Physiphora aperta Steyskal 1952

Elena P. Kameneva & Valery A. Kroneyev, 2016, Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae), Zootaxa 4087 (1), pp. 1-88 : 21-22

Physiphora aperta Steyskal 1952

Figures 56–59 .

Physiphora aperta Steyskal, 1952: 285 ; Evenhuis, 1989: 481; Kameneva & Korneyev, 2010: 622.

Material. Type. Holotype ♂: “Guadalcanal / Solomon Is /, Sept 6 / 1944 ” (BBM) (not examined). Paratypes: 1♀: “210”, “Lunga Valley / Guadalcanal / X 1944 ”, “Laffon Coll.”, “ Paratype / Ph-ra aperta / St-l”; 1♂: “Lunga R. / Guadalcanal / Solomon Is/, Sept 6/1944 ”; “Jean Laffoon Coll.”, “# 184”, “ Paratype / Ph-ra aperta / St-l”; 1♂, 5♀: “Guadalcanal / 1944 / C. O.Berg”, Paratype / Ph-ra aperta / St-l” (USNM).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to African P. allomma , the only other species with widely opened cell r4+5, as well as with sharply delimited lateral margins of facial carina and faint blue reflection on sparsely rugulose scutum and scutellum, differing by even more widely opened cell r4+5 (see the Key), and having mostly brown frons, dorsocentral and acrostichal setae present. Superficially similar P. longicornis from the Oriental and P. violacea from the Afrotropical Region have shining black mesonotum with faint bluish, cyan or purplish reflection, but clearly differ from P. aperta by having closed cell r4+5 (in P. violacea with apical petiole).

Description. Head ( Figs. 57–58 ) mostly black. Frons 1.1 times as long as wide, reddish brown, subshining, sparsely and finely setulose, with round parafrontal microtichose spots and two pairs of calluses posterior to its middle. Vertical plates black, with dark blue sheen, bearing 2 pairs of black, short, slightly reclinate orbital setae. Ocellar triangle black.

Face black, facial carina sharply delimited, dorsal half black, medially with triangular or trapeziform microtrichose area narrowly separated from microtrichose antennal grooves. Facial ridge, parafacial and gena brown. Epistome entirely black. Occiput black. Antenna brown; arista bare, yellow in basal 1/5, remainder brown. Clypeus brown to black. Palp black. Mouthparts black.

Thorax ( Fig. 57 ). Scutum and scutellum black, with dull blue metallic sheen, sparsely rugulose, except antepronotum, postpronotal lobe, notopleuron, as well as pleura strongly shining. Mesonotal scutum with presutural acostichal, dorsocentral and supra-alar rows of setulae; all setae (acrostichal and dorsocentral, one postprononal, 2 postsutural supra-alar, one intra-alar and one postalar) strong, black.

Scutellum very sparsely shagreened, with faint deep blue reflection, with very fine and short black setulae and 2 pairs of black scutellar setae.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with brown veins and brownish pterostigma; cell r4+5 wide opened, section of costal vein between R4+5 and M more than half as long as section of costal vein between R2+3 and R4+5 ( Fig. 59 ). Posteroapical extension of cell cup 1.5 times as long as vein A1+CuA2, and c. twice as long as transverse section of vein CuA2. Length: 3.7–4.3 mm.

Legs. Black except fore tarsus with basitarsomere creamy yellow in medial portion, and black in basal and apical one-fifth, mid- and hind tarsi yellow except apical tarsomeres black; all setae black; fore femur posteroventrally with 3–5 thickened, but rather short setae in apical half.

Abdomen. Both tergites and sternites black, finely rugulose, with bluish reflection; all setulae black.

Male and female genitalia not dissected.

Distribution: Solomon Islands.

Biology unknown.

Remarks. This species looks very similar to P. allomma . Comparative study of male genitalia of these species are needed to see if they are really closely related.

Figures

FIGURES 56 – 59. Physiphora aperta, paratypes: 56, eye pattern; 57, head and thorax, dorsal; 58, head, anterior; 59, wing. Figs. 56, 59, from Steyskal, 1952, redrawn by V. A. Korneyev; Figs. 57 – 58, photo by A. L. Norrbom.