Allograpta javana (Wiedemann, 1824)

Mengual, Ximo & Thompson, F. Christian, 2015, Australian Allograpta Osten Sacken (Diptera, Syrphidae), ZooKeys 513, pp. 65-78 : 67

Taxon classification Animalia Diptera Syrphidae

Allograpta javana (Wiedemann, 1824)

Syrphus iavanus Wiedemann, 1824: 34. Type-locality: Indonesia, Java [LT here designated, NMW].

Syrphus javanus : Wiedemann 1830: 131 (emendation, redescription); Zimsen 1954: 19 (no type specimen in Copenhagen), here verified.

Sphaerophoria javana : Kertész 1910: 136 (cat. cit.).

Xanthogramma javana : Bezzi, 1928: 73 (descr. (A, P), distr.); Hull 1936: 195, 1937: 83 (distr.).

Miogramma javana : Frey 1946: 165 (comb.).

Helenomyia javana : Bańkowska 1962: 311 (comb.).

Allograpta javana : Vockeroth 1969: 130 (comb.).

Allograpta iavana : Thompson and Vockeroth 1989: 441 (cat. cit.).

Diagnosis

(modified from Vockeroth 1971). Face nearly vertical, ventral margin of head shorter and more nearly horizontal; yellow maculae of 2nd tergum (usually fused in female) and yellow fasciae of 3rd and 4th terga not narrowed laterally, extending to margins of terga in their full width; apex of metafemur and broad base and apex of metatibia dark brown to black, the yellow annulus at middle of metatibia sharply defined.

Distribution.

India, Sri Lanka, north to Mongolia, China, Korea, Primorye (Primorsky Krai, Russia) and Japan, east to New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji.

Remarks.

Allograpta javana (Wiedemann) was confused with Allograpta australensis (Schiner) until Vockeroth (1971) separated the two. All material we have examined is of Allograpta australensis and undescribed species, so the status of the Allograpta javana in Australia is still dubious (Vockeroth also did not know Allograpta javana from Australia). Allograpta javana is similar to Allograpta australiensis in that the katepimeron is yellow, but differs from Allograpta australiensis in the vertical face, not projecting anteriorly ( Vockeroth 1971: 1629, figures 1 and 2); abdominal fasciae not narrowed laterally and extending to margins in their fullest widest and the yellow medial annulus on metatibia distinct. Other morphological characters to distinguish these two species are: anepimeron black in Allograpta javana , including dorsomedial portion of anepimeron (dorsomedial anepimeron yellow in Allograpta australensis ); male frons yellow pilose in Allograpta javana (mainly black pilose with some yellow pili in Allograpta australensis ); male with occiput yellow pilose in Allograpta javana (male with occiput black pilose on dorsal 1/3 and yellow pilose on basal 2/3 in Allograpta australensis ); and usually metabasitarsomere pale in Allograpta javana (metabasitarsomere dark in Allograpta australensis ).

Allograpta javana is a species complex, whose components probably should be recognized as full species. In at least eastern New Guinea and throughout Oceania, the face is entirely yellow [ Allograpta distincta ( Kertész, 1899: 177)], whereas the western component always has a broad black medial vitta (typic form). In Oceania, Allograpta amphotera Bezzi (1928: 74) and Allograpta nigripilosa Hull (1944: 52) are related more closely to Allograpta javana (typic form) than to Allograpta distincta , as they retain the black facial vitta.

Zimsen (1954: 19) mentions that there was no type specimen in the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen (ZMUC) or in Vienna (NMW), but Groll (2013) indicates that some Diptera and Hymenoptera of the Wiedemann collection went to Vienna via W. von Winthem. At NMW, there is a pinned male labelled: "Java // Coll. Winthem" " javannus // det. Wiedem." " javanus Wid // Java" "LECTOTYPE // Allograpta // iavana // WIEDEMANN // K. Ghorpade des. 1983" [red] "LECTOTYPE // Allograpta // javana Wied. // des. X. Mengual 2014" [red]. We do agree with Ghorpadé in considering this specimen as part of the type series studied by Wiedemann. This specimen is here designated as the lectotype to fix and ensure the universal and consistent interpretation of the name.