Atherigona ( Acritochaeta ) orientalis Schiner, 1868

Couri, Marcia S., Pont, Adrian C. & Daugeron, Christophe, 2010, The Muscidae (Diptera) of Vanuatu, Zootaxa 2556 (1), pp. 1-39 : 8-9

1. Atherigona ( Acritochaeta) orientalis Schiner

Atherigona orientalis Schiner, 1868: 295 . Holotype female, Tellnschong, Nicobar Is, in NMW (type seen by Pont 1986: 18).

Atherigona orientalis ; Pont, 1989: 682.

Diagnosis. Species exhibiting intraspecific variation in colour (see Pont 1986). Vanuatu specimens with frontal vitta brown to orange, or partly brown and orange; palpus yellow in male, brown in female with basal part orange; male palpus elongate and flattened; female palpus large and band-shaped; presutural acrostichal setulae in 4–5 rows; scutum grey dusted, without vittae or with three more or less distinct brown vittae, the median one not continuing on to scutellum; scutellum grey dusted; pleura dark in ground-colour; legs mostly yellow, fore femur yellow in male, black in female with yellow base and tip; mid femur with a single preapical posterior seta; hind femur with a dorsal preapical seta, rarely without; abdominal ground-colour black or orange in female; male without hypopygial prominence and trifoliate process; male terminalia as in Figs 41, 42 and female ovipositor as in Figs 15–16 and 45–47 (all in Pont 1986). See also Pont & Magpayo (1995).

Material examined. BMNH: Vanuatu: Malekula: Ounua , iii–iv.1929, 2 ♀ s, L.E.Cheesman ( Pont 1992: 58) .

BPBM: Vanuatu: Ambrym: 22–28.viii.1967, 3 ♀ , J. & M. Sedlacek ; south, 22.viii–4.ix.1967, 9 ♀ , J. & M. Sedlacek; Ranon to Mt. Toyo , 0–500 m, 2.ix.1979, 1 ♂ , W.C. Gagné, G.M. Nishida, G.A. Samuelson. Éfaté: NW, Maat (Mat. Ambrym Vill.), 3 m, 15.viii.1957, 1 ♀ , J.L. Gressitt; Port Vila , 0–5 m, ii.1970, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ; 0–100 m, i.1976, 1 ♀ ; 0–100 m, ii.1976, 1 ♂; 0–100 m, xii.1978, 1 ♂; 0–100 m, iii.1980, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 0–100 m, i.1981, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; all N.H.L. Krauss. Epi: Vaemali , 80–150 m, 11–18.viii.1967, 1 ♀ ; 8.viii.1967, Malaise trap, 8 ♀; 12.viii.1967, Malaise trap, 1 ♀; 16–21.viii.1967, Malaise trap, 1 ♂, 1 ♀; 100–150 m, 6–10.viii.1967, 1 ♂, 3 ♀; 150 m, 9–20.viii.1967, Malaise trap, 1 ♂, 5 ♀; all J. & M. Sedlacek. Erromango: Ipota , 0–100 m, iii.1970, 2 ♂, 1 ♀ , N.H.L. Krauss. Espiritu Santo: Luganville , 29–30.viii.1958, 1 ♂ , B. Malkin; SW, Namatasopa , 300 m, light trap, 1–2.ix.1957, 1 ♂ , J.L. Gressitt; SW, Tasmalum , 3 m, ex fresh human excrement, 4.ix.1957, 4 ♀ , J.L. Gressitt. Maewo: Kerepei , 0–200 m, viii.1983, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ , N.H.L. Krauss. Malekula: Lakatoro , Malaise trap, 29.ix.1967, 1 ♀ , J. & M. Sedlacek; Lakatoro , 0–200 m, ii.1973, 3 ♀ , N.H.L. Krauss; N. Lakatoro , 22–30.ix.1967, 13 ♀ , J. & M. Sedlacek. Pentecost: 14.iii.1964, 2 ♀ , R. Straatman ; 24.iii.1964, 4 ♀ , R. Straatman. Tanna: Lenakel , 0–150 m, iii.1970, 1 ♀ , N.H.L. Krauss.

Comments. A widespread and common species first recorded from Vanuatu by Pont (1989). A few specimens lack the dorsal preapical seta on hind femur, but the material is too small and its condition too poor to determine whether there is a second species of the subgenus Acritochaeta on Vanuatu.

Distribution. American Samoa, Australia (NSW, NT, Qld, WA), Belau, Bonin Is, Easter Island, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawai‘ian Is, Indonesia ( West Papua, Maluku), Johnston Atoll, Kiribati, Marcus I., Marshall Is, Micronesia, New Caledonia ( New Caledonia), Niue, Northern Marianas, Palmyra Atoll, PNG (Bismarck Arch., PNG), Solomon Is, Tonga, Vanuatu, Volcano I., Wake I., Western Samoa; pantropical.