Falbouria acorensis (Parent)

Capellari, Renato Soares & Amorim, Dalton De Souza, 2012, Systematic position of the monotypic Azorean genus Falbouria Dyte with notes on the definition of Chrysotus Meigen (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), Zootaxa 3489, pp. 81-88 : 82-84

Falbouria acorensis (Parent)

( Figs. 1–7 )

Balfouria acorensis Parent, 1933: 75 (fig. 1).

Falbouria acorensis (Parent) : Dyte, 1980: 223. Grichanov, 2010: figs. 8–9 (habitus of holotype).

Diagnosis. As for the genus.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE 3, AZORES, Pico Island, Serra Gorda, 24.vii.1929, J. Balfour-Browne leg. ( BMNH). Additional material: 13, 4Ƥ, São Miguel Island: 2 km S Pico da Pedra, 37º47'N, 25º35'W, 1.xi.2006 (sweeping undergrowth of deciduous forest) ( SMOC); 1Ƥ, Caldeira Velha (near Ribeira Grande), 37º47'N, 25º30'W, 7.ix.2006 (sweeping undergrowth of broadleaved forest) ( SMOC); 1Ƥ, same data except Lombadas, Ribeira Grande river, 37º47'N, 25º27'W, 5.ix.2006 (sweeping riverside vegetation) ( SMOC); 1Ƥ, Sete Cidades env., 37º51'N, 25º48'W, 31.viii.2006 (sweeping over meadow) ( SMOC); 13, 1.5 km SE Sete Cidades, 37º51'N, 25º47'W (on refuse heap in mixed forest) ( SMOC); 1Ƥ, Sete Cidades, Lagoa Verde, 8.ix.2006 (sweeping undergrowth of deciduous forest) ( SMOC); 33, Sete Cidades, 17.v.1938 ( UZMH); 2Ƥ, same data except Santo António, Atalhada res., 37º51'N, 25º13'W, 6.ix.2006 (sweeping undergrowth of laurel forest) ( SMOC); 1Ƥ, Furnas, 19–21.v.1938 ( UZMH); 1Ƥ, Furnas, 23.vii–1.viii.1938 ( UZMH); 1Ƥ, Lagoa do Congro, 21.v.1938 ( UZMH). Faial Island: 13, Caldeira, 4.vii.1938 ( UZMH). Flores Island: 1Ƥ, Caldeira Seca, 21.vi.1938 ( UZMH); 1Ƥ, Fazenda Ribeira, 8.vi.1938 ( UZMH); 1Ƥ, Mato, 15.vi.1938 ( UZMH). São Jorge Island: 23, Ribeira do Salto, 23.vi.1938 ( UZMH); 13, Ribeira Funda, 23.vi.1938 ( UZMH).

