Tephritis mutabilis Merz, 1992

Evstigneev, D. A. & Przhiboro, A. A., 2021, New records of flies of the genus Tephritis (Diptera: Tephritidae) from the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, with notes on other tephritid species, Zoosystematica Rossica (Zoosyst. Rossica) 30 (1), pp. 13-24 : 15

Tephritis mutabilis Merz, 1992

( Figs 15–23 )

Material examined. Armenia, Gegharkunik Prov., vicinity of Sevan Town, mountain side facing Sevan Psychiatric Hospital , 1 female and 1 male reared 21.VII.2017 from capitula of Leontodon asperrimus collected on 16.VII.2017, 2 females and 3 males reared 25.VII.2017 from capitula of L. asperrimus collected on 16.VII.2017, coll. D.A. Evstigneev. Russia, Republic of North Ossetia – Alania, Alagir Distr., 3 km below Tsey station of cableway, bank of Tseyadon River , 3 males reared 16.VIII.2020 from capitula of Leontodon sp. collected on 14.VIII.2020 , 6 females and 1 male reared 19.VIII.2020 from capitula of Leontodon sp. collected on 14.VIII.2020, coll. D.A. Evstigneev .

Distribution. Austria, former Czechoslovakia (without further details), France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland ( Merz, 1992, 1994), Russia (S. Korneyev, 2016b), Ukraine (S. Korneyev & Klasa, 2016).

Comments. In Russia, the species was known from Adygea in the western Caucasus (Evstigneev & S. Korneyev, 2018) and from Karachay-Cherkessia (S. Korneyev, 2016b, 2016c) and Kabardino-Balkaria (Evstigneev & S. Korneyev, 2018) in the North Caucasus. Here we record it from North Ossetia. Tephritis mutabilis is recorded from Armenia and Transcaucasia at large for the first time. Merz, who described T. mutabilis , reared it from Leontodon hispidus L. ( Merz, 1992, 1994). Here, we list the new host plant species, L. asperrimus (Willd.) Endl. The above-mentioned specimens are consistent with the diagnosis of T. mutabilis , including the reticular wing pattern, elongate spermathecae and incised apex of the aculeus ( Figs 15–23 ).

Figures

Figs15–23. Tephritis mutabilis from Armenia, details of female (15–22) and male (23). 15, female habitus (in lateral view); 16, female wing; 17, female abdomen (in dorsal view); 18, female abdomen (in lateral view); 19, aculeus; 20, distal part of aculeus (magnified); 21, apex of aculeus (at large magnification); 22, spermatheca; 23, glans of phallus.