster chaoi Shima

Shima, Hiroshi, 2015, Melastrongygaster, a new genus of the tribe Strongygastrini (Diptera: Tachinidae), with five new species from Asia, Zootaxa 3904 (3), pp. 427-445 : 433-436

Melastrongygaster chaoi Shima , sp. nov.

Figs. 11–12 , 15–18

Closely resembling the preceding species, but differing as follows:

Male. Shining black markings on inner margin of fronto-orbital plate extending below to upper 1/2 of parafacial; frons at the narrowest point nearly as wide as base of arista; parafacial weakly narrowed below, about 5/7 (about 3/ 5 in profile) as wide as 1st flagellomere at middle height; inner vertical seta shorter, at most 2/7 as long as eye height; ocellar seta slightly shorter than inner vertical seta; base of antenna nearly level with lower 1/4 of eye height in profile; pedicel with a long seta which is about 4/5 as long as pedicel and 1st flagellomere together. Thoracic dorsum with thin pale brownish gray pruinosity on postpronotal lobe and scutum, 2 broad outer and 2 narrow inner vittae recognizable on presutural area of scutum; 2 katepisternal setae; discal scutellar setae indistinct among many long and suberect hairs. Wing hyaline, weakly tinged with pale brown, more strongly tinged on basal portion; lower calypter pale brownish, inner portion strongly tinged with dark brown; relative lengths of costal sectors 2nd, 3rd and 4th approximately as 1:3.5:1.5; last section of vein CuA1 about 3/5 as long as dm-cu crossvein. Fore tibia with a row of rather long posterodorsal setae and 2–3 posterior setae; mid tibia with 1–2 anterodorsal, 2–3 posterodorsal, 1 posteroventral and 1 ventral setae; hind tibia with 3–4 anterodorsal, 3–4 posterodorsal and 3 ventral setae. Abdomen shining black, with thin brownish gray pruinosity on dorsum of anterior 1/2 of 3rd and 4th tergites and very thin grayish pruinosity on anterior portion of 5th; 3rd abdominal tergite with 1 pair of anterior and 2 pairs of, or 5, long irregularly set posterior discal and a row of strong marginal setae.

Male terminalia: Epandrium with 2 pairs of strong setae; surstylus in lateral view nearly parallel-sided, weakly narrowed apically, without hair or pile; bacilliform sclerite very short and fused posteriorly with inner wall of surstylus; cerci in dorsal view widely separated basally and apically, close together on basal 1/2 to 3/4, in lateral view broad at base and narrowed to basal 2/3, apex weakly curved ventrally.

Female. Unknown.

Body length: 6.1–7 mm.

Holotype male, Yulin, 3000 m, Kanding Xiang, Sichuan, China, 20.viii.1993, H. Shima ( IZCAS).

Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype; 3 males, Zheduo-shan, 3000–4000 m, Kanding Xian, Sichuan, 19- 24.viii.1993, H. Shima & A. Nakanishi; 1 male, Paoma-shan, 2600 m, Kanding Xian, Sichuan, 18.viii.1993, X. Lin; 1 male, Xingdu Qiao, 3700 m, Kanding Xian, Sichuan, 22.viii.1993, A. Nakanishi ( IZCAS, KUM).

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to the late Professor Chao Chien-ming, pioneer of tachinid taxonomy in China and a collaborator in the survey from which the above type specimens were obtained.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Remarks. The epandrium of this species has 2 pairs of strong setae and the male cerci are narrowed from base to apical 1/4 and divergent in dorsal view.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 14. Habitus of adults. 11 – 12. Melastrongygaster chaoi sp. nov., male. 11. Lateral view. 12. Head in lateral view. 13 – 14. Melastrongygaster fuscipennis sp. nov., male. 13. Lateral view. 14. Head in lateral view.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Male terminalia of Melastrongygaster chaoi sp. nov. 15. Epandrium, surstylus and cerci in dorsal view (hairs omitted). 16. Same in lateral view (hairs on epandrium and surstylus omitted). 17. Hypandrium, postgonite and phallus in lateral view. 18. 5 th sternite in ventral view. Scale: 0.1 mm.