Physiphora azurea (Hendel 1912)

Elena P. Kameneva & Valery A. Kroneyev, 2016, Revision of the Genus Physiphora Fallén 1810 (Diptera: Ulidiidae: Ulidiinae), Zootaxa 4087 (1), pp. 1-88 : 22-25

Physiphora azurea (Hendel 1912)

Figures 60–71 .

Chrysomyza azurea Hendel, 1912: 5 ; Lamb, 1914: 315; Physiphora azurea: Steyskal, 1980: 576 .

Material. Type. Syntype ♂: “Praslin, Seychelle Is.; 29.V.06 ♂”, “P. R. Dupont, 1907-72 ”; “ azurea , H./ det. F.Hendel”, “Coll. Hendel” (NHMW). Other ♂♀ syntypes originally said to be in BMNH, neither examined, nor located. Non-type. Seychelles: Mahé, 1914, 3♀ ( Physiphora azurea Hd. E. Kameneva det. 2002) (A. Marian) (MNKB); idem, anse aux pins, 4. xi.1977, 1 ♀ (J. David & L. Tsacas) (MHNP); Iles Séchelles, Mahe Sud: Anse a la Mouche, 15. vii.1972, 1 ♂, 1♀; 16–31. vii.1972, 1 ♀; 1–15. viii.1972, 4 ♂, 3♀; 16–25. viii.1972, 1 ♂; idem, Silhouette: Mare Cochons, foret endemique, 500 m, 28. vii.1972, 7 ♂, 2♀; Silhouette: Mt. Dauban, forêt endémique, vers. Est. 600 m, 56. vii.1972, 3 ♂ (P. L. G. Benoit & J. J. Van Moi) (MRAC); Sihouette, Mae Is., 1984, 1 ♂; Farcoire, at seashore, on fish, 16. viii.1984, 1 ♂ (SIZK).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. alceae in having entire transverse band of microtrichia on face, two semicircular microtrichose spots on subshining frons, white fore basitarsomere, rugulose scutum and scutellum, and apically closed, but not petiolate cell r4+5, readily differing by the bluish, cyan to purple tinge of the mesonotum (green with cyan or golden reflections in P. alceae ), dark fringed calypters (white fringed in P. alceae ) and also by the structure of male phallus (preglans without spinules or spines in P. azurea — Fig. 66 , but with row of fused black spines in P. alceae — Fig. 31 a).

Description. Head ( Figs. 61–63 ) yellow to brown, with black occiput. Frons 1.2 times as long as wide, yellow or brown, shining, with round parafrontal microtichose spots and two pairs of calluses posterior to its middle and slightly concave, sparsely and finely black setulose in anterior half and between calluses. Vertical plates concolorous yellow or brown, rarely dark brown, bearing 2 pairs of black orbital setae. Ocellar triangle black, with lateroclinate setae as long as orbital setae.

Face entirely yellow, facial carina laterally smoothed, yellow, with entire transvese grey microtrichose area not separated from microtrichose antennal grooves. Gena 1/3 times as high as eye; parafacial with narrow white microtrichose stripe along anteroventral eye margin. Epistome, gena and postgena yellow to orange. Occiput partly black. Medial vertical seta half as long as frons width, 1.1 times as long as lateral vertical and 3 times as long as ocellar, orbital and postocellar setae. Antenna yellow to brown; flagellomere 1 rounded apically, 1.5–1.7 times as long as wide, greyish microtrichose; arista bare, brown in basal 1/3, remainder brown. Clypeus yellow to orange. Palp brown to black. Mouthparts black.

Thorax ( Figs. 60, 61, 63 ). Scutum and scutellum brown to black, with cyan, blue or violet metallic sheen, densely rugulose, except antepronotum and posterior surface of postpronotal lobe, as well as pleura strongly shining black with blue tinge; posterodorsal part of anepisternum shagreened; supra-alar area and tympanal fossa brown to black, with faint blue sheen, postscutellum black, gray microtrichose; postero-ventral margin of scutellum without microtrichose area. Mesonotal scutum with medial (presutural acrostichal) row of setulae, acrostichal and dorsocentral setae; dorsocentral and postsutural intra-alar setulae present; all setae moderately long, black. One postprononal, 2 postsutural supra-alar, one intra-alar and one postalar setae strong, black.

Scutellum rugulose, with strong blue or violet reflection, with numerous, moderately long setulae black setulae (1/4–1/6 times as long as setae) and 2 pairs of black scutellar setae. Anatergite and katatergite densely grey microtrichose.

Wing. Entirely hyaline, with brown veins; cell r4+5 narrowly closed, apical section of M arcuate ( Fig. 64 ). Postero-apical extension of cell cup as long as vein A1+CuA2, and 3 times as long as transverse section of vein CuA2. Calypters with brownish fringe. Length: 4.4–4.9 mm.

Legs. Black except fore tarsus with basitarsomere entirely creamy yellow, mid- and hind tarsi yellow except apical tarsomeres black; all setae black; fore femur postero-ventrally with 5 thickened short setae in apical half.

Abdomen. Both tergites and sternites black, finely rugulose, with bluish reflection; all setulae black; abdominal tergite 1 basally grey microtrichose; female abdominal tergite 2 with pair of dimple-like structures laterally.

Male postabdomen brown to black; epandrium as on Figs. 68–69 , phallus with stipe at conspicuously (1.6–1.9 times) longer than preglans and glans; caecum 3–4 times as long as stipe width; preglans without spines or spinules ( Fig. 66 ); glans with 8–9 hook- or spine-like lobes, often with blunt apices ( Fig. 67 ).

Female terminalia as described for P. alceae . Distribution: Seychelles.

Biology unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 60 – 65. Physiphora azurea: 60, ♂ habitus, left; 61, 63, head and thorax, left and dorsal; 62, head, anterior; 64, wing; 65, label of photographed specimen. Scale 1 mm.

FIGURES 66 – 71. Physiphora azurea: 66, ♂ phallus; 67, glans, enlarged; 68, epandrium, posterior; 69, same, postero-ventral; 70, hypandrium, ventral; 71, ejaculatory apodeme.

FIGURES 31 – 40. Physiphora alceae: 31, ♂ phallus (a — fragment of preglans, enlarged); 32, glans, enlarged; 33, epandrium, posterior; 34, same, anterior; 35 ♀, eversible membrane, ventral; 36, aculeus; 37, same, tip, enlarged; 38 – 39, vagina and ventral receptacle, lateral and ventral; 40, spermathecae. Figs. 32, 34 – 40, from Kameneva & Korneyev, 2010; Fig. 33, from Chen & Kameneva, 2007 (drawn by V. A. Korneyev).