Re-description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Body length, 2.8–3.5 mm. Wing length, 2.8–3.2 mm, width, 1.1–1.2 mm. Head. Frons light green, with some bluish reflections, about 0.3 of head width, converging ventrally; face mostly obliterated by contiguous eyes, reduced to small triangle below antennae, concolorous with frons; eyes with ventral facets enlarged ( MSSC); palpus yellow, with black apical seta; proboscis brown, with brownish setulae; pair of divergent, proclinate strong ocellar setae; pair of minute post-ocellar setae; pair of convergent, proclinate strong vertical setae; pair of paravertical setae, almost as long as dorsalmost post-oculars; single row of white postoculars, 7 dorsalmost post-oculars black. Antenna light brown; dorsal surface of scape bare; pedicel with crown of apical setae, dorsalmost longer; postpedicel sub-triangular, pubescent; arista-like stylus bi-articulated near base, also pubescent. Thorax. Mesonotum and most of anepisternum and anepimeron metallic green with coppery reflections, with some pruinosity laterally; katepimeron brownish; metepimeron yellow. Acrostichal setae distinctly biseriate, extending to fifth pair of dorsocentrals; 6 pairs of dorsocentrals; scattered setulae on anterior surface of scutum, around second pair of dorsocentrals; 1 strong and 2 smaller post-pronotals; upper part of proepisternum, in front of anterior spiracle, bare, lower part with 2 setae, ventral one stronger; 1 pre- and 1 sutural intra-alar setae; 1 pre- and 2 post-sutural supra-alar setae; 1 post-alar and 1 tiny hair anteriad; 2 notopleurals; pair of strong medial scutellars and 1 pair smaller laterad, about one fourth length of medial scutellars. Wing ( Fig. 2 ). Membrane hyaline, slightly brownish anteriorly, veins brown. C ending at wing apex. R1 ending at basal fifth. R2+3 ending at apical 4/5. R4+5 and M slightly diverging at apex. CuAx ratio: 0.3. A1 present. Anal angle undeveloped. Lower calypter and halter yellowish. Legs. I: 42, 36, 29, 10, 9, 6, 4. II: 49, 48, 28, 14, 10, 6, 3. III: 59, 60, 18, 17, 11, 6, 4. Mostly yellow, CxII, apical 1/4 of FIII, apex of tibia III, and tarsus III brown. Claws present in all legs; pulvilli undeveloped. I. Anterior surface of CxI covered by black setae, lateral margin and outer edge with stronger setae; FI with 1–2 small anterior setae at apex; tibia I with 2–4 dorsal setae, 1 antero-dorsal seta at basal fourth, 2 small ventral setae on apical half and 3 small apical setae; It1 with short ventral setae. II: FII with row of 4 conspicuous anterior setae on apical half and 1 postero-ventral at apex; tibia II with 4–5 antero-dorsal setae, 3–4 postero-dorsal setae, 2 ventral setae on apical half and 4 apicals; IIt1 with short ventral setae. III: CxIII with 1 large lateral setae at base and 1 smaller at apex; FIII with 3–4 conspicuous anterior setae on apical 1/4, with row of antero-ventral setae, 3 apicalmost setae stronger; tibia III with 3–4 antero-dorsal setae, 4–5 postero-dorsal setae and 4 apicals; ventral surface with row of 5–6 more conspicuous setae. Abdomen. Cylindrical, Tg1–3 yellow (sometimes only Tg1 or Tg1–2), otherwise shinning dark green, with coppery reflections; St1–5 brownish, St1 lighter, St6 concealed. Tg1–6 covered by black setae, those on hind margins longer (setae on Tg6 extending beyond apex of abdomen and longer than setae on St8; Fig. 1 ). St8 only with short setae, without strong bristles (as in species of Diaphorus ). Hypopygium ( Figs. 4–5 ). Globular, brown, partially hidden by Tg6, foramen left lateral. Surstylus as a single lobe (=VSur), laterally flattened, with a small, drop-like spine at apex. Lel reduced, with 3 setae. Dorsal surface of distal part of phallus rugose; proximal end of phallus with a short projection, arising dorsad sperm pump. Pgon pilose, extending between cerci. Cercus short, brownish.

Female. Body length, 2.8–3.5 mm. Wing length, 2.7–3.7 mm, width, 1.1–1.4 mm. Similar to male except for MSSC and as noted. Head. Face pruinose, as broad as narrowest width of frons; palpus brown, covered by black setulae. Antennal postpedicel trapezoid. Wing ( Fig. 3 ). Legs. I: 40, 37, 22, 10, 6, 4, 3. II: 50, 49, 28, 12, 9, 5, 3. III: 61, 60, 18, 13, 9, 5, 4. Abdomen. Narrowing towards apex, yellow band restricted to lateral margins of Tg1–2. Setae on hind margin of Tg5 brownish and delicate. Oviscapt ( Figs. 6–7 ). Tg8 and St8 divided into two rod-like sclerites; acanthophorites with 3 spines and 1 lateral seta each.

Comments. As stated above, part of the material examined in this paper was misidentified by Frey (1945) as the Afrotropical dolichopodid species Chrysotus xanthoprasius . Hence, records of that species (as “ C. xanthoprasinus ”) from Azores by Negrobov (1991) and Yang et al. (2006) should be corrected. Apparently, this also applies to the Italian records for this species (C.E. Dyte, unpublished manuscript). Therefore, C. xanthoprasius must no longer be regarded as having a Palaearctic extension.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Falbouria acorensis (Parent). 1, male habitus. 2 – 3, wings: 2, male. 3, female. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Falbouria acorensis (Parent). 4 – 5, male hypopygium: 4, left lateral. 5, ventral. 6 – 7, female oviscapt: 6, dorsal. 7, lateral. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.